Sunday, November 30, 2008

Glitter Window Card

Hello everyone!

Saturday morning we went for our Christmas family photograph. I had them take some of Brandon alone too since he will be 3 in a couple weeks. They turned out pretty good. We'll get them back in week or so.

My creation I am sharing with you today is a little out of the ordinary for me. I would never use purple for a Christmas card, but the patterned paper led me to do so. It's a shimmery paper from Reminisce cut into a 3x3 square. I used Stampin' Up! Lovely Lilac for the base of the card and ran it through my Big Shot using a snowflake Cuttlebug embossing folder. I mounted the 3x3 patterned paper square on pop dots to the embossed card base.

The center of the card is the fun part! I cut out a Nestabilities scallop square for the frame and then used a smaller regular square to make a window for the center. I stamped in Lovely Lilac ink a snowflake from the SU! Snow Swirled set on white cardstock. I took about a 3 inch long piece of clear packing tape and shook Dazzling Diamonds glitter over the center of the tape. I wrapped the tape around my stamped image making sure the glitter part covered my snowflake. I glued the glitter snowflake piece to the back of the frame and adhered it to the card.

For a finishing touch I chalked in white (Stampin' Pastels) the snowflakes and the edge of the scallop frame.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to drop me an e-mail. Coming up next is a snowman card made out of Lake Erie beach glass! Wait until you see this!!!

Have a wonderful day and thank you for dropping in!

Tiffany

Friday, November 28, 2008

Christmas Party Invitation

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Mine was very nice. Everyone complimented my meal on how delicious it was, but doesn't it always taste better when someone else makes it? Why is that? Oh well.

Were you out Black Friday shopping today? I usually work the day after Thanksgiving, but decided not to this year. It's nice to have a long weekend and a break. I hope to get my house all decorated for Christmas this weekend because I am having a holiday party next Saturday.

Pictured above is the invitation I made for my party. My husband & I host a Bible study once a month and every year I host a Christmas party for them and cook up a big meal all myself. It's my Christmas gift to them.

The card was created by using Bashful Blue Stampin' Up! cardstock. I had some gorgeous silver mirror-like paper that I layered on next. Then I took some Melissa Frances patterned paper and ran it through my Big Shot using the Top Note Bigz Die (SU!). The tree (SU! Snow Swirled - on sale through Tiffany's Cardtique this month-see sidebar) was stamped and embossed in silver. I also embossed "You're Invited" (SU! Sincere Salutations) in silver as well. My invitees were very impressed with this invitation. I love that!!!!

Don't forget about the big Stampin' Up! sale going on right now - Holiday Extravaganza! There are some really cheap prices on products. Take advantage of the sale. It ends December 1st. Supplies are limited so don't wait too long. You can e-mail me your order tiffanymiller1@verizon.net or order online directly through my SU! website.

Enjoy your Black Friday!

Tiffany

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Scallop Punch Turkey

I wanted to make a handful of Thanksgiving cards to mail to my out of town family and a few other people like my mother and babysitter who I am so thankful for! My mother is always there for me and my sitter takes the best of care of my most precious gift in life - my son! I cannot thank them enough for all they do!

In a recent Stampin' Up! demonstrator magazine, they provided us with directions to make this adorable turkey. Check out the instructions below. It's so easy!

I embossed the front of this card using my Big Shot and chalked the stems in green. I used a large circle Nestabilities to cut out a window in the front and a green circle to layer the turkey on inside.

So how are your dinner plans coming along? I am in good shape! My turkey is safely thawing in the frig. My husband is extending the table today and bringing up the chairs from the basement. I am taking my son to get his hair cut after work and tomorrow night I get mine trimmed. We're getting there!!!

Have a great day and I hope you have some time to make some of these turkeys! Thanks for stopping by!

Tiffany

Supplies for card:
Stampin' Up! Cardstock - Chocolate Chip, More Mustard, Ruby Red, Garden Green, Black, Really Rust

Stampin Pastels (chalk)
Stampin Up! Punches- Scallop circle, Circles - 1/4, 3/4, 1 3/8
Cuttlebug Embossing Folder - Pumpkin Harvest
Nestabilities - Classic Circle
Hero Arts Stamp - Happy Thanksgiving





Sunday, November 23, 2008

Thanksgiving Place Cards

Are you ready for Thanksgiving? I am! I finished up getting groceries today. My refrigerator is overflowing! The turkey takes up the most space. I don't mind cooking Thanksgiving because I love turkey leftovers!

Here is a last minute idea for your Thanksgiving table - place cards! These are really quick and easy to make. I used my new favorite die from Stampin' Up! called the Top Note Bigz Die. It was
on back-order for awhile so I just got mine last week. I've used it so much since last week I can't even believe it.

