tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65444686581732863592012-01-27T04:42:53.776-08:00Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.comBlogger2241100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-75317120579609261462008-09-10T13:11:00.000-07:002008-09-10T13:18:50.060-07:00

To try and get back into the groove of card making, I decided to try this weeks SCS193 challenge.I decided to pick a Halloween theme for this card. Apart from the fact I took the photo on an angle which makes the card look lopsided (oops!), I think it turned out OK. Not great...just OK.I stamped the tree and owl image from Stampin' Up's House of Haunts stamp set on Whisper White card stock,

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com45tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-77892007677169920922008-09-09T12:13:00.001-07:002008-09-09T12:24:33.167-07:00

Hi all,Wow, it's been forever since I have posted to the blog. Life has definitely taken over these past months.This is the card I made for the regular swap for my monthly Inner Circle Swap this month.Stamps: Stampin' Up! Upsy Daisy stamp setPaper: Stampin' Up! Upsy Daisy designer paper, Always Artichoke, Going Grey, Bashful Blue, Very VannilaInk: Bashful Blue, Going GreyMisc: Stampin' Up!

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-91023052494117050832008-07-30T12:22:00.000-07:002008-07-30T12:44:25.171-07:00

This month's mystery challenge for my monthly card swap group is the Circle Top Card. Here is what I have created for my swaps. I really liked this challenge!For these cards, I used;Paper: Chocolate Chip, Certainly Celery, Pumpkin Pie and Very Vanilla cardstock, Boho Blend Simply Scrappin' Kit patterned paper.Stamps: Stampin' Up! "Time Well Spent: stamp set, Savvy Stamps "One Little Flutter"

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-76067156890989837492008-07-29T17:12:00.000-07:002008-07-29T17:19:05.591-07:00

Sometimes, quick and easy is exactly what I need to get my card making mojo going again.Life has been hectic lately between work, business travel, home life etc. Here is a simplistic approach to a birthday card that I made the other night. I am about to head back into the craft room to craft for a couple of hours. Stay tune for more creations!For this card, I used SU! Whisper White and Basic

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-15567783996943867872008-07-19T09:37:00.000-07:002008-07-19T09:43:59.908-07:00

And the winner is........#10 Lori!! Congrats Lori!!!Lori, please email your address to me at marie@stamplounge.com. I hope you enjoy your candy!!

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-23428220578275785692008-07-17T17:01:00.001-07:002008-07-17T19:14:01.336-07:00

I have to say, initially I was lukewarm about the new Decor Elements line from Stampin' Up! I decided to order one and see what it looked like. Well! What can I say, as soon as I saw it in person, my head started to spin and I felt a new love affair beginning! Crazy isn't it?!I am not one for sticking things to my walls (i think that might change soon!) but new exactly what I was going to do

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-15272674849245591002008-07-17T08:59:00.000-07:002008-07-17T09:07:34.316-07:00

YAY! My technical issues with uploading photos has been fixed!Here are the cards that the were made by the wonderful group of ladies who participate in my monthly card swap club. I love all these cards!If you would like to join my monthly card swap, please email me at marie@stamplounge.com

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-71023043534514988482008-07-16T14:19:00.000-07:002008-07-16T14:28:12.074-07:00

Wow! My blog just received its 25,000th visit! How totally amazing that you are all checking in with my on my crafting journey - THANK YOU!To say thank you, I will be giving away some blog candy. As I cannot currently post pictures to the site....yeah, still working on that technical glitz... I will describe to you what I am giving away and will post a picture as soon as I can!What will be

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-83942672643216478602008-07-16T12:14:00.000-07:002008-07-16T12:16:48.923-07:00

Hi all,Just letting you know I am having technical issues uploading photos to blogger. Once I can overcome that, I have Inner Circle Card swaps to share as well as my recent Decor Element Wall Art. Can't wait to share both of those with you all!Cheers,Marie

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-60006906777351471622008-07-14T08:03:00.001-07:002008-07-14T08:39:37.245-07:00

We had another great Sketch Challenge for Card Of The Week this week. I can't seem to just do one card! :)Here was the sketch for the design team which will be posted today on the site;This card I used a transparent journaling sentiment from My Mind's Eye and paired that with Blush Blossom, Sage, Close to Cocoa and Chocolate Chip card stock from Stampin' Up!. For the weathered edge, I cut my

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-12530028738811739402008-07-08T13:16:00.000-07:002008-07-08T13:21:11.128-07:00

Hi all - I am a day late uploading my cards for the Card Of The Week Sketch Challenge as I have misplaced my camera battery charger! I was lucky enough, moments ago, to be able to use a friends camera and get these shots...phew :-DPop over to the Card Of The Week site and see the great sketched by the other girls!

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-48914321200027273262008-07-05T08:41:00.000-07:002008-07-05T08:41:16.406-07:00

We had so much fun yesterday attending the 4th of July Parade and Fireworks in town. Happy 4th July weekend everyone!

