Merry and Pink Christmas Challenge - SSC231

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Hey y'all. I hope this post finds you good this morning. It's overcast here in the DMV and our unseasonably spring weather is headed out and the rain and cold is on it's way in. Boo- Hiss!

Hey, did you see MNF last night? Drew Brees led the Saints in a Romp over the Giants! I listened and kinda peeked at it while I was working on my technology/computer homework. More-like, while I got frustrated with my homework! I swear I do what the program asks and then I submit it and it says I didn't do it. I'm gonna have to go back and re-do it and and save screenshots of each step to prove I did it! SMH!!!!!

Well, finally, it's almost midnight and I got so frustrated that you know what I did, I pulled out my ink and paper and made me a card. Now what does that tell you, when challenges, and stamping, stress inducing activities are the things I turn to at that time of the evening? I know! It confused me too!

I had seen this sketch over at Stampin 411, and kinda knew where I wanted to go with it.













A lot of the people doing this challenge were only using paper for the center-panel. Who knew just using paper for a focal point could make such a statement? Apparently, quite a few people! Well, I decided to challenge myself to not CASE them and to do something different and stamp the center-panel. I also decided to alter the angle of the panel and the sentiment tag. What in the world was this Scaredy cat thinking at that time of the night? Thank goodness, Stampin 411 gives measurements! Can you imagine if I had to figure those out at that time of the night! OMGoodness! I left my kitchen table a mess as it was... but I'm pretty happy with the results. Let me know what you think.

Here's my card-

I used Pretty in Pink Cardstock for the base. I wanted to use Blushing Bride for a little softer card, but I was out. I think the color is still nice though. I layered it with the Letters to Santa DSP that coordinates with the Merry and Type stamp set I used. I love Love that set and paper. So Pretty! Next came another layer of Pretty in Pink and Very Vanilla set at an angle. These two layers were mounted together with Tombow and then were mounted at an angle to the base with Tombow so the overhang could be trimmed off.

After everything was mounted I stamped the ornaments from the Merry and Type set in Pretty in Pink on the Center Panel. I  let Tink do her thing and instant Bling. The sentiment is also from Merry and Type. I inked it with my Stampin Write Markers in Pretty in Pink and Chocolate Chip, stamped it on a scrap of Very Vanilla and punched it out with  my  Designer Label Punch and stuck it to a piece of cardstock I punched from Pretty in Pink using my Modern Label Punch.  Tink had her way with the label too, and I think it looks great!

The only think I would have changed about the front is when I went to put the label down I felt like it need some sponging, but if you do one thing you really kind of need to do everything. But, since I had mounted all the layers to trim them, it was too late to do that, so the label got "Tinked" instead. Looking at the card in the light of day, I think perhaps I could have let Tink edge the center panel too and it would have been "just right". Maybe we'll fix that at home later.

P.S.- I came home tonight and couldn't resist a little editing just to see "What if?" and here's what happened. Oh and the difference in color is due to my new Ott light that I got myself for my upcoming Birthday on an Black Saturday Sale, at almost 50 % off. (I changed the next pic too because the color is just sooo much better) I think the new touch is just what it needed.

Now you know, even after midnight I couldn't let the outside of the card have all the fun... so here's the inside-

The sentiment is from Four for the Holidays. It stamped it in Chocolate Chip. I inked the bottomed image with my Stampin Write Markers in Chocolate Chip and Pretty in Pink and the stamped off once so it would be a lighter impression and then let Tink do her thing because the inside really should be pretty too! I took a closeup of the bottom corner hoping it would sparkle a little more for you but I think it just looks a little sugared in this picture, but still pretty.

In real life it's like diamonds sparkling all over it....Cue the OOOOOOHHHHHH.....AHHHHHHHHH  LOL!

Well, that's all I have for today. It was a quickly thrown together card, which of course for me means...Oh let's not go there! Let's say instead that it came together quicker than most, yes that sounds better. :-)

I hope you like it and I hope you decide to play along with us. If you liked it, I would love it if you left me a comment. It's great when I get to hear from you! Also, if you liked today's card, please feel free to +1 or Pin it. I've added the buttons to my side-bar for your convenience. Friends and Followers are also welcome. :) 

Here's what I used today-
Cardstock- Pretty in Pink, Very Vanilla, Letters to Santa DSP
Ink- Stampin Write Markers- Pretty in Pink, Chocolate Chip
Stamps-Merry and Type, Four for the Season
Punches- Designer Label, Modern Label
Accessories- Tombow, Two-Way Glue Pen, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter


Till next time,
Be Safe,
Shan


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End of the Week Technique # 9 - Wine Bottle Gift Tags

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Hey y'all! I'm back! Yes, it's kinda scary, but not quite as bad as when little Carol Anne said it in Poltergeist. :o) *tee-hee* Took you back didn't I?

I was up late Wednesday night working on some birthday gifts and Hostess gifts for Thanksgiving day and this is what I came up with. I saw these a few weeks back and thought they were just an Amazing idea and knew they would be great not only for my Thanksgiving Hostess gifts, but for anytime. In fact, we're doing them at my Last Minute Gifts Class in 2 weeks. Have you signed up yet? There's still room. I showed these to people yesterday, and they were a huge hit. So quick and easy and so versatile too. I used a wine bottle, but you could use Champagne, or Sparkling Cider would be a great alternative too.

I got this idea from Andrea Walford and her Makeover Monday Challenge. It's a work from your own stash challenge where she takes something she she sees in a mainstream publication or online and then does her version of it with whatever she has in her studio and then challenges everyone to do their version with whatever they have. It's very Quick and Easy. I was so surprised how easy it was and how many ideas I had to adapt it even more. I've put the video here so you don't have to go elsewhere to view it.

So, I got out my Fall Colors and went to work. My initial thought was about stamping leaves and cutting them out and attaching them and maybe using my lattice folder somehow, but then I decided to try a different embossing folder. I'm so glad I did. It made things go so much quicker and the results were just stunning! What do you think?

I used Cajun Craze and More Mustard cardstock for the Gift Tag. I used the Elegant Lines Embossing Folder and put the cardstock in it across the folder instead of lengthwise. I then moved it up and realigned it with the edge and ran it through again. I used my Scalloped Border Punch to create a pretty edge on the bottom cardstock, and then SNAIL'ed the two layers together. (How many of you are gasping right now that I used SNAIL instead of Tombow? LOL!) I inked the sentiment from Day of Gratitude which is one of my All-Time Favorite sets in Soft Suede and stamped it on a Scrap of Very Vanilla and punched it out with my Designer Label Punch and framed it with another scrap of More Mustard. I popped this up with a couple of dimensionals added a few pearls of various sizes on the tag and the label and my tag was complete.

This is really a Great gift idea. For as little as $5-6, (depending on the cost of your beverage) you've got a gift you're not only proud to give but your Host/ess is happy to recieve. How much nicer is this than sticking the bottle in a bag? You could make multiples of these tags in advance and have them ready to go, just like you have cards ready to go. Trust me that's what I'm going to do.