Anyways, I used the new Autumn Vine Designer Series Paper from the SU! Holiday Mini Catalog. I ran the paper and die through my Big Shot and then folded the die cut in half. I used the SU! Curly Label Punch Bundle, which kinda matches the shape of the Top Note Bigz Die, to punch out a smaller piece to write the name in. Then I grabbed this awesome pack of leaves I picked up at Target awhile back on clearance. The leaves have an embossed outline and a pop dot on the back of them. Just peal & stick. I also stamped on the inside of the place card a greeting. That's it!

Now it's time to clean house. Thanks for stopping by! See you soon!

Tiffany



Thursday, November 20, 2008

We Give Thanks - Thanksgiving Scrapbook Layout

You're never going to believe this, but it's snowing again! We are due for 1-3 feet between tonight and Saturday. I live in PA, not Alaska! Winter has arrived way too early!

Photographed here is a scrapbook page I promised to share earlier this week. It's Thanksgiving day last year. The turkey hat was great! My sitter made it for him and at first he wouldn't wear it. Once he started getting some attention from it, he wouldn't take it off. He greeted all our guests at the door wearing the turkey hat.

I used an awesome line of scrapbook products called Renae's House by Creative Imaginations. The paper is double sided and thick. The chipboard pieces coordinate with the paper and just add a little something to the page. The only other product I used were rub-ons for the word "We" at the top of the page. They are from JoAnn's.

I will share another layout this weekend where I used all Stampin' Up! products to showcase our first snowfall this winter. I also have a Thanksgiving item to share that you can create last minute, like me. There will be more Christmas cards coming too. Stay tuned!!! The next few weeks will be fun!

Thank you for stopping by!

Tiffany

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Simple Christmas Cards

We received a foot of snow yesterday! Can you believe it? The drive into work yesterday morning was fun. I'm being sarcastic of course! My card today corresponds with what we have here in Erie, PA - a winter wonderland.

I think I mentioned before, I have to make approximately 50 Christmas cards this year. I'm almost half way there. I made a bunch this past weekend using some of the Stampin' Up! patterned paper from the Holiday Mini Catalog.

The paper I used here is from the SU! Ski Slope collection. Isn't it pretty? My photograph is a bit washed out (too much light), so the paper is actually prettier in person. I added some Martha Stewart ribbon over the seam. It matches perfectly with this paper. Bonus!

The punch and stamp is the new Curly Label Punch Bundle (item# 112966), from the latest Stampin' Up! catalog. If you don't have it, get it! It's so cute and versatile. You get 4 stamps and the punch for under $35. I love it!!!

I layered the stamped punch out on top of a snowflake from the Stampin' Up! Little Felt Flurries (item #113697). I embossed the bottom portion of the card with my snowflake Cuttlebug embossing folder. Quick and easy! Here are some more pictures of similar ones I made with different papers and colors, but the same design.
I hope this gives you some ideas for your holiday cards!

Stay tuned for some scrapbook pages!!!! I completed several scrapbook pages this weekend and finished a second scrapbook of my son. I'm only 1 year behind now. :)

Thanks for stopping by!

Tiffany



Saturday, November 15, 2008

Basic Grey Wassail Meets Stampin' Up!

If you are a regular visitor of my blog, you are well aware I love to mix and match all kinds of products!

I swore I was going to use up my supply of Christmas patterned paper this year and refrain from buying anything new. I caved! My mother went to visit my sister a few weeks ago in Indiana where there is an awesome scrapbook store that always carries the latest and greatest. I just had to have the new Basic Grey paper Wassail. I love the aged look of Basic Grey and this new Christmas paper is to die for!

I used quite an array of products here:

Stampin' Up! cardstock - Kraft and Riding Hood Red
Basic Grey Wassail patterned paper
Sugarloaf stamp
Stampin' Up! Ticket Corner punch
Stampin' Up! Alpine ribbon (Holiday Mini Catalog)
Stampin' Up! ink - Close to Cocoa, Mellow Moss, Riding Hood Red
Making Memories brads

I inked all the edges of the cardstock and patterned paper to distress it a little more.

It's been a rainy day today and just perfect for stamping & scrapbooking. I'll show you more soon!

Tiffany

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Mark Your Spot - Handmade Bookmarks

Greeting friends!

I have a clever little gift idea for the holidays to share with you today.

My husband is extremely difficult to shop for so I usually buy him a book or two for Christmas to read over the winter. I stumbled across this cute handmade bookmark over at Splitcoaststampers (TLC 187) a couple months ago and had to give it a try. I thought it would be great to include along with the books I buy him for Christmas. It's so easy and cute I ended up making one for myself!

