My upline shared this adorable picture and I just had to share it with all of you.  I love the creativity of people - this punch art is just amazing.  Way to go Ellen!

I love the Lexicon of Leaves stamp set (currently on the dormant list), and it was sitting on my desk calling out to me to use it. I had a half sheet of Whisper White card stock and decided to play around with our new In Colors and a One Sheet Wonder.

Not familiar with One Sheet Wonder (OSW)? It's where you stamp an entire sheet of card stock (in my case this was a half sheet - 5.5" x 8.5") in a collage type pattern, then you cut it up and use it on cards, scrapbook pages and other paper crafting projects. It always amazes me how many cards you can make from just one sheet of stamped paper.

Here is one of the first cards I made after stamping and cutting my OSW piece apart:

To create my OSW piece, I stamped with Crushed Curry, Old Olive, Dusty Durange and Rich Razzleberry. I also sponged some of those same ink colors on my stamped background to blend the colors.

For this card, I cut a piece of my OSW into a 3x3" piece. I matted that at an angle with a 3.25" x 3.25" piece of Old Olive card stock and placed that on my Crushed Curry card. I tied on a piece of Rich Razzleberry polka dot ribbon, but I tied it so you couldn't see the polka dots (2 ribbons for the price of 1 – yea!). I then stamped a leaf with Crushed Curry on Whisper White card stock and stamped the Thanks image with Rich Razzleberry. I punched this with the small tag punch and punched a coordinating tag from Rich Razzleberry and attached them to the ribbon with gold cord. Fun, quick and easy! What do you think?

Stamps: Lexicon of Leaves

Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Crushed Curry, Dusty Durango, Old Olive

Paper: Whisper White, Rich Razzleberry, Crushed Curry, Old Olive

Accessories: gold cord (ret), small and large tag punches, 1/16" circle punch, Rich Razzleberry polkadot grosgrain ribbon, stamping sponges

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Products Used:

Stamps
•    Delightful Decorations

Paper
•    Whisper White
•    Chocolate Chip
•    Taken with Teal
•    Real Red

Ink
•    Close to Cocoa
•    Taken with Teal
•    Real Red

Accessories
•    3/4” Polka-Dot Grosgrain Ribbon-Real Red
•    Elastic Cord-Gold
•    Treat Boxes
•    Ornament Punch
•    3/4" Circle Punch
•    Crop-a-Dile
•    Stampin’ Dimensionals
•    Sticky Strip
•    SNAIL
•    9” x 12” Catalog Envelope-Whisper White

Treat Boxes (115690) Highlight

Ornamental Bags & Tags is now available for download.  Click here for more information and to buy now.

Here is another sample of this class made with different colors and stamps:

Yesterday was my Dad's birthday and while we celebrated over the weekend, I wanted to send him a little card to tell him how much he means to me. However my Dad can be a bit critical, so I wanted the card to be more masculine and not so "cutesy". Here's what I designed – what do you think?

I used some old favorites like Aged to Perfection and the background stamp – Ephemera. I was going for a collaged, aged look. Do you think I succeeded? I like how it turned out, and hopefully Dad will to. Here's how I made it:

1. Create card base from Tangerine Tango card stock (8.5 x 5.5" – folded in half).

2. Stamp the Ephemera background stamp with Tangerine Tango ink on the front of the card, then tear one long edge and tear a chunk out of the right side of the card.

3. Sponge the card edges with Chocolate Chip ink.

4. Cut a piece of Always Artichoke card stock (1" x 5.5") and attach behind the long torn edge.

5. Using Aged to Perfection, randomly stamp the smaller images on the card front. I stamped with bleach, as well as with Chocolate Chip ink (be sure to clean your stamp very well after using bleach!).

6. Stamp the Superior stamp on Creamy Caramel card stock with Always Artichoke ink. Tear the edges near the image and sponge with artichoke ink.

7. Mat this image with a piece of Close to Cocoa card stock and tear those edges. Attach to front of card in upper left corner.

8. Stamp "perfection" image with Chocolate Chip ink on Close to Cocoa card stock. Punch out with the large oval punch.

9. Attach this image inside a hodgepodge hardware oval using Crystal Effects as the "glue".

10. Attach this embellishment to the lower right side of the card front using the coordinating brads from the hodgepodge kit.

11. Attach another hardware embellishment to the lower left corner of the "superior" image using a brad.

12. Stamp inside of card (I love using Full of Life for my inside sayings) and enjoy giving this card to your friends and family!

And here is the coordinating envelope:

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This is a card that was featured in my August class – Razzle Dazzle Shabby Chic Gift Set – and I also demonstrated it during my September parties. I love how you can use up all sorts of scraps on this project. Of course I'm assuming you are like me and cannot throw out even the smallest pieces of your designer series paper, because you just don't know when you might use it. Anyone else out there horde their designer papers? Come on, am I the only one?