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-59820131244974634232008-07-02T22:31:00.000-07:002008-07-02T22:37:26.093-07:00

Woohoo! Great news! I have been selected as Susanna Boyd's First Design Team Member for the Card Of The Week site! Yiiiiiiippeeee!!!! I am SOOOO happy I am flying around on cloud nine!Be sure to jump over to the Card Of The Week site at http://cardoftheweek.ning.com/ or click here to browse around, share your cards, view others work and participate in a cool new paper crafting community!Thanks

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-602801159683765172008-07-01T14:55:00.000-07:002008-07-01T15:09:02.419-07:00

I adapted the Card Of The Week Sketch Challenge to this scrapbook layout. Yes, I am starting to scrapbook again. As you can see, this is pretty simple as I don't have much scrapping mojo right now but I am working on it. I have 3 scrapbooks to make for my family...wowsers!Once I get a little more creative, I think I will go back and add some additional embellishments but I want to live with it

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-40996791401899800052008-06-30T14:07:00.001-07:002008-06-30T14:14:56.475-07:00

Do you love sketch challenges? Well if so, Susanna Boyd who created the great new paper crafting community site Card Of the Week has started Sketch Challenges! Yahoo! Here is my take on the first ever Sketch Challenge. If you haven't check out the Card Of The Week site yet, hop on over, browse around and sign up! :-)I love this sketch so much, I am going to apply it to a 12x12 scrapbook layout

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-84314221401384800552008-06-22T18:36:00.000-07:002008-06-22T19:04:23.483-07:00

It's so warm here, I was easily distracted all day. I did manage to head over to Aaron Brothers to take advantage of their Buy One, Get One for a Penny Sale. I picked up some artist canvasses and a couple of frames that will go well with some of the family shots I took while in Australia. They are now in the "Projects To Do" pile.I can't wait for my Stampin' Up! Decor purchase to arrive...I have

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-37802515011059427842008-06-17T18:59:00.001-07:002008-06-17T19:25:36.686-07:00

Hi everyone!I am back home after two glorious weeks in Australia with my family. It was so nice to reconnect with my family again after 4 long years. As a kicker, my sister tied the knot. The wedding was beautiful and a good time was had by all.Here are a few snapshots taken when my mum (mom), sister and I went to the Queen Victoria Market in Melbourne. On the weekends, it's amazing. You can

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-87925303218447762862008-05-27T08:45:00.001-07:002008-05-27T09:56:16.469-07:00

Every month I host a card swap and have a great group of ladies participating throughout the US and Canada. These are the cards I made for this month's card swap.For the regular swap, I used the Stampin' Up! True Friend Stamp set, Bashful Blue, Apricot Appeal and real Rust cardstock and coordinated it with some 5 Gypsies paper and some ribbon I had on hand.The Challenge for this month was the

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-67298843692408747022008-05-26T12:19:00.001-07:002008-05-26T12:29:40.228-07:00

Yippee camera has been found and battery is charged up!I saw this cute tutorial for making vases so I thought I would give it a try myself. It is quite easy to do. All you need is an oval punch (you could also use a round or square punch), a pair of scissors, a sponge and ink.Punch out your vase shape, for oval or round, you would need to snip the top and bottom of the oval to make your

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-5621268614588694362008-05-20T08:43:00.001-07:002008-05-20T12:12:57.821-07:00

I wish I could post the cards I have made over the last couple of days but I can't find my camera! The beauty of my camera is that it's a sleek, light and very slim camera. It fits in my handbag and pockets without weighing it done. The downside is it's small and when you place it down in a "safe" place, well....good luck remembering where that "safe" place was!So, what to share?Are you all

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-57942760737483385262008-05-16T10:36:00.001-07:002008-05-16T10:45:40.375-07:00

I used Beate's weekly sketch #48 for this layout. I decided before making the card that I was going to use masculine colors and a masculine theme as I always tend to make girlie cards - sounds a lot easier than what it was. I had to refrain several times from adding bling and flowers to it and well, I suppose it's OK....I can't say I am thrilled with it. The 3D tree I added last as it needed a

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-89780262946655522312008-05-15T11:40:00.000-07:002008-05-15T12:07:39.993-07:00

Here I am sitting in my office feverishly cranking out work. A sweat bead rolls down the side of my face and I think to myself..."Self, typing like a maniac sure does give you a work out!" I then realize that it's getting unusually warm in my office so off I go to the weather.com and check out the forecast for today.Severe weather alert??? it's 91 degrees already!!!!!!!! It's going to hit 101

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-46254166297903319422008-05-13T11:49:00.000-07:002008-05-13T11:57:21.234-07:00

Here are some Monogram note cards I have made. My Inner Circle Swap members each received a personalized monogrammed note card a couple of months ago as a thank you from me and I loved them so much, I made more :-DI used Stampin' Up!'s scalloped notes, Stampin' Up! Boho Background stamp set, versamark pad, ivory taffeta ribbon, rhinestones and chipboard letters from K&Co's Hopscotch

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-59000090646055762322008-05-11T11:38:00.000-07:002008-05-11T11:47:39.631-07:00

Happy Mothers Day everyone!Here is the Mothers Day card I made using Stampin' Up! Touch of Nature stamp set, SU Grey and Soft Sky cardstock, My Mind's Eye designer paper, SU! ribbon, Stickles, SU! Markers and of course, my sewing machine.

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-86254957450414366942008-05-07T16:42:00.000-07:002008-05-07T16:47:49.244-07:00

Here is a card I made for a friend who is moving house shortly and considering she is of Irish decent, the sentiment is totally fitting.Supplies:Cardstock: Basic Black, Whisper White, SU Designer paperStamps: Penny Black "Moving!!" and A Muse "Irish Proverb"Ink: All SU, Black, Tempting Turquoise, Cameo Coral, Old Olive, Basic Brown, Close to CocoaMisc: Blender Pen, Black Buttons, Ribbon, Diamond

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-66479045174475745872008-05-05T14:13:00.001-07:002008-05-05T14:24:21.703-07:00

**Drum roll please** :-)The cards are in for the April Inner Circle Card Swap and here they are!Ladies, great cards once again...thank you! I hope you all enjoy your cards :)Regular Swaps:Monthly Challenge: Flap CardsIf you would like to join this monthly card swap, please email me at marie@stamplounge.com

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-59515473781429372372008-04-30T10:03:00.000-07:002008-04-30T10:39:47.784-07:00