What do you think? I hope you like it! Better yet, I hope you give it a try soon, and send me pics to show me what you've done. The possibilities are endless. If you liked today's card, I would love it if you left me a comment. It's great when I get to hear from you! Also, if you liked today's card, please feel free to +1 or Pin it. I've added the buttons to my side-bar for your convenience. Friends and Followers are also welcome. :)

Well, that's it for today. No, really. No third post will be forthcoming. ;-) I hope you have a great day and a fabulous weekend filled with family, friends, fun and of course plenty of time for stamping and designing. If you need to get supplies to make this project or others like it, don't forget you can shop in my ONLINE STORE and avoid the crowds.

Project Recipe
Cardstock-Cajun Craze, More Mustard, Very Vanilla
Ink- Soft Suede
Stamps- Day of Gratitude
Big Shot, Elegant Lines Embossing Folder
Accessories- Clear Block C, Pearls, Scallop Ribbon Border Punch, Designer Laber Punch, 1 3/4 Circle Punch, SNAIL adhesive

Don't forget our Stampin Extravaganza too. It's only here for a Limited Time!




Online Extravaganza, Stampin' Up!'s annual sale to kick off the holiday shopping season, will begin 
Monday, November 21, 2011, and run through Wednesday, November 30, 2011.
You may place orders either through my Online Store or by e-mailing me directly at angelshannona@gmail.com

You'll want to be sure to log in to my Online Store beginning  
Monday, November 21, to take advantage of great savings!

-FREE digital downloads valued at $40 when you buy My Digital Studio Express,
-60 percent off select Designer Fabrics,
-30 percent off an exclusive ribbon bundle!

Till next time,
Be Safe,
Shan

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Thanksgiving -An Epic Fail at Posting- A Major Score in Thankfulness

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Hey ya'll!

Do you ever wish one area of your life could magically transfer over to another? Yeah me too? Do you ever wish your OCD could magically transfer over to another area of your life? No? I do! Then I would be like the most super organized, efficient person on the planet! Are you kidding me? I can't even begin to imagine how much I could accomplish!

Until then though, I am going to vow to at least learn to use this handy-dandy function of Blogger's known as the scheduler feature and schedule important posts like Thanksgiving, Christmas, New-Year's etc, etc, so they don't get missed. I got a little busy yesterday and then got stuck in the Pre-Black-Friday line at Wal-Mart with a little power hungry teenager with an attitude "You can't cross the line until mid-night" and deceptive advertising "Sale starts at 10" Yes, but guess what, you couldn't purchase those new electronics until midnight, so you then had to stand in line for 2 more hours and wait and let everyone without electronics go past you. Poor Planning Wal-Mart. FAIL! EPIC FAIL! There should have been Electronics only lines. Let me tell you they had to start the sales early because people were fighting over $39 vacuums. Seriously people, Vacuums! It's not like they were Dysons! How are you going to let everyone with something other than electronics check out before midnight? Let me tell you, we let this one guy go in front of us at like 11:20 because he said he had no electronics. By the time he finished checking out it was 11:45 and he had checked everything out except the Blue-ray combo player in the bottom of his cart and the manager let him come back and stand in the front of the line in front of me and the 15 or so people in back of me. Oh, H**L NO!!!!! Let me tell you, there was about to be a lynching up in the Wal-Mart. And the guy's like "So, you want me to go wait in line again?" "Uh, Yeah!, Since we, only let you go ahead, since you clearly said you had no electronics! DUH!" Let me tell you, I was calling for the manager, I was calling for the police, and so were the people behind me! I was tired, I was cranky, and the people behind me were not any better. It was not a pretty sight. Needless to say, that man did not go in front of us."

Sorry, I digress...I had intended to go see Breaking Dawn yesterday, Team Edward all the way, but I actually slept in instead as I had stayed up the night before stamping and crafting (wait till you see the projects I have to show you, soon) I got up yesterday and started baking, put the finishing touches on some projects and ran out to the first of two houses I was headed to and spent a lovely afternoon there. I then headed to the second house in time to see the Cowboys win against the Dolphins in the final seconds of the game. (YEA!) Here, I thought I would at least be able to post from my cell, only to get the message that my browser was no longer supported... Thanks, Blogger!, at which point the migraine was setting in, but I was determined to get the 32in flat-screen for $188 at 10pm (Which is now in my possession. Happy Birthday, Merry Christmas to me!), get home, do this quick post and be in bed by 11,11:30 so I could be at work bright and early this morning. Needless to say that didn't happen. Thanks, Wal-Mart! So, since I didn't get home until almost 1, I figured it was already today and the "Epic Fail", "My Bad" post could wait just a little bit longer.

Anyways, now that you have listened to the I'm a bad planner, and a cranky migrainer, (but come-on, who wouldn't be in Wal-Mart, at midnight, with people taking advantage of your kindness and trying to cut line, really?), and a happy football fan, how about how Thankful I am for all my friends and family and for all of you who take time out of your busy days to stop by here and spend just a few minutes of your day with me. Whew sorry, I just previewed that and realized what a mouthful it was. LOL!

Here's my Thanksgiving card to you -

So simple, so sweet. We actually did this for my first stamp camp, except we changed to a 4 1/4 square card and my girls loved it! Pumpkin Pie is one of my all time favorites! I have to tell you though, I made Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake yesterday. Oh, Good Lord! Sooo Good! Paula Deen was right! I may never bake another Pumpkin Pie again!

Well, that's all for this post, I'm going to learn to use that darn scheduler option so I don't miss the important dates anymore and leave the important people in my life, feeling like they don't matter, and by important I mean you! I hope you all have an Amazing day, and get Tremendous Deals if you venture out.

*Tip #1* - Take a snack with you for standing in line and a drink but not something they might think you purchased there and not enough to make you need the bathroom, you don't want to have to lose your place in line because of a bathroom trip, unless of course you have a place-holder.
*Tip #2* - Take a book to read while standing in line, unless you have above mentioned place-holder, but even then, having a book to read may still be a good thing. Just saying.

If you need supplies for today's card or for others like it you can visit my online store 24/7 and avoid the lines completely (How sweet is that?)

Card recipe-
Cardstock-Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla, Pumpkin Pie
Ink-Soft Suede, Crumb Cake
Stamps-Handpenned Holidays
Accessories- Sponges, Tombow

Also don't forget time is running out for our Online Extravaganza-

And while you're there don't forget- to check out our Online Extravaganza-




Online Extravaganza, Stampin' Up!'s annual sale to kick off the holiday shopping season, will begin 
Monday, November 21, 2011, and run through Wednesday, November 30, 2011.
You may place orders either through my Online Store or by e-mailing me directly at angelshannona@gmail.com

You'll want to be sure to log in to my Online Store beginning  
Monday, November 21, to take advantage of great savings!

-FREE digital downloads valued at $40 when you buy My Digital Studio Express,
-60 percent off select Designer Fabrics,
-30 percent off an exclusive ribbon bundle!

