Snow flakes and Faux Mother of Pearl

Hello, I have been super busy making cards and I have several ideas floating around in my head but not enough time to make them all happen but I will try so be patient with me please. :) One of the techniques that I was asked to show at a recent workshop was Faux Mother Of Pear. You may remember that this is a technique that I learned about from a swap card at Convention this year. Well, since I am working on showcasing Christmas Cards I thought I should update my card sample and make a Christmas Card. I played around with several ideas before settling on this one. There is a little glare on the first card but I think you can see the detail okay. I used a base of Bashful Blue Card Stock and did a little sponging on the edges with Bashful Blue Classic Ink, then Marina Mist Classic Ink on the very edge just to give the Card Stock some depth. The center panel is the Faux Mother of Pearl and I used the Platinum Shimmer Paint on Glossy White Card Stock after the Shimmer Paint dried I sponged Bashful Blue Classic Ink over the card stock. I then used Versamark and White Embossing Powder to heat emboss the snowflakes from Serene Snowflakes. A little more sponging with Marina Mist this time over the snowflakes and then a Aquapainter and the Not Quite Navy Classic Ink Pad to color in the details of the Snowflakes and the panel was complete. To finish it off I used Whisper White Card Stock that was punched with the Scallop Trim Border Punch down both sides of the panel. Marina Mist 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon and Clear Tinsel were used around the panel and the Noel was stamped with Not Quite Navy Classic Ink and punched out with the 1 3/8"x 5/8" Oval Punch. The Noel is from the Many Merry Messages. Definitely a Christmas Sentiment Set to have. Now I have two picture here because after making the card I couldn't decide if I like it horizontal or vertical. Which to you prefer? Leave me a comment and let me know. Well, that is it for today. I am so glad that you stopped by! I hope you have a great day, Tonya

Emboss Resist

Hello! I have been working on a lot of different Embossing Techniques and this is one that I learned a few years ago at Stampin'Up!'s Regional Event that was held in Kansas City. It is called Emboss Resist on Designer Series Paper and is really easy to do. First you will need a piece of Designer Series Paper. I chose the Almost Amethyst Sheet from the Tea Party DSP Collection. Then you will need a stamp or stamps that are solid images, Heat Tool, Versamark, Clear Embossing Powder, Sponger or Sponge Dauber and Classic Ink to coordinate with your Designer Series Paper. I used Almost Amethyst Classic Ink for this card. You ink up your stamp or stamps with the Versamark and Stamp on your Designer Series Paper, pour the Clear Embossing Powder on the Versamark, shake off the excess and emboss with the Heat Tool. After the embossing has cooled you will use your sponge or sponge dauber (I prefer the daubers as I find my fingers don't get as inky with them) to sponge the Classic ink around and on your embossed image. After you get the look you like you can wipe off any excess ink with a paper towel. The embossed areas with resist the ink and allow the Designer Series Paper images to show through. This paper is fairly subtle but you can see the images through the embossed area. I used the Medallion Stamp for my embossing. It is a great stamp for this technique. I also used the Happy Birthday from the Whimsical Words Stamp Set and the 1 3/4" Circle Punch to punch the sentiment out. The Whimsical Words Stamp Set is only available until the end of the month so if you would like to purchase it please contact me or your demonstrator soon. The card was finished off with a little Whisper White Organza Ribbon. I love how light and simple the card looks with just the Whisper White and the Almost Amethyst. Remember Almost Amethyst is one of the Retiring Colors so if you love this color please place your orders early for a Reinker and card stock as after June 1 is will be only while supplies last.
Well, we have another baseball game tonight this time for my oldest son. The younger two had their first game last night and while they lost by one run they both played well and had fun. I really enjoy watching my kids do any sport as I think most mom's do and I of course love to take pictures so I will try and share a few of the boys in action before to long. Have a great day and thank you for stopping by, Tonya

Easter Chick!