I am so totally falling in love with real stitching on cards. Here are two cards I made recently that have zero stamping and lots of stitching, the bottom one especially. I used die cuts from My Mind's Eye line of faboo designer papers and coordinating die cuts.Not sure if you can see it but every die cut has been stitched on to the background paper and then the background paper has been stitched

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-3431511453704350862008-04-29T07:57:00.000-07:002008-04-29T08:09:11.284-07:00

This is my twist on the Spotlight Technique. I just received my Bloomin' Beautiful stamp set and couldn't wait to play with it. This card uses; Bloomin' Beautiful stamp set, Afternoon Tea Double Sided Designer Series paper, the sentiment from the Bitty Birthday's stamp set, Basic Black Cardstock, Black Cord, Cool Caribbean, Old Olive and Pumpkin Pie Classic Re-inkers, Aqua Painter and my sewing

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-33213011381414030242008-04-22T08:34:00.000-07:002008-04-22T08:45:55.131-07:00

Here is a wall hanging that I have been working on for the past week. I was inspired by the Tim Holtz Grunge Board samples at the Rubber Stamp Convention in Sacramento last week.For this wall hanging, I used a small plaque I picked up while antique browsing for $3. Imagine Tag stamp from Invoke Arts (invokearts.com), SU Soft Sky and Very Vanilla Cardstock, Grunge board, Tim Holtz distress inks,

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-66202964601134054012008-04-21T10:33:00.000-07:002008-04-21T10:43:13.569-07:00

I made this card for our friend's new baby girl. Her nursery colors are black, pink and white, so this cards works in with the colors selected.I used Basic Black cardstock, My Minds Eye Designer paper and die cut, Stampin' Up! Rub-ons from the Cherished Moment set and of course, zig zag stitching around the border.Here is a close up of my stitching...I'm getting better at it and no, I haven't

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-42625531840716700632008-04-21T10:24:00.000-07:002008-04-21T10:30:13.139-07:00

Yay for Judy taking pictures of the 6x6 brag book she made while visiting!Here are the pics of her adorable creation. She used the Chocolate Chip 6x6 envelopes from the Scallop notes set, a Soft Sky Scallop note (halved), SU Le Jardin Double Sided Designer Series Paper, Soft Sky cardstock, Stampin' Up! Ribbon, Flowers from a local scrapbooking store and SU! Hodgepodge elements....so cute!Thanks

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-24232442962961848942008-04-20T15:58:00.000-07:002008-04-20T16:12:26.504-07:00

So I had some time today to play and one of the cards I made was for Beate's weekly sketch challenge. Surprisingly enough it's the same layout I used for my March Card Swap card, so I was a little excited to play again with the layout.I used Chocolate Chip cardstock and My Mind's Eye Birthday Girl/Aqua Paper double sided designer paper from the Wild Asparagus Line as well as their die cuts to

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-6836114139280141712008-04-20T13:23:00.001-07:002008-04-20T13:38:35.989-07:00

4 drawers of unorganized ribbon11 jars188 clothes pegsColorful, easy to see ribbon storage....PRICELESS!!I am often found in the predicament of looking for that perfect ribbon to finish off my card. I know I have it because I am a ribbon buying addict but I just can't find it and really, I would choose Chinese water torture to having to go through the multiple drawers and plastic containers of

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-89503152505216719822008-04-18T18:13:00.000-07:002008-04-18T18:27:25.619-07:00

We had such a great time with Judy and Ron this week, it was definitely sad to say goodbye at the airport. Another great visit ended...sigh.Judy and I did get a chance to craft for an afternoon and we each made a 6x6 envelope card/brag book made from the 6x6 envelopes supplied with the scalloped round notes from Stampin' Up!I was a doofus and forgot to take a photo of Judy's creation before she

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-3370638602954055832008-04-14T04:32:00.000-07:002008-04-14T04:51:57.758-07:00

It seems the birthday celebrations around here just don't end!We went to Joe's Crab Shack in Old Sac Town with a group of friends to celebrate Judy and Sheri's birthdays on Saturday night. Joe's Crab Shack was a lot of fun. There were dancing wait staff - every 30 minutes music would play and all the wait staff would line dance to the music. Also, the birthday girls had to don wigs and hats and

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-69291791904383553382008-04-13T15:30:00.000-07:002008-04-13T15:46:40.127-07:00

Judy and I headed over to the Rubber Stamp Convention in Sacramento yesterday. We strolled around the booths looking for cool new stuff (more on that below) and of course, inspiration.Here are some pictures I took of some very cool marker colored or direct to rubber stamped cards, these are super cute and from the demo, seemed very easy to make.Click on the pictures to get a better view.Now, this

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-91356650516386878662008-04-11T17:54:00.001-07:002008-04-11T18:06:56.327-07:00

Sheri's parents, Judy and Ron are landing tonight to spend a week with us - yippee!! We always have such a great time together and we are looking forward to showing them around our new area. Tomorrow night we are celebrating Sheri and Judy's Birthday's which fall a day apart and occurred this week on the 7th and 8th.This is the card I made Judy for her birthday. I am assuming since she is in the

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-18498349312570024772008-04-11T16:20:00.000-07:002008-04-11T16:47:41.849-07:00

As I was cleaning up my craft room, I came across this card I had put to the side. At the time, I was deliberately trying to not use stamps or ink and just focus on the adhesives in one of Stampin' Up! Scrappin' Kits to make 4x4 cards. The funny thing is, I liked it just this way when I was making it and couldn't bring myself to "finish" it and still love the simplicity of this card now, so

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-17002550444733145222008-04-09T14:32:00.001-07:002008-04-09T16:10:43.619-07:00

