Swarovski Snowflakes and a Baby Card

 Good morning!  Thought I'd share a picture of these Swarovski Crystal Snowflakes I made for my family for Christmas this year.  Like true snowflakes, no two are alike. I had fun finding different color and bead combinations!   This free tutorial by Bead Animation was so wonderfully done and helped me tremendously.  The first snowflake took me about 2.5 hours but they got much easier and faster each time!  If you'd like to see each one individually I have them posted on my Beading and Jewelry page (link at the top of my blog).

 I made this baby card a while back for some friends who had their 4th baby boy (!!) just before Christmas...  great idea, but I still haven't sent it.  I know, I'm such a slacker!

Here's the simple inside.  These Designer Series Papers (Sycamore Street DSP) and the Island Indigo ribbon are both new to the Stampin' Up! lineup, and are each FREE with a $50 purchase due to the fantastic Sale-a-Bration event going on now until March 22nd.

So glad you visited me today!
~Kristin

Custom Wedding Invitation

Here it is, the project that has all but consumed me for the last month or so and the actual assembly part is JUST beginning.  If this looks familiar to you it is THIS card you are remembering.  The bride's mother found it on the internet somewhere which led her to asking me if I'd consider doing 215 wedding invitations!  Fortunately I helped two friends last summer with wedding invitations so I had some experience, but I mostly did the design and step-by-step instructions for those, along with a little bit of hands on help.  This time they are ALL up to me.

The label across the heart will have the bride & groom's names in a pretty script font that they chose, which will coordinate with the actual invitation wording on the inside.  There will also be a little band on the inside cover which will hold the RSVP and Reception cards in place.

So far I have really enjoyed the challenge and the process, and getting to know the bride a bit.  I have even learned a few things along the way.

Do you like how I embossed the envelope flaps to coordinate?  Well guess what, my Big Shot broke down right in the middle of that process!  Yep.  Thank heavens my dad was here visiting and is far more handy than I.  He had it fixed in a jiffy and got me back to work.  Then he even stood next to me and handed me envelope after envelope for probably an hour!  Thanks Dad!

I've also learned to always save my MDS (My Digital Studio) files as a .pdf file instead of a .jpg for the printer, and that you can not over estimate how much time the whole designing process will take.  Plus I've learned tons of neat tricks on MDS that I never would have known.  Makes me excited to try this again some time (ask me how I feel in a month after gluing 430 birds, branches and wings down!)

Special thanks to my kiddos also for helping me with the little things so far, like punching and scoring!

Thanks for stopping by again!
~Kristin

Lots of News!

OK, yet another example of why I stink as an SU demonstrator... my first post about Sale-a-Bration includes a card with no SAB stamps.  Sorry, haven't had much time to stamp lately... I'm in the middle of making 225 wedding invites for a client which need to be done in a month. (*Yikes*)  However, I did use this new Designer Series Paper from the new Spring Catalog called Parker's Patterns.  I just adore the masculine, but fun look!  

Check out the links below for more great details about not only Sale-a-Bration and the Spring Catalog, but also a most exciting new offering called Paper Pumpkin, a monthly surprise creative treat in a box from Stampin' Up!  

 If you are interested in placing an order for any of these totally cool Stampin' Up! products, or would like to host a Workshop Wow contact me by clicking on my profile at the top right, or leaving a comment with a way to contact you!  (If you'd rather I not publish the comment just say so, then no one else will get your contact info.)

Also, the sketch I used for this card is from Splitcoast Stampers sketch last week!  If you'd like to try it out click here:  Sketch Challenge.

Thanks for stopping by!  If you'd like to see the wedding invitation I'm working on stop back tomorrow.
~Kristin

Madison Avenue Thank You- FULL of Sale-a-Bration!

How's this for colorful?  I used a recent Mojo sketch for this one, as well as my new Designer Series Paper called Sycamore Street and stamp set Madison Avenue, plus the coordinating Petite Curly Label punch and stamp set Pretty Petites (all FREE during Sale-a-Bration!). 

Interested in earning any of these free products for yourself?  Just contact me to place an order of $50 or more, to schedule a Workshop Wow for you and your friends!

You may also notice some embossing along the edges there.  That is an embossing folder I borrowed from a dear friend Karen.  I forget what it is called, but it is not offered by SU.