Now's a great time to use this for Holiday Shopping, No Lines, No Wait, No Hassle, Just Smile and Happiness about wishes fulfilled! Let me help you get wishlist items crossed off.

If you liked today's card, I would love it if you left me a comment. It's great when I get to hear from you! Also, if you liked today's card, please feel free to +1 or Pin it. I've added the buttons to my side-bar for your convenience. Friends and Followers are also welcome. :)

Thanks again for stopping by,

I'm thankful for ALL of you!

Till next time,
Be Safe,
Shan

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A Little Name Change, A Cute Card and Some Cute Pics of the Studio Assistants

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Hey Y'all! Well there's one day left till turkey day. Do you have your shopping done yet? No? Me either. Luckily, I'm going to my friend Sharon's house, so I have just have to bring a few things, and I'll get them tonight and cook. I'm going to bake some Pumpkin Cheescake tonight. Whoo! It's sooo good, it'll make you want to smack your momma. What? Not really! You've never heard that? It's a real saying! Trust me, Go South! I imagine I'm going to have to double up on the P90X next week! Actually, everything will probably be so rich, I'll only be able to have a little of everything so it won't be too bad. Don't wait too long tonight or those stores will look like they do before a snow storm hits! LOL!!!!

So, I made a little name change to my blog this morning. Did you notice? If you've been following me for a while, you've heard me make reference to the fact that I'm a little OCD when it comes to stamping. Well, actually I'm a lot LOT, is what my team-mates would tell you. In fact, last Friday night at our special team meeting for people that had promoted, I walked in to "Were your ears burning?" LOL!

"OCD" is my nickname. It's okay, I own it, and I'm the first one to tell you about it.

We had a new team member there, (I'm so bad with names and I can't remember hers, so if you're reading this please hit me up and let me know it) and we were talking about blogging and how I had started this one for myself, to get out of my comfort zone, to stretch myself, because stamping "Stressed Me Out SOOOO Much!" and bless her heart, she just looked like someone had poleaxed her! It wasn't until a couple of my team members confirmed for her that "Yes it really does.", which of course was to her surprise accompanied by a great deal of laughter. Now don't get me wrong. I love stamping! I love designing, and creating and coming up with new things, It's just the not being perfect, not being just right, what ifs, that drives me bonkers!

This was also the source of a great many inside jokes at the Remarkables Team meeting on Saturday as well. Can I just say how nice it was to finally get to meet Jan! What a phenom!

How bout a quick pic of my studio assistant Bitty at work? She loves to help make sure SU sends me everything they're supposed to...

Here's one of Duecey too, because you know he can't be outdone right?

How about a card and then I'll tell you  a little about why stamping stresses me out so much.

I have this card on my desk at work and it makes me smile every time I look at. No, seriously. Everytime, I look at it. It's from the Eat Chocolate stamp set I got when I joined Stampin Up last year. It's just a little 3 x 3 card, but the thought of eating chocolate makes me happy.

Here's the inside-

Same stamp set. I used my Stampin' Write Markers to ink up  the stamp, and then added a little Bling. I love the saying too. I'm no quitter. That goes for chocolate and it goes for stamping too.

I've been stamping off and on for about 5 years now under Robin (my upline). Bless her heart for hanging in there with me this long! When she first told me "Don't worry, there's another side to that piece of paper", You have no idea how happy that made me!

I'm that person that has to have the edge of the grid paper aligned with the edge of the table, and the edge of my card aligned with one of the lines on the grid. Truly. No, Seriously! Ask anyone who has ever stamped with me. I don't know how I ever survived before I understood the Stamp-a-ma-jig. When I saw it on You-Tube, I fell in love LOVE. No, Honestly! I wanted to marry it and then become a bigamist and marry the person who invented it! If I could tell you one thing you need to, no must have, it's that.

I won't even get into ripping and tearing and crumbling, oh my! Suffice it to say they are distressing and there will be a blog post, probably next week.

Hey Maaam you know it's just paper right?

You know how people say just randomly stamp this. I know I say it sometimes too. But when I say it, it's usually followed by an (AUGH!) or an (UGH!). Why? Because it stressed me out! Nothing's really random. It's planned! What if it looks too random, what if it looks planned? What if they're too close, too far, too much, too little? Heck, even after I planned my placement on my DIY embossing sheets to look "Random" they still came out in a line! AUGH! See Stress!

Well, I started doing some challenges to try and stretch myself a little farther as well. Part of my problem is I'm a very visual, very linear thinker. When I see something, That's how I see it. It's often hard for me to see other things, substitute other things, until I see that too. For example a sketch like this-



This would be hard for me, and truthfully, won't be entered because I can't visualize anything other than a square and a scallop square.



When I saw this challenge, I almost didn't enter it because I didn't have a scalloped flower punch. That's what I saw for the the focal point, a scalloped flower punch. Are you seeing where I'm going? Luckily, the scalloped edge of the Scalloped Border Circle Punch hit with me and it worked.
Do you play BINGO? I love to play. But I can only win if it's one of the regular ones or the easy kinds. Make it one of those 2 on one cards and I might as well just sit it out. Same thing here. I just don't see things the way other people do, and then I get frustrated.
But back to the sketch. After I figured out the focal point then the panels were an issue! Would you believe I printed the picture out and actually measured panels in the picture and then mathematically figured out what size they needed to be on my card?!? I kid you not!!!! I can barely balance my checkbook but I have to geometrically plan out my cards. This is a problem. This is stressful! This is why I like the Stampin 411 challenges because they give you dimensions to work with, so I don't have to calculate and plan.

I also often have to print out the challenges and physically turn them around, because I just can't visualize them laid out differently otherwise. See, not so easy being me. Sometimes it's easy to just be a Scaredy Cat! But, I can't be the only one out there that wants to do more, so I stamp, and I try a little more and Yes, Robin, and Jan, and Michelle,  I will even vow to just "Eyeball it" and just "Tear it", and just go ahead and "Crumple it up" a little more often.

Here's a few last images of my studio assistants. Helping to keep me in line and on-task, as you've learned is hard work.

I can't wait to get in Maams way again tomorrow and flop down on her  grid paper,  I mean hold it down for her!

Keeping Maam in line is such hard work, but someone has to do it.

So, I hope some of my, posts make a little more sense now.

Here's the thing I'm learning as I go on... Stamping is a lot like life. It doesn't have to be Perfect. If I make a mistake, chances are I can correct it or change it by adding some ribbon, a brad, a darker ink, maybe some glitter or if all else fails, stamp another image on another piece of cardstock and cover it completely and no-one will ever be the wiser. And at the end of the day, if I'm happy with my card, project, gift and someone else doesn't recognize the value in the gift I am giving them, then they don't deserve the gift of me that they have been offered. My time if precious. I am precious. I may not be Perfect. I will never be Perfect, but I am working on be ok with being me.