While I said you could use your scraps, your scraps do need to be at least 4" in length – the width can vary, and actually looks better with varied widths across the card front. I tore all of the right edges of my scraps and then sponged them with Dusty Durango ink so that they all had a uniform feel to them. As you are layering, simply start on the side on which you want your torn edges to show. In my case, I started layering on the right side of my card and worked left until my card front was full. Does that make sense?

For the tag, I used a piece of Dusty Durango card stock that I rounded 2 corners and tore the opposite edge. I also used the horizontal slot punch to make a place for the Rich Razzleberry ribbon to slide through. Here's a little tip with the ribbon – place a small piece of SNAIL adhesive just underneath the "fold-over" loop, so that your ribbon doesn't try to come undone. For the words on the tag, I used the Autumn Harvest rub-ons and chose the words – a note of thanks. I rubbed those onto my DSP, tore the edges and sponged them with Dusty Durango ink. I then layered that on another scrap of the Razzleberry Lemonade DSP, tore those edges and sponged them as well, and then layered everything onto my tag. Then I added the bough rub on over all of the layers (rub-ons are great for that!), so the image went from the DSP to the card stock tag. I attached the tag to the front of my card, and voila – done! Isn't this a great use for scraps? I love the rich look of this card.

Change out the words and image and this card would make a beautiful Thanksgiving card (well, I guess saying a note of thanks would also work as is).

Stamps: Full of Life (inside sentiment)

Ink: Dusty Durango

Paper: Dusty Durango, Razzleberry Lemonade DSP

Accessories: Autumn Harvest rub-ons, Rich Razzleberry polka-dot grosgrain ribbon, horizontal slot punch, corner rounder, sponge

Interested in step-by-step directions for this card and 3 other coordinating projects, which would make great gifts? Click here to order the tutorial for only $6.95.

I think I've mentioned previously that I am learning how to quilt and I just love it when I get to combine 2 of my favorite hobbies like stamping and quilting! Don't you love this scrappy-looking
"quilt" as the front of this birthday card? This card just makes me happy. And I am sucker for purple, so the Rich Razzleberry is perfect for me. Not sure I'm going to be able to give this card away. LOL! Oh wait, I can make more.

Unfortunately you cannot see the texture this card has. Once I made my "quilt", I texturized the piece by running it through my Big Shot with one of the texturz plates, and then cut it out with the Top Note die. It looks really cool in person. And don't you just love that Modern Label punch? It's so cute!

Here's how I made this card:

1. Punch 1 ¼" squares from the Razzleberry Lemonade DSP. You need enough to cover a piece of Whisper White card stock that is 4" x 5.25". Attach the squares as desired to the white card stock (note: you don't need perfect coverage on the edges, because you are going to die cut this piece with the Top Note die).
2. Using your favorite Texturz plate, dry emboss this piece using the Big Shot (tip: spritz your cardstock with a little water before dry embossing in the Big Shot – it helps create a deeper impression)
3. Die cut this piece using the Top Note die and the Big Shot.
4. "Stitch" the blocks together with a black pen (this is faux stitching).
5. Tie a piece of Rich Razzleberry polkadot ribbon around the Top Note piece.
6. Attach a 4" x 5.25" piece of Melon Mambo card stock to the front of your Rich Razzleberry card (5.5" x 8.5" folded in half).
7. Attach Top Note piece to the front of the card.
8. Stamp happy birthday from Teeny Tiny Wishes with Rich Razzleberry ink on a scrap piece of Crushed Curry card stock and punch out with the Modern Label punch. Sponge edges with Rich Razzleberry. Attach to front of card in desired location.

Stamps: Teeny Tiny Wishes

Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Basic Black marker

Paper: Rich Razzleberry, Melon Mambo, Crushed Curry, Whisper White, Razzleberry Lemonade DSP

Accessories: Modern Label Punch, Rich Razzleberry Polkadot ribbon, sponge dauber, Big Shot, Top Note die, Stampin' Up! backgrounds 1 texturz plates

This was a fun card to make and perfect for that golfing fan (or is it fanatic?) in your life. Unfortunately the picture doesn't show it, but the golf ball actually has little dimples on it, just like a real golf ball – how fun!

This card uses our new In Color – Soft Suede – which is a great color for guys. Not quite green, not quite brown, but definitely not a "girly" color. The golf tee is made from the letter U in the Big Shot Serif Essentials alphabet die. Clever, huh? Wish I could take credit for it, but I learned it from Jennifer Randall (thanks!). The golf ball and the "sky" background both use Glossy white card stock. I love using glossy card stock but sometimes I just totally forget about it (crazy – I know). Glossy card stock gives such a shiny quality to any image you stamp on it – or in this case sponge on it.

