Homemade Smiles

Come 'n get it!

2011-01-29T09:50:00.000-08:00

Great news- our first Sale-a-bration order has arrived, is sorted & ready for you! Give me a shout so we can coordinate a pick up time.

Can't wait to see the amazing creations you all will no doubt create with your new goodies!

hugs,
Kristi

Sale-a-bration is here!

2011-01-26T19:15:00.000-08:00

Sale-A-Bration is here and just for my fabulous Stamp Club friends I got up early on Tuesday (the first day orders could be placed) and placed OUR order!

Want to hear the best part... it's already shipped and it supposed to be here by the end of the week! I am SO impressed & excited to get all of our awesome freebies.

Don't know what the heck I'm talking about??

Check it out here-

Have fun!
Kristi

new year, new hobby?

2010-12-28T15:56:00.000-08:00

hey all you crafty (or wannabe crafty) people, stamp club sign-ups are going on now! there are only two spots left, so grab a friend and shoot me an email (theisen(dot)kristi(at)gmail(dot)com) to sign up now!

more details can be found on my fancy new clubs & classes page.

this new page explains how the club works and includes a schedule for both my thursday night & friday night stamp club friends.

hope you can join us!

adorable {and affordable} candles!

2010-12-03T15:27:00.000-08:00

After decorating candles recently at both my Corbin classes & Stamp Club meetings, I've had quite a few of you lovely crafty friends tell me you are going to use this technique to make adorable (and affordable!) Christmas gifts this year.

Want to give it a try? Check out this Candle "How To" Tutorial I created just for you last year.

Would you like to make projects like this with me?
I have a new Stamp Club group starting up in January and one more class at Corbin next Saturday 12/11.

Have fun & let me know if you have any questions!

hugs,
kristi

christmas card swap fun!

2010-11-29T16:38:00.000-08:00

a huge round of applause for these great ideas created by my fabulous thursday night stamp club group!

jeanne's vintage beauty featuring the bells & boughs set & gold glass glitter.

robbie's rhinestone cutie

miriam & shelby's sweet candy cane card

tracy's adorable snowman card

some of the key items that made these cards so darn cute & really added that extra sparkly punch include Stampin' Up!'s

glass glitter & rhinestone jewels:

as you're thinking of christmas card ideas, remember the online spectacular is over tomorrow! make sure to take advantage of these great deals before they're gone.

hugs,
kristi

'tis the season!

2010-11-28T14:34:00.000-08:00

snow is piling up, stampin' up! is having a great online spectacular sale AND handmade holiday bundle offers, and christmas is still a month away, so what better time than now to think about your christmas crafting & card ideas?

here are some cuties my thursday night stamp club recently swapped to help inspire you. i'll share the rest of the swaps and more fun holiday ideas over the next few days & weeks!

meaghan's masterpiece
featuring the vintage bells & boughs set, so pretty!

pam's elegant black & white christmas
using the enchanting dazzling diamonds for the right little touch of bling sophistication!

lynne's adorable ornament card
what a great way to use the punches!

thanks to everyone for the beautiful swap cards, more images coming soon, and remember the online spectacular sale ends on tuesday so shop now to take advantage of these awesome deals!

hugs,
kristi

Online Spectacular!

2010-11-22T08:18:00.000-08:00

Great news! With snow filling up the streets & a million things undoubtedly filling up your to do list, the online spectacular comes to the rescue!

This is a one-week sale- so shop now to take advantage of these great deals!

3-2-1.... christmas!

2010-11-13T12:55:00.000-08:00

thank you to everyone who came to stamp club & my corbin class this week!

i had a ton of fun getting ready for christmas with you all by making cute cards, gift tags & gift-ables (note: yes, you can keep it for yourself, you don't have to give it away) :) pictures coming soon!!

need some craftin' supplies as we count down to christmas?

check out these great deals on stampin' up! bundled holiday goodies-

please let me know if i can help! theisen(dot)kristi(at)gmail(dot)com.

happy saturday!
kristi

happy halloween!

2010-10-31T12:55:00.000-07:00

happy halloween!

here are a few cards to enjoy while you wait for those trick-or-treaters to knock on your door.

halloween is a hoot!
this cutie was made by one of my great stamp club members, pam, using the oh-so-cute owl punch.

spooky, not cute, skull card :)
here's another fun one we made during stamp club. everyone had fun with the rhinestones making their skulls very creepy looking!

happy harvest!
a cutie harvest card that could be used throughout the fall, not just for halloween.

trick-or-treat!
an adorable card made by meaghan, another one of my wonderful stamp club members, using the autumn harvest set (great for thanksgiving, too!)

i've heard stamping is a great way to keep busy & not eat all of that candy before the trick-or-treaters arrive... i've also heard though that chocolate is like fuel to crafters, so go ahead and sneak a piece... or five... i won't tell :)

hugs,
kristi

{spooky}

2010-09-13T20:40:00.000-07:00

two things are spooky right now...
1. the fun cards we just made at stamp club. definitely SPOOKY, and not cute. :)
2. the way all of my photos just disappeared off of my computer... AND my back-up external hard-drive. that is spooky and also deserves a {boo}. If I can't show pictures, i can at least impress you with my ability to use puns... right?

anyway, hopefully more pictures coming soon.

in the meantime, i leave you with this link...
please join me!!

come to my *spooky cards & treats* class at corbin art school- register now to reserve your spot!

classes are taught at the beauuuutiful corbin art center, located conveniently on the south hill very close to downtown.

For over fifty years the Center has been providing affordable, quality fine arts and crafts programs. Classes are smaller so you will receive maximum attention from the instructor. Weekday, evening, and Saturday classes and workshops are available for children and adults.

Corbin Art Center programs are developed to foster personal growth; encourage social interaction and skill development; stimulate the imagination in a nurturing atmosphere; and for children, focus on cognitive development and designed to supplement school curriculum.

i hope to see you there!

New Stamp Club starts tomorrow!

2010-09-09T12:17:00.001-07:00

I'm so excited to start another new Stamp Club tomorrow night!

If you're new to the group, here are some of the details so you know what to expect:

Benefits you get...
- FREE live monthly card-making classes taught by yours truly :)
Classes (aka club "meetings") typically last about two hours, though sometimes people stick around longer just chatting & admiring their handy work.
- FREE supplies for all projects made during the club "meeting"
We typically make three cards/projects during each meeting, depending on complexity
- FREE fun times with other adults
- FREE 2010-2011 Stampin' Up! Idea Book & Catalog (worth $9.95) & mini catalogs throughout the year
- FREE Hostess goodies- everyone takes a turn at being "hostess" for one month. It's always at my house, so you don't have to worry about cleaning your house or inviting guests, but you still know you're going to get at least a FREE level 1 hostess stamp set and at least $15.00 in FREE merchandise when it's your turn to be hostess for the month.

What you agree to...
- Order a minimum of $20/month in merchandise for the approximately 8 months of this Stamp Club session (the number of months will depend on the number of people that sign up, so if we have 7 people, it will last 7 months, if we have 9 people, it will last 9 months.... get it? :) ). If you can't make it to club in person, please make sure to submit your order to me before the club date to be fair to that month's hostess.
- When it's your turn to be hostess, bring a light snack for the group to enjoy.

That's it! It's such a great way to learn new things and spend time with nice people in a relaxing & fun setting.

The first Stamp Club "Meeting" is set for this Friday, September 10th at my house!

Our group is basically full (yay!), but we might be able to squeeze in another person if you're not already on the list. Please just let me know & I can't wait to see you all tomorrow!

p.s. To my Thursday night Stamp Club group- thanks again for your flexibility & I can't wait to see YOU all on Monday!!

Stamp Club Sneak Peak!

2010-08-11T16:25:00.000-07:00

A *sneak peak* showing parts of the fun projects we'll be making this week at Stamp Club!

Want to join in on the fun and make projects like this?? The Thursday night group is full to the max, but I have a new group starting Friday that has one or two open spots still left. Let me know if you'd like to join this new hostess group!

We have a blast learning new things together, laughing, making some great projects, laughing, playing with new stamps & supplies, laughing, building up our personal stamping stash, and did I mention laughing??

See you all soon & grab a spot before the group is full!

New Idea Book & Catalog!!

2010-07-06T11:04:00.001-07:00

I hope you all had a great 4th of July weekend spent with the things that matter most.... family, friends and the NEW 2010-2001 IDEA BOOK & CATALOG!!

The moment I saw it, I was in love. SO many great new things...my wish list is a mile long!! Remember to bring your wish list later this week for Stamp Club. I have some new supplies for us to play with and some new techniques to share, too, so it's going to be an exciting session.

See you soon!

crafts melt away the crazies

2010-06-11T16:08:00.000-07:00

crazy crazy (did i mention crazy?) day at the ol' day job .... thank goodness for crafty fun with friends to help melt all that away!

oh yes and the NEW 25% and 50% off goodies help me smile, too!

You Scream, I Scream...

2010-06-03T20:51:00.000-07:00

...say it with me now... we all scream for ICE CREAM!!

Confession: It doesn't matter how much I'm trying to *watch my figure* ... ice cream will always have a place in my heart.. and my stomach. So, when I saw this:

in the Summer Mini, I knew I had to have it.

What's up with the weird wood-like grainy image and the spotted dashed line like image? No, those are not there by mistake... those are so you can make cute little images that look just about cute enough to eat.

Check this out:

How did I get that awesomely realistic ice cream texture, you may be asking... and beginning to figure out. Well, it's your lucky day because I'm going to tell you:

1. Ink up the scoop with Chocolate Chip ink
2. Ink up the wood-like image with Very Vanilla craft ink
3. Stamp the wood-like image right onto your Chocolate scoop
4. Then stamp the scoop image on lovely Whisper White cardstock and LOOK! You've made realistic looking hard ice cream good enough to eat... or at least drool over.

This is an example of what it looks like without the texture:

And here's an example of using the technique I described above, except with the spotted dashed line like stamp in Chocolate Chip onto a Certainly Celery scoop of ice cream to make a delicious Mint Chocolate Chip scoop.

They all came together to make this simple & sweet little number that I gave Jeanne (one of my lovely Stamp Club members) for her birthday.

