APRIL STAMP CLASS

I've been quiet this week because I've been in "stamp class mode".... which I absolutely LOVE! I've got the best friends that make it so fun to teach stamp classes! They are the most loyal bunch that love whatever projects I prepare for them, and are always bringing someone new to class! THEY are how my SU business grows! I appreciate them so-o-o much !!!!

Here are our projects for yesterday's classes ....

GREAT GRADS GIFT CARD HOLDER

RECIPE
Stamps: Great Grads
Paper: 12 x 12 Whisper White CS, 8 ½ x 11 Tempting Turquoise and Real Red CS, East Coast Prep DP
Ink: Versamark, Real Red
Embellishments: Wild Wasabi Double Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon, More Mustard Brads
Tools: 1 3/8” Circle Punch, Scallop Circle Punch, Slit Punch, Star Punch, Heat Tool
Supplies: Stampin’ Dimensionals, Sticky Strip, Clear Embossing Powder
Technique: Embossing
Inspired by: Patty Bennett at Patty's Stamping Spot, Jan Tink at Stamp, Paper, Scissors, Tara at Stampalicious . Both Patty and Tara provide instructions/tutorials.
Note: The medallion on the front of the holder is embossed ... once on Real Red, and once on Tempting Turquoise.

CRAYON RESIST MOTHER'S DAY
RECIPE
Stamps: Time Well Spent (Level Three Hostess), All Holidays
Paper: Lovely Lilac, Certainly Celery, and Glossy White CS
Ink: Lovely Lilac, Certainly Celery, and Groovy Guava Classic Ink Pads, Jet Black Staz-On
Embellishments: Groovy Guava Double Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon
Tools: Paper Piercing Tool/Mat/Template, Stamp-a-ma-jig for Sentiment
Supplies: Sponge Daubers, White Crayon (non-SU)
Techniques: Crayon Resist , Paper Piercing
Cased from: Wendy Janson, It’s All About Stamping!

WEDDING CARD
RECIPE
Stamps: Fundamental Phrases
Paper: Whisper White and Going Gray CS
Ink: Jet Black Staz-On
Embellishments: Going Gray Taffeta Ribbon
Tools: Fancy Corners Cuttlebug Embossing Folder and Cuttlebug Machine, Scor-Pal
Supplies: Rhinestones from craft store, Glue
Techniques: Dry Embossing, Scoring
Inspired by: the many Cuttlebug projects by Sharon Johnson, No Time To Stamp.

WELCOME BABY CARD
RECIPE
Stamps: By Ones & By Twos (Occasions Mini)
Paper: Whisper White and Pretty In Pink or Bashful Blue CS, Pretty In Pink or Bashful Blue Prints DP (Level One Hostess), Vellum
Ink: Basic Black Classic
Embellishments: Pretty In Pink or Bashful Blue Taffeta Ribbon
Tools: Swiss Dots Cuttlebug Embossing Folder, Paper Piercing Tool & Mat Pack
Supplies: Stampin’ Dimensionals
Techniques: Paper Piecing, Paper Piercing, Dry Embossing
Cased from: Lisa Hoekstra on SCS. See her card HERE.


PICK A PETAL GET WELL CARD
RECIPE
Stamps: Pick A Petal, Sincere Salutations, Polka Dot Background
Paper: Blue Bayou, Cameo Coral, Soft Sky, Basic Black, and Whisper White CS
Ink: Basic Black, Cameo Coral, and Soft Sky Classic, Versamark for background stamp
Embellishments: Blue Bayou Double Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon
Tools: Ticket Corner Punch
Supplies: Stampin’ Dimensionals, Pencil Eraser for eyes, Post-It Notes for masking mouth
Technique: Masking
Inspired by: justcrazy on SCS HERE

RAKS FROM LORRI AND KAREN

Yesterday was one exciting mail day! I received TWO gorgeous RAK's!

The first card I'm showing you is from my dear friend and SU Sideline, Lorri Heiling ... Confessions of a Stamping Addict. This is the card Lorri created on Sunday for the Featured Stamper Challenge (FS48) on SCS, caseing this card of mine. I was so surprised when I saw this gorgeous card posted on SCS because I've been trying to get Lorri to play along with the SCS challenges FOREVER! I was even more surprised when I received the actual card in the mail yesterday! Lorri is just one of the most thoughtful people I've ever had the privilege of knowing ... she wrote the nicest things inside the card, along with a friendship poem. For all the details on Lorri's card, visit it on SCS or Lorri's blog.
This next adorable card is from my friend, Karen Laub, nikesmom on SCS. Karen and I are band booster moms together, she attends my classes, and has a true passion for the art of stamping! I had given Karen the Merry & Bright stamp set from the Holiday Mini Catalog, along with the Real Red 5/8" Grosgrain Ribbon for her birthday/Christmas gift, and she (in her "creative Karen way") used both of them in a thank you card to me! How cool is that?! Karen's card is so cute! ... love that snowman image with the Dashing DP! I'm so impressed that she mailed thank you cards out (unlike my lame self!).