Directions:

1) Create card base – 8.5"x5.5" textured Soft Suede card stock folded in half. Sponge edges with Soft Suede ink using.
2) Sponge a piece of glossy white card stock (2.5"x3") using Ballet Blue card stock. Leave some white space towards the bottom of the panel.
3) Mat this glossy card stock with a piece of Dusty Durango card stock (2.75"x3.25"). Attach this to the front of the card.
4) Run a piece of glossy white card stock through the Big Shot with the Stampin' Up! Backgrounds 1 texturz plate (using the dotted background to give the golf ball it's dimples). Punch out golf ball using 1 1/4" circle punch.
5) Create golf tee by die-cutting a piece of Real Red card stock using the Serif Essentials alphabet die (the die with the letter U – you only need a piece big enough to cover the U). Trim off one half of the letter U, leaving the side that looks like a golf tee.
6) Attach the golf tee to the glossy panel, and then attach the golf ball on top of the tee.
7) Fringe a piece of Old Olive card stock (1"x3.25") – be sure you only cut about half way down the strip, or you may accidentally cut off part of your grass. Attach over the golf tee, hiding the bottom of the tee.
Stamp Happy Birthday with Soft Suede ink on Whisper White card stock and punch out using the small tag punch.
9) Using the large tag punch, punch a tag from Dusty Durango card stock. Layer the 2 tags and attach a metallic eyelet using the Crop-a-Dile. Attach to front of card as desired.
10) Tie a piece of Soft Suede polkadot ribbon around the left side of the card.

Give to your favorite golf fan and watch how happy you make them!

I was reading the latest Stampin' Success magazine (this is a monthly magazine we receive free for being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator) and they showed how to make an adorable frog using some of our punches. I thought it was so cute that I just had to give it a try. Here's my version:

I used some old In Colors to play around - does anyone else do that?  Use up the "old" stuff so you don't potentially ruin your "new" stuff?

The box/bag I made is simply the 2-5-7-10 box (you score an 8.5" x 11" piece of card stock at 2", 5", 7" & 10", and then turn the piece 90 degrees and score at 2" and 7" – if you've never made one of these boxes you can find specific directions on Splitcoast Stampers, or email me and I'd be happy to give you more information). For the flap, I was playing around and decided to cut many slits to make it look grass/fringe-like. I also added a contrasting color behind the "fringe" to help it stand out.

The frog is made with the wide oval punch (body and head), small oval punch (arms), large oval punch (legs), trio flower punch (hands & feet), 3/4" circle punch (eyes), 1/2" circle punch (iris of eyes), and a regular hole punch (pupils). I also used the 1 3/8" circle punch to create the mouth. For a quick attempt to see how it worked, I thought this guy turned out rather cute! I think I'll have to fill it with something yummy and give it to my niece. Sometimes I wish Kyanne was still into frogs, but I guess 2^nd grade was just too long ago.

Would you like step-by-step directions? Leave a comment or email me and if there's interest, I will post the directions.

Do you look at some colors and they just aren't you? If I'm perfectly honest, Soft Suede is not one of my favorite colors (but I love the rest of the new In Colors this year!). When I have a color that doesn't call to me, it can be a struggle to use it. Do you know what I mean? As I mentioned previously, I *love* the new Razzleberry Lemonade designer paper, and have been playing with it quite a bit. While it doesn't have any Soft Suede in it, I found that this pattern (with Crushed Curry and Dusty Durango) complemented the Soft Suede very nicely. So after all is said and done, I am rather pleased with how this card turned out.

I don't know how well you can see it in the picture (you can click on the picture to bring up a larger view), but I textured the Soft Suede card stock using my Texturz impressions plates and my Big Shot. The texture adds so much dimension and interest to the card – love it! I stamped my silhouette images with Crushed Curry ink on Whisper White card stock and punched them out with the 1 ¼" punch. I sponged the edges with Dusty Durango ink and a sponge dauber. Then I punched Crushed Curry squares using 1 3/8" square punch. When I auditioned my squares on the designer paper I found that they were getting "lost". So I cut some 1 ½" squares from the Dusty Durango and that popped them off the paper. Sometimes just one more layer is all it needs to make an okay project into a wow project.

Stamps: Pocket Silhouettes, Elegant Thank you, Itty Bitty Backgrounds

Ink: Crushed Curry, Dusty Durango

Paper: Whisper White, Crushed Curry, Dusty Durango, Soft Suede

Accessories: Scallop oval punch, word window punch, sponge dauber, Big Shot, Textures Plate Kit #4, scallop edge punch, paper piercing tool