Here are photos of the cards submitted by the members of my Monthly Inner Circle Card SwapRegular Swap:Monthly Challenge: Distressed Backgrounds

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-35109227361436554822008-04-08T08:09:00.000-07:002008-04-08T08:37:14.194-07:00

It was Sheri's Birthday yesterday. I made this card for her featuring the flower stamps from Stampin' Up's Time Well Spent stamp set.I used classic inks and the blender pen to fill in the flowers using Certainly Celery, Pretty in Pink, Real Red, Tempting Turquoise and Soft Sky.The paper is from My Mind's Eye, which most of you will know is my all time favorite paper source as their designs are

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-33418671681416631412008-03-19T17:45:00.000-07:002008-03-19T17:59:39.786-07:00

Hi all,Thanks to everyone who sent me emails asking why I have been so quiet lately and if I am OK.Work has fully consumed me over the last few weeks and I have little time in the evenings to craft. What time I have had has been spent doing life stuff....I'm sure you know how that goes :-DI am in Boston this week (bbrrrr cold!!) and was in Los Angeles last week (nice and sunny!) on business

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-77916013938971493392008-03-06T12:12:00.001-08:002008-03-06T12:25:17.889-08:00

As you may know, I host a monthly card swap called the Inner Circle Monthly Card Swap. For February we had 5 members participate in the regular swap and 4 participated in the Monthly Challenge which was the Faux Tissue technique. These are our cards:Katie:Shirley:JudySusanMarieThe Faux Tissue Technique Monthly Challenge:SusanJudyShirleyMarieIf you would like to join us and can commit to a monthly

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-66339506970923230892008-03-06T10:45:00.000-08:002008-03-06T11:04:05.083-08:00

It sure has been a busy week here! On Tuesday afternoon, my younger brother Chris who I haven't seen for 3 years paid me a surprise visit from Australia to help celebrate my 40th birthday. Needless to say, I thought my heart stopped when I saw him!!This picture is of Chris and I, just before the birthday cake was lit to celebrate the passage into my 40's. (do I start crying now??LOL)Chris is

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-55981240226089313022008-02-22T13:46:00.000-08:002008-02-22T15:43:29.872-08:00

This week has been a heavy work schedule week...long hours hence I have been so quiet but I have had a chance to stamp in the evenings but no energy to post. So here is a 3 part post covering my stamping adventures this week.Part One:The Stampin' Up! regional meeting in Oakland this past weekend was so much fun. Catching up with my stamping friends, getting some great swaps and learning a few

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-86849210957718259712008-02-22T10:01:00.000-08:002008-02-22T11:23:33.147-08:00

Patty from Patty Stamps tagged me yesterday....what fun!1. Stamping Style : Depends on my mood. A little bit of everything really. Sometimes quick and simple yet other times elaborate and detailed. 2. Inspiration: Oh boy...let's see, home decor and crafting mags for color schemes and layout inspirations, new techniques and great blogs.3. Color: Browns, blues and pinks but for some reason I am

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-49688952183258465742008-02-15T17:33:00.001-08:002008-02-15T18:04:34.524-08:00

Tomorrow is Stampin' Up!'s regional meeting in Oakland California. Apart from the 2 hour drive there and 2 hours back, I am REALLY looking forward to it!Not only will I get to see my stamp friends again, I will also be partaking in Make and Takes, trying some new techniques and having some plain old fun.Here is a picture of my card swaps I made for the day. Pretty simple with no embellishments...

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-63584562693654279522008-02-15T07:59:00.001-08:002008-02-15T08:19:26.723-08:00

Whew, life has been busy these past couple of days. I have been making fronts for cards swaps - Monthly Inner Circle Card Swap, Occasional Mini Swap and for Stampin' Up! Regional meeting tomorrow in Oakland. I realized on Wednesday I had 80 swaps I needed to make in a very short time frame...wowsers! :) But they are all done now and I am breathing easy.I also made this little plaque as a prize

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-45756566139508460532008-02-13T08:05:00.000-08:002008-02-13T08:19:07.145-08:00

Hoole Dooly, is this card bright or what?! lolI used Beates Weekly Sketch Challenge for the layout of this card.I wish I could promise this will be the last time I use the Bali Breeze designer paper...but I just can't do that :)This card is a 4.25 x 4.25 card using Close to Cocoa as the base.The Bali Breeze DP was used on all 4 layers.I stamped the Pregnant girl from the She's All That" stamp

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-22327395035518086702008-02-11T13:59:00.001-08:002008-02-11T14:37:23.592-08:00

Oh boy...you get to partially see how messy my craft table is at the end of a card. That's embossing powder all over my cutting board as I was embossing just before I took this photo.I will have to take photos of my craft space when it's tidy and post them :)OK...on to the card :) This little fella, is a 4.25 x 4.25 card.I stamped the summer tree from the "A Tree for All Seasons" SU! stamp set

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-87001955541315104812008-02-10T09:00:00.001-08:002008-02-10T09:11:01.320-08:00

I was flitting around SCS and saw the sketch layout for this week's sketch challenge and it looked like fun, so I decided to try my hand at it.And here is my take on it...Can you tell I adore the Bali Breeze Designer Series Paper? lolFor this card, I used;Close to Cocoa cardstock for my 4.25x4.25 base and layering.Bali Breeze DSDP offerings for all layers.The Birthday girl from She's all That

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-25957230422044828942008-02-10T08:46:00.001-08:002008-02-10T08:56:50.148-08:00

This card was fun to put together.The Die Cut blooms available in the Occasional Mini Catalog are super fun.I cut a 4x4 piece of floral paper from the Bali Breeze Designer Series Paper and used the stitching kit from the Stampin' Up! Crafter's Tool Kit to stitch the outside.I pulled a large, medium and small flower from the pack.On the smallest flower, I used the Celebrate stamp from the Sweet

