i'm still alive...

Tuesday, July 29, 2008
I've been pretty MIA lately! it's for good reasons though - lots of summer time beach fun with Pete and my family...

here's a quick card that I made a few weeks back. I'm trying to use up a lot of the rub-on's that I got during SU! Sale-a-Bration this year. I've been hoarding them for some unkown reason! ha.I've determined that if I ever became a SU demo I would struggle with using all the supplies before they retire!

"For You":
SU! Cardstock Creamy Caramel, Assorted DP
SU! Choc. Chip Ink, Rub-On's
Green twine ribbon, MM Brad

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a quick card...

Tuesday, July 22, 2008
just a quick card to share with you all - this one was super-quick and easy. I used some Designer Paper from that great AC paper pack, and cut out the flower, and adhered to Chocolate Chip cardstock. I then used some Stampin Up! rub-ons for the sentiment & dotted lines. The brad comes from Bazzil and adds some nice texture.

I've been busy finishing up some invitations I'm making for a High School Reunion. They are coming along nicely. Once I'm done, I will be sure to post the finished project (they're pretty basic - but elegant I think!)

Have a great week everyone!

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Kristina's Color Challenge 16

Thursday, July 17, 2008
another color challenge on Kristina's blog...I love these things! The colors this week were super cute. It made me realize that I really need more baby stamps...especially at this age! Lots of my friends, acquaintances and co-workers are having babies! :)

Here is my submission. I finally got to use some fun scalloped card stock that I had bought and was hoarding. (i'm SUCH a hoarder. trying to get better...) I also got to use one of these thick chipboard scallop shapes. I picked these up at a scrapbook store in Hyannis a few weeks ago. They are really fun to work with and I love the dimension they add.

I used craft ink for the stamps from Baroque Motifs, and embossed using some shimmery embossing powder. Same thing for the polka dots on the card, except with Versamark ink. I made the chipboard shape orange by adhering Pumpkin Pie CS to it and cutting/sanding it down.




It's super hot here today. I'm off to go relax back in the AC and get some more work done...see ya later!!

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crazy week.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008
my week has been pretty crazy at work. we have a bunch of important meetings & what not going on around here - plus we are doing some pretty major IT projects. I've been so tired every night!

I've found that my craft blogging is a great form of de-stressing for me...so that means you get to look at another set of cards :) Here are some cards I made with the pack of AC Designer Paper I snagged at AC Moore. I was psyched to use my coupon and get a good deal. I'm wondering how many cards I can challenge myself to make with this awesome pad of paper. There were lots of great designs, so perhaps I will challenge myself to use them all up!



Supplies:
American Crafts Designer Paper, Ribbon
SU! Whisper White Cardstock, Rub-Ons, Old Olive 5/8" Ribbon
Creative Memories Corner Rounder punch


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i {heart} American Crafts.

Monday, July 14, 2008
in case you haven't noticed, I seem to have a favoritism towards AC for lots of my stuff! I've been using them a TON lately. Everything they have just seems to flow with style :) (shout out to anyone who could POSSIBLY get me connected for a coveted Design Team spot with American Crafts! anyone!....Bueller?) :)

I made these cards using some American Crafts stickers, although the DP is from someone else (can't think of it now, got it on Clearance at Michael's!). It's odd that the paper doesn't come from AC, because it matches this AC Ribbon PERFECTLY, don't ya think? Anyway, these cards were fun to make and pretty quick too. I also discovered that AC Moore is now selling AC Designer Paper packs - which is huge because I can use my 50% coupon on them. score! I bought a package last week and have made a few cute cards with them. I will be sharing those in the next few days.

I promise I'll have some sort of coloring tutorial soon - just haven't had the chance to make it. This weekend the weather was beautiful so Pete and I spent our time hangin' outside & enjoying it. :)

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Kristina's Color Challenge #15

Thursday, July 10, 2008

so I missed last weeks challenge on Kristina's Blog, with the Fourth of July holiday and all. I decided to get back into it this week. I really love the colors Kristina chose for this one. The first thing I thought of when I saw them, was Fall! I know, it's only July. But I thought my "Give Thanks" stamp set would go perfectly with these colors.