I hope you all have a great day and an Amazing Thanksgiving. I wish you all a Safe Holiday. Please be Safe if you are traveling.

If you liked today's card, I would love it if you left me a comment. It's great when I get to hear from you! Also, if you liked today's card, please feel free to +1 or Pin it. I've added the buttons to my side-bar for your convenience. Friends and Followers are also welcome. :)

I hope to see you all back here real soon.

Till next time,

Be Safe,
Shan Pin It

Pretty Pines and Poinsettias (Try Saying That Three Times Fast) A CCMC #176

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Hey y'all! I hope this post finds you warm and dry and working your way to a fabulous Thanksgiving. It's wet here in the DMV but at least it's not cold so I'm happy about that. :-)

You know what else I'm happy about? The Pat's kicked butt last night! Boy they started off slow.... I mean s.l.o.w., but my boy Tom and the rest of the team kicked it into high gear and tore it up! Ok, so now the obligatory football references are done until Friday. Sorry, It's a Football heavy week.

Wanna know what else it's heavy with? Stampin! I decided to try my hand at another challenge. I saw this one over at Create with Connie and Mary.
                                         

I've really been wanting to do more challenges because I think they will help to get this Scaredy Cat out of her Hidey Hole. Challenges are especially hard for me because of my stamping OCD, more on that tomorrow, but that's one of the reasons why I want to do more and to do well at them. So here's another attempt. Let's see what everyone thinks.

Here's my card-

       
I used the Pines and Poinsettias stamp set and the Holly Berry DSP. I just love how they go together so seamlessly!

I started with a base of Real Red c/s. Next I used a layer a Very Vanilla c/s but do you see what I did? I made my own co-ordinating DSP, just like EWT #6, using the holly berries and the swirls/flourish from the Pines and Poinsettias stamp set. I colored the holly berries with my Stampin Write Markers in Real Red and Wild Wasabi and then stamped off once before stamping randomly(augh) around the c/s. For the swirls/flourish I inked up with CrumbCake, stamped off and then stamped randomly (I know Random, AUGH!!!) around the c/s. I then edged the piece softly with CrumbCake for a soft finish. If you ask me, Stampin' Up should have made this part of their collection! Just saying....

For the color block panel I used another panel of Real Red c/s and this time I used Stampin' Up's DSP. I tell you what though, their paper is sooo pretty it was hard to decide which papers to pick! Since I had edged the bottom layer with CrumbCake I edged all of these, as well as the Real Red panel, too. I adhered the DSP with Tombow so it would stay put and went to work on my center medallion.

I colored the flowers with my Stampin' Write Markers in Real Red, Rose Red, Pretty in Pink, and So Saffron for shading and the greenery in Wild Wasabi and Certainly Celery. I used the Large Scallop Circle Border Punch to punch it out. I sponged the edges in CrumbCake and then, I'm excited to say....wait for it... Tink is in the HOUSE!!!!!!

Here's a closer view-

Just a little Dazzling Diamonds around the edges and on the flowers and a little rhinestone in the center of the Poinsettia to finish it off. I think she must have been tired because she wasn't running on 100% Pixie Dust at this point. A few dimensionals to pop it up, a few more under the entire color block panel and the front was done.

And because the outside shouldn't have all the fun-

I stamped the sentiment from Four for the Holidays in Soft Suede, on a background of Very Vanilla c/s. This is really becoming one of my go to colors. The flower in the bottom is actually the the second stamp of the one from the medallion on the front. Tink was all revved up for this one and hit it full force.... so pretty! I missed her!

Well, that's it for today's card. Pretty Pines and Poinsettias, Pretty Pines and Poinsettias, Pretty Pines and Poinsettias, Augh!!!!!!!  Just Kidding.... :-) Well only about the saying it 3 times part!

Hope you enjoyed the card. Here's what you need to make it-
Cardstock- Real Red, Very Vanilla, Holly Berry DSP
Ink- Classic Ink Pad- CrumbCake , Soft Suede, Stampin' Write Markers- Real Red, Rose Red, Pretty in Pink, Wild Wasabi, Certainly Celery, So Saffron
Punch- Large Scallop Circle Border Punch
Accessories-  Tombow, Dimensionals, Two-Way Glue Pen, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, Rhinestones, Stampin Sponges

You can get everything you need to make this card or others at my Online Store 24/7.

And while you're there don't forget- to check out our Online Extravaganza-




Online Extravaganza, Stampin' Up!'s annual sale to kick off the holiday shopping season, will begin 
Monday, November 21, 2011, and run through Wednesday, November 30, 2011.
You may place orders either through my Online Store or by e-mailing me directly at angelshannona@gmail.com

You'll want to be sure to log in to my Online Store beginning  
Monday, November 21, to take advantage of great savings!

-FREE digital downloads valued at $40 when you buy My Digital Studio Express,
-60 percent off select Designer Fabrics,
-30 percent off an exclusive ribbon bundle!

If you liked today's card, I would love it if you left me a comment. It's great when I get to hear from you! Also, if you liked today's card, please feel free to +1 or Pin it. I've added the buttons to my side-bar for your convenience. Friends and Followers are also welcome. :)

I'll see you back here tomorrow.
Till then I hope you stay warm and dry!

Happy Stamping,
Be Safe,
Shan

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I Love You Guys!

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Hey y'all! I hope you're having a great Monday! It's a bit overcast and drizzly here in the DMV but it just can't detract from the weekend I had and the week to come... I sure hope you feel the same way!

Now you know since it's Monday let's get the Football out of the way so we can get to the really exciting stuff, not that Football's not exciting, really exciting, but OH MY GOODNESS is the Stamping so EXCITING this week. So, here we go, College Ball, HELLO! The South Rose Again this weekend! Yes Sirree! All my southern teams showed up. LSU, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Miami, Auburn. FSU came to play but sadly lost in the final minutes in a hotly contested game against VA for the first loss to Va ever at home, but what a game!

In NFL play yesterday the biggest happiness maker was the Dallas-Washington game. The simple fact that Dallas won meant Washington lost and if you follow my blog at all you know that means I was doubly happy as I have 3 teams, The Cowbows, The Patriots, and anyone who plays the Redskins. Tonight, the Pats play so we'll see if tomorrow finds me as happy or just tired from staying up late to watch MNF.

Now, on to the really good stuff! :-)

The weekend started off on Friday night with the evening off from work (Score!) and me getting to go to a special team event for team members who had promoted in the past few months with my upline Robin, and Jan Wakeland. (Double Score!) What a treat!!!! We got to have dinner, chat, stamp and make a project. I walked in to hear, "Were your ears burning?", but more on that later in the week..... It was a fun evening, filled with laughter and friendship.

Saturday started bright and early and we had a huge meeting, with Jan, and people who drove almost 2 1/2 hours to come. We had swaps and contests and give-aways. It was Fabulous. Lots of great ideas and lots of tips, plus we got to do make and takes so really  a fun day. So many really creative people, I was just blown away by some of the talent, and getting to meet and connect with these fabulous ladies, what a bonus!