I am currently reading, "Love Your Life" by Victoria Osteen. I love to read self-help and inspiring books. My husband enjoys non-fiction, drama type books. If you have any suggestions, please let me know!

I have pictured here the bookmark I made for my husband and the one for me! Can you tell which one belongs to me?

As far as the supplies I used, I used Stampin' Up! cardstock for the base. You need something thick and sturdy. The patterned paper is Doodlebug on mine, and Daisy D's on my husbands. My husbands was decorated using the Stampin' Up! Photo Corners punch and a clear sticker with the word "remember" on it. I dressed mine up with Doodlebug Paper Frills and Stampin' Up! rub-ons.

Speaking of rub-ons, Stampin' Up! is having an awesome sale on them right now! Spend $20 on any Stampin' Up! product, and get -20% off rub-ons! Check them out by clicking here.

I hope your week is going well. I signed up for my next insurance exam for the beginning of next year. While I'm in the mode, I might as well keep on going. I am debating going back to college next year too. We'll see. Can you tell I'm itching for a change??? :)

Have a wonderful day and thanks for stopping by!

Tiffany

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Stampin' Up! Pocket Silhouettes

Hello everyone! Thank you so much for all the nice e-mails wishing me luck on my test. I can happily say I passed! I'm so glad that it's over. Now I can concentrate on getting ready for the holidays. I am hosting both Thanksgiving and Christmas. I am also hosting two birthday parties in between. I have a lot of work to do!!!

One of the birthdays in between the holidays is my mother-in-laws. She lives in an independent senior living community. It's pretty big and she is always in need of a card for someone whether it be birthday, get well, just because, etc.

I made her a set of note cards using rectangular Nestabilities and one of my new favorite sets from the Stampin' Up! catalog called Pocket Silhouettes (item #111672, pg. 98). It's cute, simple, and inexpensive (under $20). I see myself using this set year-round, for any season or occasion. I'm going to include with this set of cards matching envelopes and a book of stamps. I have made sets of cards for others as a gift and it's always a hit! Keep that in mind for that person on your list that is hard to buy for.

I used 4 colors to make this set and they are all Stampin' Up! colors:

Whisper White
Summer Sun
Pretty In Pink
Lavender Lace
Bashful Blue

I have much more holiday paper-crafting to show you this week, so be sure to check back. Thank you for visiting my blog today! I love to read your comments, so don't be shy to leave me one!

Tiffany

P.S. Don't forget - Stampin' Up! Snow Swirled (item# 111690, pg 32) is on sale this month only at Tiffany's Cardtique. Save -20% through November 30th. Just drop me an e-mail at tiffanymiller1@verizon.net with your order and you'll have it in plenty of time to make your Christmas cards.

Sunday, November 2, 2008

SOS - Holiday Creation To The Rescue!

Am I bad or what? I haven't posted anything I created for a week! It's totally not like me and I'll tell you why. I have been studying for an insurance exam I have to take this Wednesday. I have all my designations for my current position, but I need some additional ones to make myself marketable to other areas of the company. It's not fun, let me tell you. You get one shot at the test and it's pass or fail. They are expensive to take and just very stressful. I'm going to be working for the next 30 years (argh!) and I don't plan being in my current position for that long so I'm pushing myself to just do it!

For a little stress relief during my study breaks I finished up this Christmas gift set. I am determined to use up my older supplies this Christmas so next year I can buy all new stuff!

This patterned paper is retired from Stampin' Up! but I'm sure you've got some patterned paper with snowflakes somewhere in your stash! This paper matched up beautifully with SU! Sage Shadow. You will find that SU! cardstock colors match many other brands of patterned paper from other companies. I do it all the time because SU! cardstock is by far my favorite.

I combined the papers with my new favorite Stampin' Up! Christmas set, Snow Swirled (item #111690). The "Merry Christmas" is actually a rub-on from Pebbles Inc. I stamped the snowflakes in Stampin' Up! Whisper White Craft ink and also inked the edges of the squares in them.

The top of the nugget tin is a giant felt snowflake from the Stampin' Up! Holiday Mini Catalog. They are called Little Felt Flurries and they come in 3 different colors. I just love them and I couldn't believe how many you received in a package - 69 pieces!!!! I jazzed them up with a few clear rhinestones and attached a tag using my Making Memories tag maker.

I hope you had a wonderful weekend and wish my luck on my test this Wednesday. I promise I will be back to posting regularly and getting you ready for the holiday season after Wednesday.

Take care.

Tiffany

* Tiffany's Cardtique November Stampin' Up! Stamp Set of the Month Special is Snow-Swirled! E-mail me to get your set -20% off at tiffanymiller1@verizon.net.