A Jar Full of Love Card

I am in such a good mood this morning!  The kids are back to school and my hubby is back at work and I finally have a little quiet time!  Hee!  I love having them home but the first day back is always sooo nice! :)  I hit the gym first thing to get it out of the way and now I'm just trying to figure out how to spend the rest of the day.  I am thinking of either heading to the movies to see Les Miserables or doing a little shopping at Target and Joannes... hmmm...  I could also go downstairs and catch up on last season's Downton Abbey and stamp!  :)  I think the last one might win!

Today I thought I'd share this Valentine's Day card I made recently featuring the Perfectly Preserved stamp set from Stampin' Up!:

Stamps: Perfectly Preserved set, Create a Cupcake set (heart), Tiny Tags set by Stampin' Up!; Calico Borders by Hero Arts/ Studio Calico
Ink: Pool Party, Sahara Sand, Raspberry Ripple, Pink Pirouette, Crumb Cake inks by Stampin' Up!; Versafine Onyx Black ink
Paper: Whisper White, Crumb Cake, Pool Party cardstock by Stampin' Up!; patterns from Everyday Eclectic line by Echo Park
Accessories: Sentiment rub on by Karen Foster Designs; Linen Thread, Cherry Cobbler Baker's Twine, Jewelry Tag punch, and Dotted Scallop Ribbon punch by Stampin' Up!

I stamped the jar first and then masked around the outside of it before I stamped the hearts inside.  I like how it turned out and will be reaching for this set again soon!  The sentiment is a rub on I've had for many years.  I found them recently and figure I should start using them!

Well, I'm off to do a little stamping and enjoy my quiet time at home today!  I'll leave the shopping for tomorrow and just relax! :)  Hope you are having a great day, too!

-tessa

A Tall Challenge Card

Well, I spent some time today crafting with my little girls- we practiced our watercoloring, a technique that my oldest daughter has been asking me to teach her! Hee! She's gonna be able to teach her own classes, soon! :) While they were busy painting their Sock Monkeys (yes, they like him, too!) I found time to play along with a fun challenge at the CAS-ual Fridays blog. The challenge was to create a 4x9 card with a CAS feel to it... well, I don't know if my card ended up being too clean or simple but the challenge still inspired me to try a different size! Hee! Here is what I made:



Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Simply Soft, Tiny Tags, En Francais
Ink: Wisteria Wonder, Pear Pizazz, Crumb Cake classic inks
Paper: Crumb Cake, Soft Suede cardstock; Wisteria Wonder, Pear Pizazz textured cardstock, watercolor paper, First Edition DSP
Accessories: Scallop Edge Punch, Linen Thread, Jewelry Tag punch, Dazzling Diamonds, Aqua Painter, Color Spritzer

See? I think it's too distressed to be CAS... oh well! I love how it looks anyways and I don't think I would have attempted a card this size with out the challenge so thank you CAS-ual Fridays!



Want to see my cute girls in stampin' action? Here are a couple of pictures from our craft time together:




Awe! I love that they like to stamp as much as I do!

Thanks for stopping by today!

-tessa

Pretty flowers in a row...

I have some more sneak peaks for you today and a look at one of my favorite new color combinations! Here is my card:



Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Day of Gratitude, Tiny Tags, Woodgrain
Ink: Pear Pizazz, Peach Parfait, Soft Suede, Pool Party classic inks
Paper: Soft Suede, Very Vanilla, Pear Pizazz cardstock; Peach Parfait, Pool Party textured cardstock
Accessories: Lace Ribbon boarder punch, Dotted Scallop Ribbon punch, Jewelry Tag punch, Linen Thread

Don't these colors look great together? Calm and serene but still bright enough to be interesting, right? I love it!

I'm so happy that Day of Gratitude came back to join the big catalog this year- it truly was a stand out from the last holiday mini- I am glad to be stamping with it again!

OK! Off to do something fun now! Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!

-tessa

A new beginning...

Who's excited about the new Stampin' Up! catalog coming out! I am! I am! This year is an extra special launch for me because I am also launching myself into full business mode. I've been a Stampin' Up! demonstrator for over three years now but always thought of myself as a hobby demo. I love the products and I also love to teach so this year, I'm going to! I've been so inspired by other demonstrators who have earned free vacations and products- I want to be one of them!

I'll be adding classes, clubs, and workshops to my schedule so if you'd like to book one, just let me know! I'm also planning a great Kick Off party at my house on July 9th- make 'n' takes, demonstrations of some of my favorite new products, and of course, the new catalog! I'll be giving it away to anyone who books a workshop, signs up for a class, joins one of my new monthly stamp clubs, or makes a $50.00 order that night. If you'd like to join us, please don't hesitate to send me an email!