Yum yum yum... must go search through the freezer now for something :)

NEW items 25-50% off!!

2010-06-01T14:06:00.000-07:00

If you haven't taken a look yet, you are definitely going to want to check out the current *last chance* items that are now 25 & 50% off asap!

Awesome Designer Series Paper, a variety of ribbons & accessories, adorable Princess & Pirate Party Kits & more are on sale WHILE SUPPLIES LAST only.

While you're looking around online, I also suggest checking out the Clearance Rack. There are some killer deals on there with Designer Series Paper packs, Rub-On sheets and Corduroy Button containers for only about $4.

Good luck with your treasure hunting... I hope you find new toys you love!

Extra extra... read all about it!

2010-05-31T23:54:00.000-07:00

The "Last Chance" list is up!! These items are only available through the end of this month (or while supplies last) and will all *retire* on June 30th to make way for the new Idea Book & Catalog goodies.

Check it out now & start making your list for next Stamp Club of what you can't live without... as the name implies, this is the LAST CHANCE to get these items, so if you've had your eye on something, now is the time to grab it before it's gone!

i like YOU

2010-05-29T09:31:00.001-07:00

Look how fancy I'm getting! You can now "like" my updates & projects just by clicking the little Facebook thumbs up button at the bottom of each post.

Hugs, thumbs ups & happy Saturday to you all!

get your hands on THESE bugs!

2010-05-28T17:02:00.000-07:00

At our last Stamp Club there was a request from Miss Ryan (hi, Ryan!) to make "bug" cards in celebration of summer... Such a great idea that provided inspiration for a variety of projects!

Everyone got similar base kits & it was so fun to see how people switched things around to make the designs their own. Here are a few examples of our first card using Bugs & Kisses:

So cute!! I'm so proud of my Stamp Club friends :)

Bugs don't have to just be "cute" though, they can actually be quite pretty.
Pretty bugs?!? Oh yes.

Check out these dazzling beauties:

Here's a simple twist on the above design that I think would be perfect as a wedding card thanks to the elegant Basic Black & Whisper White combo and Whisper White Organza Ribbon:

And here's another cute bug card that you might get a kick out of:

I made the picnic blanket by punching out squares in Real Red & Whisper White. The Inspired by Nature grass image stamped in Glorious Green on Glorious Green cardstock provided a subtle background.

So, how did I do those cool 3D ants? And make the bugs & creatures 3D in the first card? Crystal Effects is amazing. SO quick & easy to use and it really provides a neat dimension to a project. A pretty good size bottle of it is about $6 and will last for many many many cards. You just squeeze it out of the small tip where you want it to go, give it about an hour to dry, and you're done!

Don't have that wait time to allow for drying but want a WOW?? Try the Dazzling Diamonds with a Two-Way Glue Pen like we did for the dragonfly cards above. This stuff is amazing and for about $4 is a steal that will also last a long long time.

It's a 3-day weekend, so ditch any yardwork plans you may have and get your hands on these bugs instead!!

the CUTEST non-card creation yet

2010-05-24T21:50:00.000-07:00

Remember this fun baby shower?

And the special delivery?

Well tiny baby Brenna is getting older, so she was naturally ready for some more Stampin' Up! inspired room decor this weekend. What could her momma & I do but oblige the little adorable munchkin??

Here are the pieces with what inspired us...

Here's the final product sitting on the couch...

And here it is in action!!

How did we do that, you ask?!? We took a look at Brenna's cute cute current room decor and then looked at our SU! supplies to draw out the designs on larger cardstock. Neither of us are huge drawers (is that a word? draw-ers, not like chest of drawers... you know what I mean, right?), so we were fairly impressed with our ability to create our own images to complement the decor.

What do you think??

Hugs,
Kristi

Wedding Class Success!

2010-05-22T12:12:00.001-07:00

Thank you to everyone who attended my class at Corbin Art Center this morning!! I'm so glad everyone had such a good time and I hope you're able to use some of the things you learned to make your wedding pieces absolutely perfect for you (or your son & daughter-in-law!) on the big day.

I'll post pictures soon from our class for everyone to see & I'll make sure to include some of the tips & tricks we talked about too.

Happy weekend!!

p.s. I'm on Facebook, too! "Like" Homemade Smiles and be amongst the first to see new ideas posted & hear about upcoming specials.

Rain this weekend? Perfect!!

2010-05-21T11:53:00.001-07:00

Hey, Thursday & Friday Stamp Club friends OUR ORDER IS HERE!!

Give me a shout if you want to swing by today or this weekend to grab your goodies, otherwise I will send you a note to arrange a time for me to head your way or for us to meet up somewhere.

So many awesome new toys to make this rainy & cloudy weekend full of sunshine!!

Kristi

Stamp Club Swaps!

2010-05-17T15:04:00.000-07:00

WOW! I am so impressed with the cards my Thursday Night Stamp Club brought to swap this month.

Look how talented these lovely ladies are...

Wondering... how did they do that?!?

Click on the image to enlarge & read on...
Top left: Meaghan used a series of circle punches layered on top of the scallop punch to make this cute spring 'thank you' card.
Top right: Lynne used the new Tiny Tags set & a square punch for this little cutie.
Middle left: Jeanne used the Tall Tales Designer Series Paper and coordinating paper & flowers to make this beautiful card.
Middle right: Tracy wow'd everyone with her Flight of the Butterflies two-steppin' card.
Bottom left: Pam used all papers & punches for this cute card, proving stamping doesn't even always have to involve stamping to make something adorable!
Bottom right: This one was mine. Jeanne and I were thinking alike this time, because I also used the Tale Tales Designer Series Paper and coordinating cardstock & ribbon, plus the sentiments from For All You Do & a square punch to make this versatile card.

Thank you to everyone who brought a card to share with the group!

More ideas coming soon :)

CAUTION: Construction Zone

2010-05-03T17:50:00.001-07:00

Please disregard the "construction zone" mess while I figure out how to make a cool new layout for this site!

The Summer Mini is Here!!

2010-05-03T16:25:00.000-07:00

Check out this short YouTube video highlighting some of the fun new products & stamps available in the 2010 Summer Mini.

All of you who are in one of my Stamp Clubs should have your Summer Mini's by now, so curl up with your new mini like it's a favorite book and make those wish lists because our next club meetings are right around the corner!

THURSDAY NIGHT STAMP CLUB
Thursday, May 13th @ 6pm- It's Jeanne's birthday and her hostess month.... woohoo!! We are having an optional swap during this club meeting, so if are able & willing, bring a card to share with the group. Since there are 8 of us in the group, come up with just one design and make 8 cards with that same design. Bring those to club and swap with everyone so that you go home with a whole pile of new cards & design ideas. Jeanne set the theme as "your choice" so whatever your heart desires, go for it! I can't wait to see what you all make & bring to share with the group. If you're pretty new and don't feel like you have the supplies or expertise to make cards for the group, do not fear. This is low pressure and you don't have to bring cards to swap. Maybe next month after a little more practice & with a few more supplies, you'll be ready!

FRIDAY NIGHT STAMP CLUB
Friday, May 14th @ 6:30pm- Ryan is our hostess and ohmygosh you are just going to love the surprise theme for our projects this month.... they use some adorable items from the main Idea Book & Catalog AND some of the new awesome products in the Summer Mini... so cute!!!

If you're not in one of my Stamp Clubs, or even if you are, and want to try out more of the awesome new products from the Summer Mini and get a little more stampin' experience in a fun environment, check out these SPRING CLASSES AT CORBIN ART CENTER.
These are a great way to learn new things, have fun, and leave with a whole stack of completed cards & coordinating envelopes. They're just one-time classes and no ordering is required, plus all supplies are included! So it's a very low-pressure way to try something new.

Please let me know if you have any questions & have fun with those Summer Minis!!

Kristi

Butterflies!

2010-05-01T08:39:00.000-07:00

The big day for our friends Colling & AnneMarie has arrived! We feel so honored to be included in their celebrations and had a blast last night at the dress rehearsal.

During their speeches near the end of the evening last night both Collin & AnneMarie were talking about how blessed they feel to have such wonderful family & friends celebrating with them and then AnneMarie shared the cutest story. It's hard to replicate, but the gist of is it that a couple of years ago (before her & Collin met) she was having a typical relationship talk with one of her girlfriends. Women out there, you know what I'm talking about. Her friend was talking about how she didn't think "butterflies" were real, that people don't really feel those when they meet THE ONE. Then AnneMarie proceeded to describe how now she knows they were wrong- that butterflies are a real feeling and that she still feels them every time Collin calls, every time they see each other, every time she thinks of him. It was so so so sweet and, I can't lie, brought a tear or two to my eyes.

Hearing her story made me that much more glad that I used their gorgeous invitation to make a special gift as part of their wedding present.

The beautiful & cheery yellow sheet in the middle is their original invitation, and the rest I added to make a fun wall hanging shadow box for them. Their main colors are bright yellow and magenta Melon Mambo-esque pink with accents of bright green, grey/blue, and lots of other happy colors, so it was fun to incorporate those into the design as well.

Here's a closer-up view of the upper-right hand corner with the gorgeous Melon Mambo butterflies from For All You Do:

And here's a closer-up view of the lower-left hand corner with the oh-so-cute & popular Bird Punch.

That's all for now- as you can see from the invitation the wedding is in less than an hour, so I better finishing powdering my nose & head to the church! Congratulations, Collin & AnneMarie.

Love,

Love is in the air

2010-04-29T18:39:00.000-07:00

I've been having fun lately experimenting with "non-card" stamped treasures & gifts.

Not to sound too corny, but a hand stamped card usually WOWs people that the person giving it to them took the time to actually hand make a card vs. just tossing one in their grocery cart, so I decided to try to take a step further for a special upcoming occasion...

Here's a sneak peak of the project... this shows the corner of the project that uses the beautiful butterfly from For All You Do in Melon Mambo. Melon Mambo is one of the current in-colors and I am very excited that it is one of the colors that is continuing on as a new core color so it will still be available even when the new catalog comes out in a couple of months.

I don't want to spoil the surprise since this gift has not been given yet, but I promise I will share the rest of it by Saturday!

Kristi

On the road again...

2010-04-26T18:34:00.000-07:00

... and this time not for work!!