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-34077522978845387332008-02-09T08:13:00.001-08:002008-02-09T10:27:14.918-08:00

Hi everyone,I honestly cannot believe the week has flown by so quickly but I am very glad the weekend is here!Here is a Faux Envelope card (or should I say Faux upside down envelope card), I made using the other half of yesterday's Carousel note card.Again, I used paper from my favorite DSDP, Bali Breeze and matched it with Close to Cocoa and Soft Sky cardstock.I stamp the round dotted stamp from

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-29512152364154858862008-02-08T08:19:00.001-08:002008-02-08T08:49:10.879-08:00

I cut the Close to Cocoa base card down to 4 x 4.25. The Bali Breeze designer paper was cut to 3.75 x 4, and then faux stitchi with the stitching kit and a Close to Cocoa marker.I then cut the Carousel note card in half and trimmed it to fit the base of the card. The other half was used to make a Faux envelope card which I will show you tomorrow :)With Versamark, I stamped the Essence of Love

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-5331835498042420642008-02-07T08:04:00.001-08:002008-02-07T08:19:17.586-08:00

Have I told you that I think the new Occasional Mini catalog that is available March 1 is the best ever? I really, really, really love it!I received my delivery yesterday and couldn't wait to play.I made this card using the following Occasional Mini catalog offerings;Carousel Note CardShe's All That and Essence of Love stamp setsBali Breeze double sided designer paperChunky Sprinkles GlitterPoly

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-89572826113462251372008-02-05T11:23:00.000-08:002008-02-05T11:26:58.408-08:00

I cannot wait for my order from Stampin' Up! to arrive tomorrow. As a demonstrator, we are able to pre-order merchandise from the new mini catalog a month in advance to make samples and prepare for upcoming classes.This mini catalog is the best ever! I will be sure to share with you new arrivals as soon I receive them! I am SOOO excited about this mini catalog!Yes, I am wishing the day away

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-55960712619117254132008-02-05T09:23:00.000-08:002008-02-05T09:28:24.677-08:00

Last night I was playing with the Stampin' Up! Rub ons and I made this quick card.There is no stamping involved with this card. All elements are from the Eastern Elegance Rub on packet.Whisper White, Real Red and Black cardstock and white ribbon was used as well as a red Button from the Stampin' Up! button collection.It looks a lot prettier in person!

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-80265808141444722012008-02-02T12:38:00.001-08:002008-02-03T08:24:20.354-08:00

This is another Keepsake box I made. This I made for Sheri and I. I wish I could remember what company paper I used but I don't. I pulled these out of my left overs basket. It may be My Mind's Eye. If I had to bet on it, that's what I would pick. I also used Fancy Pant's Rub-ons as well as double and triple layered hand made flowers with a little bling-bling on them that I had sitting around in

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-86198218212884106582008-02-01T07:01:00.001-08:002008-02-01T07:10:32.630-08:00

I really do love the Stampin' Up! Scrappin' Kits not only does it make Scrapping so easy, they are great for making quick cards as well as 3D projects!I made this set of card for a friend's teenage daughter. I had a retired Friend and Flowers Scrapping kit left over and instead of having it take up precious shelf space and collect dust, I decided to turn part of it into a little surprise gift for

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-34001810488531265032008-01-31T06:38:00.001-08:002008-01-31T06:48:14.182-08:00

I think I am wishing winter away as lately I have been gravitating towards Spring colors. This winter has been yucky. Lots of storms and rain and well, frankly, I think it's time for the sun to shine! :)This card uses the following;Stampin' Up! Oh So Lovely and Celebrate Everything Stamp sets, Basic Grey patterned paper, Stampin' Up! Certainly Celery and Basic Black cardstock, Stampin' Up! Basic

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-16869159307814242192008-01-30T07:26:00.000-08:002008-02-02T14:34:47.793-08:00

My dad's birthday 85th birthday is coming up in March and I decided to make him this little keepsake box of his "favorite" daughter. I always tease him when I call him saying "Hi Dad, this is your favorite daughter" which makes him laugh :)I have to post it next week to make it to Australia in time for his birthday.For this keepsake box, I used scraps of Basic Grey patterned paper, Stampin' Up!

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-63215050150321437162008-01-29T08:05:00.001-08:002008-01-29T08:14:36.591-08:00

For this card, I used Stampin' Up!'s Time Well Spent and Baroque Motif's stamp sets.I layered Certainly Celery on Black and created a background by stamping the Flourish stamp from the Baroque Motif's stamp set in Versamark on Pretty in Pink cardstock.For the heart, I used my aqua blender with Pretty in Pink classic Ink to fill the image and then outlined it with Real Red classic ink and

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-58580168077969858262008-01-28T09:54:00.000-08:002008-01-28T11:54:24.868-08:00

I made this card using the Time Well Spent Hostess Level 3 set for Stampin' Up! This set is so cute and so versatile.I stamped the image on Very Vanilla and used my aqua painter and Classic Ink reinkers of Tempting Turquoise, Certainly Celery and Rose Regal to color the images.For the flowers, I then used my hobby blade to carefully cut out the flowers.I used Basic Black and Certainly Celery as

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-5439910234186662512008-01-24T21:33:00.001-08:002008-01-24T21:46:25.222-08:00

Here is a cute birthday card for a girl.Again, I used one of American Art Stamps by Karen Stolper called Gifty Girl as well as Memory Box's Hill stamp. I also used a mix of My Mind's Eye and SU! patterned paper.SU! Markers were used to color fill the stamped image; Cameo Coral, Sage, Pumpkin Pie and Pretty in Pink as well as SU! ribbon.The fun part of this card was making the flowers. I used

