Welcome to A Stampers Paradise!

You've stumbled upon my escape from the daily grind! I hope you enjoy what you see here. I am a SU Demo who loves trying new techniques, holding card making classes, creating techniques of my own, and most recently blog design, I love anything stamping related! I hope you'll stay a minute and come again! I'd love to know you were here, so feel free to leave comments!

Friday, February 27, 2009

Purse Punch Card...


This was actually made in Nov 08 for my sister, and I never put it on my blog. I just saw a blogging friend who put one of hers up and it reminded me of the one I made a while back. I kept the purses simple using the Tag Punch, and the handles are made with bronze paper punched with large and small tag and circle punches, the buttons are just scrap holes punched out of the same paper with the hole punch. My sister is a purse NUT, and she loved this card! It is extremely simple, but it made her smile!

Thursday, February 26, 2009

My Hubby's Valentine...

I just realized that I had forgotten to upload this card. This is what I made my husband for Valentine's Day this year. I saw a very similiar card on SCS a while back and loved it, so I wanted to do something like it. The set is Boatloads of Love. The DSP is Fall Flowers, CS is Really Rust, Old Olive and Baja Breeze. The image is stamped on watercolor paper, and colored with watercolor crayons, reinkers and Aquapainters. I used some natural hemp twine, and a piece of Antique Brass Hodgepodge Hardware. I like it, and was pleased with it. Since making this I saw a tip someone posted about heat embossing images before watercoloring, and am doing that now, it does work much better for staying in the lines with the brush. Still overall, I like this one, so did he!

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Bella Rose Quilted Top Note

Well, this one turned out perfectly with what I had pictured in my head when I started. It took much longer than I thought it would, probably because my miniscule stamping area is the mother of all messes right now, I spent 5 minutes searching for my bone folder before I gave up, I have no idea where it is. On to the deets...

This card uses the quilting technique (with Bella Rose DSP), which I am now in LOVE with! I did that, then ran it through my Big Shot with the SU die, Top Note. That is layered over a Kiwi Kiss CS that was also run through my BS with the Texture Plate from SU called Damask (you can really see it IRL), edges punched with the Ticket Corner Punch. That is layered over the Riding Hood Red card base, which has been punched with the SU Eyelet Border Punch down one side. I used the Word Window Punch and layered behind that the word WISH. The flowers and bird are from SU Sizzlets, Birds&Blooms, the branch is Little Leaves, also exclusive to SU. The button (isn't it yummy?) is from SU Button Bouquet, which I covet highly and hoard religously! I think I like to look at them, but find it hard to make myself use one!

I am in love with this card, which is really more textured and beautiful in person. I can't get a decent shot right now, it's too dark, and I had a friend lead me to a lighting website and I will be working on that ASAP. But I was eager to post. I have had virtually no stamping time lately, and this was so welcome! I had fun stamping, and I need to make more time for it again. Hope you all like it! Let me know what you think.

* All supplies SU

Monday, February 23, 2009

Want to get a handmade gift from me? Hurry, first 5 comments ONLY!!!

I saw this on my blogging friend Siobhan's blog and just had to comment on it, so as the rules go, I am posting it for all of you. Sounds like a lot of fun! No anonymous comments for this, I moderate comments, so leave your email address in your comment, and I will get with you for your address to mail your prize! (PS...I won't post your email address on my blog, just your comment).

The first 5 people to comment on this post will receive something made by me. But there is a catch... Here are the rules:
1. It's my choice what to make... and you won't know what it will be until you get it!
2. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make, but I hope you do!
3. What I create will be just for you - completely original. :)
4. It will be done this year. (That's what the rule says, but I'll try to get these done within a month or I might forget...and that will be no good!)
5. Now for the catch. The catch is that you must re-post this on your blog and offer the same giveaway to the first 5 people who do the same on your blog. It's all about sharing the love! Be sure to come here and post a link, cuz I WILL check your blog! *wink*

SBG1 Challenge #5 - The Pink Laundry Room

This 12x12 scrapbook page was made for a challenge for a blogger group I am in. It was Siobhan's turn to host the challenge, and you can find her blog HERE, if you get a minute, stop by and visit her, it's well worth the time. Her challenge was to create a card based on the laundry room of a wonderful woman named Stephanie Vest, a mother of young children, who recently lost her battle with cancer. Stephanie certainly had a "flair" for design, her laundry room was bright pink, with a B/W zebra striped ceiling, complete with a blingy chandelier and tassles hanging from the cabinet knobs! Click HERE to see pics of the laundry room which served as the challenge inspiration.