In celebration of this rare occasion, I have been avoiding my laptop like the plague. I tend to spend way too much time staring at this tiny screen and giving myself carpal tunnel, so my wrists & neck are thankful for the chance to recuperate so they can be fresh feeling and ready to STAMP when we get back home!!

Rest assured, however, that I have fabulous projects to share with you very soon. I finished them up right before we left town, brought them with me to photograph (no I'm not a complete weirdo, but they are part of a wedding present and the wedding is the main reason we are on vacation)... and now you know my motivation for needing to finish them up late the night before we left on a 6am flight... eeks.....

Anyway, I plan on taking said photos shortly. In the daylight. Though nice, the fairly dimly-lit hotel room would not do justice to these tokens of longtime friendship & messengers of well wishes. I think they're just lovely though, and I do promise to share them soon!

ORDER IN!

2010-04-21T13:18:00.000-07:00

A girl sure could get used to this 2-Day Air deal.... I am happy to say Mr. Brown just stopped by and if you placed an order with me in the last few days, it is already here! Shoot me an email or give me a call if you want to swing by my place to get your goodies in the next few hours, otherwise you can be expecting a message from me soon to arrange a time to meet up for the hand off.

So many goodies... can't wait to play!!

Ornament Punch & other favorites still available!

2010-04-21T12:32:00.000-07:00

Great news! The availability for some of the most popular items in the Holiday Mini & Spring Occasions has been extended!!

So if you liked this cute little Delightful Decorations Trio from the holidays...

...but didn't get the punch yet for whatever reason, now is your chance!

In addition to using it for your next round of beautiful (yet easy) Christmas cards (any of you getting a jump start now, or is everyone waiting until Dec. 23rd this year??), you can even use the same punch to make cute spring & summer cards like this:

See the ornament punch in there? It's sort of like one of those eye trick games, but tilt your head a bit to the left, and they're there!

I just love it when stamps & supplies originally designed for a specific holiday can be used in other creative ways for something totally different!

Here are the items still available from the Holiday Mini:
Item # Description Price
116794 Ornament punch $15.95
116806 Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint $5.95
116854 Frost White Shimmer Paint $5.95
116807 Platinum Shimmer Paint $5.95
116829 Décor Elements Blocks $9.95
116824 Stampin' Up! Textured Impressions Folder Petals-A-Plenty $7.95
116821 Stampin' Up! Holiday Windows Magnetic Movers & Shapers $29.95
116819 Stampin' Up! Table Setting Bigz XL die $42.95
116820 Stampin' Up! Embosslits Merry die $11.95
116823 Stampin' Up! Sizzlits Merry Details die $5.50
116822 Stampin' Up! O Christmas Tree Pop-Up Bigz XL die $42.95
118140 Stampin' Up! Tree Decorations Sizzlits die $5.50
118108 My Digital Studio $79.95
116519 Charming stamp set $19.95

Here are the items that will still be available after 4/30 from the Spring Occasions Mini:

Item # Description Price
116519 Charming STMP $19.95
117690 Vintage Vogue WM $23.95
118598 Vintage Vogue CM $17.95
118882 Vague vinatge WM $23.95
119109 Vague vinatge CM $17.95
118091 Tiny Tags WM $22.95
118592 Tiny Tags CM $16.95
117535 DÉCOR ELEMENTS F IS FOR FOX CHOCOLATE $4.95
117536 DÉCOR ELEMENTS G IS FOR GIRAFFE CHOCOLATE $4.95
117529 DÉCOR ELEMENTS IS FOR BLACK $4.95
117541 DÉCOR ELEMENTS L IS FOR LION CHOCOLATE $4.95
117542 DÉCOR ELEMENTS M IS FOR MONKEY CHOCOLATE $4.95
117544 DÉCOR ELEMENTS O IS FOR OWL CHOCOLATE $4.95
117528 DÉCOR ELEMENTS SCALLOP FRAME BLACK $6.95
117549 DÉCOR ELEMENTS T IS FOR TURTLE CHOCOLATE $4.95
117552 DÉCOR ELEMENTS W IS FOR WHALE CHOCOLATE $4.95
118139 DS FOLK FLOWERS -SHELLI SIG.COLLECTION $12.95
117597 DS PAISLEY PATTERNS 2-STEP $14.95
118072 PNCH CRNR PINKING HEARTS $9.95
118870 PNCH CRNR SCALLOP TRIM $9.95
117191 PNCH LG 2 STEP BIRD $15.95
118073 PNCH LG FANCY FLOWER $15.95
117649 PNCH MD BRDR PINKING HEARTS $15.95
117190 PNCH MD JEWELRY TAG $10.95
117193 PNCH SM SMALL HEART $5.95
117310 SZX BIGZ L MINI MILK CARTON $32.95
118138 SZX EMBSLTS BEAUTIFUL WINGS $11.95
117332 SZX EMBSLTS SCALLOPED HEART OF HEARTS $11.95
117335 SZX TI PERFECT POLKA DOTS $7.95
116772 RECIPES BY DESIGN $24.95
120435 HEART TREAT CUPS $2.95

Jot on down what you want and bring it with you to next month's Stamp Club!

Thanks for visiting,

New Stamp Club AND Facebook Fun!!

2010-04-16T11:19:00.000-07:00

Whew.. first of all, a huge THANK YOU to everyone who attended Stamp Club last night!! I am so excited to have this new group going and to see all of the beautiful projects we'll make together.

This was our first project of the evening:

This design was an absolute hit and I think people really liked being able to customize them a bit by choosing to use the sophisticated stripped side or the cute flower side of the Chocolate Chip Designer Series Paper and adorable coordinating stripped or flowery Chocolate Chip Sending Love Brads.

Here's a close-up view of the adorable 3D flowers we learned how to make together:

Tip: Just click on the image if you want a more close-up view.

I'll be posting more pictures soon for the world to see. This is partially to inspire others and partially for those of you that were there, too. I won't name names, but I know there are a few of you out there that have a box of gorgeous cards that you can't seem to part with and send on to anyone else to enjoy.... so this blog can double as your library, or extra idea "book" so you can spread the joy to others by dropping those cuties in the mail and still have a spot to look back and see what we made together when you're looking for some inspiration.

I'm going to turn in our orders from both Stamp Clubs by Sunday night, so please make sure to send me what you would like by then. As a special bonus to everyone who puts in an order by Sunday night at 9pm I will also cover the difference from regular shipping to expedited 2-Day shipping! That means I should have it by Wednesday and will sort it all out and make arrangements with everyone to get you your goodies right away! Yippee!!

In other news.... I started a Facebook page just for us! Check out Homemade Smiles on Facebook and become a Fan today! You'll be the first to hear about the latest & greatest Stampin' Up! specials, see photos of awesome crafty projects & be able to share your thoughts of course, too! There might, just might, even be some special deals posted on there from time to time, too... :)

Krist

Stampin' for a Cause

2010-04-13T21:45:00.000-07:00

My husband and I really believe in the importance of caring for our environment and our community and are proud members of the Lands Council, a great local group in town that does just an amazing amount of wonderful things for the people and land in the Inland Northwest.

A few months ago we found out they were planning a big charity dinner & auction and were looking for people to donate items they could auction off as a fundraiser. So, I got to thinking... what would I want to buy at an auction??!? Stampin' Up! supplies of course!!! So I talked to Stampin' Up! and got some AWESOME supplies donated, plus went out on my own and purchased a super cute basket, then added card samples and other goodies to put together a pretty killer silent auction item.

Who wouldn't want this?!?!

A ton of stamp sets, Designer Series Paper, cardstock, ribbon, eyelets, rub-ons, ink pads... gosh, the list goes on and on.

I am excited to say it was a huge hit! Here is the event during the live auction portion of the evening:

What fun to hear the auctioneer doing his thing and also to raise our bid card a time or two!

It was an absolutely amazing event and I'm so thankful to SU! for their donation that helped me put together this basket and helped the Lands Council with their big annual fundraiser so they can keep working to protect our natural areas as well as support the health of the children and families where I live. Thanks, SU! and thanks Lands Council for all you do!!

Woohooo!!! Color Facelift!

2010-04-07T15:14:00.000-07:00

I am excited to let you know that Stampin' Up! is introducing a bunch of new colors and bringing back some old "In Color" favorites in the upcoming 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalog!

Here is the Color Renovation chart:

Looking at the chart you may have noticed that in addition to the new colors there is also a new way to organize them in a very fresh & current way into new "Color Collections" (vs. "Color Families").

I am so excited that my favorites are still here and now we have more fun new options to use, too!! If you are wondering about some of the colors you may be used to seeing, yes, some of the less popular colors are retiring, but the popular ones are still around & there are lots of new options.

There are also going to be five new In Colors every year (starting with the new Idea Book) and they will be around for two years! So, this summer we'll get five and next summer we'll get another five so we'll have 10 new In Colors at that point with a new five coming in every year.

For those of you wanted to check on a certain color, here are the details:
In Colors that are back (!) and now part of the Core Color Collection:
Melon Mambo, Rich Razzleberry, Pacific Point, Tangerine Tango (used on my card on the right), River Rock, Soft Suede, Riding Hood Red, Pink Pirouette, Baja Breeze, Wild Wasabi.

The five brand-spanking new Core Colors:
five new Core Colors: Daffodil Delight (a very pretty yellow), Early Espresso (a gorgeous deep brown), Cajun Craze (a very rich orange), Cherry Cobbler (red of course), and Marina Mist (a very pretty blue).

And, here is the detailed listing for each of the new Core Color Collections:

Brights Collection: Regal Rose, Melon Mambo, Rich Razzleberry, Pacific Point, Tempting Turquoise, Old Olive, Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie, Tangerine Tango, Real Red

Regals Collection: Elegant Eggplant, Night of Navy, Not Quite Navy, Always Artichoke, Garden Green, More Mustard, Cajun Craze, Riding Hood Red, Cherry Cobbler, Bravo Burgundy

Subtles Collection: Pink Pirouette, Pretty in Pink, Rose Red, Perfect Plum, Marina Mist, Bashful Blue, Baja Breeze, Wild Wasabi, Certainly Celery, So Saffron

Neutrals Collection: River Rock, Chocolate Chip, Soft Suede, Early Espresso, Crumb Cake (formerly called Kraft), Sahara Sand, Very Vanilla, Whisper White, Basic Gray, Basic Black

Time to stock up! If any of these are your personal favs, now is the time to stock up on ink, paper, etc. because they are retiring with the current catalog.