Sorry for the long absence from posting. My daughter and I went to New York City last weekend and I have spent the week trying to get caught up on everything I usually do, so posting had to take a back seat. The project I am sharing with you today is one of the club projects that we made this week. I can't take create for it however as my 12 year old son sketched this one for me and I just made the cute little chick. I am amazed at just how much my kids seem to understand about Stampin'Up! and what I do. I think he did a great job on his first project and I hope to be able to get him to sketch more for me. This is a tools project with Big Shot Dies and punches. For the box I used the Bag with Scallops Bigz XL Die and cut the scallop part off leaving the bag open at the top. The handle is punched with the Sale-a-bration Edge punch. The card stock I used is Bashful Blue. To make the chick himself I used the Frame Oval Scallop Bigs Die and cut out two one in So Saffron Card Stock and one in Whisper White Card Stock. I cut the Whisper White Card Stock to make the egg shell. On the club ones we stamped across the egg shell to make it look like a decorated egg or you could use colored card stock to make your egg. To make the rest of the chick, I punched out one 5 Petal Flower Punch and 2 Small Oval Punches from So Saffron Card Stock. I sponged the edges of the So Saffron Card Stock with a Sponge Dauber and So Saffron Classic Ink before assembling the chick. To make his eyes I used the 1/2" Circle Punch and Whisper White Card Stock. I added the blue centers with the Bashful Blue Stampin' Write Marker. The beak was made by folding a piece of Pumpkin Pie Card Stock in half then punching out one petal from the 5 Petal Punch with the inside of the petal being lined up with the fold of the card stock. This allows his mouth to open and close. I used SNAIL Adhesive to attach all the parts and also attach the chick to the basket. There you have a cute little treat container for Easter. If you have any questions please let me know I am always happy to help. Have a great day and I will be back tomorrow to share another project with you. Thanks for stopping by, Tonya

Quick and Easy Easter Card

Good morning, I am actually finding time to post in the morning which means my day is going a little smoother. First a couple of reminders. You only have until Feb. 28 to purchase the I {Heart} Hearts Stamp Set to help the Red Cross Haitian Relief and Recovery Fund. You can place your order directly through my website or email me. I will be out of town over the weekend but will be checking emails as soon as I get back. Also March is the last month to take advantage of Sale-a-bration, if you would like to schedule a fun evening of Stamping with your friends please contact me as my calendar is getting full.
Now about today's Easter Card. I had this idea for an Easter Egg card since I made the Chocolate Bunny Card. As I punched out the Happy Easter, I thought the Wide Oval Punch would make a great Easter Egg. The card base is Pretty in Pink Card Stock, just a piece I had leftover from a recent workshop project. The Whisper White Card Stock is cut 5 1/4" x 4" and I used the Scallop Circle Punch to make a template from scrap paper and sponged Bashful Blue Classic Ink with a Sponge Dauber to make the clouds. It really is quite easy to do, give it a try if you haven't before and let me know how it went. I stamped the Happy Easter from the Well Scripted Stamp Set with the Basic Gray Classic Stampin' Pad. I punched out three Wide Oval Eggs from the Shades of Spring Designer Series Paper and the So Saffron Patterns Designer Series Paper. The grass was made from the Shades of Spring Designer Series paper. I used the Scallop Edge Punch to punch the top, then went back and punched it again just a little off the first punch and it made the pointed grass edge.
After I used the Paper Snips and cut down from the top between blades of grass to allow the grass to bend and place the eggs in it. The grass was added to the card with Stampin' Dimensionals and the Eggs were put on with Pop Up Glue Dots. This layout would also work well for a scrapbook page with the Easter Eggs across the bottom. Now that I have made a few Easter cards I am really starting to get in the mood for Spring to arrive, but first I guess we have to get rid of the snow. Oh, well Winter can't last forever. Thanks for stopping by today and be sure and stop back again this weekend, I will have new projects both Saturday and Sunday. Sunday's will be a sewing project. Have a great weekend, Tonya