Also, if you are looking to join Stampin' Up! as a demonstrator, please think of me- I have a small downline now and would love for it to grow!

I'm really looking forward to this new business venture! Really, I can't wait! I'll leave you today with two of the many samples I've been creating lately- these are the types of cards I'll be teaching at my upcoming classes. They are also sneak peaks from the new catalog! :)



Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Delicate Doilies, Tiny Tags
Ink: Versamark; Melon Mambo, Pink Pirouette, Basic Black classic inks
Paper: Whisper White, Pretty in Pink textured cardstock; Flirtatious DSP
Accessories: Flirtatious Fabric, Antique brads, Clear embossing powder, Scallop Edge punch, paper piercer

I don't know if you can see the stamping well in this picture but I've stamped and embossed in clear on the background of this card. You can see a few of the new designs in the Flirtatious DSP in the diagonal strips- aren't they cute! I've had lots of fun with this so far- and the fabric, too! They match and it's so fun to add just a little texture to your cards with fabric. Here, I tore a strip and made it into a quick flower. Also, did you notice that pretty new purple color? It's called Wisteria Wonder and it's one of the new Incolors joining the pallet this year! It's a wonderful greyed-out lavender that pairs great with so many of our other colors.

Here's a clean and simple one showcasing my favorite new punch:



Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Pennant Parade, Thank You Kindly, Friendly Words Wheel
Ink: Basic Black, Early Espresso, Crumb Cake classic inks
Paper: Crumb Cake, Rich Razzleberry, Basic Grey, and Lucky Limeade cardstock; Very Vanilla textured cardstock; First Edition DSP
Accessories: Petite Pennants Punch, Floral Fusion die, Whisper White bakers twine, Clear round rhinestone brads

So, I love this color scheme! Rich Razzleberry is an old favorite of mine and it looks great with the new Incolor Lucky Limeade! Here, I grunged it up a little so you can't see it's true color but I feel like it's a little Old Olive with a splash of Kiwi Kiss... if you love greens, you'll love this one! What do you think about this new punch? I LOVE it! I felt like with the whole pennant craze, I'm surprised we didn't see one sooner- I have been on the lookout for this for over a year now! And, I've only used half of it here- it's a builder punch and has a coordinating scallop to go with it! I'll be sure to show you that soon.

OK! That's enough from me today! I'll be updating my calenders today and if you'd like to join me for any of my upcoming events or book your own, please don't hesitate to email or call!

Thanks for stopping by today! Like I said, I really can't wait for July!

-tessa

-tessa

Sweet Little Boo Card

Hi! I thought I'd pop on really quick and post a fun little card that includes a gift I made yesterday:



Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up! (except for the felt)

Stamps: Tiny Tags, Woodgrain
Ink: Pumpkin Pie, Basic Black, Crumb Cake classic inks
Paper: Crumb Cake cardstock; Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie textured cardstock; In Colors DSP
Accessories: Sanding Block, Jewelery Tag punch, Linen Thread; white felt and black DMC thread

While perusing through my blog reader yesterday I found this write up about a fun book called Witch Craft. I thought the little ghostie pin was too cute so I decided to give it a try! And of course, when I was done with it, I had to put it on a card! :) Hee! It has a pin, too so that when I give it away, the recipient can wear it.

I love it when I'm inspired to try something new! How about you? Have you ventured into new crafts on a whim lately?

Hope you are enjoying your day!

-tessa

Little Witch Card

Good Morning!

Today is Zoey's 3rd day of kindergarten and she is loving it! I am still getting used to the new routine... and Natalie is still getting used to not having her big sister around all the time! Hopefully by next week it will be a little easier for us. :)

With school starting, I've been thinking about fall (ha! the weather here is a little behind- it's been in the 90s still!) and Halloween, too! I made this cute card over the weekend:



Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Greeting Card Kids, Tiny Tags, Paisley Party Wheel
Ink: Pear Pizazz, Rich Razzleberry, Peach Parfait, Soft Suede, So Saffron, Basic Black, Basic Grey, Blush Blossom, Blushing Bride classic inks; Jet Black Staz On
Paper: Confetti White, Rich Razzleberry, Peach Parfait, Pear Pizazz, Early Espresso, Crumb Cake cardstock; Blushing Bride textured cardstock
Accessories: Decor Elements Applicator tool, Scallop Edge punch, Jewelery Punch, Linen Thread, Aqua Painter, Blender pens

This little cutie is painted using my Blender pens and residual inks from my ink pads. I tried to use my aqua painter first and some spots were so tiny, it was much easier for me to just use the pens. I traded for my painter though in some of the larger areas.

