HOLIDAY FUN WORKSHOP - CARD 1

CATHY WEIR WOWS US!

Cathy is not a SU! demonstrator but she should be. She does an amazing job with her cards and I always look forward to what she is going to create next.  Cathy is a dear friend of mine that I met years ago through her sister Laurie and I bless the day that happened because Cathy has stood by me and supported me as a friend for some time.  This wonderful card is just one of many amazing cards Cathy has made that has really "wowed" us.  She showed us how to use the new Builder Wheels exclusive to SU! (by the way...all wheels are exclusive to SU! since they bought the wheel company some time ago!)  You can use one wheel, two wheels, or three wheels all in one color, two colors or three colors. For this card, Cathy wheeled all in black and then we colored the cardinals and the ornaments in with markers and watercolors to match the decorative Candy Cane Christmas paper (by the way...this dsp is almost sold out and SU! will not be producing any more. If you want this paper order it before it is gone!)  I love how this paper glitters!  The snowflake is die cut with the Big Shot in real red card stock and then Cathy added real red chunky glitter.  The snowflake almost looks like it is done in velvet and is so dimensional.

In classic Cathy style, the corners of the card are punched with the corner rounder.  I love this about Cathy because her cards are so different yet she has this classic appeal with the corners.  Just lovely.  The inside sentiments are from Many Merry Messages. The envelope uses only one builder wheel stamped with real red classic ink cartridge.  

Thanks Cathy for demonstrating another lovely card.  If you love Cathy's cards you will get another treat come January. We are going to Cathy's home for our annual shoebox stamping!  Last year I got snowed in so hopefully this year will be the same!

oh, I almost forgot...Cathy made her delicious Chicken Divan for lunch for our Holiday Workshop.  I'll do a separate post with photos from the day and the lunch to show more of the fun we had - watch for it coming soon!

FLASH MOB VIDEO

My good friend Kathy Winland showed me this video of a flash mob.  You have to see this.  I didn't even know what one was until she showed me this video.  How cool is this?
click on it to view!

Maria

HOLIDAY FUN WORKSHOP POST 3

Our Holiday Fun Workshop was a great success.  We held it at the home of my good friend Linda Kincaid.  We made several projects and several cards for the holidays.  It's really nice to get some of my gifts made ahead of time - well, ahead of the holiday madness that comes in December.  Over Thanksgiving, I was able to go home to see my wonderful family in NJ.  I brought lots of gifts up to them and so I will have so much less to do in December.  In fact, in December, I'm going to spend time crafting and completing my holiday cards.  Here is project number 3 from the Holiday workshop - it is a box to hold cards, gift certificates (I just gave one to my good friend Rita with gift certificate in it), chocolates, and so much more.  I'm not sure if you can tell it is a box from the photos.  I may have to take more photos later to show it.  I actually cased these from my good friend and sideline - Jill Hilliard - who also cased them but I can't remember from who.

All of these boxes feature a great new stamp from the Holiday mini catalog by SU! called Christmas Collage.  I stamped that onto white ultra smooth card stock in the different colors you see above.  The box in old olive was actually done with old olive craft ink and heat embossed.  It gives a nice raised impression.  The stamp actually has a no. 25 on it where Santa or the bells was added.  Santa comes from the stamp set Jolly Old Saint Nick (also in the holiday mini).  The bells comes from the stamp set Bells and Boughs, and the angel comes from Angelic joy (all in the holiday mini).  The box with the Angel holds Christmas cards that I'm going to give to my mom to mail to family and friends.  I used one of the clear treat cups to seal some dazzling diamonds glitter with the angel.  I really like that effect.  The use of the Santa I must give credit to Deb Lehigh and her sister Linda Nagel.  Can't remember which one made the original box with Santa and crafted the box with marina mist, but I copied it exactly for my stamping group.  It was truly a hit and everyone had lots of great ideas for the use of the boxes.  In fact, Cathy Weir thought she might make them for her table at the holidays. Wouldn't it be fun to have one of these at your place setting at Christmas?
Over the next few days, I'll post some of the cards that fit nicely inside the box.

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• Free shipping on online of $150 or more!

Maria

HOLIDAY FUN WORKSHOP- POST 2

We had so much fun at our Holiday Fun Workshop and I'm so happy to present the different projects to you.  This is our second project presented by Hsiao-hui Lin.  She demonstrated these adorable bird house hanging ornaments for the tree using candle lights.  Hsiao-hui had actually made one of these at the Remarkables Retreat and it was a big hit that she decided to do it for our Holiday Fun Workshop and we are so glad she did because they make a nice gift and nice ornaments.  These use our Big Shot die cut the milk carton exclusive to SU! as well as lots of our exclusive SU! punches.