Branching Out

Good afternoon, today's card is my attempt to use the stamp sets that I currently have to make Halloween cards and the Branching Out Stamp Set (which is on the dormant list but still available) is one that is perfect for many occassions. I started by cutting out a Whisper White Top Note with the Big Shot (113439)and Top Note Die (113463). I then embossed the Tree with Black Embossing Powder (109133) . I added a moon by punching out a circle with the 1 3/8" Circle Punch (104401) and using the negative image I sponged Summer Sun (100537) and Pumpkin Pie (105216) Classic Ink. I used the punched out circle and masked the moon and sponged Ruby Red (102259), Pumpkin Pie (105216), Summer Sun (100537) and Really Rust (102549)Classic Ink across the Top Note to add a sunset apperance. I also added a little Basic Black Classic Ink (101179) to tone down the other colors. The bat and sentiment ( from the Scary Skeleton Stamp Set 113224) were stamped with Stazon Jet Black Ink (101406). The sentiment was punched out with the Small Oval Punch (107304) then sponged before adding it to the card. The base of the card is Basic Black Card Stock (102851) and was texturized with the Texture Plates Kit #4 (114531) before the Top Note was added. There you have it the finished card. Not complicated at all. If you would like to order the supplies to make this card or would like to host a workshop to learn how to make this card contact me. I would love to help you! Thank you for stopping by today and have a great weekend, Tonya

Halloween Treats!

Good morning, hope you are having a great Friday! I am looking forward to this weekend because my hometown is having a annual Street Fair. This will include a parade, egg toss and games for the kids and fireworks! It will also mean that our family and my brothers families will get to spend some time together. The weather has cooled down and we should have a great weekend! However you didn't come here to hear about my weekend plans did you. I must tell you that when I got up this morning I fully intended to post about Christmas cards. I have been busy creating them all week and thought that would make for a great post, but after doing some blog visiting of my own, I decided I need to share a Halloween Treat container with you and what better way to make a small treat perfect for those Trick or Treaters that you may have or even school treats that with our Sixxiz Big Shot.

I made all three of these in a matter of minutes just because they are so darn cute and the Big Shot makes them so quick to make. No measuring or scoring. Just roll the card stock thru and fold on the prescored lines. The die that I used is Stampin'Up! Matchbox (114890) and I used Old Olive, Perfect Plum and Pumpkin Pie Card Stock. Cast-a-Spell Designer Series Paper (115677) was the perfect match to make the wrap around slide off piece. I used the Eat, Drink & Be Scary Stamp Set (111764) to make each of the tags. This is a great set because you can use our punches to cut out the stamped images. I love not having to cut out images. The top box I used markers to ink up the image and then stamped on Whisper White Card Stock. The punch I used was the Curly Label Punch (112208) and it is matted on the Movers & Shapers Curly Label Die (114506) cut out. I added a piece of Old Olive 5/8" Grosgrain Ribbon (109054) around the middle to finish off the box.

On the second box I used the same markers to color the image and then punched it out with the Small Tag Punch (108264) and then layered that on Perfect Plum Card Stock punched out with the Tag Punch (105934), a little 1/4" Old Olive Grosgrain Ribbon (111368) and box two was complete.
The last box is the simplest of all because I didn't want to take away from the Designer Series Paper, so I simply stamped the definition of Halloween in Black Staz-on on Whisper White Card Stock and cut out around it then sponged the edges with more Black Staz-on ink. If you have any questions about this project please let me know and I will be happy to help. They will fit a couple of fun size candy bars inside of them and since I didn't add ribbon around the ends all the kids have to do is slide the box out to get the goodies inside. I will be making more of these for the trick or treaters in our neighborhood.

Just a quick reminder that the $85 Demonstrator Promotion will soon be ending. If you would like more information about the fun advantages of a demonstrator be sure and contact me. Thank you for stopping by and have a great weekend. I will be back on Monday with more projects to show you! Tonya

In Color Cards

Good morning to all! Sorry I didn't post more pictures on my Uncle Sam post yesterday. We had a busy day at our house and since the weather was so beautiful we spent quite a bit of time outside. I did do some creating last night after most of the kids were in bed. DD has been staying up later this summer and she actually kept me company while I did these cards and helped with ribbon colors and such. I really wanted to show you some of the new In Colors but also wanted quick cards that would work in all the colors. Then I remembered our Decor Elements Stencil that I got a while back. Did you know that we have stencils in the Decor Elements Line? We do and Stampin'Up! has added seven new ones in the new Decor Elements Catalog (which can be downloaded on the left of the screen). I used Kind Thoughts Brocade (116572) which is the small size. Each card uses one of the New Incolors