Yesterday, I got to decompress, watch some ball and stamp. Silly me, I didn't take pictures of my swap, so I had to do another one so I could take a picture of it. SMH!!!!! Also, I did a card for another sketch challenge that I'll post tomorrow.  And on top of all that, as if that wasn't enough fabulousness, I got an e-mail from my momma, who follows me on here, that said she was proud of how I was doing with this. Well, it just doesn't get any better than that, now does it? So you see, it was a really good weekend. I hope yours was as good as mine!

So, are you ready for today's card? It's my swap from this weekend's event. We did Valentine's themed swaps. I know it seems a little early since it's not even Christmas, but you know it's never to early to show a little love and I Love You Guys!!!!!!!

It's really my first punch art card, although I didn't plan it to be that way. It also seemed a really simplistic idea until I had to do 32 of them.... I wasn't sure I liked the design so much then. Just kidding, I'm still in love with it. The only variance from the original idea was the addition of the polka dot embossing folder for the background. (Which was Robin Merriman's idea, Thanks Girl!)

The concept was being wrapped up in love's embrace, you know like a big hug.
I started with a card base of Whisper White cut at 4 1/4 x 8 1/2 folded at 4 1/4 to make a square. I then layered that with a piece of 4 inch square Whisper White cardstock I had run through the Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder. I adhered this to the front with Tombow.

I used my Word Window punch (I keep telling you how it's my fav) to make the arms out of Whisper White cardstock and angled them over the front of my Large Heart, punched from Red Glimmer Paper, and just folded them up the back. They fit perfectly, no trimming required. They overlapped slightly in the front and I adhered them there with Tombow. I then adhered the Small Punched Glimmer Heart with Tombow.  I used 3 dimensionals to raise it up and adhered it to the card front.

For the sentiment I used one of the sayings from the stamp set Three Little Words. I inked it in Basic Black, stamped in on Whisper White cardstock and punched it out with the Word Window Punch. I then threaded it back in (using scraps of cardstock) and trimmed the edges to make it smaller and layered it on Glimmer Red Paper I punched with the Word Window Punch. I Tombowed the two layers together and then finished it off with two little Rhinestones and then popped the whole thing up with two dimensionals.

Here's the inside-

I added another sweet little glimmer heart to the inside. Now all that's waiting is a hand written love letter. It's a simple design, but it got a good response at the swap. I hope you like it as well. Like I said, It's really easy to make, as long as you're not making them in bulk! LOL!

Well, that's today's bit o' love for today. I really do love and appreciate all of you for stopping by here! It makes my day. I hope I bring you just a little bit of the joy you bring me!

Don't forget today starts Online Extravaganza....
JUST ANNOUNCED!!!



Online Extravaganza, Stampin' Up!'s annual sale to kick off the holiday shopping season, will begin
Monday, November 21, 2011, and run through Wednesday, November 30, 2011.
You may place orders either through my Online Store or by e-mailing me directly at stampwithrobin@yahoo.com

You'll want to be sure to log in to my Online Store on
Monday, November 21, to take advantage of great savings!

-FREE digital downloads valued at $40 when you buy My Digital Studio Express,
-60 percent off select Designer Fabrics,
-30 percent off an exclusive ribbon bundle!

And WOW - look at this!
There will be two items on sale for 24 hours only (November 21, 12:01 AM - 11:59 PM [MT]) That's 2:01 AM - 1:59 PM EST
-so make sure you don't miss the first 24 hours of Online Extravaganza!

Today's card supply list
Cardstock- Whisper White, Red Glimmer Paper
Ink-Basic- Black
Big Shot- Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder
Extras-Word Window Punch,  Large Heart Punch, Small Heart Punch, Basic Rhinestones, Tombow, Dimensionals

That's all for today. Don't forget to check out the specials in the online extravaganza. I hope you'll come back tomorrow and see the card I have for you.

If you liked today's card, I would love it if you left me a comment. It's great when I get to hear from you! Also, if you liked today's card, please feel free to +1 or Pin it. I've added the buttons to my side-bar for your convenience. Friends and Followers are also welcome. :)

Till then,

Be Safe,
Shan

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It's a Sally Fields Kind of Moment....

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Hey y'all! I can't believe it! I made the the Stampin 411 Stamper's Showcase this week with my Merry Christmas challenge card.

I feel like Sally Fields when she won her Oscar and she said "You like me, You really like me...."

"Oh, Holy Cow!"

And like all good first acceptance speeches, I have to thank Robin Merriman, for the Inspiration of the Poinsettia, without which there would have been no card.  Robin, is my upline, and my mentor, and lots of time my source of inspiration, but most importantly, she's my friend (oh yeah, and sharer of chocolate and yummy recipies of noms)! Thanks Robin, you ROCK!

Thanks everyone for hanging out with this Scaredy Cat and trying new things. You are so appreciated!

I hope you have a Great weekend. I hope you come back on Monday to see the great card I have in store for you!

Till then,
Be Safe,
Shan


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Merry Christmas Stampin 411 SSC 229 Part 2

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Hey Y'all! I hope today finds you warm and dry! That is surely NOT the case here in the DMV! Had I not seen the weather and known this mess was coming I would have been afraid I brought this mess upon us by mentioning those two bad Horrible 4-Letter words the other day.... you know the c word and the s word. UGH! It was so cooooold and windy and then the rain started at the slug line this morning...The good news though is that at least it made me feel like it was winter, so I could feel good about posting a Christmas card! Bright side of things, right?

So, for those of you that are new here, I am somewhat (A Lot) technologically challenged. In fact, that I have managed to get to this point in my blog without any major problems is a minor miracle in it's own right. I'm sure there is probably a way to have linked yesterday's post and today's but I sure don't know it. SMH.... Thanks for hanging with me as I figure this stuff out! :-) Yesterday's post is linked to the Stampin 411 page, I'm posting today for anyone who doesn't see that page. Hope that makes sense.

I'm a Scaredy Cat. Did you read the name of my blog? But I'm trying to not be such a big one at least and I entered a challenge a few weeks ago. This week though, I think I lost my ever-luvin-mind! (What? It's a real southern word) I found and entered two of them.

Yes, I said two. On the same day. Like I said... Lost my ever-luvin-mind! The good news is when I saw the sketches I had a plan in mind, right away. Unfortunately, they both had the same central element. So a little tweaking had to occur, but I got to go home and stamp & play all evening! SCORE! I have to say I was really pleased with how they both turned out.

This whole challenge thing though is like being back in High School or like being Single and Dating again. It's soooo intimidating and stressful! (Especially for us Scaredy Cats! Right?!?) It's not just me is it? I mean you're putting yourself out there, exposing yourself to everyone. Is it good enough? Will they like it? Will they get it? Augh! Is it in line with what others are doing or totally off base? Oh, but maybe if I try enough, it won't be as hard, right?

