Trick or Tweety Batman Elephant - Brusho and Shimmer Paint for a Spooky Night Background!

I am finally getting to the end of sharing the projects from my team stamp night!  Just 2 more projects to film after this one - for those of  you who  are coming to camp, this is another project we will be making next week!

This little guy was a fun one. The stamp set is adorable and I have already shared a card earlier in August with the Mummy Cat (you can find it on my YouTube channel!) from the same set

Click here for the YouTube Video of this Card!

Click the link above to see the tutorial for this card.  I will tell you it is not a straight tutorial - it is the end of the Facebook Live for the Holiday Catalog Kickoff - so it is a bit more chatty that a straight tutorial.  

Because the backgrounds are created with Brusho each and everyone will be different - depending on the way the Brusho comes out, the colors of the crystals that you get and the way the shimmer hits them when you spritz  - all kind of fun to see how the magic will happen!

The dies are used are from the Annual Catalog (last year's Holiday Catalog!) - so don't feel like you always have to have everything (but I do understand that feeling!).  I did not get the bat punch because I knew I had these dies and thought they could work.  They are so cute in the new black foil paper!

Today I need to get off to film for our Creating and Sharing the Life You Love page (if you are a  Demonstrator, I hope you are part of it!) Next week's to do list includes adding the recipes for all of the Holiday Cards I have created so far now that the catalog is LIVE!

Here are your HOST CODE specials (limited time)
use the code NMJFH237 when you check out and 
ALL ORDERS through the 6th noon EST will get a free pack of Chicken Wire Elements
All orders over $100 will receive a FREE Take Your Pick Tool (through Saturday)
Sunday a new special will start

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CREATING and SHARING the life you LOVE Facebook Group · 39 members Join Group It's an Online Demonstrator Group Meeting! "Most" Mondays (or another day when that day doesn't fit our schedule) we will cover 1 subject during a Liv...

Country Lane - Kicking Off Holiday Catalog Sneak Peek Week!

This week I host one of my favorite stamping events - 3 times a year I do a new catalog stamp day with my demonstrators - just the ones that are "mine"  There are other days that it is our whole group (and I love those too!).  But these are smaller and more intimate - and I just love being with these ladies.

There is also the added bonus that it always means that I have had NEW stuff to play with!  I also try REALLY hard to stay off Pinterest and as much other social media as I can - because I want all of the cards I design for them to make to be all my creations. 

You can watch this one here (but if you want to see a better view of the coloring technique with the Blends - then I would suggest going TO YouTube where your screen will be clearer!) 

The card might look like it took a lot of hard work - but you can see how really simple it was to pull together!

This time I am also sending the paper products for 3 of the projects to those out of state and setting up a Facebook Live session at one end of the table!  Crossing my fingers (and toes, because me and technology is a love/hate thing, lol) I found out what stamp sets they had and they will be able to at least stamp along with us - and watch what happens on the table that has those projects on it.

On Facebook this week - my FB*POW  (Product of the Week) IS the Holiday Catalog Sneak Peek (saving me from having to get ready for them and come up with something else for over there, lol).  But I know that after talking with my Camp Ladies, everyone is ready for that Catalog to hit the Live status on September 5th.

Hopefully by seeing some of the projects early you will notice some things that just flipping through the pages -  you may have missed!

I have used this stamp set once already here with a sneak peek (it is the same one that was on my Cotton Card!) - but here I didn't match it up with the DSP that is part of it's Suite.  I will let you watch the video to learn how I came up with the mixing of 3 different product suites to achieve the look I was going for!

Three things - if you are in the Indianapolis area and have thought about signing up as a Stampin' Up! demonstrator - I still have room for more!  Sign up with me before Thursday morning and you are welcome to come stamp the 8 projects with my girls!  They bring the snacks - I provide the projects.  It's a match made in heaven, lol.  I am Thankful for ALL the Good Things!  See - the card is perfect for an occasion just like this!

Secondly, I can't put the recipe up yet for the card since the catalog is not live.  In the video I do give the details on everything I use - so you can jot it all down so you can recreate the card later if you like.  Some of these projects MAY be Camp cards.  Camp Girls - if you see one you want to make - let me know and I will put it on the September list!