with the first one I made being Rich Razzleberry Card Stock(115316). I used Dotto (103305) to hold the stencil in place then I sponged the Rich Razzleberry Classic Ink (115658) all over the stencil. When I had the coverage I wanted I simply removed the stencil, wiped off the adhesive from the Dotto and the card was ready to finish. I stamped the for you from Fresh Cuts (111634) on either Whisper White or Kraft Card Stock depending on the card and punched it out with theLarge Oval Punch (107305). On the Rich Razzleberry Card I added White Taffeta Ribbon(109070) and tied a knot. This card is simple but has an elegant feel about it. Perfect for mass producing and having on had for almost any occasion. Here is the list of colors that I used on the three other cards. Melon Mambo Card Stock (115320), Melon Mambo Classic Ink (115656), Whisper White Card Stock and Organza Ribbon (114319). Crushed Curry Card Stock (115319)

Crushed Curry Classic Ink (115659),

Chocolate Chip Classic Ink (100908),

Whisper White Card Stock and Chocolate

Chip Taffeta Ribbon (109065). Fourth Card

Dusty Durango Card Stock (115321), Dusty

Durango Classic Ink (115654), Kraft Card Stock (102125) and Kraft Taffeta Ribbon (109068).

Also I wanted to remind you that the Deal of the Week is only good until Monday at 10:50 Central time. If you are interested in purchasing the Scallop Edge Punch and you are local please contact me. I will place one order which will save on shipping and handling. Also if you are interesting an any of my Ribbon or Paper Shares please let me know as spots are filling up in the first group. Thank you for stopping by my blog today. I appreciate it and would love to hear from you. Have a great day,Tonya

Warning: Stamp-A-Ma-Jig required!

Good morning, everyone. Today we have a guest designer. This card you will notice was made by my DD. She spent quite a bit of time getting this card just like she wanted it but I am happy to report that the birthday girl was thrilled with her All Sports Birthday Card. The theme of the birthday party was sports and since the birthday girl plays a wide variety of sports DD decided to use the All in the Family Stamp Set (113488) and Family Accessories (113494) to make the card. She started with a base of Brilliant Blue Card Stock (100721) and then cut Whisper White Card Stock to fit the front of the card. This next step is where the Stamp-a-ma-jig (101049) is required. Each of the body parts are separate on the little girl so in order to line them up correctly she used the Stamp-a-ma-jig. If you haven't tried the Stamp-a-ma-jig before give me a call and I will give you a lesson. I love mine for sentiments! She also stamped the dress and legs on a scrap piece of paper and cut them out to paper piece the image, but before I jump ahead of myself the face was masked and the whole card was sponged with Bashful Blue Classic Ink (105209) which is the complimentary color to Brilliant Blue. This gives the card a sky background. The dress and shoes were then applied using Glue Dots. The grass was made from a strip of Green Galore Card Stock (101768) that was cut to create grass. This was attached to the card with Dimensionals. The various sports items were stamped on Whisper White, Close to Cocoa, and Pumpkin Pie Card Stock and then cut out. Some were put on with Dimensional and others with glue dots. The Happy Birthday Sentiment is from All Holidays (114916). The little girl's face and hair were colored with Blush Blossom Classic Ink and Close to Cocoa Classic Ink with a blender pen. I must admit that this is one of my most neglected stamp sets. I just never tend to pull it out so I am glad that my DD did for her card. Maybe while the set is still out I will use it to create something. I want to thank my DD for letting me share her card with you. I think she did a great job on it and hope that you like it too!
If you notice the post above has some more red items which means that there are more accessories that have sold out. Please do not hesitate to call me if there is something on the list that you want. You can also place orders online for all catalog items. Thank you for stopping by my blog today and we would love to hear from you. Tonya

