September is a busy card month for me

I was just taking a look at my calendar for September, and there are eight birthdays, one anniversary, one shower, and one quinecenara on it!  Wow, it's going to be a busy month!!  In fact, there is a birthday today...Happy Birthday to Mary Luciano (a wonderful customer and friend that I have met through Stampin' Up!). 
On Friday, my up line and her husband were celebrating their birthdays...they both have the same birthday...I guess her husband can't say he forgot her birthday, huh!?!  Anyway, I wanted to make her a special card because she always comes up with such creative ideas that pushes me to be a better demonstrator...not to mention, she has become a great mentor and friend to me over the past couple of years.  So as I was searching for ideas, I came across a wonderful card on Stampin' Connection (a demo only web-site) that was simple, yet elegant.  I tried out the technique that fellow demonstrator, Karen Barber described, and I think it turned out beautifully.  Here is the cover of the card...

Susan's Birthday Card

Even though this stamp set is a two step stamp, I did not use it that way.  Per Karen's direction, each flower was filled in using four different color markers and then I used the white gel pen to finish each of them off.  After each the flowers were colored and the leaves and stems were filled in (I used two colors in those areas), I used my Sahara Sand pen to outline each of the flowers.  Sponging was then applied around the flowers like an outline.  I thought about adding some embellishments, but I just loved the way it all turned out, I let the flowers do all the work for the front of this card...I didn't even add a sentiment to the front....that is so not like me!  All in all, I think that it was a beautiful card if I do say so myself (I think she really liked it too!).  If you'd like to recreate it, I've added the recipe below.  If you have any questions, please let me know...I'd be happy to answer them!

Paper: Island Indigo, Early Espresso, Whisper White

Stamp Set: Simply Soft

Ink: Stazon, Baja Breeze, Sahara Sand, Island Indigo

Markers: Bashful Blue, Baja Breeze, Marina Mist, Not Quite Navy, Pear Pizazz, Lucky Limeade, Sahara Sand

Accessories: Clear Blocks, Sponge, Snail, White Gel Pen

Mom's Birthday Card

Well, since Mom's birthday has come and gone (the month's over Mom, you can quit celebrating now, lol), I guess it's okay if I share the card I made for her with you.  I got the idea from my up line, Susan Yeager, who was teaching a Wow! card class that was for confetti flinger cards.  I didn't get a chance to attend, but after some research, I found the instructions on how to make one on the blog, Hog Wild About Stampin'.  In her instructions, she mentions that the top layer needs to be a little heavy in order to keep weight on the flinger so that it won't pop open at the wrong time.  Keeping that in mind, I chose a non SU! DSP that was really thick, in hopes that it would serve it's purpose.  My mother lives out of state, so I wouldn't be delivering it to her directly, so I had to make sure that the surprise wouldn't be over before she even got it out of the envelope.  I used the stamp set Take a Spin, along with various pieces of card stock that closely matched the colors in the DSP, and my layout was different, but after testing it, the results were the same.  This is what the card looked like before you opened it...

Mom's Birthday Card

And this is what it looks like when someone opens it, lol. 

Birthday card when it gets opened up

When the card gets opened, there is a folded piece of tissue paper that holds the confetti in it that flings it at the recipient.  She called me after she'd opened it and guess what!?!?  It held up in the mail and it got her when she opened it up...hahahaha!!  I wish I could have been there when she opened it.  Oh well, Happy Birthday Mom!

An impromptu demonstrator get together...

 As promised, I wanted to share with you some of the cards that I did in August.  Back on the 8th of August, a couple of other demonstrators and I (Susan Yeager and Phyllis Curling) got together to make cards and share ideas.  The idea that we tried based on Phyllis' suggestion used two stamp sets, Scenic Season and Welcome Home.  The idea was to stamp the trees in always artichoke and then to apply an adhesive so that glitter would be all over the trees...well, I guess I got a little carried away with my glue, because there is very little evidence of always artichoke, lol!  See what I mean....

Obviously I like sparkly things.  Here's a picture of the whole card...

It still turned out kind of pretty, but if I do it again, I'll definitely ease up on the glue!!

Phyllis also had us try an origami card, that doubles as it's own envelope.  Since it was the first time any of us had attempted to make one, she had us use some retired DSP, just in case we messed up, we wouldn't of wasted some of that precious new paper...don't blame her at all on that call, lol!  Here is a picture of the card unfolded...

...and here it is closed....

Pretty nifty, huh!?!  It turned out to be a lot easier than it looked...I love it when that happens!!  Next we did a card that Susan introduced us to.  This card uses the flower garden embossing folder and the Fabulous Florets stamp set which was introduced in the Summer mini.  Fortunately Stampin' Up! included it in the 2011 - 2012 IBC (Idea Book & Catalog), so even though the Summer Mini items are no longer available, it can still be purchased.

Isn't it lovely!?!  I really liked the idea of adding the watercolor pieces to the stamped image...it really adds quite a bit of texture, don't you agree?
As for my contribution to the get together, I created a color comparison chart that we put together so that we could use it as a demonstrator tool.  If you are a fellow demonstrator and would be interested in a copy of it, please let me know and I'd be happy to share it with you.  That's it for now...




 

Finally...a chance to work on my blog!

I just realized that it's been almost a month since my last post...wow, time has been whizzing by!  For the last three weekends, my DH and I have been out looking for a decent trade for our truck.  We've been from coast to coast (and it seems all points in between), but we've finally settled on a vehicle...now maybe I can get back to the fun stuff...stamping that is!  Since my last post, I've still made cards, held classes and attended meetings, so for the next few days, I'll share with you some of those projects.  When I was reviewing my blog, I realized that I didn't share with you something that happened to me that I thought was pretty cool.  A couple of months ago I'd contacted Amy Fitzgerald, another demonstrator and blogger (I love getting great ideas from her blog), to purchase a retired stamp set, and when I sent her my check, I enclosed it in a thank you card to her.  Well, one day I was reading her blog, and lo-and-behold, there was my card!  What an honor to be featured on another person's blog.  If you'd like to see the card, here is the link: http://www.stampwithamy.com/2011/07/short-sweet.html .  Check it out and let me know what you think...