Retiring Colors:
Almost Amethyst, Apricot Appeal, Ballet Blue, Barely Banana, Blush Blossom, Bordering Blue, Brilliant Blue, Brocade Blue, Cameo Coral, Close to Cocoa, Creamy Caramel, Gable Green, Glorious Green, Going Gray, Green Galore, Handsome Hunter, Lavender Lace, Lovely Lilac, Mellow Moss, Only Orange, Orchid Opulence, Pale Plum, Pink Passion, Pixie Pink, Really Rust, Ruby Red, Sage Shadow, Summer Sun, Taken with Teal, YoYo Yellow.

I am very excited for the new options, though I admit I will be stocking up on a few of my personal favorites that made it to the retiring list. I think it's very cool SU! is staying trendy. Imagine if we all still had bright orange and avocado green kitchen appliances?!? Eeks! I'm definitely looking forward to playing with these new choices and seeing all of the cool new accessories that will coordinate with them! How about you??

Kristi

Special Delivery!

2010-04-03T08:01:00.001-07:00

Remember the baby shower invites & fun from a month or so ago?

Well, I am so excited to say CONGRATULATIONS to the new momma & pappa on the arrival of beautiful baby Brenna!!

I knew I needed to make a special card for such a special occasion and I really wanted to incorporate trees, owls & birds again since that's their nursery theme. So I did a little digging through my sets and mixed & matched a bit to come up with this fun design:

I used the Forest Friends set:

and the Picnic Parade hostess set:

We also put together this fun gift to bring them. I found the cutest basket that incorporates a dark brown/black basket with a bright flowery fabric liner that I think will coordinate well if mom & dad want to re-use it in Brenna's room for little baby lotions or socks or other little things. Then we filled it with a combination of goodies for Baby Brenna and for mom & dad.

What do you think?

The goodies include champagne and new mom & dad necessities like Frappucinos, Tylenol, and earplugs! Plus some other treats too and a cute little Easter bunny I just couldn't resist since Brenna was born so close to Easter.

Oh! I almost forgot. I also wanted to share with you this picture that momma Erin sent me last week of Brenna's room.

They used the Large Thoughts & Prayers Tree Decor Element in Black to coordinate with the cute black dresser & crib they got. I think it turned out great- nice work you guys!

Congratulations again to the newly expanded family!!

BIG Smiles,

Not foolin' around

2010-04-01T16:45:00.001-07:00

I am not foolin' around here, stampin' friends, there are some AMAZING DEALS that just began with the start of April.

1. The Clearance Rack: If you haven't checked this out before, or perhaps just not in awhile, today is the day.

They have Designer Series Paper (yes, those big packs of the really nice designs) on clearance for $3.99 instead of $9.95!! ... and Simply Scrappin' Kits on clearance for $7.99 instead of $19.95 (perfect for scrapbooking & awesome for carmaking too).. and buttons and ribbons and rub-ons and and and... lots of new awesome choices for amazing prices.

Check it out now!

p.s. placing an order? Just type in my name as your demonstrator and you'll be eligible for the special (cheaper!) preferred price rather than the regular price.

2. Two-Step into Spring:
This promotions has two parts.

The first part is that Stampin' Up! is offering a sneak peak view of one of the pretty new spring floral sets in the catalog coming out soon and making it available during the month of April. Not only is it available to purchase, it's FREE with any $350 workshop. Sweet!

Look at these cute spring designs made with the new set-

And here is the whole set... 18 images WOW.

The second part of the Spring Promotion is that, during the month of April only, other springy two-step stampin' sets are 20% OFF!!
Item Page Description Regular Price Sale Price
113824 94 Greenhouse Garden $25.95 $20.76
113734 98 Fifth Avenue Floral $24.95 $19.96
111578 101 Flower Fancy $36.95 $29.56
113258 112 Trendy Trees $17.95 $14.36

That's the good news for today, friends. I have been out of town A LOT lately for work and it's really crampin' my stampin'...like that? oh man, I need sleep! :)

But do not worry, I've been working on some fun fun cute new projects today now that I'm home again and I will be sharing them over the next few days, so check back soon!

Smiles,

Easy Elegance!

2010-03-25T20:03:00.000-07:00

I recently made this card for one of my lovely Stamp Club members, Tiffany (hi, Tiffany!)... Tiffany is getting married and expecting their first baby, so I wanted something that was soft & sweet & springlike without being too baby-ish or too wedding-ish.

(Tiffany, don't read this part...) .... this pretty card was actually incredibly easy to make. I picked out a few pretty colors from the Soft Subtles color family, used the Medallion stamp (definitely one of my fav's) & the Congratulations stamp from Well Scripted (a cinch to line up just how I wanted it since I have it in clear mount), then added a little something extra with paper piercer dots and Dazzling Diamonds glitter.

I hope you all like it and congratulations Tiffany!!

NEW Stamp Club!!

2010-03-20T12:07:00.000-07:00

Need a few hours to express your creative self? Want to make handmade gifts, but can't seem to find the time or a quiet spot at home? Don't feel crafty, but want to be? Enjoy time out with friends, including good food and conversation? Want to learn new craft ideas and build your collection of craft supplies in a very affordable way?

If you answered YES to any of these questions, my NEW monthly Stamp Club may be for YOU!

My current Stamp Club is getting so popular that it's time to start another one so that more people can join in on the fun! Almost all of the spots are already spoken for, but we can fit in a couple more people if you're interested.

So, what exactly is a Stamp Club, you ask??

BENEFITS YOU GET:
- FREE live monthly card-making classes taught by yours truly :)
- FREE supplies for all projects made during the "meeting"
(typically 3, depending on complexity)
- FREE fun times with other adults
- FREE 2009-2010 AND 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalog (worth $9.95 each!) & mini catalogs throughout the year
- FREE Hostess goodies- everyone takes a turn at being "hostess" for one month. It's always at my house, so you don't have to worry about cleaning your house or inviting guests, but you still know you're going to get at least a FREE level 1 hostess stamp set and at least $15.00 in FREE merchandise when it's your turn to be hostess for the month.

WHAT YOU AGREE TO:
- Order a minimum of $25/month in merchandise for the 6-8 months of this Stamp Club session (the number of months will depend on the number of people that sign up, so if we have 7 people, it will last 7 months). If you can't make it to club in person, submit your order to me before the club date.
- When it's your turn to be hostess, bring a light snack for the group to enjoy.

That's it! It's such a great way to learn new things and spend time with nice people in a relaxing & fun setting.

The first Stamp Club "Meeting" is set for Thursday, April 15th at my house in Spokane.
Please let me know if you're interested in attending or would like more information and reserve your spot today!

CAUTION: Extreme Excitement

2010-03-20T11:24:00.000-07:00

These sale-a-bration boxes are too funny:

...partially crazy, but mostly true though, right??

It's easy to understand the excitement once you tear open the box and see all of the awesome stampin' goodies!!

I am loving the new punch style. The flat design makes storing them a snap and the new images are awesome!!

Here's a close-up of the cool new bird punch:

This punch is incredibly popular right now and is so fun & easy to use. Here's an example of a quick quick springy birthday card I put together using the new punch:

Sale-a-bration is coming to an end, so now is your last chance to take advantage of the huge variety of FREE stamp sets, punches, and paper you can get during this awesome promotion. Please let me know if you need any help or would like to place an order!

If you've read this far, CAUTION, I have a bonus offer for my loyal Homemade Smiles followers that may cause more extreme excitement. I'm placing an order tomorrow (Sunday, March 20th). If you email me your order by 2pm Pacific tomorrow I will add it on to mine and pay the sales tax on your order for you. That's right, FREE sale-a-bration goodies AND NO SALES TAX!! This offer is only good if you email me an order by 2pm Pacific tomorrow... so start flipping through your catalog or browsing online and send me your list!

Happy Spring!!

The Coolest Kiddo Card EVER

2010-03-12T21:08:00.000-08:00

Okay, not to brag, but I just may have come up with the coolest card a person could possibly make for a 5 year old boy.

A trucks that moves (yes, moves), 3D bee, freshly-caught fish and a giant birthday cake hanging out of the truck and his little brother next to him in the front seat. Okay, the little brother part might not always be the favorite thing, but still.

What do you think? Pull the ribbon and the truck moves!

Anyone out there seen the movie Wall-E?

It's the cutest little movie about robots and saving the earth & humans (from what I remember... it's been awhile). The release date being three years or so ago, however, does mean it's not my nephew's character of choice for his bday cake:

I made it with my awesome sister-in-law today before the birthday bash. What do you all think??

Happy 5th Birthday, Ryan!!

Love,
Auntie Kristi

IRISH LOVE week- LAST DAY

2010-03-08T20:00:00.001-08:00

Welcome to the last day of IRISH LOVE week & thanks for stopping by Homemade Smiles!

I've tried to keep the designs very simple this week- quick to make and minimal supplies.

Most of the designs have used either the Go Green stamp or the Heart-to-Heart punch, plus either Old Olive or Glorious Green cardstock, Whisper White or Very Vanilla cardstock, a little Basic Black & Kraft cardstock. I used, of course, an ink pad or two and a sparkly brad or two. Pretty basic supplies though to provide my loyal fans, even the stampin' newbies, with some designs they can recreate to share some IRISH LOVE this year.

And so the week comes to an end with this simple design, perfect for a friend, relative, coworker, neighbor, male or female, young or old:

Thanks for joining me and check back in the next few days for some fun & colorful SPRING ideas!

Smiles,

IRISH LOVE week- Day #6

2010-03-08T19:48:00.000-08:00

Here's an idea for a more masculine take on a St. Patrick's Day card using the bold combination of Glorious Green, Basic Black & Whisper White, plus a splash of Kraft.

What's that black string, you ask? It's a small piece of retired Black Twine. The absolutely delightful natural-colored twine we have now used to come in black, so I decided to try a little piece of it on here.