Baseball and Birthdays

Good morning, it seems as if baseball and birthdays do go hand in hand around this household. We had another baseball game last night with baseball practices and another game today. That is if the weather cooperates with us. My youngest DS is going to his first friend birthday party today and since the two boys play on the same baseball team I just had to pull out my Sporting Stamp Set (115072) and Just Baseball (115002), since I bought these two sets they have been my go to sets for all boy cards. Now I know that not all boys play baseball which is why we have Just Surfing (115012), Just Soccer (115010), Just Football (115006), Just Basketball (115004) and Just Riding (115008). I really think we have the sports covered. I started the card with a base of Pacific Point Card Stock (111350), added a mat of Basic Black Card Stock (102851) and since I still had the Good Morning Sunshine Designer Series Paper (113966) out on my workspace I decided to use it also. I stamped the sentiments and star from the Sporting Stamp Set all over the Good Morning Sunshine DSP with Versamark (102283) and poured the Clear Stampin' Emboss Powder (109130) on the versamark. I used my Heat Tool (100005) to emboss the images. I decided to use a technique that we were taught at Regionals last fall. I used the Pacific Point Classic Ink Pad (111837) and Stampin Sponges (101610) and sponged ink all over the designer paper. This allows the embossed images to pop as I cover the design on the paper. The embossing resists the ink and the designer paper shows through. I didn't completely cover the paper so that some of the image does show through but rather it is more subtle. Using the Circle Scissor Plus (112530) and the Glass Mat (112531) I cut a circle out of Whisper White Card Stock (100730). I created the baseball by hand drawing the stitch lines on with the Real Red Stampin' Write Marker (100052). I then used Black Stazon (101406) and the Stamp-a-ma-jig (101049) to stamp All Star onto the baseball. The baseball bat was stamped on Close to Cocoa Card Stock (101341) with Chocolate Chip Classic Ink Pad (100908). The hat was stamped with Green Galore Classic Ink Pad (102122) on Whisper White Card Stock. Both were cut out using Paper Snips (103579). I used Stampin' Dimensionals (104430) to mount all the images to the Good Morning Sunshine DSP . After I attached the DSP to the basic black card stock I used Mat Pack (105826) and pierced the right bottom corner were I wanted the Black Brads. They are in the Vintage Brad Collection (109109). I used three on the corner then I attached the Basic Black Card Stock to the Pacific Point Base. I put the brads on first so that they didn't show through on the inside of the card. After looking at the card I decided it needed something in the upper right corner so I added a Photo Corners Punch (109042) punched in Basic Black Card Stock and attached with Stampin' Dimensionals. I am not 100% sure that I like the corner but it will stay that way.

Just a reminder I am updating the Retiring Accessories List as items sell out and I will be placing an order on Wednesday. Of course you can always order online anytime 24 hours a day at tonyaball.stampinup.net Thank you for stopping by today and I hope you have a great weekend, Tonya

Clearly for Mom

Good morning, it looks to be a misty day here, so what better way to spend it than stampin'. Now for those of you that are at work or have to work today, I am sorry :( It also means that we probably won't be playing baseball tonight and will instead have to make up the two games. I don't like to have rain outs as it messes with the rest of the schedule, but enough about our household you came to see a card, correct.

I do have one for you today and it is a little different in that the base is made out of our window sheets. These are in the Occasions Mini and are great for so many things. I started off by running a 4x5 1/4 inch piece of Shimmery White Card stock thru the Big Shot with the Manhattan Flower Textured Impressions Die. I sponged the flowers with both Perfect Plum and Pale Plum Classic Ink and our Sponges. This added more color to the raised areas than the recessed. I also sponged around the flowers with Mellow Moss Classic Ink. I stamped the Mother's Day sentiment from the All Holidays Stamp Set directly on the shimmery white and then again on a scrap piece of Shimmery White Card stock. The scrap piece was punched out with the new Scallop Oval Punch also from the Occasions Mini. Just a quick reminder there are only two days left to take advantage of the Get Connected Promotion. If you need more info please contact me and I will be happy to help. Now back to the card. I punched out a wide oval from Mellow Moss Card stock and layered the Scallop Oval on top of that with dimensionals. Now the tricky part with using window sheet is that any adhesive you use tends to show thru. So to solve that problem I used mini glue dots to add the flowers inside the window sheet and placed them in such a way that the embellishments and sentiment would cover them. There are three mini glue dots along the edge of the card where I added the Basic Gray Taffeta Ribbon and there are two where the Happy Mother's Day is placed. The Oval Sentiment is actually on top of the window sheet and covers up the glue dots. When I get ready to send this card I will simply add a message inside that will appear to float in the center of the card. If you have any questions about this project please let me know. All supplies are from Stampin'UP. Thank you for stopping by today and have a great day, Tonya