Also, I want to point out that if you haven't used your Decor Elements Applicator tool in your card making, try it! I used it on this card to curl up the edges of my background strips. I love how soft it makes them! You could probably use your bone folder to get the same effect as well!

Well, I hope your week is going well! I am thankful mine is going by fast and that the weekend is almost here! I've got some stamping planned for Saturday night and I can't wait!

Thanks for stopping by today!

-tessa

Embellish Magazine Blog Hop

Hi! Thanks for stopping by today! I'm participating in a blog hop for one of my favorite sources of inspiration- Embellish Magazine! Embellish is an online magazine with weekly challenges, great tips, and tons of creativity. Their first online publication was launched recently and we are celebrating!

For all of the blog hop info, please head to the Embellish Magazine blog.

I made two cards with the issue's challenge in mind: use Kraft, Red, Turquoise, and Brown together in a project incorporating twine into your design. I love this color scheme and could probably create with it for days...

Here is my first card:



Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Party Hearty
Ink: Soft Suede classic ink and stampin' write marker; Versamark
Paper: Kraft, Real Red, Bermuda Bay, Soft Suede cardstock
Accessories: Hemp Twine, Perfect Polkadot texturz plate, Dimensionals

I know the banner thing has been done before but not by me! Hee! I saw the party hats stamp from the Party Hearty set and thought they'd make perfect little banner flags...

Here is the second card I made:



Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Chic Boutique, Tiny Tags, Vintage Vogue, I {Heart} Hearts, En Francais
Ink: Basic Black, Going Grey, Soft Suede, Real Red, Bermuda Bay classic inks; Versamark
Paper: Kraft, Confetti White, Bermuda Bay, Soft Suede, Real Red cardstock; Thoroughly Modern DSP
Accessories: Top Note Die, Hemp Twine, Aqua Painter, Signo White gel pen

For this one, I wanted a vintage feel... wouldn't some of Ashley's homemade crinkle ribbon look cute on this card? I had fun giving each dress form a different look. I gave the red one some polkadots by stamping the polkadot heart from the I {Heart} Hearts set with red ink.

Blog Hop Info

Embellish Magazine is offering four prizes for 10 lucky winners who will be randomly selected from each of the blog hop participant blogs. A comment left on each of the blog hop participant's web site will give you an entry to win one of the prizes, which include Lawn Fawn stamps, May Arts twine, Subscription to Embellish Magazine, and A New Design crinkly stained ribbon. So, be sure to leave comments on all the participants blog posts!

Here is a list of all the great participants...

Embellish Blog
Ryann Salamon
Tessa Wise (me)
Charlene Austin
Renee Van Stralen
Lori Roop
Julie Campbell
Sara Martina Parker
Tammy Fite
Heather Pulvirenti
Regan D'Agostino
Emily Niehaus
Maile Belles
Tiffany Johnson
Anya Schrier
Leigh Ann Baird
Amy Rohl
Mariana Grigsby
Kelly Marie Alvarez
Michelle Woerner
Tina Fussell
Maureen Plut
Brenda Weaver
Julie Lacey
Ashley Cannon Newell


Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!

-tessa

Saying goodbye to one of my favorites...

Hi! Hope you are enjoying your Saturday morning... my hubby just got back from Starbucks with our favorite Saturday morning treat and now we are set to read the paper together before we start our day. I love Saturdays!

With Stampin' Up!s upcoming Color Renovation, 30 of the current colors will be retired. It seems like a lot but with the additions of some of the great past and current In Colors, plus the addition of 5 new core colors, we will still have plenty to choose from. In fact, I feel my creativity blooming more because of the changes. I am all for it!

That said, I am very sad to have to say goodbye to some old favorites... Ruby Red will probably be the most missed out of all of them. I've got a little stock pile of cardstock incase I need it but I try to work SUO (Stampin' Up Only) when I work with my SU! stuff so who knows how often I'll actually pull it out... Anyways, this card's for you Ruby Red!



Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Always set, Tiny Tags set
Ink: Ruby Red, Soft Suede, Pretty in Pink, So Saffron classic inks
Paper: Confetti White, Soft Suede, Pretty in Pink, So Saffron, Kraft cardstock; Ruby Red textured cardstock
Accessories: Clear embossing powder, Paper piercer, Scallop Edge punch, Scallop Circle punch, Jewelery Tag punch, Dimensionals

This card is also for this weeks Just Add Ink color challenge! Hee! I had so much fun playing along- I might even make some more cards with this pallet... If you have time, check out their great challenge blog and play along!

OK! I'm off to enjoy the weekend! Thanks for stopping by!

-tessa