Christmas time

I am back at Ann's challenges again, had to miss a couple due to going on vacation. For Ann's challenge this week she used the FS (featured stamper) from splitcoast. The FS this weeks is E3stamper (Shannon) be sure to check out here stuff along with Ann's blog - they both have some great stuff. Join in the fun also. The challenge was to look through the FS stuff and base your card on one of theirs changing two things and leaving two the same. I changed the colors and stamp sets, and left the layout and brads the same. For my card I used Riding hood red, pink piourette, whisper white, and DSP Bella rose. The stamp sets I used are Sock monkey accessories and Best yet. My card is based on Shannon's card here.Join in on the fun, Ann gives away some great stuff and even if you don't win - challenge yourself to do something new.

Myrtle Beach Pictures!!!

The beach on the first few days we were there, the water was 82 degrees - it was warmer than going in the pool.

The picture on the top is just outside the hotel property on the beach with the beach grass and the picture on the bottom is some dolphins (the little black spots) - the dolphins are hard to see in the pictures but we had at least 100 of them swim by. The dolphin picture was taken from our balcony on the 15th floor (almost the top of the hotel, only 5 floors left above us).

On the left is my daughter Karmen picking up shells, and on the right my son Bryce checking out the ocean for the first time.

On the left is my son Brayden checking out the ocean for the first time, he didn't care for the water hitting him too much but he loved the pool. On the right is Karmen playing in the sand.

Bryce on the left, and Brayden on the right just playing in the sand. We had such a fun and awesome time down there - soooooo, can't wait to go again.

Just some chatter

So, I don't usually just add to my blog unless I am putting a project of some sort on here or some information for everyone to see but I want to start posting on my blog more and have realized the most blogs are not just projects but also some personal aspects also. I am still learning all this blogging stuff and hope to have mine one day be a blog that people look forward to checking each day. I would like to in the near future start adding different days like a tutorial day, or challenge, etc. but until then I thought I would share with everyone about our vacation.

We went to Myrtle Beach and had a blast. No hurricanes, no tropical storms - just sunny, sunny awesome weather the whole time we were there. We had so much fun on the beach, golfing, shows, pools, etc. My daughter Karmen became a shell queen - we came back with a ton. Bryce and Brayden discovered how much they really love the pool, water, and beach. My husband loved the golfing, and myself - well, I just enjoyed every moment of it. Myrtle Beach is one of my favorite places to go. I will post some pictures later today.

I will also tomorrow or Sunday be posting some Halloween cards that I am working on, I feel like it has been FOREVER since I have been able to work on anything. I had a trainee at work for awhile, at home the kids and trying to redo my scrapboook room, and then vacation - so now it's time for some FUN with my stamping.

Shop Stampin' Up!! 24/7

Online ordering is finally here! I am so excited to be able to finally make this announcement! Whether you wake up in the middle of the night with the perfect plan for the perfect project, you need to make cards with no time for a workshop, or you want to shop for the perfect gift for the crafty person in your life, it’s no problem! Now you can order Stampin’ Up! ’s awesome products from me day or night from the convenience of your own home. Best of all, you can also receive hostess rewards with all qualifying orders.
You can place your online orders from anywhere and have it shipped right to your door! It’s so easy to get started:

Visit my demonstrator website at http://www.starstampers.stampinup.net/.
Click on SHOP NOW in the top right corner.
Click on customer login to set up your own personal shopping account (be sure to save your password in a safe place).
HAVE FUN SHOPPING!!!

If you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to email me at brandela12@yahoo.com.

Plain, Simple, but cute

It's that time again for Ann's challenge - this week she put a picutre of a brown, blue, and white bedding set out of the Ginnys catalog to be the inspiration. I debated on doing a simple, yet cute card or one that had more stuff to it. I chose to do simple, yet cute since that is kind of what the bedding set is. I chose to go with the colors and the color split on the bottom portion of the bedding. My basic card is ballet blue, white bottom, and brown grosgrain ribbon across the center to blend the two papers. I used the embrace flower stamped in ballet blue on the ballet blue top portion of the card and the saying in ballet blue is from the humor in high heals set. Be sure to check out Ann's website and join in on her challenges each week.

Thank you to my girls!!!

Thank you to my girls!!! My girls are my friends and family who meet with me every month to make cards and hang out. They have been with me for quite awhile now so this month I did a special thank you to them. We made three cards, and this 3D project. It is a 3x3 notecard box and cards to go with it. I also got each of them a stamp set. The project to the right is not one I created myself, it was actually found on split coast stampers - thank you to Elaine from Elaine's Creations for the idea that I borrowed for my girls. They loved this cute 3d project as much as I did. We made it completely together instead of me having everything ready for them like I normally would. So just one more last thank you to my girls - I love ya!!!!