The lovely border is of course our Sale-a-bration punch. Cannot get enough of this punch- so dang cute and only available until the end of this month!

One more design to go of IRISH LOVE week!

IRISH LOVE week- Day #5!

2010-03-07T10:54:00.000-08:00

Back to Irish Love week designs, though as I write this I am leaving my Irish Love to head to the east coast. Believe or not, Homemade Smiles is more of a side gig for me, so it's off to DC for work for a few days.

Nevertheless, I bring you a fabulously fast, yet rather sophisticated & cute, St. Patrick's Day design today:

The Chocolate Chip base with the Old Olive & Certainly Celery layers on top thata are slightly raised with dimensionals make it seem like a framed piece of Irish art to me. The cute little stamp? It's the Go Green image. I colored in the words with my Chocolate Chip marker and the clover with my Old Olive marker. Easy easy, yet a pretty nice design, if you ask me :)

That's all for now... time to board this plane!

PPA- A Theme Challenge

2010-03-05T17:15:00.000-08:00

A brief break from IRISH LOVE week because I decided to enter my very first challenge and "play along" at the Pals Paper Arts stamping challenge this week.

Here are the directions given...
Welcome to our theme challenge: Spring
With Spring less than 3 weeks away, what better way to welcome it than with a Spring theme challenge. This can be anything Spring-related; flowers, colors, Easter, anything that makes you think "Spring."

And here is what I made!

What do you think???
I used the AWESOME new Two-Step Bird Punch to make the cute little bird and branch and the cute cute "a *note* of appreciation" stamp from the Picture This hostess stamp set I got for FREE (and you can, too! see my hostess club info on the left) in the current Occasions Mini to make the little bird's spring song fly into the air.

You can make it, too!
- Cardstock is Chocolate Chip, Bashful Blue, Very Vanilla, Old Olive and Rose Red.
- The Two-Step Bird Punch, of course! I let the wing fly a bit to add more dimension by only applying snail adhesive onto the top part and then gently bending up the bottom part of the wing.
- Use your Bashful Blue and Old Olive Stampin' Write markers to make the cute little music notes. Just color the note part to make more music, then color the whole stamp to get your sentiment on there.
- Don't forget! A matching envelope is a must. I used Bashful Blue cardstock stamped with the cute little branch from the Always stamp set.

Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.... IRISH LOVE week designs will be back tomorrow!!

Smiles,

IRISH LOVE week- Day #4!

2010-03-05T15:18:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Day #4 of IRISH LOVE week!

Here's a fun & funky, sort of trendy & eco-looking version of a St. Patrick's Day card for your viewing pleasure:

What do you think? It again, uses the heart-to-heart punch (which is sooo handy, and clearly not just for Valentine's Day) combined with the sale-a-bration border punch for that cute scallop edge along the top.

Other supplies used include: Basic Black, Whisper White, Bashful Blue & Old Olive cardstock, along with a small piece of twine and my trusty Basic Black marker to color in just the word "happy" on my BEE Happy stamp that is a hostess freebie from the "Picture This" stamp set in the current Occasions Mini catalog.

Have fun and check back tomorrow for another design idea!!

How Cool is THIS?!?!?!

2010-03-04T19:50:00.000-08:00

Remember this card from Day #1 of IRISH LOVE week??

Look what it inspired!!

This cute cute card was made by "stampinsam" a fellow stamper on Splitcoast Stampers. You can see some of her other creations here. Very talented person and I'm so honored she used my card as inspiration. Thank you stampinsam!

Have I inspired YOU to make a St. Patrick's Day card??
If so, please let me know! I'd love to see your creation :)

Check back for tomorrow for more ideas!

Smiles,

IRISH LOVE week- Day Three!

2010-03-04T14:24:00.000-08:00

Happy Day #3 of IRISH LOVE week!

Check out this Clean-And-Simple design using the new Go Green stamp:

I love love love the Kraft card stock for card bases. It's a nice sturdy weight, matches just about everything AND has awesome perfectly coordinating envelopes.

The border punch is the beautiful free sale-a-bration punch with Glorious Green paper behind it to really make it pop and stand out against the Kraft background.

Thanks for stopping by & check back tomorrow for day 4 of IRISH LOVE week!

IRISH LOVE week- Day Two!

2010-03-03T07:15:00.000-08:00

Look mom, no stamps!!

This card uses the small heart from the Heart-to-Heart punch in fun Bright Bold colored cardstock to create a card that YOU can recreate on your own or with little ones.

Colors I used were Glorious Green for the base, Whisper White for the punched out squares, and then the bright bright Green Galore for the fun little falling 4-leaf clovers and the Green Galore diamond shapes (TIP: turn those square-punched out shapes sideways to get more versatility from your punches and make diamonds!).

More IRISH LOVE week ideas coming for the rest of the week. Check back tomorrow for another new, fun & easy idea!

Smiles,

IRISH LOVE week starts now!

2010-03-02T06:38:00.000-08:00

It's Day One of IRISH LOVE week here at Homemade Smiles and I have the easiest, cute yet classy, St. Patrick's Day card to share with you.

I wanted something that had a touch of sophistication to it and that didn't use many stamps, so what do you think??

A few tips so you can make it, too!
- Punch out a heart four times from Old Olive paper. I used the heart-to-heart punch (shown below) and punched it four times so that all of my hearts would match.

- That little stem? I just free-hand cut it out of a scrap piece of Old Olive paper
- The little elegant touch in the middle is a coordinating Old Olive rhinestone brad
- The pretty border was a cinch using my FREE sale-a-bration punch
- Don't recognize the stamp? I just colored the words (sentiment) part of this cute & inexpensive new St. Patrick's Day stamp called Go Green:

A matching Very Vanilla envelope stamped with the cute little clover from the stamp above, and you're done! You have a sweet, cute & sophisticated St. Patrick's Day card to start off IRISH LOVE week.

Have fun & check back tomorrow for another St. Patrick's Day card idea!

Smiles,

IRISH LOVE week starts tomorrow!

2010-03-01T12:59:00.000-08:00

In honor of my wonderful husband and his Irish heritage, tomorrow will start our IRISH LOVE week here at Homemade Smiles.

I'll be posting a new St. Patrick's Day card idea every day this week.
Here is a sneak peak of the fun ideas coming your way-

... check back so you can make your own homemade St. Patrick's Day cards to send to the lucky people in your life and spread a little IRISH LOVE!

Perk Up!

2010-03-01T12:20:00.003-08:00

This time of year many people battle colds as they long for the snow to melt and spring flowers to bloom. What better way to show you care than to take this:

and turn it in this!

This idea was the brainchild of Lauren, one of my Stamp Club members. She was kind enough to let our group use her fabulous Puns from the Past SU! stamp set:

Look at all those cute images! The possibilities are endless!!

Don't want to give a mug or need something that is easier to mail?

How about this cute alternative? It uses the medium cello bag, is filled with goodies like teas & cocoas and then has a cute little bag topper with a "perk up" message.

Let me know what you think & check back soon for more crafty ideas!

Smiles,

Baby Shower Fun!

2010-02-25T08:20:00.000-08:00

Whew... remember that whirlwind weekend I mentioned? Well, here are a few photos from the fun fun baby shower at my house this past Sunday.

Look at that adorable momma-to-be! We just had to pick the cute Pottery Barns owls off of their baby registry as gift, and I just couldn't resist making the invites & card to all coordinate with the cute owls & birds & trendy trees they're using as their nursery theme.

Coming soon... what could these be?!?

.. a hint, it's a very easy, very cute & very affordable way to show someone you care...

Have a great day! :)

celebrate!

2010-02-24T08:33:00.000-08:00

Though the grounds here are covered in snow again, it's time to start dreaming of the pastel and bright colors soon to be all around us. The arrival of spring & summer also brings the arrival of prime house-buying time, so here's a quick & easy example of something YOU can make. Tie it onto a bottle of wine or a homemade candle and you are armed with the perfect thoughtful gift for any housewarming party.

This card uses one of the cute new little houses and the trees from Stampin' Up!'s Good Neighbors set. Paired with the matching Good Neighbors Designer Series Paper, it literally only took a few minutes to put together! Did I mention I got the stamp set & paper for free?! My loyal followers know that while quality is very important to me, I can't pass up free stuff either, so when quality & free combine... I am in heaven.

TIP: Use your markers to color in the houses & roofs to emphasize different parts of the stamped image, like I did with the heart on the house's door.

You can make it, too!
Supply list:
- Good Neighbors Stamp Set & coordinating Good Neighbors Design Series Paper
- "Celebrate" stamp (another free Sale-a-bration stamp) from the A Little Birthday Cheer set.
- Whisper White cardstock base & coordinating Whisper White grosgrain ribbon
- Scallop circle punch
- Earth Elements markers
- Don't forget your matching envelope! I used amazingly soft & luxurious Whisper White envelope and used the same Good Neighbors trees to make it coordinate with the card.

Have fun!

Whirlwind Weekend!

2010-02-22T10:17:00.000-08:00

Wow, what a fun weekend!!

There were 9 of us at the Corbin Art School on Saturday morning and we were having so much fun making cards that the quiet watercoloring class across the hall came over and asked if we could close the door!! Hahaha, sorry we disturbed them, but I'm so glad we were having so much fun and there was so much laughter and good crafting going on in our beautiful space. THANK YOU to everyone who participated.

I'll post pictures of our cards soon so everyone can see, but for now, I leave you with the cute little tag picture above. This stamp was a big hit with the people in class on Saturday, so I wanted to show another way to use it with the tag punch to make a cute little gift tag.

Thanks for visiting & check back soon for more pictures & ideas!!

Happy Bird/Robin/BirthDAY!!

2010-02-19T15:25:00.001-08:00

When I saw the new Picture This hostess stamp set and all of the cute little sayings, I knew I had to have it.

The new Happy *bird* Day! stamp is absolutely perfect for today... my sister's birthday! Happy Birthday, Robin! I colored in the little birdie so that it could look like a Robin bird. So, she can choose to read it Happy *Bird* Day... Happy *Robin* Day or even the more traditional Happy Birthday. Get it!??! I thought it was clever anyway :) and I hope she likes it!