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-84388507347324473222008-01-23T11:07:00.001-08:002008-01-23T21:47:27.638-08:00

I bought this wine label stamp about 4 years ago at a local Stamp Fair long before I became a Stampin' Up! demonstrator. It has been sitting at the bottom of my clear stamps box waiting patiently for me to re-find it. When I saw it last night, I got that feeling you get when you have found something wonderful...you know...the "ohhh's and ahhh's" begin and then you are enveloped with a sense of

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-53100672158834319982008-01-22T12:25:00.001-08:002008-01-22T12:31:03.546-08:00

This card was a lot of fun to make. I used Beate's weekend Sketch Challenge as the design.No stamping was used for this card. I used Chocolate Chip cardstock, Fancy Pants Rub ons for the main image and My Mind's Eye patterned paper as well as Stampin' Up! buttons.I really like the way this card turned out and can't wait to send it to a friend in need :)

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-43837231725388202352008-01-18T21:52:00.000-08:002008-01-18T22:18:20.244-08:00

The craft room is finally unpacked and about 90% in place but I just couldn't wait any longer to craft. It has been way too long! Also, with the monthly card swap looming over my head, I just had to getting my fingers dipped back in the ink pads.I can't believe how long it took for me to complete this card. I have definitely lost my mojo! *sob*With the daunting task of making a card for the

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-7516510935778188522008-01-09T11:08:00.000-08:002008-01-09T11:36:51.752-08:00

Who doesn’t like a good burger? Well, if you are ever in Vegas and on the hunt for a good burger and I mean a REALLY good burger you have to stop at the Burger Bar at the Mandalay Bay. It has an amazing burger menu. You get to pick your type of meat. (of course, I went with a Kobe burger - even when cooked well done, the Kobe meat melted in your mouth). You pick the type of bread bun you like

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-81011772093384104472008-01-06T22:33:00.000-08:002008-01-06T23:17:29.038-08:00

I am in Las Vegas for two reasons. 1) for work, I am here all week heading home Friday and 2) we are celebrating the birthday of a friend this weekend.We had dinner last night at David Burke's and it was hands down, no doubt about it, THE best meal I have had in a very long time. A true culinary experience...and what an experience it was. The service was excellent, the food was delicious from the

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-57342191690731304202008-01-04T19:12:00.000-08:002008-01-04T19:40:00.327-08:00

So here we are again...the start of a brand new year and my monthly Inner Circle Card Swap Club.After listening to feedback from members of last years Swap Club, I have decided to relax the rules of the card swap and open it up to any stamp company stamps, not just Stampin' Up!...what?! I hear you say. Stampin' Up! I feel has the best quality stamps but we all buy other stamp company stamps and

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-63775819036668032532007-12-27T11:56:00.000-08:002007-12-27T12:08:03.625-08:00

Who can believe the holidays have flown by and that we are now sitting in our brand new house checking emails while the movers unpack the trucks....certainly not me.Reflecting, we have had a very hectic December. As you know I was in New York for a few days for work.I arrived home on December 12 and worked in the office all day on the 13th. Friday 14th, I jumped in my car and hightailed it to

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-5205911920936563062007-12-08T19:24:00.000-08:002007-12-08T19:40:33.820-08:00

Greetings from New York!I always look forward to this time of the year when I travel to New York for work. Being in New York during December is truly amazing! The Christmas decorations, the festive energy of this town, the tourists, the COLD weather! Can you believe that with all the snow storms the east has been hit with lately there isn't a snow flake on the ground?! Chances are it won't snow

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-18438962595739061432007-12-03T22:13:00.000-08:002007-12-03T22:25:22.305-08:00

I can hardly believe it myself but we are 11 days from closing on the new house! Yaaahooo!!So far, I have packed up the craft room (whaaaah!), my office, the bathrooms, the wardrobes and linen closets, I have culled the kitchen down to bare necessities and the garage has been culled and packed up also.Home Depot is my home away from home right now. I have bought the stains and sealers as well as

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-42117940225556667042007-11-24T16:22:00.000-08:002007-11-24T16:36:12.307-08:00

As promised, here is the Christmas card we made at Kris' workshop last weekend. It is a super cute, simple yet elegant card.It uses Dashing Double Sided Designer Series Paper, Old Olive and Real Red cardstock and Classic Ink, as well as the Tags On Board stamp set out of the Holiday Mini Catalog.And here are sneak peeks at our Christmas cards for this year. Obviously I can't show you all of the

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-72887514064694421922007-11-24T16:01:00.000-08:002007-11-24T16:19:03.202-08:00

Has anyone recovered from Thanksgiving yet? Are the left overs gone yet? Not in our household! (yum!)Thanksgiving for us was spent with friends.Sheri made her fabulous Cinnamon Rolls (photos below) which are tradition for Thanksgiving and boy, where they GOOD! It is definitely worth hanging out a whole year waiting for these wonderful bites of pure bliss! Wowsers!Keeley Anne made a pumpkin pie as

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-41319751330351766192007-11-21T20:15:00.000-08:002007-11-21T20:36:47.397-08:00

Stampin' Up! sent all demonstrators a free stamp set to say thank you. A lovely gesture indeed! The stamp set is a Level 3 hostess set from the Spring/Summer catalog..yippee :)At Kris's workshop on the weekend, we made two cards, one card featured this stamp set and the other I will post tomorrow which is a Christmas card :)We used the Le Jardin Double Sided designer paper, Chocolate chip

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-58468580715813816192007-11-16T21:28:00.000-08:002007-11-16T21:45:12.291-08:00