I didn't use the zebra print, although I REALLY wanted to! The base of this page is Basic Black CS, layered with Whisper White. Photo strips are made with the Spiral Punch, the flower was colored with a Pink Passion marker, pink CS is the same color. There are Square Rhinestones along each bottom edge. The middle mat is going to hold a pic (5x7) of my 4 year old Diva in her pink sequin dress (dress-up), the strips along the sides will hold little punched face shots of her taken during the same month. The bottom black rectangular piece will hold a piece of white CS with journaling. The colors and rhinestones are directly inspired by Stephanie's laundry room, it being a LO to hold pics of my daughter is inspired mostly because Stephanie's story makes me really think about my kids, so I wanted to do a scrapbook LO instead of a card, and I hope that's ok for this challenge.

All paper, ink and punches are SU. DRAMA QUEEN is computer generated, and cut out. Paper flower and Square Rhinestones are from my stash, as is the ribbon. No clue their origin, or their age...LOL! Clear Rhinestone brad in the center of the flower is SU.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Starbucks Bottle Transformed...

This is the Valentine's gift I made for my sister. It's a Starbucks bottle decorated and it holds Jelly Belly's. I wrapped Bella Rose DSP around it, added some ribbon and punches, her initial with Lovely Letters, added a Hero Arts bling to the 'E', and filled her up! I must say, Juicy Pear, Strawberry Cheesecake and Cherry match the paper pretty well!

I wrapped the edge of the lid in Chocolate Chip Grosgrain ribbon, then topped it with some punched paper to tie it all together. This was quick and easy to make, I enjoyed making it, and my sister loved it! She's going to put it on her desk at work.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

A Blog Award...



My blogging friend Cheryl, who I met on SCS, and just happens to live minutes away, and I still haven't met, although I need to, passed this award on to me and I am so thankful for it! Click HERE to visit her wonderful blog.

The rules for this one are to pass it on to 7 others... so here goes the hard part, picking ONLY 7. I visit so many fabulous blogs!

1. Kelli http://ramblingsfromnc.blogspot.com/
2. Mel http://scrapmoremel.blogspot.com/
3. Sankari http://sunnysankari.blogspot.com/
4. Samantha http://thescrapmaster.blogspot.com/
5. Erin http://cardsbyfishlips.blogspot.com/
6. Dawn http://dawnsrubberroom.blogspot.com/
7. Siobhan http://the-monkey-hut.blogspot.com/

Thanks again, Cheryl! Enjoy it ladies, I will try to email everyone and let them know I gave it to them, but I have just expired all computer time, kids just woke up!

Saturday, February 7, 2009

My New Camera...

Well, I would take a pic of it, but would be kind of hard...LOL! I FINALLY got a decent camera, so my pics should start gradually getting better and brighter. Cut me some slack while I adjust to the new one, and learn to use it. But I must say, I am in LOVE with my new camera!!! What a great hubby I have to understand that I need a nice camera for blogging...LOL!

Love tags Card...



This is another card I created for my monthly hostess club to make today. Everyone needs a good 'man' card for holidays, and I really struggle. Every time I need a 'man' card I pull out Lovely As A Tree, well, I wouldn't let myself use it this time! But, I think I pulled off a decent enough card that is man friendly! It's simple, but looks really nice.

I should have taken a pic of the inside. We did a white Big Shot Top Note Die on the inside and stamped HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY and sponged the edges in Riding Hood Red ink, looks incredible inside!

Stamps: Lovely Letters (alphabet), All Holidays
Paper: Chocolate Chip, Riding Hood Red, Bella Rose DSP, Whisper White CS
Ink: Riding Hood Red, Chocolate Chip
Acc/Tools: SU Tag Punch, SU Designer Label, SU Red Hemp Twine, 1" and 3/4: SU circle punches. (Big Shot Top Note Die from SU on inside)

Crimped Envelope Valentine

This was one of the projects I created for my club to make today. The tutorial is on SCS, and when I got my Weekly Inkling, I just knew I had to give this a try. Here it is all put together...



And this is what it looks like open, this shot shows the inside pull-out piece. The pocket card itself is a standard A2 envelope, these are quick, easy, and I love the look of them. I punched a partial scallop circle out of the top open end so the recipient can see the card inside...

Stamps: Heartfelt Thanks, Holiday&Wishes, All Holidays
Paper: SU Medium Whisper White envelope, Riding Hood Red CD, Bella Rose DSP scrap
Ink: Riding Hood Red, Pink Pirouette, Kiwi Kiss
Acc/Tools: Fiskars Crimper from SU, SU Square Scallop punch, SU Scallop Circle punch, 1", 3/4" and 1/2" SU circle punches, SU Glue Dots, Sponges, and paper flowers by Kaiser Scrapbooks.