The greenery was made with our snowflake punch.  How many other punches can you recognize?  Also...don't you just love the cardinal made from the bird punch?

Hsiao-hui also demonstrated this adorable gingerbread house.  This is so cute!  She used the new stamp set Bingo Bits!

Here's another view of the gingerbread house.

Tomorrow, I have the 3rd project and then the next day some cards we made.
Also more photos of us enjoying the day are coming.

HOLIDAY FUN WORKSHOP- POST 1

Linda Kincaid really "wowed" us last weekend with the first project of the Holiday Fun Workshop.  Linda taught us how to make faux leather wallets and billfolds to hold gifts and gift cards.  These were so much fun to make and I can't believe how quickly they came together, even though we had to use a sewing machine.  Now the sewing machine is not required, but the stitching really makes this project look finished.

 These were made using the Brand New Embossing Folder By SU! called Vintage Wallpaper.  We ran our baja breeze card stock through the Big Shot.

Linda is showing Cathy the embossing technique with the Big Shot.

All of the different projects Linda had prepped beforehand were amazing.  They actually looked like leather.

The wallet in the 2 photos above was done with creamy caramel card stock and chocolate chip ink and the square lattice embossing folder.  Up close, it is really hard to tell the difference between these and real leather.

Once the card stock is embossed, Linda shows how to swipe classic marina mist ink onto the baja breeze embossed card stock.  After that, gently swipe versamark on top and then go ahead and heat emboss for the faux leather look.

Sharon is stitching her card stock and dsp together for the finished look.

Next Hsiao-hui takes her turn on the sewing machine.

We used the dsp from the Holiday mini called candy cane Christmas. This is really neat, isn't it?

This one uses retired Autumn dsp.  

 

The next step is to put on the accordion folded pieces which will form the sides of the wallet.  This is me.  Linda grabbed my camera when I wasn't looking.

  This was really a fun project to work on and I think I'll make up a few to give at the holidays. They make great gifts for anyone.  

Linda explains to Hsiao-hui how to put the enclosures on.  She used magnetic purse catches and they worked like a charm.

Lastly, a vintage button or one of our new larger buttons goes on the outside for decoration with a holiday gift tag.

Thanks Linda for a great project!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING FRIENDS

I'm grateful for all of my readers and supporters.  Have a wonderful Holiday and tune in tomorrow so that you can see projects from our Holiday Fun Workshop!

HOLIDAY THANKSGIVING CARD FOR FRIENDS

This card uses the stamp set Autumn Splendor.  This is the card I sent to my downline Hsiao-hui Lin and Linda Kincaid. They have been great friends to whom I am really grateful.

 I added platinum shimmer paint to the leaves after water coloring them and I also added shimmer paint to the embossed dsp.  The Thanksgiving sentiment is from teeny tiny wishes.

VINTAGE CARD FROM FIRST CLASS

At the first Vintage Class the ladies made this card since Lisa didn't get to teach at that class.  This is a card I cased from a Canadian SU! demonstrator who originally made the card with crushed curry instead of rich razzleberry.  This is a really great card to send to someone who needs a little extra tlc.

We actually sponged the ribbon to look vintage using chocolate chip classic ink.  I like the use of the punches to overlap to add the sentiment.  

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DEB AND LINDA PAPERCRAFT CAKES

Two of the most talented papercrafters I have ever met are two sisters from Pennsylvania - Deb Lehigh and Linda Nagle.  They make the most phenomenal papercraft creations.  At our team meeting last spring, Jan Wakeland - my upline - asked them to papercraft some paper cakes and cupcakes and goodies.  Fortunately, I snapped a few photos of their awesome designs which they CASED from the SU! demonstrator magazine - Stampin Success.  These are just amazing.  I hope they both enter the SU! artisan award contest - I would bet that both would win!

 These are so beautiful I just had to share them.  And...since today is Sandi's birthday...they are certainly very appropriate for her celebration.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SANDI

YOU ARE SO DEAR!

Sunday Nov. 21st is Sandi's birthday!

I just wanted to wish my dear friend Sandi a very happy birthday.  This is the card I made for her.  

SANDI

I just had to post this adorable photo of Sandi with her card and gifts!