The cute little clouds were another freebie (have I mentioned how much I love free stuff??) from the Good Neighbors Sale-a-bration stamp set and the whole card is supposed to look sort of like a birthday present wrapped with a beautiful Real Red bow.

Happy *Bird* Day, Robin!!

Smiles & hugs,

I love you more than... fish?!?

2010-02-19T15:00:00.001-08:00

Before I move on to St. Patrick's Day and other fun spring cards, I just have to have to share with you these Valentine's Day surprises.

First off, a special thank you to my little friend Sophia for this Valentine's Day gift:

Sophia is the daughter of one of my Stamp Club members and brought me this cute little treat. She worked with her mom to make 30 special homemade treats similar to this for her class. Isn't that great?? What a fun little activity for them to do together & a way to really give something special.

Next off... (do people say "next off?" or even "first off"? maybe it's just "first of all" ... hmmm I'm not sure really now that I think of it). Anyway, next off, is this special puppy love Valentine's Day card and treats.

This is the card our kitty gave to our neighbor/Stamp Club members' dog. (Hi, Lauren!) It was love at first sight for these two cuddly little friends so it was only appropriate for our kitty to tell her puppy boyfriend...

I love you more than.... fish! Sometimes, that is the sweetest Valentine message one can hope to receive on the holiday of love. (Sorry the pic is a little blurry, but I already gave away the card so can't really take another picture very easily).

All of the stamps I used in the Valentine above are free free free right now during Sale-a-bration. Yippee!!

Smiles,

Excuse me, but are you following me?

2010-02-16T16:12:00.000-08:00

For all of you loyal *Homemade Smiles* fans out there (hello? echo... echo...) I just added the *follow* option on the left. If you're out there, please click on it to let me know you enjoy the site!

Also, heads up that more project ideas are coming soon... I promise! I spent part of the weekend making a huge variety of St. Patrick's Day cards, many of which involve ZERO stamps and probably supplies you already have on hand.

Check back in the next day or two for the first St. Patty's Day design!

Smiles,

A little Valentine's Day Card History

2010-02-12T11:42:00.000-08:00

I ran across this today that I thought was pretty interesting about the first Valentine's Day cards. I guess we're on the right track making our own homemade valentine's!

Rather than purchase a ready-made valentine, Victorian men and women often assembled original valentines from materials purchased at a stationer’s shop: lace, bits of mirror, bows and ribbons, seashells and seeds, gold and silver foil appliqués, silk flowers, and clichéd printed mottoes like “Be Mine” and “Constant and True.”

Read the entire entry on the National Postal Museum Blog

There's still time to make your loved ones a homemade card for Valentine's Day, if you haven't already, but the clock is ticking! Scroll through my posts over these last couple of weeks if you need some inspiration.

Smiles,

CHARMing Good Neighbors

2010-02-10T09:23:00.000-08:00

I had a lot of fun making this card using the new (free!) sale-a-bration Good Neighbors stamp set, (free!) matching Designer Series Paper pad and (free!) scallop border punch. (Can you tell I like free stuff?)

A little key I had just laying around the house tied with a small piece of twine made for the perfect little 3D charm to add a special extra touch.

The trees on the coordinating envelope were a snap to line up on the new clear blocks. All three images can go on the same block for quick & accurate placement.

TIP: If you're using the new clear-mount option, make sure you press the rubber image down firmly onto the clear block. They're more of a cling vs. sticky so they work really well if you make sure to apply a bit of pressure so the cling can stick.

Smiles,

LOVE for all you do

2010-02-09T10:43:00.000-08:00

Good morning!

Remember this cute little mini card from a few days ago?

Well I always like to think of ways to make holiday sets work for other occasions, so it occurred to me to try to make more of my "non-holiday" sets work for holidays. TIP: Try this!! Using sets with colors you might not think of at first really helps make your collection so much more versatile.

I made some quick changes to the color scheme and waalaa! A cute little Valentine perfect for the one you love.

You can make it, too!
- Cardstock used was Chocolate Chip, Real Red & Whisper White
- Ink used was Pretty in Pink & Real Red
- And then a little extra touch with the Hemp Twine and a dimensional to pop up the single Real Red flower
- The pretty flower images are from the For All You Do stamp set

Have fun making your Valentine's! Please let me know if you have any questions.

Kristi

confession.

2010-02-03T23:50:00.000-08:00

More Valentine's Day fun coming soon, but first I wanted to share with you these two cards using the "Of the Earth" hostess set.

Both use the same stamps & basically the same layout, but a few simple changes in the colors make it easy to create a gift set (for example) of coordinating, yet different, cards.

My dear sister-in-law (Hi Micaela!) needed a set of cards to use as thank you cards & farewell cards before she quit her job as a nurse to go travel & volunteer in Bolivia for 6 months. She was looking for something appropriate for co-workers/bosses/people who wrote letters of recommendation for her/etc. and I thought a set like this would be just perfect.

CONFESSION. You've read this far (thank you) (if anyone did...), so I have a stamping secret to share with you. I guess it's sort of a secret, sort of a bit of advice.

When you have all of your stampin' stuff out and you're having so much fun stamp stamping away and you come up with a gorgeous card design, make two. Vary it a bit, if you wish, like I did above... but make two. That way when you remember two minutes before heading out the door to go to a birthday party/baby shower/graduation/enter in your special event here you will have a stash of lovely & thoughtful handmade cards to choose to give the lucky recipient.

They can think you planned ahead & made it just for them & they don't even have to know it can from your secret stash. Not that I've ever had to do that...

smiles,
Kristi

For All You Do - mini square card!

2010-02-01T09:18:00.000-08:00

This cute little square card was so easy, fun & QUICK to make!

- Start with a Not Quite Navy base
- Stamp the little square flower image from For All You Do in Bashful Blue & cut it out close to the edge,leaving a little bit of a white border all the way around. Then stamp the little flower from For All You in Summer Sun and cut out.
- Attach the Bashful Blue image to Kraft cardstock (my favorite!)
- Then attach your cute little flower with part of a dimensional and tie a piece of twine around the Kraft paper.
- Attach it to the base (I like to use SNAIL adhesive best for this), decorate an envelope to match and you're done!

... I think next we should try to make a Valentine's Day inspired card using the same easy (yet impressive!) design. What do you think?

Check back for it!

Kristi

Sugar & Spice & Everything Nice

2010-01-28T10:51:00.000-08:00

Seems like so many people are expecting little bundles of joy soon, so here are a couple of ideas for easy & cute congratulations cards to show you really care!

The "girl version" .... Sugar & Spice & Everything Nice:

And isn't it amazing how just a couple of tiny changes makes the perfect "boy version" .... Snips & Snails & Puppydog Tails

These both use the cute cute new trees in the sale-a-bration Good Neighbors set (SO glad I got this set for FREE!! It really is one of my all-time favorites) and the "Everything Nice" set shown below that is perfect for so many occasions.

I was inspired by another image I saw here on the Splitcoast website by another Stampin' Up! Demonstrator named Niki. Thank you for the inspiration!!

These cards have a Kraft cardstock base with Whisper White cardstock.... eeks! have to board my plane now... more info to come when I land :)

You Mean Everything to Me

2010-01-27T20:44:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day is almost here!

I used Stampin' Up!'s "Always" set to make this simple, yet elegant, Valentine's Day card.

This is a amazingly versatile set with the hearts & sentiments perfect for Valentine's Day, weddings, anniversaries & more and of course the amazing bird & branches, etc. that are so popular right now.

Here is the full set showing all of the stamps that are included:

And here's a link to a completely different Valentine's Day card I posted earlier that used the same set. So many choices!

Please let me know if you have any questions!

Kristi

Registry Inspired Invites

2010-01-26T21:13:00.000-08:00

Remember these cute cute images from Pottery Barn Kids?

These are part of one of their adorable nursery sets that my good friend Erin has picked out for their soon-to-arrive baby girl.

I knew I wanted the baby shower invites to somehow coordinate with the theme for the baby's room... and so as I was looking closer at the patterns in the registry items I started to see cute little trendy lollipop trees as well as adorable little owls and birds.

But how could I tie it all together to make something truly special for such a special event?

Stampin' Up! to the rescue! The trees from the new Good Neighbors are a perfect match, and the Trendy Trees set would work too, but what about the owl and the bird?? I found the cutest little owl in the Love Bandits set and those little birds? They're from the new Picture This Occasions Mini hostess set. I just colored with a marker the birds so the words wouldn't show up when stamped.

So here it is.. the final product! Some of the details are blocked to make sure our event is exclusive! :)

And here is a close-up of how I included the registry info. I used that handy half-circle punch to make a little slit in the back of each invite and slipped the registry cards right in there so the guests would have them & so we can all shower the beautiful mommy-to-be with the oh-so-cute Pottery Barn nursery items that inspired the invite.

Most people probably received theirs today... love to know what you all think!

Kristi

Supplies Used:
- Stamps: Good Neighbors, Picture This, Love Bandits
- Paper: Bashful Blue, Old Olive & Whisper White cardstock
- Envelopes: matching beautiful Whisper White of course!
- Ink: Bashful Blue, Pretty in Pink, Real Red, Close to Cocoa, Not Quite Navy, Certainly Celery
- Ribbon: Pretty in Pink & Whisper White stripped grosgrain
- Punches: New scallop punch FREE from sale-a-bration

Pottery Barn Kids Inspiration

2010-01-26T09:32:00.000-08:00

Check out these adorable nursery items from Pottery Barn and look forward to a customized baby shower invite to match these registry items coming soon....

Bold "Neighbors"

2010-01-24T07:50:00.000-08:00

A completely different color scheme for the Good Neighbors set, this card uses the bold combination of black, white & red.

The cute little trendy trees that come in this set are so hot right now. I've seen similar lollipop-style trees all over new fabrics, nursery items, notebooks, etc. I have a special little project up my sleeve I'm wrapping up today & I can't wait to share it with you tomorrow!

Kristi

You can make it too!
- Good Neighbors Stamp Set (from SAB) & Well Scripted Stamp Set (from the Occasions Mini)
- The new scallop border punch from SAB
- Real Red, Whisper White & Basic Black Cardstock
- Real Red Grosgrain Ribbon
- Real Red & Basic Black Stampin' Write markers
- Your adhesive of choice (I like the snails), Glue Dots & Dimensionals to make it all come together
- And of course a matching Whisper White envelope so the lucky recipient knows right away something special has arrived in the mail!

