All in the Family Birthday Card

Like many other stampers out there, I struggle a bit with masculine cards. When I was faced with the challenge of creating a birthday card for my cousin, Rex, I started with the background and used a Stampin' Up! Texturz plate and my Big Shot to create a masculine-looking base.

• I used the faux letterpress technique to get the black on the textured background. This technique is simple yet effective; you basically just ink up your Texturz plate with your choice of ink colour (I chose Basic Black) before running it through your Big Shot.
• "All in the Family" and "Family Accessories" made the focal image fun and personalized to the recipient, an avid basketball fan and coach.
  
• I added the dotted lines with my Chocolate Chip Stampin' Write marker to give the impression that the basketball is bouncing. Fun!
• The sentiment is from "Teeny Tiny Wishes."
• Don't forget to stamp your envelopes! This adds so much to a card. I continued the bouncy basketball motif on the envelope and added a sentiment from "Happy Everything."

Peppermint Patty Party Favours

I can't believe Christmas has already come and gone! I had a wonderful Christmas Eve and Christmas day with close friends and family. Hope all of your celebrations were just as special.

I couldn't stop at just one of these cute little boxes that I posted about last week, so I kept going and made a bunch as party favours for my guests to take home with them after Christmas dinner. I tucked two peppermint patties inside each box - a perfect fit!

Thanks for looking!

I'm Back!

Hi Stampers! Sorry, I've been missing in action for a little while; things were busy at school with Christmas activities and wrapping up before the holidays. I have the next two weeks off, which means more stamping time for me :)

I made this cute little box for a friend today. The box was originally designed to hold chocolates, but I thought it was just the right size to hold a small gift (a pair of sparkly snowflake earrings). The tutorial, by Beate Johns, can be found here.

Have you put in your order for the 12 Days of Holiday Sales yet? Don't miss out on the savings, which include the exclusive Matchbox die and Two Tags die. Check out just one of the many adorable possibilities with the Matchbox die here. Remember, this sale ends in just two days, on December 22.

Thanks for stopping by!

12 Days of Holiday Sales are HERE!

Stampin' Up's! 12 Days of Holiday Sales promotion is on now, until Dec. 22. There is a fabulous selection of Big Shot dies on sale, as well as vinyl sheets in new colours for the Big Shot. Click here to see what's on sale, and here to order online through my website.

Gift Tags Set

I whipped up this set of gift tags in a divided box tonight as a hostess gift. The instructions for the box can be found in this week's tutorial on Splitcoast Stampers. I used Delightful Decorations and the matching ornament punch from the Holiday Mini, as well as Christmas Punch, a level 2 hostess set. The Real Red Polka Dotted Grosgrain Ribbon adds just the right festive touch.

Thanks for stopping by!

Dormant Stamp Sets To Be Discontinued on January 4, 2010

It is time to say goodbye to Stampin' Up!'s dormant list. The stamp sets listed below will be discontinued on January 4, 2010.

If any of these stamp sets are on your wish list, make sure to purchase them before they are gone for good!

If you want to see images of these sets - visit the online store and enter the item number in the "search the store" cell.

Item Number	Stamp Set
113407	Back Woods
114492	Beautiful Baby
114486	Birthday Wish
113200	Branch Out
114496	Celebrations
113732	Central Park
113206	Classic Sketches
113226	Classy & Fabulous
114498	Flowers in Silhouette
113405	Font of You
113216	For the Bride
114494	Forever
109425	Friend by Definition
114488	Fun Flowers
113716	Garden Greetings
114490	Glad Friends
111580	Grand Soiree
113242	Hit the Road
113710	Lexicon of Leaves
113236	Man's Best Friend
114423	Ocean Commotion
113728	Playful Petals
109276	Polka Dot
111544	Putt Putt
113240	Quilt Quips
113754	Really Retro
113403	Sip by Sip
113726	Sweet Stems
113250	That's Funny
113688	Wonderful Watercolors
114028	Para la novia
114032	Acuarelas Maravillosas

Online Extravaganza Sale Extended One More Day!

Stampin' Up! announced that the Online Extravaganza promotion will be extended for one more day, until tomorrow, due to the high order volume last night and some challenges they experienced as a result. If you missed out on the great deals, or have a few things you were still thinking of getting, here's your chance! Call or email me tonight with your order.