Have a great day!
~Kristin

 

SUO Supplies

Stamps:  Madison Avenue, Petite Pretties

Colors:  Summer Starfruit, Island Indigo, Rich Razzleberry, Tangerine Tango

Accessories:  1 3/4" circle punch, Petite Curly Label punch

Thank You

As I mentioned yesterday, my pal Lisa Henke and I decided to do some virtual stamping together on Monday as we occasionally do.  Basically that means we chat via email and choose challenges to do together then enjoy stampin' with a stampin' buddy (sort of).  It is fun because we live about 3 hours apart and rarely get to see each other. 

So Lisa chose our first challenge which is the Clean and Simple challenge from Splitcoast.  The challenge was actually a color challenge to use Bermuda Bay (or any tuquoise color), Kiwi Kiss (lime green), Ruby Red (any red) and Chocolate Chip (brown).   I did use the Burmuda Bay on the sentiment, but the background blue is actually Pool Party. 

Before the holidays of 2012 I had the privledge (as an SU Demo) to preorder a few things from the now current Spring Catalog which runs through May as well as the Sale-a-Bration catalog which runs from Jan 22- Mar 22 (SOON!).  It was hard to get all those new goodies during such a hectic season but it was worth the wait because I had so much fun playing yesterday! 

You have probably noticed by now the two new embossing folders I put to use.  The top one is appropriately called Cloudy Day (from the new Spring catalog) and the bottom one is Vine Street (FREE during Sale-a-Bration)!  If you are like my your stash of embossing folders is growing because they are ADDICTING!! 

In an effort to keep this as CAS as possible I kept the stamping to a minimum with just a flower and a sentiment.  BUT, the stamps and even the tiny punch are ALL BRAND NEW also!!  The flower is from a Sale-a-Bration (FREE) option called Madison Avenue and that tiny little thank you is from Pretty Petites which coordinates with the new punch Petite Curly Label (both FREE during Sale-a-Bration!).

Gosh, that's enough info I'd say.  But here is a quick shot at the inside detail.  I just stamped the vine image 3 times then punched out two of the stamped flowers and put them on dimensionals so they pop out. 

Thank you for stopping by today!
~Kristin

 

SUO Supplies

Stamps:  Madison Avenue, Pretty Petites

Colors:  Kiwi Kiss (retired), Pool Party, Ruby Red (retired), Chocolate Chip, Bermuda Bay (retired), Whisper White

Accessories:  Petite Curly Label punch, Cloudy Day embossing folder, Vine Street embossing folder, Big Shot, 2 1/2" circle punch, Coredinations cardstock (in Pool Party), sanding block

Above & Beyond

Is it too late to say Happy New Year?!?  I hope your 2013 has kicked off nicely and you have hopes for a great year ahead.  I am getting a slow start but ready to dive in with some thank you notes that are always needed just after the holidays! 

This great new Honeycomb embossing folder could sit here no longer without being used!  It is a fabulous new addition to the Stampin' Up! lineup in the new Spring Catalog which is good now through May 31!  Also new is the Bitty Butterfly punch which coordinates with the Elegant Butterfly punch.  Can you tell that I tried to make the butterflies progressively come off the page with the bottom one flat and the top one ready to fly off?  Not sure if I accomplished that but I can at least tell you of my vision.  ;)

To kick off my stamping for the year I decided to try out two challenges, and some virtual stamping with my good friend Lisa Henke!  Every now and then Lisa and I "get together" and choose challenges to work on at the same time, then we get to ooh and ahh over each other's creations.  These are the challenges I chose.  Tomorrow I'll post the card and challenge she chose.  Thanks Lisa!  The color scheme for this card is brought to you by ColourQ while the awesome sketch is from Fab Friday... check them all out (Lisa's blog too!).

                                      

One more thing, Stampin' Up!'s annual Sale-a-Bration begins January 22nd so be sure to contact your demonstrator (hopefully me!) to schedule a Workshop Wow which will be sure to dazzle you and your guests!

Thanks for stopping by, and here's to a fabulous and creative 2013! 
~Kristin

SUO Supplies
Stamps:  One in a Million

Colors:  Basic Gray, Night of Navy, Going Gray (retired), Crumb Cake, Daffodill Deligh,. Whisper White

Accessories:  Big Shot, Honeycomb embossing folder, Bitty Butterfly punch, Basic Rhinestone