Oh my, I haven't posted for quite a while, but here's a card I did for a swap a few weeks ago. I love using different techniques and this card uses masking and bleaching. Bleaching is so much fun, the results it makes on cardstock can be so different even on the same color paper. I'm also apparently hooked on the circle scissor plus. Every card I make lately uses this. What a great tool.
Am starting on some Christmas cards, so will post when I get some finished.

Here's a pic of the inside of the card I've posted and explained just below. I've got the cart before the horse, but read on---- I just wanted to show you the inside as well.

Hope everyone is enjoying this long weekend I know I am. It's been a busy week, but here's a card I worked on and really enjoyed trying-----it's a shadow box card that I'm going to do for my club. It is the same idea as a shadow box except that the card pulls flat for mailing and then you can push it back to give it dimension. I used the circle scissor plus, what a great tool, for the front. The sides are scored which gives it the ability to lay flat or have dimension. I also tried something with the new shimmer paint that's in the new holiday mini catty. I just love trying new ideas and techniques and this paint is beautiful. You probably can't see the shimmer on the butterfly too well, but it's stamped with a mixture of reinker and the champagne mist shimmer paint. It looks really pretty and just gives it a little zip. The top of the crushed curry panel that you see is left unglued so that I could slip a note inside for writing your message. Join me in a class and I'll show you how I did it.

I'm an Instructor on a Cruise

I am really happy to have been asked to be an instructor on a cardmaking cruise, next year to Alaska. The ship is called Rhapsody of the Seas which is a Royal Caribbean cruise line ship. It is sailing from Seattle on September 10th 2010 and returning back to Vancouver on September 17th. I will be making Christmas cards. I don't know which what cards I will be teaching but they will be elegant. Don't worry if you are a beginner stamper or crafter. I have two assistants who are experienced cardmakers as well and they will be helping me teach the class. They will be showing you samples of the card projects and will be able to help or answer any your questions. Come and join us. You'll have fun. If you would like all the details, please check the blog:
http://sailingwithscissors.blogspot.com

Shoebox SWAP at my place on Sunday

Here is me working on a card for a shoebox SWAP at my place. A shoebox swap is when each person brings enough supplies to for each person in attendance to make a card. All the contents should fit in a shoebox, hence the name shoebox. One stamper who comes to my shoebox swaps brings her supplies in a mandarin orange box. Mandarin orange box SWAP is just too long of a name. LOL.

2009/2010 SU In Colors Clipboard

Wow! Can't believe a week's gone by already. Here's a little project I worked on for my club members. Thought it was kind of a fun thing to have on hand. You can refer to this clipboard and see all the new in colors at a glance----includes examples of ink, ribbon, and a circle punch of each color paper. Don't they look yummy? The images are the new Razzle Dazzle Stamp Set and the circles of cardstock are done with the SU 1/2" circle punch. I got the idea from Patty's Stamping Spot Blog, but changed it up quite a bit. Love those new colors! Enjoy!

Potted Daisy Flower

Here's a card I had a lot of fun with. Hardly any stamping, but lots of use of the Big Shot. I just love that machine, so much versatility. The colors I used were Soft Suede, Bermuda Bay and Cameo Coral. I ran the Cameo Coral piece through the Big Shot using the new Elegant Bouquet textured Impressions folder. The flowers are the Daisy Flower sizzlits die. The rest are punches and to finish it off a bow of the Soft Suede polka dot ribbon. Hope you like it.

Tea Party - Designer Series Paper

I just can't get enough of Stampin Up's Designer Series Paper. Here is a card using "Tea Party" paper. I cut out a flower from the paper and used it as a decorative element in this card.

Having fun with my new Sweetest Stem

Here is a card using my new Sweetest Stem embosslits Die. I also used my Scallop Envelope Die. This is a nice way to give someone a gift card. The Designer Series Paper in this card is called Tea Party. How can you tell I made this card in the Spring.

Feeling Amethyst-y

Is that a word? I don't think so. However, I wanted to make a light and fresh looking card using this colour. The SU Eyelet border punch is fabulous.

Circle Cutter Plus

I really like the Circle Cutter Plus from Stampin Up. The frame I made with it does a nice job in dressing up the flower from the Fifth Avenue Flower set.

My Class Today

The ladies in my class today really wanted a class that utilized the set Fifth Avenue Floral. Since it is one of my favourite sets, I was happy to oblige.
This card features the new colours, Melon Mambo and Rich Razzleberry.

Reverse Vellum Dry Embossing Technique

I am a huge fan of Fifth Avenue Floral and the Embossing Folder Manhattan Flower. Here is a card in which I used a technique that I saw on http://pattystamps.typepad.com

I embossed the large flower on vellum in the Manhattan Flower Embossing Folder. Instead of using the raised side, I turned it over and daub from the different colours of ink pads (pretty in pink, so saffron and regal rose and teeny bit of apricot appeal). Flip the vellum back over so the raised lines are facing up. You will see that you have not covered the white lines of the embossing. I then just cut out the flower and adhered it in the centre with glue dots (they do not show through because of the colouring and heaviness of Stampin Up vellum) to my cardstock. This is a very simple yet dramatic technique.

Sweetest Stem Sizzlet and Woven Ribbon Card

For my club, I also made this card using my favorite Sweetest Stem Sizzlet in my Big Shot. It is so versatile. I use it in so many of my creations. I used a woven background with ribbon. The two ribbons I used were Certainly Celery and So Saffron. The Designer Series Paper that I used is called Tea Party. As you can see, I just tucked the Sweetest Stem in the fold of the woven ribbon.

RazzleBerry Card for my Club

Here is a card I created using the new SU colours and papers. On the card, you will notice I made a shabby-chic flower using the scallop circle punch. This is made by using 4 or 5 different papers from the Raspberry Lemonade line of Stampin Up Designer Series Paper. Punch out your circles one each, from each sheet of paper. Cut in about 1/4 inch with your scissors at each valley of each scallop. This will highlight each scallop as a petal in your final product. Then scrunch each of them into a little ball, being careful not to rip the paper. Also, leave one of your scallop circles flat, s this will be the bottom of the flower and will anchor the other four layers. Un-scrunch the balls and semi-flatten them out. I say "semi" because you want the petals to be sticking up to add dimension to your flower. I attached the four scallop circles to the bottom flat scallop circle, then to the lovely lilac circle and crushed curry large scallop circle my card using a brad. This is all attached to the card with Stampin Dimensionals. "It's Good To Dream" is from the Razzle Dazzle set which has been punched out using the Word Window Punch.