28 days and counting until we close on the house!By popular demand, here are a couple of photos of the new digs that I took on November 3. We haven't been to see the house since and we won't be until we close on it next month.This is historically my busiest season at work which means I have limited time at home before we close. I am traveling for work 12 out of the 28 days which means I only

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-75845803400338481852007-11-10T16:48:00.000-08:002007-11-10T17:03:03.721-08:00

This week has scooted by so fast, it's just amazing. I spent a day and a half this week in Salt Lake City, Utah for work. The last time I was there was a year and an half ago for my very first Stampin' Up! Convention. How time flies.I have been busy with work so the evenings and weekends have been consumed with getting in and cleaning out all the clutter in the house. Working out what to give

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-16903358813536932622007-11-02T11:24:00.000-07:002007-11-02T11:42:27.927-07:00

Do you know about Name Days? Well, if you aren't Greek or know someone who is Greek, probably not.For members of the Greek Orthodox faith, name days are a much-anticipated event each year, greatly overshadowing birthdays. Children born into Greek Orthodox families are given a name that coincides with the name of a Greek Orthodox officially recognized saint. The name day is celebrated on the

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-50066958410206928502007-11-01T12:11:00.000-07:002007-11-01T12:24:06.486-07:00

I was beep-bopping around blogs yesterday seeing all the wonderful creations of late. What fun to live vicariously when you can't get into your own craft room for some paper crafting therapy.I used Julee's Monday Mojo Sketch challenge for the layout of this card. It's a Pretties Kit extravaganza! I have the kit have been using it sparingly of late but yesterday I dove right in and at one point

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-50458122170258294702007-10-29T08:35:00.000-07:002007-10-29T08:42:20.459-07:00

We arrived home from Boston on Friday and have spent the weekend decompressing and catching up with house chores. I managed to spend quite a bit of time in my craft room yesterday and put together these gift boxes, which I think are just adorable!Papers are from K&C Co. Some supplies are Stampin' Up! - pearls, ribbons and brads. I was having a non-brand creative outlet yesterday, just using

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-46055433615806665572007-10-22T18:09:00.000-07:002007-10-22T18:20:36.382-07:00

Hi all,Thanks to everyone who left feedback! What a great turn out...THANK YOU!I used www.random.org to generate a random number and the winning number is 44!I had to recount the entries as 13 was skipped, and there were a couple of double entries, so if my brain is working correctly, the lucky winner is Pat aka "foodpartyfun" ... now that's a name right up my alley! Congratulations Pat!!!Pat,

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-60128257298259262722007-10-22T04:51:00.000-07:002007-10-22T05:01:39.380-07:00

Greetings from Boston!This is a tin I altered to store cards in. I used Basic Grey papers, scraps of ribbon I had in my little scraps drawer and a flower head from an artificial flower I bought at Michael's last summer :D. Acrylic Alpha Stamp set is from Stampendous.PS - I will be announcing the blog candy winner later on today! :-)Cheers and Happy Monday!

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-92072738546600930552007-10-17T10:13:00.000-07:002007-10-17T10:37:48.279-07:00

I just noticed the ticker and saw that I have hit over 10,000 views and quickly approaching 11,000! WOW! Thank you to everyone who has been stopping by to view my roller coaster journey in paper crafting, reading my ramblings and leaving feedback - you guys rock! :DSo here is the deal, leave feedback and please leave a number in order of your comments and on Monday October 22 I will randomly draw

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com60tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-11615653664369889922007-10-17T09:55:00.000-07:002007-10-19T07:50:25.714-07:00

In the search for my crafting mojo, I made this wall hanging yesterday.This is a power packed little item even though it appears simple.It features the following items:Brocade Background Double Sided designer series paperOnboard Ginormous Pieces (backdrop and center piece)Onboard Lots of LettersPretties Kit - Flowers, brad and pearlsCrop-A-DileJumbo EyeletsRibbonDazzling Diamonds GlitterBeaded

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-76928101110215841632007-10-15T16:26:00.000-07:002007-10-15T17:05:57.463-07:00

Life has a way of throwing curve balls at you every now and then. I cannot believe it has been nearly 4 weeks since my last post!Needless to say, my life has been on the fast paced track these last few weeks and all one can do sometimes is just hold on for the ride of life.Work has been keeping me extremely busy as usual. I have done quite a bit of traveling and leaving again this week for a 9

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-19285602019292853602007-09-20T07:23:00.000-07:002007-09-20T07:39:05.186-07:00

This is a 3x3 card we made as one of the Make and Takes at our Saturday upline meeting.This little card packs a punch with all that is going on with it.It includes; Apple Cider designer series paper for the background, scallop center and chipboard photo corner. Chocolate Chip 5/8 ribbon, Brads - antique Brass and Silver, Twill thread, Scallop and 1 3/8 punches, 2 stamp sets - Wanted and Artfully

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-20457422327598499912007-09-18T07:53:00.000-07:002007-09-18T10:00:07.736-07:00

I had seen this at Convention this year and have been wanting to try this and the Thankful garland (next project) for Thanksgiving. I finally had some time yesterday to try it. It was relatively easy and fun to pull it together. I love glitter so I had a ball glitterizing (that's a Marie word lol) one of the snow flakes and the "O".I used the Dashing Double Sided Designer Series Paper (main

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-35239595838892765282007-09-17T10:06:00.001-07:002007-09-17T11:48:51.063-07:00

Beate provided a really fun sketch this weekend for her weekly sketch challenge.Here is Beate's sketch layout.Here is my take on the layout.I used Label Classics, Artfully Asian and cute converse stamp sets, Very Vanilla, Chocolate Chip, Old Olive cardstock, Rose Red and Soft Sky Double Sided, Designer Series Paper. Rose Red, Always Artichoke and Close to Cocoa Markers, Soft Sky, Creamy Caramel,

