HOLIDAY MINI SPOTLIGHT SERIES - DAY FOUR

Happy Saturday!!! Whew! It is already soooo hot here, and it's not even 10am this morning! It is supposed to get to 104 today.......I am sooooo ready for some cool, crisp fall weather!!!! I have been doing a lot of fall stamping, and so now I am ready for the weather to cooperate, lol!!! Today I am going to showcase some more fabulous products from the Holiday Mini! I decided to show you this marvelous a la carte stamp called Leaves From a Tree because I think it is just a beautiful stamp!  I had so much fun playing with all the colors to make this a pretty fall tree! First though, let me tell you a little bit about the card itself and then I will provide more detail about the actual tree, lol! The base of the card is More Mustard and I used my Corner Rounder punch on it to give it a softer look! The layout of this card is actually a sketch I wanted to play with from the SFYTT weekly challenge - this one was last weeks.  I don't often do sketches, but this one was so awesome I just had to play :-) The patterned paper is another selection from the Spice Cake Designer Series paper collection - pure YUM!!! There are two  solid layers which are both embossed.  The first is Early Espresso, which I ran through the Big Shot using the Square Lattice embossing folder.  The second layer is Wild Wasabi card stock, which I also ran through the Big Shot, but this time I used the Stripes Embossing folder. Both of these can be found in the main catalog!  I also corner rounded both pieces of card stock to keep the card consistent.  Now, on to the image! The Scallop Circle is made with the Circles Scallop #2 Big Shot die and is cut with Pool Party card stock.  The actual image is stamped on a piece of Very Vanilla card stock that was cut out using the 3 inch Circle Big Shot die.

I stamped the image in More Mustard classic ink - I wanted to use the lightest color so that I could go back in with my Stampin' Write Markers and use a variety of fall colors to really make the tree colorful.  Here is a close-up of the image itself!  The colors I used are Cajun Craze, Tangerine Tango, Peach Parfait, More Mustard, and Early Espresso with a little bit of accent coloring using the Wild Wasabi marker.  I then took my Versamark pen and randomly chose leaves on the tree and colored them in. I did the whole base of the tree as well.  Then, I covered the image in Clear embossing powder and heat embossed it  with my Heat Tool to get that shiny look you see on the tree.  It looks so pretty IRL - I hop you can see it!!  I then sponged around the edges using Early Espresso classic ink, pierced the scallops with my paper piercer, and Voila! Done! That yummy ribbon is also from the Holiday Mini and is Early Espresso Quilted Satin Ribbon - and yes, it is as good if not better than it sounds, lol! It also comes in Cherry Cobbler, which is just as amazing!!!  That last little touch is the sentiment, which comes from the Perfect Words hostess set found in the main catalog! You can only get this set if you host a workshop - so give me a call and we can schedule one :-) It is an AWESOME stamp set, and a great value!!! I stamped the sentiment is Early Espresso Ink on More Mustard card stock, made a little banner out of it (love my banners, lol), then added some texture with my mat pack and paper piercer! I got the wavy look by using my bone folder and breaking down the fibers to make it more pliable! So, there you have it - lots of fun products from the Holiday Mini on this one!! And, if you are in love with what you see here, you can shop in my online store and have it delivered right to your door *wink*.  Or, if you prefer, you can contact me and and I will be happy to place your order! I am spending the afternoon with some friends doing some stamping and drinking some wine - doesn't that sound like fun??!! I am really looking forward to it, it's the best kind of stamping! Since I don't post on Sundays (hey, everyone needs a day off, lol) I will be back on Monday with another wonderful project featuring products from the Holiday Mini! Until then, enjoy your weekend and find some time to be creative!!
Card Recipe:
Paper -More Mustard, Wild Wasabi, Early Espresso, Pool Party, Very Vanilla card stock, Spice Cake Designer Series paper
Inks - More Mustard, Early Espresso, Cajun Craze, Tangerine Tango, Peach Parfait, Wild Wasabi classic inks and stampin' write markers, Versamark Pen
Stamps - Leaves of a Tree, Perfect Words (hostess set)
Tools - Big Shot, Square Lattice and Stripes embossing folders, 3 inch circle die, Circle Scallop #2 die, Heat Tool, Clear Embossing powder, Paper Piercer, Mat Pack, Corner Rounder
Accessories - Early Espresso 3/8 inch Quilted Satin Ribbon