Pun Fun

Ok, so here is my card for Ann's challenge this week. It is minimum materials. Three layers including the base layer, two embellishments, and dimensional, any theme. I used the Pun Fun stamp set - only orange, rose red, old olive, and barely banana paper for my three layers. Flower fusion orange flower, and green rhinestone brad for my embellishments, and my dimension is the barely banana square the hippo is on. Very quick, easy and cute. Thanks Ann for keeping me challenging myself and on my toes - also for making me get on my blog more by doing your challenges.

Dreams du Jour Box

Ok, so I really didn't care for the box that I made earlier too much so I decided for Ann's challenge to make something else. This is a different shape box that is a 1/2 inch thick and could hold pictures. I used the new pink pirouette cardstock for the box and added the new DSP Bella Rose for the roses. I used the stamp set Dreams du Jour and heat embossed the saying in the bottom left corner in black and the red center saying with clear embossing powder. The box velcros shut, but another look for it would be to use a belly band instead of velcro. Be sure to check out Ann's challenges and join in the fun.

Chipboard Flower Box

This box is for Ann's creative challenge this week. Her challenge this week was heat embossing. I used chipboard flowers and heat embossed white for the outside, and tapped it with mellow moss ink to add a little more color to it. The inside flower is heat embossed with yellow then stamped with real red ink. The saying is heat embossed with black and to make it not so plain I added a mellow moss taffeta ribbon. Not exactly my favorite turn out but it looks ok. Be sure to check out Ann's site and join in on her challenges.

Garden Silhouettes

I created this card as part of my friend Ann's getting creative with Ann challenge for this week. Her challenge involved the colors of Brocade Blue, Groovy Guava, and Wild Wasabi. I used the setting sun technique from Andrea Walford's tutorial. My stamps are Garden Silhouettes, Just Like You, and A Little Birthday Cheer. I embossed them and added some rhinestone brads from the pretties kit.
Be sure to check out Ann's website for her challenges and join in on the fun each week.

Stampin' Up!! Big-shot Die Cut Machine

Hey Everyone -
This week is convention week for Stampin' Up!! I unfortunately was unable to attend this year but they do some amazing and wonderful things at convention including showing off new products that will be coming out. Here is one of the products that will be coming out in the upcoming mini catalog, it is called Big-shot Die Cut Machine. You will be able to order the machine and die cuts starting September 2, 2008.

Cd box - tutorial

Supplies:

1 - 8 1/2 x 11 sheet white glossy cardstock

1 - 8 1/2 x 11 sheet scrap paper

some sort of cd

pencil, black marker, color marker to match

stamps and ink

embossing tool and ruler

scissors

apx. 30 inches of ribbon

sponges or cotton balls

First you want to start by tracing your cd onto your scrap piece of 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper.

Next cut that circle out, and fold in half one way and then the other way - I drew pencil lines to show where you needed to fold at.
Next lay the scrap circle onto your cd and move just slightly to mark a small mark with the black marker at all 4 points on the cd and then use your ruler to draw your lines all the way across your cd with the black marker. You can throw away the scrap paper circle as your cd is now the template to use. Set this aside for a moment.

Now get your sheet of 8 1/2 x 11 white glossy cardstock, use sponges to put on ink and stamp to your desired look across the whole glossy side of the paper.
Flip this over and on the back side trace your cd, then line up 2 of your black lines with the lines on the circle and trace again.
Next move the cd to line up 2 lines with the lines on the circle and trace, do this all the way around both circles - the next picture shows what it should look like when you are done.
Now put your paper on something soft, with your embossing tool - emboss ALL of the inside lines only.
After you have done that, cut out the outside. Then picture below shows what it should look like after you have embossed and cut it out properly.
Now, start with the inside of both circles and crease along your score lines. Check the picture below to see how it should look at this point.
Then finish creasing all of your score lines. Now your box is done and looks like the picture below when opened.
Set this aside for a minute and get your ribbon. Use your matching color marker and color your ribbon, this dries fairly quick so you can use it right away.
Now put whatever you like inside your box, tie your ribbon around it and it is finished. Below is my finished picture from this tutorial.
If you are not able to understand somthing in my tutorial, please feel free to email me with any questions. I tryed to make sure I didn't miss anything by writing it out as I went as this is my first tutorial. Also, if you use the cd - you can get 2 boxes to a sheet but if you want a bigger box - you can use a cool whip lid and get 1 box to a sheet.