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-33274208687721180392007-09-16T07:19:00.000-07:002007-09-16T09:26:05.176-07:00

Yesterday was our quarterly upline meeting. Patty Bennett, who hosts our upline meetings had prepared some cute make and takes for us. One of our M&T's was decorating the new holiday Gift Certificates. This is so cute and yet takes no time to put it together, which is exactly what you want for the holidays!How quick is it? Well, here we go....Stamp your wreath using the Glorious Garlands stamp

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-72316347740163249482007-09-13T07:51:00.000-07:002007-09-13T08:45:53.708-07:00

I woke early this morning and couldn't get back to sleep so at 5:45AM I decided to go tidy up my craft room before I started in on breakfast and then work. Well, I did put away 2 stamp sets and cleared a spot on the table and then I realized that was enough as I was too tired to clean up so I checked email and surfed a little instead. I checked Julee Tilman's Poetic Artistry site this morning

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-12156114656258174022007-09-12T08:07:00.000-07:002007-09-12T08:28:33.838-07:00

My next class is taking place on September 24 and it's all about Halloween! We will be making 3 halloween cards and of course a Garland.For those who are too far away to attend, I offer long distance packets for the same price as the class. So if you are unable to attend my class but want to make these fun cards and garland, please email me at marie@stamplounge.com to inquire about my long

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-9222063005382832552007-09-12T07:43:00.001-07:002007-09-12T07:55:55.944-07:00

I just love the Onboard Clipboards that Stampin' Up! offers. They are so versatile and make great gifts.These go together easily and are so much fun creating. The hardest part is wrapping the clip. To do this I took a piece of scrap paper and roughly measured the clip. I then cut it out and kept adjusting the size until it fit snuggly around the clip. I then used that as my template for cutting

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-8189036796756975232007-09-10T08:32:00.000-07:002007-09-10T08:48:49.944-07:00

I find myself really look forward to Beate's challenges every weekend.Beate's layout this week is:and my take on her layout is;I used Chocolate Chip and Very Vanilla cardstock as well as the Le Jardin Double Sided Designer Series paper.Soft Sky and Close to Cocoa classic ink was used to stamp the scallop inner from the Wanted stamp set. A little strip of Chocolate Taffeta Ribbon, a few border

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-21587222513570989632007-09-09T22:44:00.000-07:002007-09-09T23:07:06.646-07:00

What a weekend it has been...We had earmarked this weekend with our friends Nancy and Holly that we were going to can tomatoes all weekend. Sounded like a great plan because it was except I had failed to inform my body I was going to put it through its paces. It is 11PM on Sunday night and the feet and back are screaming blue murder, the neck and traps are so tight I doubt I can lift my arm over

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-63304310758177042302007-09-09T12:35:00.001-07:002007-09-09T12:43:13.713-07:00

Here are a couple of Christmas cards I made. This used the Merry and Bright and Season of Joy stamp sets, Old Olive and Real Red cardstock and the Dashing Double Sided Designer Series paper. Inks used were Real Red, Old Olive and Soft Sky. A blender pen was used to color the tree image.This quick card uses the Season of Joy stamp set, Old Olive and Real Red cardstock and the Dashing Double Sided

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-41347112928690836402007-09-08T07:56:00.000-07:002007-09-08T08:07:04.544-07:00

I don't often dabble in scrapbooking but find that I am gravitating a little more to it these days, so you will be seeing some scrap layouts sprinkled amongst all the cards :)This simple layout uses Stampin' Up's Le Jardin Double Sided Designer Series paper as well as their On Board Lots of Letters chipboards (love love!).This close up of the chipboard letters shows how I layered them on blue

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-45545047759132211672007-09-07T07:06:00.000-07:002007-09-07T07:24:51.663-07:00

This card reminds me of a cruise ship port hole window. I am not sure that is actually a good thing or not...hmmmmm *scratching head* ...maybe I just need a vacation...Hawaii anyone?The Rock and Roll technique was used again to provide a little dimension to the leaf from the Touch of Nature stamp set for this 4.5x 4.5 quick card.I used Pumpkin Pie and Close to Cocoa classic ink for the image and

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-81321272663951635452007-09-06T19:12:00.001-07:002007-09-06T21:55:36.284-07:00

I have had many requests to post the step by step instructions on making the Halloween Garlands posted a few weeks back.Cut a 12x12 piece of double sided designer series paper down to 6x12Cut each 6x12 into 1 inch strips so you have 12x1inch stripsUsing your 1/8 hole punch of your crop-a-dile, punch through all 12 pieces of paper at one time, once at each end. Make sure to center the holes.Take a

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-32342482385746536582007-09-06T06:26:00.000-07:002007-09-06T06:57:53.893-07:00

Can you believe Summer is over?It's nearly time to pull out the apple cider and milling spices, light the fires and of course start planning our annual Pumpkin Carving Party...oh, let me find a photo of last years final masterpieces to share.....Aren't these the cutest?! OK, I digressed just a tad but it does put me in the fall spirit and of course that means fall colors also. Here are two cards

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544468658173286359.post-67587250333298487532007-09-05T18:15:00.003-07:002007-09-05T18:34:29.502-07:00

I can't tell you how good it is to be back home and to get some time in the craft room. It has been 8 days since my last post (I feel like I'm at confession) and getting some card making therapy time has been a long time coming!.To get back into the groove, I decided to use Beate's sketch challenge #17 as my mojo revver-upperer.This is Beate's cool layout for last weekend.My takes on her layout

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248411516328328695noreply@blogger.com5