I've had a few people ask for more info on how I achieve the shading affects with my Stampin Up! Markers. I am thinking of doing a video this weekend to show you all how I do it. (not sure if I am doing it the correct way, but it's what seems to work for me!)

I've also been playing around with my picture taking - Pete was able to set me up with a better light, so I have lots of recent projects to share with you. Stay tuned!!


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u r a hoot!

Monday, July 7, 2008
hi everyone, hope you all had a great 4th of July weekend. I know I did! We spent some time with my family on the 3rd, and then headed to the Cape for the remainder of the weekend. It was a little sad driving back to the Boston area yesterday evening, because Pete and I both love Cape Cod so much. However we will be back there in a few weeks so we have that to look forward to!

Here are a few cards I made last week with my new stamp set from Cornish Heritage Farms. I had never bought a set from them before, but I knew when I saw this set I HAD to have it. How cute is this little owl? I love how he looks mildly annoyed. The stamps from CHF are VERY good quality. I will definitely be ordering from them again. I like that they are rubber, but cling mount - much easier to store than wooden blocks.

Also, I colored this little guy with Stampin Up! Markers. I've been debating whether I want to take the Copic plunge (maybe not until xmas) - but I wanted to go for the same shading affect using the SU markers. I think it came out pretty decent. It took a little while to get the shading that I wanted, but I'm pleased with the results. It CAN be done with SU Markers!!



I've been somewhat MIA over the holiday but hopefully this week I will be back in the swing with plenty of blog entries.

"u r a hoot" cards:
Stamps: Cornish Heritage Farms
Paper: SU! All Boy Simply Scrappin Kit
SU! Markers, SU! Wild Wasabi Stitched Ribbon

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Kristina's Color Challenge 13

Thursday, June 26, 2008
so this week's color challenge at Kristina's Blog was SUPER hard for me. I actually really dislike these colors together. I think it's the River Rock that is bothering me. Just not a pretty color. Or maybe it is...but for some reason it does nothing for me. I will say that I LOVE the other In-Colors...especially Wild Wasabi and Purely Pomegranate - I will be very sad to see them go. I've seen the preview of the new in-colors and I'm really not wild about them.

Here are two cards that I made for this weeks challenge. I like the "Hi" one better, but they are both pretty different.



Hope everyone is having a great week! I can't believe next week is the 4th of July. I love the 4th. Such a great holiday.

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another "u rock!" card...

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

so I took the idea that I had used earlier on this card and decided to try it again. I wanted to cut something out BADLY with my new Cricut, and I found this cute little iPod shape. I don't have many cards for teenagers, so I figured anything to do with an iPod would be perfect...

I had the sugar coated letters, they are made by Doodlebug Design. Aren't they fun? I cut out the iPod layers and the sunburst shape with my Cricut, and drew on the little headset wire coming out of the top with a white gel pen.

Right now I'm trying to finish my card for Kristina's Color Challenge...I have to admit, I HATE these colors together!! Blegh! This one is VERY tough for me! Stay tuned tomorrow to see my submission in the challenge...

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Happy Birthday Erin!!.....(and some exciting NEWS!!)

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

so this is a day early, but I am off tomorrow & Friday for my brother's wedding. I wanted to get this posted as I made this card for my friend at work Erin - it's her birthday tomorrow. Happy Bday Erin!! Have fun in Vegas!! :) I have a fun tidbit of news to post today...I've been feeling a bit under the weather lately, but finally feeling back to myself, so I'm ready to dish about it! OK well actually this news is more than "fun" - it's REALLY EXCITING for me....

I'M BEING PUBLISHED!!!! I got an email the other night, about a card that I submitted, and they actually want to publish me in the November 2008 issue of CARDS magazine. EEEEKK!!! I'm soo beyond psyched. So now, I must make one of those fun little graphics for my blog that says "removed for publication" - hehe, how fun is that? I think now that I know I was accepted, I might try my luck at submitting a few more entries to some other magazines! woo!!