Good Neighbors Goodness

2010-01-23T14:29:00.000-08:00

I am absolutely loving the new Good Neighbors set. With so many cute house & tree combinations, the possibilities for this set are endless!

Here's my latest creation. I'll be posting a few "congrats on your new house" type of cards over the next few days because I'm working on making a set to give as a gift to a friend who is a real estate agent so he can use them for his clients.

Giving people sets of homemade cards they can use is so appreciated and I think much more special than a gift from a superstore. Know someone who has a birthday coming up or who deserves a special thank you? Perhaps you have a tight time schedule and should start thinking about Mother's Day now? A set of cards might be just the answer.

Happy weekend!
Kristi

You can make it, too! You'll need...
- The Good Neighbors stamp set
- Earth Elements cardstock in Chocolate Chip, Not Quite Navy and Old Olive, plus Very Vanilla
- Earth Elements markers to color your houses & roofs
- Dimensionals to add some depth to the roofs & adhesive of course to stick your layers together
- A brad on the left to add a little more depth & interest. I used the gold from the Vintage Brads set.
- And of course... a Very Vanilla envelope stamped to match!!

"Good Neighbor" Congratulations

2010-01-22T15:48:00.000-08:00

Have you seen the adorable new Good Neighbors set in the Sale-a-bration catalog? It has got to be one of my all-time favorite sets and I was so excited to earn it free free free last month.

Another cool little behind-the-scenes detail about this card is that I actually have both of these sets in the new clear-mount style. I used the medium-sized Block D and put the house and "Congratulations" words on the same block. Made it a cinch to get the exact positioning I wanted and combine images from the two sets.

Card recipe:
- Good Neighbor set free from Sale-a-bration
- Well Scripted stamp set from the Occasions Mini
- Kraft, Not Quite Navy, Old Olive & Whisper White paper
- Earth Elements markers
- Dimensionals to give the inner part of the design and the roof some uumph and well, dimension. :)
- And of course, a Kraft envelope to match!

Have fun & let me know if you have any questions!
Kristi

Candle "How To" Tutorial

2010-01-21T12:45:00.000-08:00

Just how am I making these candles I've been posting, you ask?
Here's a photo tutorial for those of you who are more visual learners.

It's so very easy & they turn out so cute!

Step 1- Gather your supplies: parchment paper, candle, stamp set, ink pad, and white tissue paper.
Step 2- Stamp your image on the tissue paper. It will go through the layers so make sure you have a scratch paper or more tissue layers underneath it to protect your table!
Step 3- Trim the image close to the edges & place it on the candle
Step 4- Wrap parchment paper around the candle and hold it together in the back
Step 5- Use a heat gun (aka embossing tool aka heat tool) to heat your image. It should slightly change colors as the tissue melts into the candle
Step 6- Let it cool for just a minute or so & you're finished! You have beautiful & thoughtful homemade gift that is sure to bring a smile to the lucky recipient's face!

Good luck & let me know if you have any questions!
Kristi

ps just click the photo to enlarge the image & get a closer up view of the easy steps!

Trendy & Easy ( ! ) Bird Candle

2010-01-20T13:48:00.000-08:00

One of the things I love about stamping is it's not just for making cards. Stamping easily flows over into the 'home decor' and 'gifts' part of my life, too.

We needed a small gift for someone, so I made this cute little gift using a basic vanilla candle and the adorable little trendy bird stamp from Stampin' Up!'s "Of the Earth" hostess set.

A few easy steps of stamping in Chocolate Chip onto white tissue paper, carefully trimming and then melting onto the candle using a heat embossing tool, made something very plain into something quite beautiful, I think.

...Let me know what you think or if you have any questions on how to do this yourself!

Kristi

Elegant Medallion

2010-01-19T21:20:00.000-08:00

I love how easy the Medallion stamps makes it to create quick, yet beautiful, cards!

Imagine making a similar card in Soft Subtle pastels for Easter or beautiful Not Quite Navy & Whisper white in the winter... so many possibilities!!

Love the look? You can make it too!
- Take a Basic Black base
- Stamp the Medallion image off of the side of some Whisper White cardstock & the sentiment or phrase of your choice on the lower right.
- Then layer your Whisper White on Real Red
- Punch a small hole through the center of your Medallion to add some bling with a clear rhinestone brad (or whichever color you like!)
- Adhere to the Basic Black base and then you're almost there....
- Don't forget to add a Whisper White piece inside so your handwriting can be seen and add a little corner of the Medallion to the envelope to make that match & finish off your quick & elegant card!

Love Always

2010-01-19T14:22:00.000-08:00

SU!'s "Always" set has got to be one of my favorites. It works for so many occasions!

Here I used the 'a/always' and the mini flower to create a bright & cheery Valentine's card.

Tips & Tricks:
- The trio heart punch helps make cute leaves
- The new heart & plaid brads in the Occasions Mini fit perfectly inside of the little 'a' in the always
- The mini flowers from the Always set can be used to create bigger flowers if you use one of the larger circle punches.
- I love the contrast of the Pretty in Pink background with the Real Red & Whisper White flowers and Old Olive stems & leaves.

Hope you're having fun making your own Valentine's Day creations! More new fun designs to come in the coming days :)

Kristi

Love Bandit INDEX!

2010-01-16T12:48:00.000-08:00

Have you ever checked out splitcoaststampers.com?
It's a cool website where you can search for Stampin' Up! stamp sets by set name and see hundreds & hundreds of cards that people have made & uploaded pictures of to help inspire people & share ideas. Such a cool idea!!

Most of the sets have an "index image" that is locked in place as the first picture & shows people all of the images that are included in the set. I was lucky hough to get to make the above card front as the index image for Love Bandit!

Clear mount is here!

2010-01-12T15:56:00.000-08:00

Woohoo! In addition to all of the excitement about the new catalogs & specials, the buzz on the Stampin' Up! street is all about CLEAR MOUNT STAMPS. These are made with the same high-quality rubber images we're used to from Stampin' Up but are sort of like reusable clings. So, instead of having a wood block for each stamp, you just get a couple clear blocks in your favorite sizes and apply the rubber part of your stamps when you're ready to use it. When you're not using them, they can be stored in these nifty DVD like cases that show little thumbnail images of each stamp inside. Does that make sense???

Not sure? Don't worry! I ordered a new set & a couple of clear blocks so we can try them out next month at Stamp Club. Then you can decide for yourself which way to go-- traditional wood mount or the new clear mount.

Eeks!

2010-01-11T20:28:00.001-08:00

I accidentally broke my internet card so I can't access the old world wide web from my computer that has all of my pictures on it... bummer!! Hoping to have it fixed by tomorrow and will post some new pictures then.

A quick update for my favorite Stamp Club ladies- our order has been placed! What a fun fun night full of crafts & lots of laughter! Since this club is getting so popular, I am getting ready to start up a second group. If you know someone who might be interested, please let me know! I will have a special surprise for anyone that recommends a new person that joins the club.

Thanks!
Kristi

Sneak Peak! Love Bandits Card

2010-01-06T22:26:00.001-08:00

Hey Stamp Club!
Here's a sneak peak at one of the quick & easy Valentine cards we'll be making together in a couple of days.

This card uses the adorable Love Bandits set from the new Occasions Mini. There are so many cute little creatures & sayings in this set- I love it!

Heart Treat Cups are Here!

2010-01-06T16:34:00.000-08:00

Have you seen these new heart treat cups yet?? << click here!

These would be great beyond Valetine's Day, too. I'm thinking Mother's Day, weddings, anniversaries, showers... so cute for so many occasions! :) Enjoy!

Sale-a-bration starts today!

2010-01-05T20:59:00.000-08:00

The best promotion of the year is here!!

Sale-a-bration and the new Occasions Mini catalog period have officially begun!

Remember, with sale-a-bration or "SAB" everyone can earn free stamps, paper and punches!! Every $50 purchase from January-March allows you to pick a free item from the special SAB catalog or ANY STAMP SET YOU WANT under $15.95 from the main catalog.

It's a great time to stock up on a few things & treat yourself to some FREE stamps!

Monogrammed Cards

2010-01-04T08:54:00.000-08:00

I had a lot of fun making this quick & easy monogram card to include in the gift set I recently gave my mom. She loved it!

You can make it too!
- Make a base of Not Quite Navy and cut out a Whisper White layer to fit over it.
- Stamp the big flower from For All You Do in Not Quite Navy.
- Stamp the letter of your choosing in an accent color- I chose Real Red- and layer it on top of a Not Quite Navy square.
- Wrap the coordinating ribbon to your letter around the white, attach it all together, and you're done!

Thank You note time!

2009-12-29T08:41:00.000-08:00

With Christmas over and the new year almost here, it's time to get out some cute thank you cards to let people know how much I appreciated their gifts & thoughtfulness.

I wanted these to be simple & easy, yet still pretty (who doesn't want cards like that?!?) ... I also wanted them to have a winter color scheme, without being too "Christmasy" ... so here's one to help get your creative ideas flowing.

You can make it, too!
- Real Red base layered with Bashful Blue & Whisper White
- Pocket Silhouettes stamp (bet you never thought of this set as a winter/Christmas one before!) stamped with the coordinating Bashful Blue inkpad
- Real Red ribbon & Dazzling Diamonds glitter for a bit of a snowy feel.

I love love how using a few different pieces in coordinated colors makes a pretty card come together so effortlessly!

Have fun & Happy New Year!

<3, Kristi

Bye, bye Branch Out

2009-12-28T08:27:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite sets, Branch Out, is retiring on January 4th, so I wanted to make sure my Stamp Club ladies got to use it one more time. This "Dazzling Branch Out" card reminds me of a winter wonderland with the Dazzling Diamonds fine glitter.

Some things we learned & practiced with this card...
- How to use the sponge balls with SU! stamp pads to create fluffy snow
- How to apply Dazzling Diamonds to create sparkly snowflakes
- How to thread a button with a thin scrap of paper & attach it to a card using glue dots.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-19T21:27:00.001-08:00

I hope all of my loyal Stamp Club ladies are loving their new goodies and having time to play with them during the often crazy holiday season!