HOLIDAY MINI SPOTLIGHT SERIES - DAY THREE

Good morning and Happy Friday!!! This week zoomed by for me - I could have used one more day before the weekend, lol!! Tonight I am taking my daughter and her friend shopping for a birthday present for another friend - it's hard enough shopping with one teen let along two, lol!!! So, I am gearing up, heehe! My daughter is already talking about Halloween and I just know she is going to drag me into the Halloween store! It is her favorite holiday, and I have no idea why since it most definitely is not mine :-) However, I could not resist a few of the super cute Halloween items in the Holiday Mini and I have been making some treat items with them! I want to share one I made today - I am going to make these for my husband's supervisory staff and then make some other things for the rest of the staff.  Otherwise, I would be making these until next Halloween, lol! I am very happy with how it came out, and I am going to have to hide it from Kayla or it will disappear :-)  Now, I can't take credit for the design of this cutie, but I have seen them all over the place, and so I just emailed one of the people who made one and asked for the dimensions and she was kind enough to share - love stampers!! It has a lot of scoring but it went super fast using my new Simply Scored tool - I don't know how I lived without it, lol! I think I need to do a whole post on just that tool so you all can see how easy it is to use and why EVERYONE should have one, lol!  So, for this project I used lots of products from the holiday mini!  The paper is from the new Pick Your Poison Designer Series paper pack, and it really has some fun patterns to it! And, I can see myself using it for lots of non-halloween projects as well! I used three different patterns of the paper so you can get an idea of how awesome it is! The images are from the Piece of Poison stamp set, and both the images and paper have these fun little Quick Accents called Pick Your Poison, which I also used! All the spiders came from the accent sheets - you get two full sheets of all different tags, images, and borders! Super fun to play with! And, as you can see, this card comes with it's own treat holder - there are five little chocolate nuggets in there! I wrapped them in Naturals Vanilla card stock that is stamped with another holiday mini set called It's a Wrap Holidays.  They fit perfectly around these - can you see the little spiders on there??  I think they are perfect!!

So, here is a shot of the tag pulled out so you can see it in full view as well as the background to the card behind the tag - I could NOT leave it bare :-)
Isn't it fun?  The tag is Peach Parfait card stock and then I accented each end with one of the borders from the Quick Accents pack.  It coordinates perfectly with the DSP around the treat end of this project as well as the scallop border along the pocket! All of the images here are also from the Piece of Poison stamp set - there are some fun images to this set! I used the brain and the spider, and stamped them in Versamark, then heat embossed both with my Heat Tool using the new Pewter embossing powder and they came out sooooo good!

Here, let me show you a close-up!  See how nice and defined the images are?? I am loving this new embossing powder and see lots of ways to use it for all different types of projects, most notably my favorite style of vintage shabby! So, I am sure you will be seeing lots more of this in the near future, lol!! The little pull tab is punched out using the Curly Label punch and then cut in half and adhered with red sticky tape so it won't come off! The spider on top is actually a quick accent tag that I punched out with the small oval punch to make it small enough to fit on the tag.  Cute, right?  And, there is plenty of room on the back of this tag to write a note to whoever is the lucky recipient of this little treat card!!! And, let's not forget the back that now shows since the tag is out!

Here is a close-up shot of it so you can see the fun details that are there! I used another one of the Quick Accents here as well. I stamped the skeleton on the tag, then stamped the word Spooky over the top of him. That sentiment actually comes from another Halloween Set that is in the main catalog and it is called Wicked Cool - and it is, lol!!! And, it fit perfectly over Mr. Bones so I just had to use it.  Once I had it all stamped, I simply peeled the tag off the sheet, and stuck it straight down on the back - easy peasy!! I am loving these quick accents - they make a project come together really quick, which is nice if you are doing a big number of items like I will be, lol! My husband better appreciate it, that's all I have to say *wink*  So, there you have it - day three of fun products from the super fabulous Holiday Mini catalog!! I hope you are all enjoying this fun spotlight series - I know I am enjoying sharing them with you!!! I will be back again tomorrow with another fun project I just know you will love! Now, I am off to get ready for my events this weekend, and then off to shopping with the girls! I hope you all have a fabulous weekend, and take time to do some fun things......like STAMP! And, if you like the products you see here, you can order them in my online store and have delivered right to your door :-) Or, you can contact me and I will be happy to place your order for you! See you soon!
Treat Card Recipe:
Paper - Basic Black, Peach Parfait, Naturals Vanilla card stock, Pick Your Poison Designer Series Paper
Inks - Black Stazon, Peach Parfait classic ink, Versamark
Stamps - Piece of Poison, Wicked Cool(this one is from the main catalog)
Tools - Simply Scored, Scallop Circle Border punch, Small Oval Punch, Heat Tool, Pewter embossing powder
Accessories - Pick Your Poison Quick Accents