"Erin" Card:
Paper: K & CO. Designer Paper, SU! Green Galore, Regal Rose, Whisper White
Stamps: SU! Tart & Tangy, Fontwerks Alphabet
Ink: SU! Green Galore, Pink Passion, Embossing Powder & Versamark
SU! Circle Punch, Scallop Punch, 5/8" Regal Rose Ribbon

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Kristina's Color Challenge #11

Friday, June 13, 2008

soooo I have lots to do tonight but had to squeeze this in. I'm addicted to these darn color challenges!



The colors this week were: Rose Red, Old Olive, Going Grey, Whisper White, and So Saffron. This card is probably the weakest of all the ones I've submitted, but it was tough figuring out what I wanted to do!! Here is my card entry for this weeks challenge. Thanks again Kristina for another fun one!




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for the Dad's

Wednesday, June 11, 2008
these next few cards I've created are to honor the Dad's in our lives...I'm uploading them today because I'm not sure how much time I will have to post these next few days. I'm really trying to finalize everything for the Craft Fair on Saturday. The weather outlook looks OK, but I do have an outdoor booth and I will just cry if it rains. Pete is being SO helpful in getting everything ready for me.

I used the Stampin Up! Simply Scrappin' "All Boy" kit on these cards - but added some American Craft Foam Thickers to write the word "Dad". I LOVE thickers. They are so fun to play with. Come to think of it, I'm in a bit of an American Crafts phase right now. How neat would it be for me to get on their design team and get FREE stuff? :) One can always dream, right??

Hope you are all having a great week. I'll be adding the rest of the blog links to my site soon, for those of you who I haven't added yet. Thanks for all the submissions!





"Dad" Cards:
SU! Simply Scrappin Kit: All Boy, Wild Wasabi Ribbon, Bashful Blue CS
American Craft Thickers

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not my style...

Monday, June 9, 2008

so this card is very unlike me - but I figured I would post it anyway. It's cute for a pre-teen or teenage girl. I just love these making memories letters - they are chunky and fun. I also got to play with my silver embossing powder, and Fontwerks letters. These letters are neat - they remind me of a rock concert or city lights.

this weekend was HOT here in MA, so I didn't spend much time in my craft room. We spent the weekend at my parents house, lounging in their pool and visiting with family & friends. Today and tomorrow are supposed to be scorchers again - tomorrow might reach 100 degrees!! Very unusual for June in New England. Thank goodness for AC. I have my craft fair coming up this weekend, so I really need to finish stuff up for it! Hopefully things will cool down a bit and I can get everything ready in time.

"U Rock" Card:
Fontwerks Stamps, Making Memories Chipboard Sugar Coated Letters
Cardstock: SU! Basic Black, Pixie Pink
White Gel Pen, Marvy Scallop Punches, Misc. Ribbon

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daydreaming of Hawaii...

Thursday, June 5, 2008
So for some reason, these past few days I can NOT stop daydreaming about our time in Hawaii. Pete and I went there on our Honeymoon - which was pretty special, and I know that is why it will always be an extra special place for us...but can we just discuss how GORGEOUS it is??? I am absolutely in LOVE with the island of Kauai. And there is so much more I want to see. I know that I have a few blog readers who live in the Hawaiian Islands - I am VERY envious!!

So the other night I had a fitting for my bridesmaid gown for my brother's wedding. My seamstress is leaving soon for a trip to Hawaii and I was telling her all the great places to see & go. I sent her some pictures that we took, and it really just got me thinking again. How I would LOVE LOVE to be sitting at breakfast, overlooking the beach on Kauai, waves, sunrise...Hawaiian music. Oh man, I gotta stop. Anyway, I went home and was inspired to make a card. I have some great DP that reminds me of Hawaii, so I was starting to make a card that just said "hi". Well then I thought, how cute would it be if it said "Aloha" instead? :)

So here it is...my Aloha card...the "i wish i could jump on a plane and go to Hawaii for a whole month" card. I guess we better start saving up for our next trip!!