We are at my parent's house for the weekend to celebrate Christmas and tonight I gave my mom the monogrammed cards I showed in an earlier post plus a few others I made for her. She loved them! She is so excited to have nice cards to send out to her friends & family.

It's a bit more challenging to take pictures here & post from their computer, so more pictures to come once I'm back home.

Happy Holidays!!

Order in!!

2009-12-18T11:01:00.000-08:00

WOW! I cannot believe how quickly this month's order arrived. Expect your December Stamp Club order to be delivered to you today with exciting new mini catalogs in each of your bags! You're each receiving a copy of the new Occasions Mini Catalog and the Sale-a-bration catalog.

I was able to pre-order a few things from the Occasions Mini Catalog, so you can look forward to some fun new projects in January using some of these new choices!!

Check out the picture above to see some of the fun new items available in the Occasions Mini!

12 Days of Christmas

2009-12-12T17:38:00.000-08:00

A cool special focused on Decor Elements vinyl sheets & Big Shot accessories.

I think the chalkboard vinyl sheets are one of the coolest things on sale. These can be applied to just about any surface to create a chalkboard surface. No messy painting and no drilling holes in the wall to try to hang something heavy.

Chalkboard Décor Elements Vinyl Sheets 118815
Catalog Price: $14.95
Regular Price: $12.46
Preferred Price: $11.21 <--- what you get through me!

Make Décor Elements your own by creating your own vinyl images using the Décor Elements sheets and your Big Shot.

■ Each package comes with two 15" x 24" sheets of vinyl in Chalkboard, along with two 15" x 24" sheets of transfer tape
■ Instructions for use are included in the package

Let me know if you'd like to add this... or any of the other sale items... to your order!

Birthday Love

2009-12-12T12:03:00.000-08:00

I love my husband!! Look at this cute little card he made me for my birthday. He asked for a little help, but came up with the idea by himself and just needed to be given a couple of quick quick tutorials to design this card for me.

What a sweetie :)

You can make it, too!
- Not Quite Navy card base with Old Olive and Very Vanilla layers (pgs 156-157)
- "Love You Much" stamp from pg 44 (item #113756)
- Very Vanilla Jumbo brads from pg 179 (item #112534)

More Monogrammed Fun!

2009-12-10T15:58:00.000-08:00

I'm on a monogramming role I think... I recently got a couple of the alphabet sets from SU! and am super excited about it. I think a nice set of monogrammed cards will make lovely birthday presents for a variety of special people in my life and will also be perfect wedding presents for newly married couple friends with a new shared last name initial.

This card is one I just made for my momma. It's her birthday on January 9th, so my goal is to have a nice set of various homemade monogrammed cards to give her at Christmas since we won't be getting back over there for her birthday.

Monogrammed Journal

2009-12-09T08:16:00.001-08:00

Check out this neat gift idea I saw on Real Simple's website this morning!

What a cute, inexpensive & thoughtful gift to give someone for the holidays...

More details here .

Warm Winter WISHes

2009-12-08T13:10:00.000-08:00

This fun little holiday card make look red, but it's actually quite "green"... I recycled a Starbucks coffee sleeve for the sentiment and then used the Delightful Decorations ornament stamp set in the background. I got the basic idea for this card from another SU! demonstrator, Carrie, but changed it around a bit to make it my own.

A quick & easy card, perfect for coffee loving friends :)

You can make it, too!
- Take a standard Kraft base & layer it with Real Red paper
- Stamp Delightful Decorations ornament with Real Red & draw the string with a Real Red marker
- Cut a Starbucks sleeve into a rectangle and add Dazzling Diamonds glitter to the word WISH
- Lace a Kraft corduroy button with a thin piece of Real Red paper and attach it with a glue dot

My Wish List!!

2009-12-02T23:31:00.000-08:00

Don't forget to tell your mom, dad, husband/boyfriend, sister... everyone! what stamps & supplies you're dreaming of this year for Christmas. Have them send their order over to me by next week on Tues, Dec. 8th to make sure it arrives by Christmas. Husbands and boyfriends especially are sure to love the free gift wrapping & gift tag I'm offering, plus I'll include a free stocking stuffer bonus item on any order over $50! What an easy way for them to get you what you want this Christmas!!

My personal wish list includes:
- Bold Brights full Stampin' Write marker set & cardstock pack- bright happy colors that all match & coordinate (pg. 156)
- The "Full Heart" punch- great for Valentine's Day! (pg. 186)
- "Everything Nice" stamp set- perfect for so many occasions (pg. 145)

What's on your Wish List this year??

Loads of Holiday Cheer!

2009-12-02T22:40:00.000-08:00

My computer had some funky stuff going on lately so I had to go without *gasp* for a few days, but I am now back online... woohoo!

Here is one of the holiday cards I made recently. As I think most of you know, the people driving the truck here sort of look like Aaron and me so I am planning on sending this to his parents for Christmas. I think they will get a kick out of it and really enjoy it being so personalized just for them. :)

More holiday cards to come... I can't believe Christmas is right around the corner!!

Chocolate Chip Christmas

2009-11-24T15:16:00.001-08:00

I can't get enough of the Delightful Decorations stamp set & punch! I was playing around over the weekend with new color schemes and came up with this holiday card featuring Bashful Blue, Chocolate Chip and a little Whisper White.

It always amazes me how a few little changes in color & design can make a totally different card. I've been experimenting with non-holiday ways to use this set more, too. More pictures of those designs to come in the following weeks :)

HOLIDAY EXTRAVANZA SALE!

2009-11-24T10:25:00.000-08:00

WOW! So many great deals during this special Stampin' Up! sale. There are too many amazing items to list here, but check out the homepage of www.stampinup.com to see everything that's on sale & the amazing 30-50% discounts, then call or email me if you'd like to place an order!

A Little Country Store

2009-11-18T09:22:00.000-08:00

We finally found some canisters we like for the kitchen to hold flour, sugar, etc. but as much as I like them, I couldn't just let them stay plain glass... they needed a Stampin' Up! touch!!

I used the Pocket Silhouettes stamp set, the small tag punch, the Not Quite Navy Stampin' Write marker, and some little pieces of the twine to make these labels for our canisters. They make me feel like we have a little country store right in our very own kitchen.

I am so excited to have these nice & organized and ready for holiday baking & guests!

Delightful Candle Set

2009-11-18T08:28:00.000-08:00

Did you know you can use your stamps to make beautiful home decor items, like candles?

Following up on my recent post about the bird candle I made using the Always set, here is a whole set of candles I made using my favorite holiday set- Delightful Decorations from this year's Holiday Mini. The Delightful Decorations stamps plus a Real Red stamp pad made these three basic white candles perfect to use during the rapidly approaching holiday season.

So fun, quick & easy to make, and a very reasonably-priced gift idea! Perfect for friends, neighbors, co-workers and family. Let me know if you have any questions on how you can make these, too! I am thinking they will be perfect for birthday presents and centerpieces for different holidays throughout the year.

Branch Art Addition!

2009-11-13T15:27:00.000-08:00

The branch art on our mantel needed a little friend to be complete, so check this out!

This is using the bird stamp from the "Always" set stamped with Chocolate Chip ink on a pretty smelling & looking vanilla candle.

I just love this easy technique of stamping to make a normal candle into a beautiful handmade piece of home decor.

Now I need to go to the store and buy more candles so I can make more coordinating candles for around the living room!

Sneak Peak! Elegant Joy

2009-11-11T16:53:00.000-08:00

This is one of the cards for this week's Stamp Club. It uses the Delightful Decorations stamp set and punch on pg. 24-25 of the holiday mini catalog. It's a bit hard to tell in the photo, but the *joy* really shimmers with a subtle touch of Dazzling Diamonds glitter.

Looking forward to seeing you all soon!

Delightful Decorations Trio

2009-11-06T14:21:00.000-08:00

I've been playing with the Delightful Decorations stamp set & punch and have these three mini card ideas to share with you that I made last night.

As you can see, holiday cards don't have to be just red, green & white! These are about half the size of traditional cards, but could still be put in a normal envelope for easy mailing or on top of a package for a thoughtful (and pretty!) homemade touch to any gift.

Click on the photo for a zoomed in view. The card with the red & green color scheme features an ornament that could actually easily be taken off and hung up on a tree or in another special spot.

Looking forward to making cards with everyone next week at Stamp Club!

Kristi

Decor Elements

2009-11-05T13:32:00.000-08:00

Want to try a Decor Element for free??

Here's a link to the guide...

http://www.stampinup.com/us/enu/16192.asp

Below is the info on how you can receive your free decor element... Could be a neat way to spruce up an area of your house/apartment or something cool to give as a gift for the holidays.

Holiday Extravaganza!

2009-11-05T13:25:00.000-08:00

Great news about a new special deal!

You can receive a FREE Decor Element (up to $16.95 value) with any order of $50+ of stamps & supplies in this special Holiday Extravaganza Guide.

Take a look and start thinking about what you might want to order at next week's Stamp Club....

To receive your free decor element, orders must be placed at either our November or December club meeting.

Kristi

Hooray for Moving Day!

2009-10-29T07:54:00.000-07:00

Our friend Emily recently bought her own house, so what better way to congratulate her than with a homemade card using the Loads of Love stamp set!

Those of you who attended our stamp party a couple of weeks ago will recognize some of the paper colors and the idea of using brads as the hubcaps. It's amazing how just a little tweaking makes it perfect for a completely different occasion!

Supplies I used:

Loads of Love & Loads of Love Accessories stamp set (pg. 50 item# 115002 & #115024)
Branch Out stamp set for the butterflies (Branch Out is on the SU!'s "Dormant List" but can still be ordered! (item #113200)
Cardstock in Chocolate Chip, Pumpkin Pie, Not Quite Navy & Whisper White (Earth Elements assorted pack, pg. 156, item #105566. Whisper White pg. 155, item#100730)
Vintage brads (pg. 179, item# 10909)
Stampin' Write Markers in a wide variety of Earth Elements (pg. 156, item# 105539) & Soft Subtles colors (pg. 156, item# 105538)