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So, now that the cards have been swapped out, I wanted to share my effort. I really love this set and making cards with it puts me in the mood for fall (have I mentioned how much I dislike the heat of summer??)

Stamp sets – Autumn Days, Tenny Tiny Wishes

Cardstock & DP – Crushed Curry, Soft Suede, Whisper White. Autumn Traditions DP

Ink - Soft Suede, Crushed Curry, Dusty Durango

Accessories – Word window punch, Modern Label punch, Soft Suede ribbon, Antique brass brad

Stamp Sets – Great Friend

Cardstock & DP – Sahara Sand, Soft Suede. Thoroughly Modern DP

Inks – Soft Suede, versamark

Accessories – Soft suede ribbon, antique brass brads, Gold embossing powder, Scallop Edge punch, Big Shot Matchbox die

Even though it is retired, I still really love Parisian Breeze DP. The colors are so soft and the patterns so delicate, I think it will always be a favorite. It also works so nicely with the Thoughts and Prayers set.

Stamp Sets – Thoughts & Prayers

Cardstock & DP – Baja Breeze textured, Chocolate Chip, Kraft. Parisian Breeze DP.

Inks - Chocolate Chip

Accessories – Self-adhesive half pearls

I have got to make a start on my swaps for our little mini-convention, plus get all the materials cut for the make & take project so I know what I’ll be doing for the next few days! One thing I need to remember in future, once you have decided on what to do for a swap, DON’T order any new stuff or you will then start dithering about whether to use something else instead

Stamp Sets – Oval All

Cardstock & DP – Certainly Celery, Almost Amethyst. Tea Party DP

Inks – Lavender Lace

Accessories – Big Shot, Flower layers #3 die, Certainly Celery and Pretty In Pink ribbon, Dimensionals, Scallop Edge punch, buttons with sparkly thread (non -SU)

I also had a chance to play with my new Herb Expressions set. I really love the images in this and thought it would be perfect for making my mother-in-law’s birthday card. I pretty much CASEd this straight from the catalog as I loved the layout and colors used.

Stamp Sets – Herb Expressions, Happy Everything

Cardstock & DP – Mellow Moss and Elegant Eggplant textured, Very Vanilla.

Inks – Mellow Moss and Lavender Lace markers, Ekegant Eggplant

Accessories – Linen thread, button (non-SU), paper piercer and mat pack

I took part in a great demonstrator’s swap over on SCS (Not attending Convention new demo swap) and got my cards back yesterday. There were some very talented ladies in this group, including Teresa and Mel from my SCS blog group (check out their blogs using the links on the right), and I loved each and every one of the cards I got back.

I had planned to post a picture of the card I submitted now that the swap is complete but I can’t find it. If I can track it down, I will post it tomorrow.

Isn’t this flock of butterflies in Anwyn’s room cute?  This set is  called Flutter and I used the Rose Red (love the fact that you can get a bunch of colors)

I also decided to add some in the Master Bathroom to dress up the windows. The Medallions are from the Baroque Medallions set (I used the other part of the set in the same way on a smaller window in the room) in Chocolate. The Flourish is a large Dotted Flourish, also in Chocolate.

Finally, I absolutely love this quote and added it to my stamping room to try and remind myself daily. It is Life Milestones in Chocolate.

I will definitely be getting some of the cute holiday decor elements too! Only problem is that I might not want to remove them after the season is over……

Just a note before I begin rambling – the alphabet set used on the front cover is the new Jayne’s type set – isn’t it loverly?

As this was my first one it took a while but was pretty simple. All directions are given in a tutorial by Beate on SCS under Card Organizers (in the Anything BUT a card section) but I will give a quick summary.

You need 6 sheets of 12 x 12 cardstock or DP – I used Raspberry Tart

You need 2 pieces of 6 x 7 3/4 “  cardstock or chipboard for the covers – I used board and covered with DP

You need a binding system – I used the Bind-It-All with a 3/4 inch coil

You need to print out the calendar templates (given in the tutorial on SCS) – I printed onto Pink Pirouette.

You score  each of the pieces of card/DP at 4 1/4 inches. Turn a quarter turn and then score at 6 inches. Fold the DP at the 4 1/4 score mark and then fold at the 6 inch mark so that you have a piece of DP measuring 6 inches wide and 7 3/4 inches long with two pouches (the tutorial explains this way better than I do). If you are using plain cardstock you would want to stamp either before folding or before this next step.

Punch holes using the BIA in the inner page/pouches and the cover. Insert the wire and close. Decorate the covers etc. and add the calendar print-outs. The idea behind this is to use it to remember birthdays etc. and you can slip the cards that you plan to give for those occasions into the pouch so that you are all organized.

I can’t wait to make more of these little organizers (not to mention Journals etc.)

It was Rhiannon’s birthday today and so she got this as one of her gifts and she is raring to start writing in it tomorrow about her birthday.

This cardfront was made for a second group of the same swap I was talking about in the last post. I really love this but it was a supreme pain to “match” to the catalog example. In the catalog, the deer stamped on the twill tape is much darker but, no matter how hard I tried, I could not get it any darker with the Soft Suede ink. Hope this is OK or I’ll have to re-make them all which would be a shame. The second card shown just took the card front and mounted it onto a Bashful Blue card base and I think it looks nice. The recipe for both is below the photos.

Stamp Set – Forest Friends

Cardstock & DP – Old Olive and Bashful Blue Textured. Bashful Blue DP

Inks - Soft Suede, Rose Red

Accessories - Wide Twill tape, Dimensionals, On board basic heart (stained with Rose Red ink), Scallop Edge punch (to make the scallop square), Chit Chat Rub-ons in Chocolate Chip (Sentiment).

The card I chose features the new Greetings, Earthling set. It is a 3×3 notecard and the recipe is given below the pic.

Stamp set – Greetings, Earthling!

Cardstock - Bashful Blue and Whisper White Textured. Watercolor paper.

Inks – Black Stazon. Images were colored using ink pads (certainly celery, going grey, bashful blue, bermuda bay) and an aqua painter

Accessories – dimensionals

I also got started on the journal I am decorating for Rhiannon as a birthday gift. I still need to add her inital to the front in a frame (waiting on the stamp set to be delivered Monday) but this is what I have done so far. She is going to love this new Kaleidoscope DP and I made her a little matching pen.

 I just put in my orders for three free sets, earned in my first full quarter as a demo. I also got to order some basic stuff using Great Rewards. All new fodder for my ever expanding collection. Talking of which……

I signed up to make some index cards for some of the new sets for the Splitcoast galleries. Because the index cards have to include all of the stamps from each set, and nothing additional from other sets, these may look a little odd but I wanted to share so you can get a flavor of the new stuff. I have to say that Stampin’ Up! really has some fabulous stuff for kids this time round. Watch out for the Holiday Mini in September where they will be launching something very exciting for kids (and those of us who are basically overgrown kids!).

This first index card is for the Greetings, Earthling! set. I can see this being used a lot and I definitely plan to include it in workshop I hope to do for a group of fellow parents in August. I can also see it winging it’s way to my nephews!!

The next set is another very versatile one. Of course, you would just stamp a single number, or stamp all and then add a little frame to accent the number you want. Love that Hippo!

This last set is just beautiful! I love ornaments and these are just so elegant. I was in a rush but these would look so good embossed in gold, silver, copper etc. The gold scallop square was made with my new Big Shot Scallop Square die. It is the perfect size for using with 5×5 square cards.

I still need to get the last index card made with the new  Christmas set, Good Cheer. For those who have seen this set already, it is just stunning. The image is wonderful, the sentiment is just perfect and I cannot wait to use it.