Finally - if you DO NOT have a Holiday Catalog yet - let me know!  I would be happy to send you one!  I will be going to the Post Office again on Friday.  That would give you just enough time to get it before it goes live next week!

Speaking of Live - Thursdays are the day I am trying to do my Facebook Live.  This Thursday is also my Stamp Day.  I hope to be ready enough to go live to show you the projects and some close ups of some of the products.  Watch my Facebook (Cheri's Cards) for the status of that this week!  I have about half of their projects ready - but I have so many other things on my calendar this week as well.

August Online Order Special

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*Order $65 from my online store and select ONE free Classic Ink Pad (you select color)

*Order $100 from my online store and select TWO free Classic Ink Pads (you select colors)

allow 3 weeks for delivery

CREATING and SHARING the life you LOVE Facebook Group · 32 members Join Group It's an Online Demonstrator Group Meeting! "Most" Mondays (or another day when that day doesn't fit our schedule) we will cover 1 subject during a Liv...

Picking Some of my Most Pinned Projects!

I needed to pick a few of my most projects from the past year that represent my "best work" from the last year.  Ug....how do you even do that, lol.  So - I turned to Pinterest and just went with what seemed to be popular over there!    It seemed easier to let other people choose for me.

This card was one we just did the week at Camp - everyone who did it loved it.  It is actually a 2 in one project.  But my pick would be the second card that is created.  You are virtually using the scrap piece of paper that is left from the first card.  So just a run through the Big Shot with a folder and a die - and viola' a card is completed!

Next for a 3D project was the UBER popular Wine gift packaging that we made last November and December.  I sold the lights out of the Test Tubes back then!  

It was also fun because the Blends were still fairly new and using them....my addiction was growing.

That is evidenced on this card - how exciting to get some new Blends on this So Cute Mermaid!  She lives in a glitter sea.

Another favorite - online but also at my camps were these fun little candles we made at Christmas.

The stamp set was by far my favorite of the year!  I fell in love with it the second I saw it.  Every time I see it it makes me want to scrapbook our pictures from our trip to Iceland...... I have such a giant list of things to do.

The little decorations could not have been any simpler.    

Speaking of Scrapbooking - there is a new pheasant stamp in the upcoming Holiday catalog...I have that sitting here.  It is in hopes of getting some Scotland pictures done.  I hope to use the Mermaid stamps for a trip we took to Connecticut.  But ALL over my table I am in the process of getting our Ireland pictures in the album.  I have one page that is decorated.  I do NOT do them all.  But I do have on my list of business things to do - to start posting my way of scrapbooking on video for you!  Here is a sneak peak of one page

Finally - here is my most popular Youtube card...it must be ok for that many people want to see it made.  Right?  

I hope you enjoyed the walk back through some of my favorite cards from over the last year!

Angels on Earth - Italian Old World Style Embossing Paste Card - How to Find Design Inspiration

Today's project is SO MUCH FUN!

I am not sure what to call it - I know there are others out there that have probably done something similar.  I like to do original work, so I don't spend much time at all looking at tutorials (I know, I post them and I don't know that I have ever even watched an entire one on Youtube, lol)  It is part of the reason I LOVE to get the Preorder.  There is nothing I enjoy more than getting products that have not been used before - I pop open the box and there it all sits.  What to do with it - that maybe no one has thought of?

This girl reminded me of my favorite spot on the planet.  Italy - well, that whole region of Europe.  Slovenia, Austria....so beautiful.  

You know I had those dang lemon stamps sitting here for ever (I know, I still have not posted the Lemon Bar recipe...it IS coming!). They remind me of Italy.

Just to pop over to the Cinque Terra for the afternoon and have one of these delicious little things again.  Put it on your bucket list.  Can you see where I am getting my Angel's Color Inspiration??!  She is a little Lemon Colored!

In fact, this whole entire card was inspired by Italy.  There is far too much detail for me to explain in the project to type it - so if you are interested in recreating it (or just elements) you can watch in on my YouTube Channel.  I am not going to embed it, this time I think you do need to hop over there and be able to see it in HD, which you won't get here on my webpage. 

But click on the link here and see just how easy it really is!!

a few "after the video tips"

That's about how much of the refill I added to the paste.  The great thing about this project - even though it may seem a little more 'advanced' - it isn't really.  It's a perfect Step Up project if you feel like you are ready to try something new, but not quite ready to invest in the Big Shot yet.

