Celebrating Helen...

(OK, I'm sharing several samples today, to make it up to you for being absent all last week. ha!)Recently a bunch of us friends got together for lunch to celebreate Helen's birthday. There are 7 of us who do this when one of us has a birthday. It is so fun and we all look forward to these times together! I had seen these "women" made from punches and shared by Chitchi Tabora and I decided I wanted to make a card for Helen using them. I KNEW the girls would love it. I used 6 since 6 of us were joining Helen for her birthday! Here is the inside:Oops! Sorry, Helen, for sharing your age, but this was too good to leave out! Ha! I think the girls all enjoyed this one! No SU sets were used (I did the words on my computer) but the "bodies" and "clothes" are made using the large SU heart punch and the head, hair, ears, and glasses are made using various other punches. I just free-hand cut the mouths. Hope you like this one!! Smiles, Laura

More Side Steps

Thought I'd share more of my side steps samples today. I hope you are enjoying these!! This one is a fun one for the upcoming July 4 holiday weekend and was inspired by a sample by card-maker extraordinare Connie Babbert. I hope it looks like fireworks in the night sky to you because that's what it is supposed to look like. I used the Sizzix Daisies #2 die to punch out these "fireworks bursts" using white, Real Red and Brilliant Blue CS. I decided I wanted mine in the night sky, so I used black for my background. It's hard to see the black and the side steps here with the dark background. (I'm going to have to find a better place/way to photograph my samples!) I think this sample has a 2" left (un-folded) side. Remember, you can make the steps on either side of these cards and can leave the un-scored portion as wide as you'd like.

Here is another one. This sample uses Almost Amethyst, Bashful Blue and Orchid Opulence cardstock. It uses the flower from the Embrace Life set. I love the delicate colors on this one. It also uses the Floating Re-inker technique.

And one last one I just have to share. I LOVE the butterfly from the Flores suaves set (from the SU Spanish language catalog). If you don't have that catalog, you are missing out on this beautiful set because it isn't in the regular SU catalog. For this one, I used Tangerine Tango and Summer Sun cardstock. I embossed the butterflies with gold on the Shimmery white CS and then used the Floating Re-Inker technique to color them. Aren't they GREAT!!! The quote on this one is from the Full of Life stamp set. It was in the Occasions 2008 mini catalog and will be in the new 2009-2010 catalog.

Well, thanks for looking today! I hope you are inspired to create!! Smiles, Laura

Note: I have seen these side-step cards (which are a variation of the Stair Step card layout) on many blogs and other sources, so I hestiate to give credit for the layout--for fear of leaving someone out. But I know I have instructions for it from Yvonne Metz and Cathy Seals. (I did draw my own instructions shared yesterday.) I understand that Yvonne was inspired by Kim Wilson and Jackie Topa, but I've seen lots of great samples by other wonderful stampers. This is one concern I have with a blog--once a layout or technique has been shared, you see it in alot of places and it is very hard to give proper credit to the real originator! Thanks to everyone who shares!!

Step Aside for Side Steps!!

I know lots of stampers have shown "side steps" cards on their blogs. Well, I have been making some, too, but waiting until after today's class to share my samples with you. I wanted my ladies coming to class to be surprised! They were and they LOVED these samples. Here is the one we are making in class, using the Flower Fancy Stamp set. I don't know if you can see the Dazzling Diamonds glitter in the center of the flowers (including the small flower) or not, but it's there. I think this makes it "pop". Here's the layout of how to score and cut your card: I hope you can read my numbers. If not, email me! My card for class has a 3" side that isn't scored, but you can make this any width you wish. Some of my samples have 2" on the left side. This sample has a 2" side that isn't scored (isn't the "steps"). Here is another sample:

I hope these samples have inspired you and you are off to make some side-steps off your own. I have a couple more samples, but will share those tomorrow. Check back then! Thanks for looking today!
Smiles, Laura