Well, Stampin 411 has been a challenge that I have followed for some time. I really like it because they give you a suggestion for the sizes of the different layers. I don't know about you, but this is one of the hardest parts for me, trying to figure out the measurements for different layouts, so this really helps simplify things for me. You can even go to the site and print out the challenges. I find it a great resource for card layouts.

Here's this weeks sketch-




I saw this and thought of the Poinsettias from the WOW Christmas Card Class from my upline Robin Merriman. Now that it's so C--D outside and making me feel Christmassy it seems like the perfect card too!
However, it was 70 on Tuesday when I was making it. *TEAR* I want summer back!

Here's my card-

I stuck right to their sketch and suggested dimensions except for the Wild Wasabi strip which I cut long and trimmed down.

I started with a base of Real Red cardstock. My next layer was Holy Berry DSP  that I had run through the Big Shot in my Lattice Embossing Folder. I love the texture it gives it.This is absolutely one of my favorite folders! I then used a strip of Wild Wasabi I embossed with the Snow Burst Folder. I had to do this piece twice. You definitely have to cut your material big and trim down when you use this folder if you want precise sizing. I adhered both of those layers down with Tombow so they would stay put.

The next layer of Real Red and Very Vanilla is Tombowed together and I heat embossed the Merry Christmas from Four for the Holidays in Gold Embossing Powder and then popped it all up with dimensionals.

The beautiful poinsettia was from Robin's class. Have you been to her blog? Check her out.... She has such Amazing stuff!....But, wait till after you're finished here. I was so excited I was able to turn it so it fit on the card, and in the envelope. It looks like it extends past the edge at the top, but it doesn't really.

Here's the inside-

I stamped the greeting in gold and was done.  For those of you that know me, Yes, I forgot to stamp something else on the inside. Truth be told, at this point I was tired. I had to remember to stamp the greeting, since it wasn't part of the challenge. LOL.

And Tink has been on Vacation. I think there was enough shimmer on the front of the card, though. I'm sure she will be back in full force soon.

I hope you liked today's card. It's starting to feel like Christmas around here so there will be more coming. If you liked it, I would love it if you left me a comment. It's great when I get to hear from you! Also, if you liked today's card, please feel free to +1 or Pin it. I've added the buttons to my side-bar for your convenience. Friends and Followers are also welcome. :) 

If you need supplies to make today's card or cards like it you can shop in my online store 24/7.

Card recipe:
Cardstock- Real Red, Very Vanilla, Wild Wasabi, Holly Berry DSP, Red Glimmer Paper
Ink- Versamark
Big Shot- Lattice Embossing Folder, Snow Burst Embossing Folder
Punch- Blossom Petals Builder Punch, 1 1/4 inch Circle Punch
Misc- Vintage Brad, Mat Pack, Piercing Tool, Tombow Adhesive, Stampin Dimensionals, Gold Embossing Powder, Heat Embossing Tool

Well, that's it for today.  If we don't see each other tomorrow I hope you have a great weekend and get to spend it with friends and family and of course Stamping. I'm going to spend tonight finishing up my swaps for this weekend's big meeting and Valentine's themed Swap, hard to believe that's what we're working on already...

Till next time,

Be Safe,
Shan



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Merry Christmas- Stampin 411 Challenge SSC 229

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Hey y'all - No, I'm not posting twice in one day. (I wish) I'm just putting this picture up so I can link to it today. The challenge ends tomorrow morning at 8am and with class tonight, well, if I don't submit it now I might miss it... and I think it's too pretty to miss. Hope you think so too. ****Note**** I came back and edited this to include the blog entry. See below the picture and initial sign off. Thanks! Shan****

Here's my card-

Here's the Stampin 411 Sketch-

I'll be back tomorrow with the blog to go with it....

Till then-

Be Safe,
Shan


Hey Y'all! Here's the continuation from the above post.
I hope today finds you warm and dry! That is surely NOT the case here in the DMV! Had I not seen the weather and known this mess was coming I would have been afraid I brought this mess upon us by mentioning those two bad Horrible 4-Letter words the other day.... you know the c word and the s word. UGH! It was so cooooold and windy and then the rain started at the slug line this morning...The good news though is that at least it made me feel like it was winter, so I could feel good about posting a Christmas card! Bright side of things, right?

So, for those of you that are new here, I am somewhat (A Lot) technologically challenged. In fact, that I have managed to get to this point in my blog without any major problems is a minor miracle in it's own right. I'm sure there is probably a way to have linked yesterday's post and today's but I sure don't know it. SMH.... Thanks for hanging with me as I figure this stuff out! :-) Yesterday's post is linked to the Stampin 411 page, I'm posting today for anyone who doesn't see that page. Hope that makes sense.

I'm a Scaredy Cat. Did you read the name of my blog? But I'm trying to not be such a big one at least and I entered a challenge a few weeks ago. This week though, I think I lost my ever-luvin-mind! (What? It's a real southern word) I found and entered two of them.

Yes, I said two. On the same day. Like I said... Lost my ever-luvin-mind! The good news is when I saw the sketches I had a plan in mind, right away. Unfortunately, they both had the same central element. So a little tweaking had to occur, but I got to go home and stamp & play all evening! SCORE! I have to say I was really pleased with how they both turned out.

This whole challenge thing though is like being back in High School or like being Single and Dating again. It's soooo intimidating and stressful! (Especially for us Scaredy Cats! Right?!?) It's not just me is it? I mean you're putting yourself out there, exposing yourself to everyone. Is it good enough? Will they like it? Will they get it? Augh! Is it in line with what others are doing or totally off base? Oh, but maybe if I try enough, it won't be as hard, right?

Well, Stampin 411 has been a challenge that I have followed for some time. I really like it because they give you a suggestion for the sizes of the different layers. I don't know about you, but this is one of the hardest parts for me, trying to figure out the measurements for different layouts, so this really helps simplify things for me. You can even go to the site and print out the challenges. I find it a great resource for card layouts.

Here's this weeks sketch-




I saw this and thought of the Poinsettias from the WOW Christmas Card Class from my upline Robin Merriman. Now that it's so C--D outside and making me feel Christmassy it seems like the perfect card too!
However, it was 70 on Tuesday when I was making it. *TEAR* I want summer back!

Here's my card-

I stuck right to their sketch and suggested dimensions except for the Wild Wasabi strip which I cut long and trimmed down.

I started with a base of Real Red cardstock. My next layer was Holy Berry DSP  that I had run through the Big Shot in my Lattice Embossing Folder. I love the texture it gives it.This is absolutely one of my favorite folders! I then used a strip of Wild Wasabi I embossed with the Snow Burst Folder. I had to do this piece twice. You definitely have to cut your material big and trim down when you use this folder if you want precise sizing. I adhered both of those layers down with Tombow so they would stay put.

The next layer of Real Red and Very Vanilla is Tombowed together and I heat embossed the Merry Christmas from Four for the Holidays in Gold Embossing Powder and then popped it all up with dimensionals.