LISA WOWS US WITH AN AWESOME VINTAGE STYLE CARD

I am really happy to present to you my sideline Lisa Chatterjee.  Lisa and I are in the Remarkable Stampers together.  Several weeks ago I invited Lisa to guest demo at my Vintage Suite Class.   She said yes and I was thrilled and so too were the attendees.  Lisa did an awesome card as you can see below.  Can you tell that the cardinal was made with the bird and vine punch by SU!?

We stamped the French Script background stamp with sahara sand classic ink onto very vanilla ultra smooth card stock.  Next we die cut the lattice with the Big Shot.  It is such a cool die!  The cardinal was made from the bird and vine punch.  Lisa showed us how to punch the bird a couple of times and put him together so that he became a cardinal.  How perfect for the holidays.  Her use of the French Script stamp and the crochet ribbon really gives this a vintage feel.  In addition, we swiped the French Script with the tea stain ink from the SU! distressing kit and what a "wow"! that was!  The other colors used are cherry cobbler and always artichoke.  Don't they go well together?  And these really have such a great vintage holiday feel!

Here are photos of Lisa demonstrating and some of my guests!

Lisa demonstrates her beautiful card!

 Pat asks Lisa a question while Sandi and Cathy decide on placement of their birds.

Dale is admiring the beauty of the card before the cardinal is even on there.  We decided that this would also make a great wedding card with a different bird or even plain with just the lattice.

Rita (foreground) and Sandi work on punching out their birds and vines.

Clare punches for the first time.  We used the pumpkin pie card stock for the birds beak.

We used the punched out silhouette to help make the birds mask.  Now wasn't that clever?

I think Lisa did an excellent job demonstrating.  The card was a real "wow" and I must say, this is a card I certainly will be repeating.  I'm so glad that I have the French Script stamp and the lattice die for the Big Shot.

Until tomorrow!
Maria

HSIAO-HUI'S VERSION OF VINTAGE

I was so happy to have my downline and friend Hsiao-hui Lin demonstrate a card at the Vintage Suite Class.  This is one of my favorite kinds of cards to make.  It is called a stair step card.  Hsiao-hui chose a great stamp set called Winter Post.  It really lends itself to vintage card making. 

Here are photos of the card and envelope and of the vintage class attendees.

 This is such a wonderful card.  There are lots of techniques used on this card.  First the stair step part itself.  Hsiao-hui used crumb cake card stock to make the base and scored it to get the great fold.  She applied wide grosgrain ribbon and designer paper.  
(ps. you can get this ribbon from my website on clearance for only $1.99 if it is still available;  reg. price is $9.95)

 She used punches and Big Shot die cuts on this card as well.  The large oval and scallop oval frame are die cut from the Big Shot.  The large oval frame is run through the Big Shot a second time with an embossing folder that has been preinked with baja breeze ink.  The ink gets picked up in the dots.  So cool!  This really looks vintage.  The skaters are stamped with black staz on and colored with stampinwrite markers.  There is baja breeze daubed on in the sky and the trees are stamped in chocolate chip craft ink and embossed with iridescent ice embossing powder.  The glitz was certainly there on this card.  Also notice the sentiment in the front which is from the set Four the Holidays.  On the top and the bottom you see punched out almost picot like ribbon.  This is the ribbon punch that Hsiao-hui punched out and then with the trimmer cut down the middle to get the two smaller pieces.  That was truly clever.

 The envelope is very cool too!  She uses the special post mark and reindeer stamp from Winter Post.  The Merry Christmas is from the new set in the holiday mini catalog called Bells and Boughs.

 This is Hsiao-hui.  She did a wonderful job demonstrating.

 This is one of my most photogenic friends - Rita.  She loved her card.

Clare was a first time attendee at this class. She really got the hang of all of this quickly.

 Hsiao-hui gets ready to teach how to apply the baja breeze ink to the sky with the dauber.

Marlene is putting embossing powder on her stamped image of the trees.

Hsiao-hui is teaching embossing to the group.  She is so patient and works to make sure everyone follows along.

Donna carefully places her trees on her card stock.  

 The skaters required some intricate coloring.  Above Marlene is working on hers.

 Donna really is mastering the coloring part.  She uses soft suede on the lady skaters skirt.

 Leslie is also working on the skirt.  I am really in awe of how well everyone puts their talents into their cards.

Here is another sweet friend - Dale - who is always so grateful for all the demonstrators do for class. 

So this was card number 2 for the vintage suite class.  We still have 3 other cards to show and lots more photos of the attendees working on their cards and our other guest demo Lisa Chatterjee.  

Thanks again Hsiao-hui for demonstrating and taking time out of your schedule to meet with all of us!