"Aloha" Card:
Paper: SU! Summer Sun, Chocolate Chip. K & Co. Designer Paper
Bazzil Chipboard Letters, American Crafts Ribbon
Paper Piercing Tool

EDIT: thanks to everyone for commenting on my last post and leaving me your Blog URL! Check back today, as I will be creating a listing on my sidebar with all your blogs! I can't wait to check them all out.

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a few firsts....

Monday, June 2, 2008
so when I was at the CKC convention a few weeks ago, I stumbled upon and ENTIRE booth full of Nestabilities. I was shocked, as I know these can be hard to find! I decided to invest in a few sets and to be honest they have been scaring me. I was unsure of what to do with them (which is odd because I use my scallop punches all the time!) I finally had a great excuse to use them this past week.

I also had a set of aMuse stamps that had yet to be inked up...again, scared of them. Didn't really know what to make with 'em I guess? My problem with aMuse is that their stamps are TINY. I feel like my cards are going to be nekked with these small little stamps. However, the smallness of these stamps combined with the layers I can make using the nesties seemed to work just perfectly together!!

 This card is for a friend of ours named Kara, who just told us that her & her husband Tommy are expecting their first baby! We are so happy for them. I am seeing her on Thursday and giving her this card, so let's hope she doesn't check my blog out very often, because otherwise the surprise is ruined :)

"Congratulations" Card:
Stamps: aMuse
Paper: SU! SS Just Delightful Kit
Ribbon: SU! Regal Rose
Nestabilities, Paper Piercer, Dimensionals

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Kristina's Color Challenge #10

Saturday, May 31, 2008

another color challenge from Kristina's blog. I love these. I found this one to be tougher than the last one she had, but I really enjoyed it! I also challenged myself not to use any stamps on these cards...sometimes they go a lot quicker that way.

Sounds like we are getting a few thunderstorms here in MA this morning, so I'm going to shutup and just upload these cards before we lose Internet!

Have a great weekend everyone...




thought I should note that I did have a bit of inspiration for the 2nd card above. It's not exactly the same, but I also want to give credit where it's due! Kristina's card that inspired me can be found here. The "happy day" card above was my take on it.

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tis the season...

Wednesday, May 28, 2008
the season of weddings is starting! My older brother is getting married in 3 WEEKS. How time flies. Pete and I got married this past September, so our family has been full of wedding related stuff this past year. I also have a few friends tying the knot this summer, so I figured I would get a jump start on my stash of wedding cards.

I used one of my Stampin Up! Simply Scrappin' kits for these cards. ("Tie the Knot") I know these kids are meant for scrapbooking, but can I tell you how easy they make it for card making? I can easily throw cards together using this kit, and I don't even need to bust my stamps out! If you'd like to see each of these cards up close, please visit my Project Gallery.


I've also been working a lot on some items for my upcoming craft fair. If any of you readers live in the Boston area, this will be my very first craft show, in Westborough MA on Saturday June 14th. It would be great to see you there! :)

"Tie the Knot" Cards:
Cardstock: SU! Simply Scrappin' Kit - Tie the Knot, Chocolate Chip, Certainly Celery
Ribbon: American Crafts, SU! 5/8" Chocolate Chip Ribbon

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Kristina's Color Challenge 9

Wednesday, May 14, 2008


this is my first attempt at Kristina's Weekly Color Challenge. I LOVE the colors she chose...and now that Grad school is over, I actually had time to whip a few cards up when I got home from work today! 

Here are the 2 cards I made...my favorite is the circle card. No stamps on it, but I love the colors - it's definitely a cheery card!


thanks for looking...this has been quite the "blogging" week for me! I hope to do another video tutorial this weekend, so please check back soon!

Color Challenge 9 Cards:
SU! Cardstock: Pumpkin Pie, So Saffron, Tempting Turquoise, Old Olive, Real Red
SU! Ink: Tempting Turquoise, Versamark
SU! Die-Cut Blooms
MFT Sentiment Stamp

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Dino-Mite

Wednesday, May 7, 2008
I made this card for a woman I work with, her little nephew is turning 5 this summer, and he is nuts about Dinosaurs! I have always liked this set from My Favorite Things, but up until now, never had an excuse to get it!