The beautiful poinsettia was from Robin's class. Have you been to her blog? Check her out.... She has such Amazing stuff!....But, wait till after you're finished here. I was so excited I was able to turn it so it fit on the card, and in the envelope. It looks like it extends past the edge at the top, but it doesn't really.

Here's the inside-

I stamped the greeting in gold and was done.  For those of you that know me, Yes, I forgot to stamp something else on the inside. Truth be told, at this point I was tired. I had to remember to stamp the greeting, since it wasn't part of the challenge. LOL.

And Tink has been on Vacation. I think there was enough shimmer on the front of the card, though. I'm sure she will be back in full force soon.

I hope you liked today's card. It's starting to feel like Christmas around here so there will be more coming. If you liked it, I would love it if you left me a comment. It's great when I get to hear from you! Also, if you liked today's card, please feel free to +1 or Pin it. I've added the buttons to my side-bar for your convenience. Friends and Followers are also welcome. :)

If you need supplies to make today's card or cards like it you can shop in my online store 24/7.

Card recipe:
Cardstock- Real Red, Very Vanilla, Wild Wasabi, Holly Berry DSP, Red Glimmer Paper
Ink- Versamark
Big Shot- Lattice Embossing Folder, Snow Burst Embossing Folder
Punch- Blossom Petals Builder Punch, 1 1/4 inch Circle Punch
Misc- Vintage Brad, Mat Pack, Piercing Tool, Tombow Adhesive, Stampin Dimensionals, Gold Embossing Powder, Heat Embossing Tool

Well, that's it for today.  If we don't see each other tomorrow I hope you have a great weekend and get to spend it with friends and family and of course Stamping. I'm going to spend tonight finishing up my swaps for this weekend's big meeting and Valentine's themed Swap, hard to believe that's what we're working on already...

Till next time,

Be Safe,
Shan


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End of the Week Technique (EWT) #8 Versamark Marker - Embossed Gently Falling Card

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Hey y'all! I hope this post finds you well and if not sunny and warm, at least dry. Here in the DMV we have rain with 100% chance of more rain throughout the day. Seriously?!? You couldn't even give us 1% chance of sunshine. SMH... Oh well at least it's not my 2 least favorite 4-Letter words Cold and SNOW!

On the upside as I walked in to work this morning, the sidewalks were strewn with beautiful multicolored leaves. I do have to say that's one thing we never got much of back home. There's even this big tree across the street from my office and every once in a while when the wind is just right, you'll see a little swirling and fluttering of the golden leaves as they fall. So pretty!

It seemed kind of appropriate for today's card since it uses the Gently Falling stamp set. I'm a little early this week with the EWT but I put this card in as a challenge entry and wanted to be able to link it up here so, I'll try and do an extra post tomorrow or Friday with the other challenge I entered.

Have you been to Try Stampin on Tuesday? Not sure how I stumbled upon CherylAnn's regular site, but I'm so glad I did! Check her sites out....but after you finish here. :-)

Here's the sketch from Try Stampin on Tuesday-

Pretty simple, not a lot of fuss. I had an idea for the sketch as soon as I saw it. Too bad it had the same centerpiece as the idea I had for the Stampin 411 challenge. What to do....What to do? You know my inner Pooh-Bear came out- Think, think, think, think....come-on you know you just said it with me in your inner Pooh-Bear voice as you read that. :-)

Well, I have to say my upline Robin Merriman is such a creative inspiration for me. I missed her Firehouse camp last week, but saw the cards and wish I hadn't because they were SOOOOO Amazing! She posted one yesterday, here, that became the inspiration for my challenge card.

Here's my card-

As you can see, I only deviated from the sketch by changing the circle to a square. I have to say though, I only did that because I didn't have anything to make a large circle with, however I really like how it turned out. I hope the Try Stampin on Tuesday people aren't super sticklers for not deviating from the sketch.  I used a cardbase of Soft Suede and layered that with Very Vanilla. The next layers have DSP from the Spice Cake collection. So pretty! The more I use this collection, the more I like it. The final layer has Pool Party added for a pop of color and a bit of the unexpected. I sponged all the layers gently around the edges with Soft Suede and used Tombow to adhere them all.

For the Spice Cake sections, I ran them through my Big Shot with my Lattice Embossing Folder and then lightly sponged the top with Soft Suede to help define the embossing just a little.

Tip- When you use an Embossing Folder that has a lot of impressions or makes really deep or intricate impressions, Cut your cardstock larger than you need to (you can always cut it down to size). It will shrink up! Ask me how I know. In fact for this card I embossed a 5 1/4 x 4 piece of DSP and didn't have much waste at all.

For my center piece I used my Gently Falling stamp set and this single leaf fit like it was made for my card. Thank-you very much Stampin' Up! I was soooo excited to finally get to use this set as a 2-step set. I used Pool Party, More Mustard, and Old Olive. I don't have the In-Color markers yet so I inked up my stamp with my Pool Party Classic Ink Pad and then using a q-tip randomly (UGH, Random-U know it stressed me out, too!) swabbed off some of the ink. I then used my Stampin Write Markers to color in the bare areas. I stamped onto a scrap piece of Very Vanilla and then inked up the outline stamp in Soft Suede (it's becoming a favorite color of mine) and stamped.

For those of you that know me, or have been here before, you know how OCD I am about stamp placement. I know that one of the nice things about the 2-step sets are they don't have to be perfect, but can I just say I still had fits when I saw the placement wasn't perfect. I took a breath though and decided the Very Vanilla showing through was a nice color addition and left it like it was. Boy, it was hard though to not flip that scrap over and stamp again!

So, are you wondering about today's EWT yet? Well, I think the leaf would have been pretty enough as it was, but I wanted to make it a little more special. (As if a Blue leaf isn't special enough, Shan?)

Well, I recently got a Versamark Marker and have been dying to try it out. I wanted to edge my pretty leaf in Gold and I knew just how I was going to do it! (Or at least I hoped I knew just how I was going to do it)

I grabbed my Versamark pen which, by the way, is dual ended (so nice) and used the Brush-Tip to outline my leaf. (It's just like using the brush end of your Stampin' Write Markers). I went just outside of both images, whether it was the solid line or the colored image. I then coated it with my Stampin' Up Gold Embossing Powder and fired up my Heat tool and watched as my leaf went from pretty to OOOOHHHHH! (And Yes, I did my Happy Girl Dance, yes I did).

But, as pretty as it was, this Scaredy Cat wanted MORE! I wanted the whole leaf to be Extra Pretty and Shiny, so throwing caution to the wind (who knew how this was going to work out...was I going to have to scrap everything and start over with a fresh stamp....oh stress, oh worry...) I took my Versamark Marker back out and ....wait for it.... Colored in my Whole Leaf! I was so excited the colors didn't blur or anything. So I held my breath (figuratively not literally, because that would have been really hard *tee-hee*) and using my Clear Embossing Powder and Heat tool waited for the magic to happen. I was not disappointed! I watched it go from OOOOHHHH! to WOW! (And Yes, I did my Happy Girl Dance a second time!)You can't really see it in the first picture so here's another one-

Ooooohhhhh..... Aaaahhhhhhh! Right! So Shiny and Pretty! Not bad for my first try, huh? This is definitely a technique I will be trying again! How about you? It's so quick and easy and gives almost Instant Gratification (always nice!) and such amazing results.