HOLIDAY MINI SPOTLIGHT SERIES - DAY TWO

Good morning all!!! I have been busily stamping away getting ready for all kinds of fun events coming up! I just love the holidays, but it IS confusing to start stamping Christmas in August, lol!! However, today I am going to share another Holiday Mini fall spotlight project featuring the stamp set Always Thankful!  I love the images in this set, they are very versatile and just rich with lots of detail! VERY fun to color, which I love :-) I decided to make a tri-fold card because I really wanted to show off some more of the yummy Spice Cake Designer Series paper.  As you can see, all the patterns of this paper are absolutely beautiful - I love this particular one because it is soooo vibrant! I am sure the picture does not do it justice but this is by far my most favorite pattern in the pack (although I DO love it all, lol!) I did all the scoring for this card using my new Simply Scored scoring tool in the Mini.  If you don't have this tool you NEED it!!! It is awesome and makes doing a lot of score lines a snap to do! Seriously, this has several and it took me a minute to get them all done - love that!!! I did take some More Mustard card stock and use that as my accent color for this card.  I added some pretty scallops along the edges using my Eyelet Border punch - doesn't it look nice??!!  And, the belly band is also More Mustard but I stamped it with the Netting background stamp to give it some texture.  I really like this background stamp because it looks great both bold and subtle and I find myself reaching for it quite often.  Then of course I had to show you another pattern of the glorious Spice Cake Fabric!!

Here is a quick closeup of this wonderful pattern so you can see how pretty it is!! I just ripped a piece of the big square (yep, start a small cut with scissors and then just rip it down!) and then wrapped it around the belly band, tied a knot and it looks great! Just for fun I added a vintage tag and a small Soft Suede designer button, isn't it cute?! I love buttons so any excuse to use them is a good one, lol!! I think the outside of this card is so very pretty - that patterned paper does not need ANYTHING to enhance it, but I sure do like to play with all the other pretties that coordinate with it *wink* The belly band IS removable but it does not have to be as this card has an insert that just slides in and out on it's own.  I just did the belly band for some decorative touches!

Here is the picture of the card with the insert taken out!  The base of the insert is Early Espresso with the layered piece on top being Very Vanilla card stock.  The curve that you see at the top of both the insert and pocket? I made those by tracing a small plate so there was a slight curve - and I know we ALL have THAT tool, lol! It just gives it some visual interest and I like to play with new shapes. I added some more of the pretty patterned paper using the Scallop Ribbon Border punch and just layered two strips across the top.  The pull tab is made using the 1 3/4 inch Scallop Circle punch with More Mustard card stock, and then some Spice Cake DSP with the last circle layer being Pool Party.  The Circles were punched with the 1 3/8 inch and 1 1/4 inch Circle punches.  I love how all of our shaped punches nest so nicely together, makes layering a snap to do! The cute little acorn in the middle is from the set I showcased yesterday called Gently Falling.  It just fit there, heehee! Now, on to the image!

Here is a close-up so you can see the pretty colors and shades! It is stamped in Early Espresso and then I water colored the whole image using my aqua painter and several different colors of stamp pads (More Mustard, Cajun Craze, Soft Suede, Early Espresso, Crumb Cake, Wild Wasabi).  I love to watercolor, I find it very relaxing, and I love how soft the image looks when you are all done.  This image just screams fall to me - it reminds me that harvest is right around the corner and yes, we STILL go to the pumpkin patches, although it is more for me at this point, lol! I think the kids just indulge me :-) The sentiment you see there is also from the Always Thankful stamp set and is stamped in More Mustard ink.  I love it because it is very true - I think sometimes we forget that we ALL have SOMETHING that should make us thankful everyday.  For me, it is my family - my husband and kids mean the WORLD to me, and I can't imagine life without them! Yes, they drive me crazy, but hey, that's all part of it, right??  So, I hope you enjoyed my second spotlight showcase - I know I loved sharing it with you! Stay tuned tomorrow, I have a really great project to share that I just know you will love! It makes ME squeal, and I made it, lol!!! If you love the products you see here, you can order them in my online store or you can contact me and I will be happy to place your order for you! If you don't have a Holiday Mini and you would like one, you can click on the link and it will take you directly to the online version, or you can  contact me and I will send one out to you! You have to see all the fun things in this mini - just pure holiday joy!!! Now, I am off to run some errands and then back home to stamp the day and night away! Everyone else has plans tonight so it is just me and the dogs and my stamps - yes, this makes me smile, I love alone time :-) See ya tomorrow!!
Trifold Card Recipe:
Paper - Early Espresso, Very Vanilla, Pool Party, More Mustard card stock, Spice Cake Designer Series Paper
Inks - More Mustard, Early Espresso, Soft Suede, Crumb Cake, Pool Party, Wild Wasabi, Cajun Craze classic inks
Stamps - Always Thankful, Gently Falling (acorn)
Tools - Simple Scored scoring tool, Eyelet border punch, Scalloped Dotted ribbon border punch, 1 3/8 inch and 1 1/4 inch circle punches, 1 3/4 inch Scallop circle punch, Mat Pack, Paper piercer, Aqua Painter
Accessories - Vintage tags, Designer Buttons, Spice Cake designer fabric