I did use the Heat Gun, but as I said in the video, just waiting a few minutes to get to the perfect touch dry point would accomplish the same thing.

My no line look was going for the Old World Style.  It give my stamps a 2 in one purpose! Flip her back over later and she is a totally different image!

My "Italian Style" card was based on memories and feelings I get from photographs I have taken. 

 But you can design the same way.  Trips and pictures you have taken - even from your own back yard.  Pictures you may have see online taken by others.  

In fact, when I pulled up my own pictures of this trip - I can get inspired by a whole NEW color palette!  Maybe you can too!

This is a Caper - before it is in a jar at your grocery store! Look at those colors and that texture.

So many greens - and I am so glad that Stampin' Up! gives us so many greens to choose from!  But don't miss the red in the flag, the blue of the sky and again all of the texture and shades of the neutrals.  

This would be a fun color combination to try with the Blended Seasons flowers, no?  As artists we should never be at a loss to know where to start with color combinations - the world gives us so many to choose from.  Just pull up some pictures and try.  You see in my video I have a color of trial and errors.  It's just paper!  If you don't like what you do first, just try a new one.

The effect that I got with the Tin Tile folder and the Embossing Paste was pretty much EXACTLY what was in my mind.  That does not happen every time.  When it doesn't - you just move on to the next project.  But when it does - it is stamping magic!  I do want to get a shirt to wear that says "it is prettier in real life"  Because the photographs do not do this card justice.

I tried some natural light and my little lights.  The paste is colored Crumb Cake - it looks some off color in every single picture. The card has some weight to it.  It is a liberal coat of the paste as you saw in the video.

It makes me want to add a few jars of it to my next order.  How many Stampin' Up! colors do we see on this Italian hillside?  What other folders can I use - I am thinking I want to try the new Subtle one next!

While I intentionally used this Christmas angel in a non Christmas way - I plan on a Christmas decor piece that will draw in several elements of this project in more traditional colors.  I even kept some of the Christmas sprigs from last year.  Remember how I dusted those with the paste and the glitter for snow?  You can BET those will be a beautiful addition!!  If you missed it, you can find them on this site or on my Pinterest page.

I hope you enjoyed seeing how to do this - it is always fun to see how to use things like your Blends and Embossing Folders in new ways!

Toast you with a Granita!

August Online Order Special

use host code QJ9A2TD6

*Order $65 from my online store and select ONE free Classic Ink Pad (you select color)

*Order $100 from my online store and select TWO free Classic Ink Pads (you select colors)

allow 3 weeks for delivery)

Embossing Paste + Shimmer Cardstock + Blends = Holiday Catalog Magic! Angels on Earth

I have a FUN tutorial downloading for you next!  I bought some - it's not July anymore....but I can't put out the Pumpkins yet - decorations.  They were from Italy - my very favorite country.

Here is my Mother in Law - She was from Trieste - so stylish, was she not?  This was taken somewhere in Italy before the war.

When I sat down to stamp I was inspired by colors of Italy - and I always think of yellow and green.

Textures. All of the textures - new, old.

I know not everywhere you turn is beautiful - but when you are on holidays - you tend to be in the beautiful places - so more often than not it is beautiful!

These were all taken in late May/early June of 2015.

These last few in Slovenia - where my Father in Law was from - just down the road from Trieste and how my in laws met.

We share partial ownership of the family property with my brother in law - when we posted this picture at the time - so of my daughters friends thought THIS was the house....um, no, lol.

Slovenia is where our First Lady is from.  The Alps are there so you can imagine it is truly beautiful - and not many Americans travel there - it reminds me of Europe as it was when I went when I was younger.  

All of this - color, texture, and 'old' went into my card as I sat down to design it - stay tuned for the video!!

If you are reading this the weekend I wrote it - remember I have the weekend special going on!   YOU can get lots of FREE color!  just simply scroll on down to the next post!  

The rest of the month of August  I have my regular August Special:

August Online Order Special

use host code QJ9A2TD6

*Order $65 from my online store and select ONE free Classic Ink Pad (you select color)

*Order $100 from my online store and select TWO free Classic Ink Pads (you select colors)

allow 3 weeks for delivery