I cut it out with my Paper Snips as close to the embossing as possible and the positioned it with 4 Stampin Dimensionals, one at the N, E, and W points of the leaf and one a little low middle and then used some of the side Dimensional to put behind the stem.

I did do the inside of the card, but it was getting late and I forgot to snap a picture of it. Sorry. It uses the sentiment "Magnificent!- The perfect word for you" in Soft Suede on Very Vanilla. The sentiment is from our Hostess Collection "Perfect Words"

Well, that's it for today. I hope you like my card for the sketch challenge and today's EWT. I hope you try it! I think you'll be very happy with the results. If you liked today's card, I would love it if you left me a comment. It's great when I get to hear from you! Also, if you liked today's card, please feel free to +1 or Pin it. I've added the buttons to my side-bar for your convenience. Friends and Followers are also welcome. :)

Card Recipe-
Cardstock- Soft Suede, Very Vanilla, Pool Party, Spice Cake DSP
Ink-Soft Suede and Pool Party Classic Ink Pads and More Mustard and Old Olive Stampin' Write Markers
Stamps- Perfect Words
Embossing Powders- Gold and Clear
Big Shot- Lattice Embossing Folder
Others- Versamark Pen, Heat tool and Powder Trays, Tombow, Stampin' Dimensionals

If you need supplies to make this card or others you can shop in my Online Store, 24/7.

Come back soon and see what else I have for you. I have a Stampin 411 Challenge to post probably tomorrow.

Till then,

Be Safe,
Shan Pin It

A Sunny Monday Thank You

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Hey y'all! I hope this Monday finds you warm, dry and well rested from the long Holiday weekend. Here in the DMV the sun is weakly trying to shine and it's relatively warm compared to where it has been. (It's in the 50's and expected to be in the 60's) In fact I only had to wear one jacket and no gloves or scarve today and the space heaters are not even on yet in my office so I'm a happy girl!

Now, if I was only somewhere with the sun warmly shining on my face and the water either lapping at my feet or gently rocking me, that would be Amazing! What?!? A girl has to have dreams....

Did you have a good weekend? I got to spend Saturday afternoon stamping with my buddy April. We were working on swaps for our upcoming Regional type meeting with Janet Wakeland. We're so excited! I got to work on them some more yesterday while I watched football and they are almost done. YEA! Sometimes the simple looking cards are not simple at all!!!!!!

Sadly though, it is Monday and you know what that means, (besides being back at work) yep the Sunday Football recap. I'm a southern girl, what can I say. College ball had a big  Huge weekend. FSU beat Miami, S. Carolina beat Florida, VT beat out GT, but when it came to the following, they were just blow-outs. Alabama over Miss. State, UGA over Auburn and LSU over W. Kentucky. These opponents just failed to show-up....SMH.

Sunday Football, now that made me a Happy Girl! I was def doing the Happy Girl Dance around the house. Cowbows were in the house. Dolphins tore it up in Miami, and of course by default that means that the Redskins lost in a fabulous fashion! (Double Score!) Then to cap it all off, the Pats soundly beat the Jets! Oh such a good day! It's making my Monday, just thinking about it.

Now, that Sunday's all caught up let's get on to today's card.

Today's card is a little bit of a departure for me. I don't usually do lots of layers, but I did for this card. I wanted to try something different and I have to say I was pretty pleased with how it turned out. I actually made this card about two months ago and have been waiting to post it and today seemed like a good day. Even though there are lots of layers it still has a Clean feel about it.

I used a base of Daffodil Delight cardstock. I wish it showed up a little better here. Such a sunny, cheery color for a Monday morning. I layered it with Whisper White and some DSP from the Brights Pack that I got with my starter kit.

I used the stamp set For All You Do, which I also got as part of my starter kit. Such a versatile set, and Ilove that I got to pick it out instead of having someone pick out the sets for me.

I used my Stamp-a-ma-jig to stamp the solid image of flowers in the center. That thing is AMAZING! I will say that it takes a little bit of time and practice to get the hang of, but once you master it, it will become a staple and a favorite tool in your line-up.

For the inside, I kept it simple and clean as well.

I simply stamped the sentiment and the little butterfly from the same stamp set and my card was done.

If you're wondering if your eyes are deceiving you, nope, they're not... not a hint of glimmer or shimmer to be found on this card. (This was before Tink took up permanent residence in the studio)

So there you have it, today's simple Sunny Thank You Card. This one would be fairly easy to make multiples of and have on hand or to give as a gift.

While we're talking about Thank-you's, let me once again say Thanks, for taking the time out of your busy day to take a moment and stop by here. I really appreciate you!

As always, if you need supplies to recreate this card or make others, you can shop in my online store 24/7. Just click HERE and get everything you need. Now's a great time to get all your Holiday shopping done and if you book a workshop or are a hostess you can get even more benefits. Contact me for more info.

I hope you enjoyed today's card. If you liked it, I would love it if you left me a comment. It's great when I get to hear from you! Also, if you liked today's card, please feel free to +1 or Pin it. I've added the buttons to my side-bar for your convenience. Friends and Followers are also welcome. :)

I hope you'll come back soon to see what else I have for you.

Till the next time,

Be Safe,
Shan Pin It

A Veteran's Day Thank You

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Hey y'all. I hope everyone is enjoying an amazing day off courtesy of all the Brave Men and Women who have so valiantly served over the years to help give us the freedoms that we have today.

Today's post will be a short one. I can see the eye's rolling of my regulars, and hear the "uh-huh's" as they read that line.

"When does Shan ever have a short post?" you might be asking. Fair enough question actually. Today, would be the answer but mainly because it's a repost.

I originally posted this card on 9/11, as a tribute to those who served and to my friend James' son who had just graduated Army Bootcamp. I guess I could have done a Thank-You card today but it just didn't seem like it would have been enough. I haven't got this stamp set yet (I had borrowed it before) or the other one in the series, although they are definitely on my to buy list.

For those of you that are new here, hopefully it's new to you, for those of you that have been with me, it's a personal favorite of mine and I hope you don't mind revisiting it quite so soon-

I would like to say Thanks today to everyone who has ever served. I truly believe that Freedom isn't Free and I am thankful for all the freedoms that I have today and I realise that they are there because of the brave men and women who have so selflessly served in my place.

I hope that if you get the chance to say thanks to someone in uniform today you will, not just for the day off that we are enjoying but for everything that their sacrifices have given us.

God Bless Us All,

Thanks for stopping by today, I hope you'll stop in next week when I'll have new stuff to show you.

Have a blessed weekend. Till then,

Be Safe,
Shan Pin It