RAK FROM CYNDI BUNDY, TIME WELL SPENT

When I was a little girl, I was thrilled to receive greeting cards and handwritten letters in the mail. I remember receiving handwritten letters from my Aunt Diana, and handwritten postcards from my Mom while I was away at bible camp (for a whole week!). It is just as thrilling in my adult life to receive a greeting card, handwritten letter, and better yet ... a hand stamped card! Yesterday, I received this happy card from Cyndi Bundy. Please visit Cyndi's blog, The Scrappy Chick ... it is filled with inspiring ideas! Cyndi used the stamp set, Time Well Spent. Another perk of being a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator .... all demos received this stamp set a few weeks ago FREE as a gift from Stampin' Up! This stamp set will appear in the new Spring Summer 2008 Catalog & Idea Book as a Level Three Hostess Set.

weSTAMP SWAP

Last month, my SU Sideline and dear friend, Lorri Heiling, and I joined our creative teams for monthly Stampin' Up! Demonstrator meetings. We fondly named our group weSTAMP in conjunction with my blog name. The weSTAMP SU Demonstrator Group is a wonderful group of women that all share a passion for stamping, papercrafting, and Stampin' Up! products. If you are interested in becoming a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator which includes the perk of swapping with this fabulous group of women, please email me! nrileycm@cox.net.

Last night was our second monthly meeting, and our first SWAP. It was the first time most of the Stampin' Up! Demonstrators in attendance had ever swapped, and each and every one of them rose to the challenge beautifully! Our swap theme was very general ... to create any card using any current Stampin' Up! stamp set/paper/accessories. Take a look .....

Lorri Heiling's swap card uses the NEW Time Well Spent stamp set and Cutie Pie DP. Don't you just love the way she snipped the Wild Wasabi CS to make the grass?!
Leah Sinatra's beautiful card uses the NEW Time Well Spent stamp set with Fall Flowers DP. Gorgeous colors, huh?! ... Soft Sky, Really Rust, and Old Olive.
Adriana Gray's SUPER CUTE swap card uses Bugs & Kisses Stamp Set with Cutie Pie DP.
Pam Wood used Illuminations stamp set with lots of BLING ... silver embossing, Dazzling Diamonds, and Stickles. So elegant!
Anne Fundner used Baroque Motifs stamp set to create this beauty with the colors of Always Artichoke, Bravo Burgundy, and Kraft.
Ginny Schembri used the oh-so-elegant Le Jardin DP and Heartfelt Thanks stamp set to create this unique fold to her card.
Ginny's card open:
Jessica Blair brought in the holiday cheer with her Christmas card using Dashing DP, Perfect Presentation stamp set (Level Two Hostess), and a dry embossed Cuttlebug strip.
This was my swap card using Big Bold Birthday stamp set and Creative License Simply Scrappin' Kit (Level One Hostess). My swap card was inspired by Carol Frerich's card found at the bottom of her post HERE (Stamp Like Crazy). It's hard to see in the photo, but the Pumpkin Pie gift is popped up on dimensionals.
RECIPE FOR BIG BOLD BIRTHDAY CARD
Stamps: Big Bold Birthday, Polka Dot Background Stamp
Paper: Textured Soft Sky, Pumpkin Pie and Wild Wasabi and striped DP from Creative License Simply Scrappin’ Kit (Level One Hostess), Whisper White CS
Ink: Pumpkin Pie, Soft Sky, Wild Wasabi and Blue Bayou Classic Ink Pads, Versamark
Embellishments: Blue Bayou Double Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon
Tools: Word Window Punch, Stamp-a-ma-jig, Scissors
Supplies: Stampin’ Dimensionals
Note: Ribbon is in two pieces. The piece that wraps around the card base is adhered behind the main image with Sticky Strip.

Leah Sinatra won the door prize at last month's meeting, therefore being crowned the provider of this month's door prize. Leah altered these super cute chipboard letters with Fall Flowers DP that spell the word "STAMP".

Funny story .... the winner of this chipboard letter collection was Pam Wood ... the first three letters that Pam pulled out of the gift bag were "P", "A", and "M". We all had such a puzzled look on our faces wondering how Leah knew Pam would be the winner of the door prize to have spelled her name!!!!
This is the Make 'n Take that Lorri Heiling provided our group last night. This is a super cool GUY card using Outlaw DP and Wanted stamp set. This card was GREAT for showing off what the Crop-A-Dile can do by setting the eyelets in the center of the stars (which were punched out using the star punch) and dry embossing the row of circles underneath the main image on the Sage Shadow CS. WANTED ALL OCCASION CARD
Stamps: Wanted, So Many Sayings
Paper: Outlaw DP, Chocolate Chip, Sage Shadow, Naturals Ivory
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Sage Shadow
Embellishments: Eyelets
Tools: Crop-a-dile, Paper Piercing Template, Star Punch
Supplies: Adhesive
Technique: Using the crop-a-dile, stamping off (to show movement)

Looking forward to our next weSTAMP meeting and swap in January, girls! Can't WAIT !!!!