The Dino is colored using my Blender Pen and Stampin Up Markers - just dabbed the marker color onto a storage case and watercolored until I liked the shades. The rest of the card is created with the Stampin Up Simply Scrappin' Kit - Crew Kids Boy. I stamped the "Happy Birthday" sentiment onto the tab that was an embellishment from the kit. I think the SS kits make cardmaking really easy & quick! Thanks for looking!

"Dino-Mite":
Stamps: MFT Dino-Mite
Paper: SU! Simply Scrappin Kit Crew Kids Boy, Pumpkin Pie
Ink: Old Olive, Bliss Blue, Pumpkin Pie, Basic Black
Accessories: Old Olive 5/8" Ribbon, Brads, Dimensionals

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lots of fruit

Monday, April 28, 2008
I got to play with my new stamp sets this weekend, my new favorite being "Tart & Tangy" by Stampin Up. It's so darn cute and I love the bright colors. I got some inspiration from this card on SCS, so I made a few cards with it. This set is from the Spring Mini, but so is the polka dot wheel that I used for the background on these cards. I love polka dots, so this wheel is going to get lots of use over the next few weeks.

The blue flower shaped cut-out on the apple card is from the "Die Cut Blooms" set from the Spring Mini. I like all the die cuts, think they are super cute. I'm not totally convinced they were worth the money yet (as it's simply SU paper die cut into shapes). We will see how many fun things I can make with 'em...
I also got 3 new Simply Scrappin' Kits, which I love to use for making cards...it makes it so easy to put together. I will have some photos of a few SS cards this week hopefully. I'm trying to gear up for my craft fair in June, so I have to get going on making more cards! I sold a few again this weekend.

Here are some more photos of the cards up close...




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Cards...and maybe a Craft Fair?

Monday, April 7, 2008
So this weekend we went out to my parents house to celebrate my Dad's Birthday. We had a great time on Saturday night with the family. I had such a great response from my co-workers last week when I brought some greeting cards in, that I thought I would take the basket with me to my parents, and see if anyone was interested in some cards. Sure enough, I sold 6 cards! I was so excited.

On Sunday, I went to a Craft Fair in Springfield with my Mom, cousin & Aunt. It was pretty big and they had lots of great stuff. NO ONE sold paper crafts! This is the 2nd fair I've been to recently where no one has any paper crafted items. I picked up some info on the show and really hope to enter it the next time they are around.

Here is a recent card I made using some Prima Flowers and the Rub-On's from SU! Sale-a-Bration. It's a simple card but pretty. I hope to get more crafting done this week as things should be a little less hectic around here...

"Happy Day:"

Paper: SU! Chocolate Chip, Purley Pomegranate, River Rock
Accessories: SU! Chocolate Chip 5/8" Ribbon, Primas, SU! Corner Rounder Punch, Brad

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Bundle of Joy

Friday, April 4, 2008
When you are my age, there are 2 types of cards you can never have enough of: Weddings & Babies! I made this card last night after I got back from taking an exam in my Graduate Class. (blegh). It was a great de-stresser for me. I didn't make it with anyone particular in mind, but I'm sure it will go to good use as I do know some people that are currently expecting!

I'm finding that I really love the wider 5/8" Grosgrain ribbon. It really adds to the card and gives it that extra something. I will need to buy more I think ! I actually used the SU! markers on the giraffe in this card and they colored quite well. One of these days I might splurge for the Copic Markers, but for now the SU ones will do.

Happy Friday everyone!


"Bundle of Joy":
Stamps: Bundle of Joy
Paper: Bashful Blue, Barely Banana, Certainly Celery
Ink: Bashful Blue, Barely Banana, Apricot Appeal, Basic Black
Accessories: SU! 5/8" Ribbon - Certainly Celery, SU! Corner Rounder Punch

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Scallops Birthday

Wednesday, April 2, 2008
I'm liking the So Many Scallops set a lot. I feel like they make quick & easy cards. This card is pretty much a replica of my earlier card, just changed up the colors for a much brighter effect. I really like the way it turned out. Once again, I pulled the colors from the American Crafts Ribbon that I had - and I think it all coordinates nicely.