HOLIDAY MINI SPOTLIGHT SERIES - DAY ONE

Hi all!!!! As promised, I am starting my Holiday Mini product spotlight  where each day for the next 10 days I will share a fun project of some type using products from the fabulous Holiday Mini catalog!!! I am very excited to share these projects with you as I love the products and had a ball playing around with them :-) I know I should have started this on Monday BUT it was a holiday and Tony and I took a spur of the moment couple trip out of town and went to the coast, just him and I!! It was soooo wonderful, we really enjoyed ourselves so I figured you would forgive me since we got back yesterday *wink* So, here is the first project!! It features the brand new stamp set called Gently Falling, and what an AWESOME stamp set this is!!!  Look at all those pretty leaves!!!  They are just beautiful, aren't they??!!I will go into more details on the leaves in just a few, but first, let's explore the rest of the card! This stamp set is a two-step stamp set - one of my very favorite kind of stamps to use because there are sooo many possibilities.  I made a front step card to show off these beauties and I love how it turned out!! The scoring was made VERY easy by using my fabulous new Simply Scored scoring tool that is now available in the Holiday Mini!! This is a tool that I know a lot of us have been waiting for, and I hope to do a video tutorial very soon to show you just how amazing this tool is :-)   The base of the card is Early Espresso with the oh so yummy Spice Cake Designer Series paper! Right below the sentiment - which is from the Always Thankful stamp set, also found in the mini - is some of the Spice Cake fabric - isn't it pretty??! All I did was tear (yes tear) a strip from the fabric and tie it around the card, tying it in a bow.  I love how the ends start to shred, it really adds to the card!  Along the bottom of the card, I punched some of the Spice Cake DSP using the Lace Border punch, and added some pretty pearls.  Love it!! And, if you look up close on the sides, you will see that I added mini silver brads to each flower center! The leaves are adhered to a piece of More Mustard card stock that has been embossed through the Big Shot using the Square Lattice embossing folder (hint, always do your stamping BEFORE you run your card stock through the embossing folder so it stays nice and crisp and clear).  I then lightly sponged over it using More Mustard classic ink.

Lastly, the leaves - let me show you a close-up and talk a little bit about how I did these!  As I said before, this is a two-step stamping set, which means there are all kinds of color combo possibilities you can do with these! Just like snowflakes, there are no two leaves alike, so I wanted to make sure all mine were different as well.  I first stamped the outline of each leaf in Early Espresso ink on Naturals Vanilla card stock because I like the texture it adds to the stamped image.  Next, I stamped the actual leaves in several different colors: Pool Party, More Mustard, Soft Suede, and Crumb Cake.  I did the first layer of each leaf, then went back and stamped the leaf again in a different color! Most of them have three different colors on them, which really gives them that gorgeous fall look! I cut them all out and then took my stylus (you could also use a paper piercer) and curled the edges and sides of all the leaves.  Some of them are adhered directly to the card, while others I popped up on dimensionals.  They really remind me of fall, which is my favorite season of the year! I am looking forward to it cooling down here and seeing some of the pretty leaves on the trees in our yard.  But for now, I am content to make my own fall :-) I hope you enjoyed this first in the series of spotlights I have coming your way!! If you love these products shown here, and want them for your very own, you can order in my online store, or contact me and I will be happy to put your order in! I will be back tomorrow with another fun fall project that I just know you will love! Until then, I hope you find some time to create!!
Card Recipe:
Paper - Early Espresso, More Mustard, Pool Party, Naturals Vanilla card stock, Spice Cake Designer Series paper
Inks - Early Espresso, More Mustard, Pool Party, Soft Suede, Crumb Cake classic inks
Stamps - Gently Falling, Always Thankful (sentiment)
Tools - Simply Scored Scoring tool, Stylus, Lace Border Punch, Big Shot, Square Lattice embossing folder, sponge, dimensionals
Accessories - Spice Cake fabric, Mini silver brads, Basic Pearls