"Scallops Birthday":
Stamps: So Many Scallops, Circle of Friendship
Paper: SU! Real Red, Tempting Turquoise, Green Galore, YoYo Yellow
Ink: Tempting Turquoise, Green Galore, YoYo Yellow
Accessories: American Crafts Ribbon, SU Scallop Punch, SU Circle Punch, Dimensionals

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Spring Inspired Cards

Sunday, March 30, 2008
Hey Everyone! Today I was in the mood to use some fresh spring colors, perhaps inspiring Spring to finally arrive in New England?

Anyway, I made a handful of cards with the Stampin Up! Simply Scrappin Kit, that I won from my wonderful SU Demo Michelle. She recently had an open house at her home and I was the lucky winner of this product! Although it's retired, it's still fun to use - I think I might have to get my hands on more of the Simply Scrappin' Kits they currently offer.

The first two cards were a CASE of Kristina's Make-a-Card-Monday over on her blog. If you haven't checked out her blog, you HAVE to go over there. It's incredible. MACM is my favorite thing to watch on Monday mornings! Kristina has wonderful style, and she inspired me to make these 2 cards. You can find Kristina's original designs of these cards here & here. :)


"Spring Hello":
SU! Simply Scrappin' "Just Delightful" Kit
SU! Bashful Blue Cardstock
SU! So Saffron Cardstock
Certainly Celery Ribbon
American Crafts Thickers Felt Stickers



"Spring Welcome":
SU! Simply Scrappin' "Just Delightful" Kit
SU! Bashful Blue Cardstock
American Crafts Ribbon
SU! Wonderful Words
SU! Baroque Motifs
Brad

The last few cards I just made on my own, using the ever so wonderful Shimmer Jigsaw letters by Making Memories. These things rock! They are a bit big, but one or two of them fit perfectly on a 5"x5" card. My only complaint: there is only one "H"! So I could only make one "hi" card. Bummer! Luckily there were 2 M's so I got to make both my Mothers Day cards. One for my Mom and one for my Mother-in-Law. Mom, if you're reading this, you will be getting this card in May. Sorry for the spoiler!


"Spring Hi":
SU! Simply Scrappin' Kit
SU! So Saffron Cardstock
Making Memories Shimmer Jigsaw Chipboard Letters
SU! Certainly Celery Ribbon


"Spring Thanks":
SU! Simply Scrappin' Kit
SU! So Saffron Cardstock
Making Memories Shimmer Jigsaw Chipboard Letters
SU! Certainly Celery Ribbon
American Crafts Thickers Felt Stickers

"Spring Mom":
SU! Simply Scrappin' Kit
SU! Certainly Celery Cardstock
SU! Cameo Coral Ink
Making Memories Shimmer Jigsaw Chipboard Letters
American Crafts Ribbon
Letter Stamps
Eyelet

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Wild About You

Thursday, March 27, 2008
I love this set! I wish I had some cute munchkins to give these cards to. I saw this pretty ribbon from American Crafts at AC Moore and I had to have it. I used it as color inspiration for this card. The Purely Pomegranate paper is textured giving this card some depth. On the side I used the Stampin Up! Corner Rounder punch (removed the guard) and created a scalloped effect. I then added little holes to each scallop with my paper piercing tool.

Wild About You:
SU! Paper: Chocolate Chip, Purely Pomegranate, Pumpkin Pie
SU! Ink: SU! Chocolate Chip, Pumpkin Pie
American Crafts Ribbon
SU! Corner Rounder Punch
Paper Piercing Tool

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Sweet of You

Monday, March 24, 2008
I made this card last week with my new So Many Scallops set from the SU Sale-A-Bration promotion. I found the American Crafts Ribbon at AC Moore on sale, and I decided to use it as color inspiration for the card. It was very simple and quick to make. I like how the dimensionals make the flowers pop and give that card a little extra something. Hope you enjoy it!

Sweet of You:
SU! Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, Summer Sun, Purely Pomegranite
SU! Ink: Summer Sun, Chocolate Chip, Old Olive
Brads
American Crafts Ribbon
SU! Scallop Punch
Dimensionals

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