Valentine Card Booklet....

Hi, there!  Today I want to share with you a card/booklet I made for my husband for Valentines Day.  It just started out as a shadow box card my friend Judy wanted to make, but I'm not crazy about those, so I thought I'd make it like a booklet.

The size is 4-1/4" x 5-1/2"--our regular card size.  I cut 4 pieces of Pear Pizzazz cardstock and scored each on at 1" from the short side (laying the sheets landscape).  I cut 3 different designer sheets 4-1/4" x 4" and glued them on the right side of each of the first 3 cardstock sheets and stacked them in the order I wanted.  the last cardstock sheet became the back sheet and was left blank at this point. 

Starting with the third page from the front, I laid a heart die on it and cut it with the Big Shot.  I laid that cut out sheet over the second sheet from the front and marked that cut out heart.  I put the next larger heart die over that one and cut out a heart on that sheet.  Then finally I put that sheet over the front, marked where the heart on page 2 was, then laid the next larger heart over it and cut it out.  As you read these directions, look at each of the subsequent pictures to see how each heart shows the smaller under it.  Starting with smaller to larger hearts helps you line them up correctly. 

At this point I put the pages in the correct order and tied them together.  Now I was ready to decorate each page.  For the front, I took the red heart cut from page 2 and cut it with a size-smaller heart and used it to decorate the front.  I added "Be my Valentine" stamp from the P.S. I Love You stamp set.

 For the second page (inside page 1--my labels on the photos can be confusing--sorry!), I used the Heart punch to punch out a heart, sponged the edges and stamped the "love you" sentiment from the P.S. I Love You stamp set on it.

 For page 3 (inside page 2), I used another sentiment from the same stamp set and also punched a heart from Pear cardstock with the Heart Punch.

 For the back page, I glued the large heart cut from the front onto the plain Pear cardstock.  I stamped the cupid from the P.S. I Love You set and punched it with the Heart Punch.  I also stamped another sentiment from that set and punched it with the 1-1/4" circle punch.  For the middle, I used the same size heart I had used on page 3 (inside page 2) and cut a heart from Vanilla cardstock.  Onto that I stamped a sentiment from the Precious Butterflies Hostess set and sponged the edges.  I made sure it exactly lined up with the page 3 cut out.

 So that's it!  Here is the book flared out so you can see all 4 pages.

What do you think?  Think hubby will like it?  I want to play more with the Hearts Collection dies.  They will be so much fun to use!!

Thanks for visiting today.

Smiles, Laura

My Heading Photo...

I haven't had time to photo a pile of card for my heading picture, so I decided to add today's card as the heading shot. After all, it IS almost Valentines Day. 

This card is a simple one to make but folks always like this fold.  Start with a 4.5" x 11
 piece of Always Artichoke cardstock and fold it in half (at 5.5").  Then score and fold the front at 2.75" and fold it "half-way back" and that gives you the front.  I layered striped Rose Red DSP on the half of the front that folds back. 

I cut a "doily" using the Perfect Pennants die and layered a heart stamped with the boy and girl from the Take It To Heart Stamp set.  This is stamped in Melon Mambo. 

Here is how the card would look opened up.  For the inside, I used 5 stamps from the P.S. I Love You stamp set (Occasions mini).  This set is one that I will keep for years because of all the great stamps in the set (15 in all!!).  The images and sentiments are stamped with Artichoke and Melon Mambo inks.

We made this card in my January classes and I think the ladies liked it.  I hope you do, too!

Smiles, Laura

Hello again...

Where in the world have I been??? I hope you are asking that.  Well, here and there.  I don't know why I haven't posted in so long except to say that I've been creating rather than posting.  If you too have a blog, you know it takes time to write and post entries. I really mean to post every other day, but  I sometimes feel like I  really just want to stamp.  So I took a break and stamped (and do I have a bunch to share IF I can take time to write it all up!)

Oh, and I also had a birthday (this was a BIG one) and my hubby and I took a trip to TN to visit his sister and BIL for 5 days.  She had baked for me my favorite cake (Italian Creme) and it was delicious. And we stamped together (more to show you).   So that's another reason I've been away from the blog.  I hope all of you have not stopped visiting me!  If so, maybe you'll be back soon.

Today  I want to share with you a challenge card I made and also two made by friends who participated.

Here is the picture that we were given as our challenge inspiration.  We had to make a card that was inspired by this picture.  Isn't this luscious looking!!

Here is the card that challenge hostess made and sent to me.  Isn't it the most beautiful!!!  It was made by Rose Kerry.  Look at those flowers!! She put so much time and effort into the flowers.  Rose always does such BEAUTIFUL work.  I've shown you some of her work on here before.  Thanks so much to Rose for this beauty.  She nailed this challenge!!

Here is the card my challenge partner, Brenda Taylor, sent me.  I LOVE it!  It has inspired me by its simplicity.  After I got this one, I just HAD to order the Bordering On Romance stamp set she used.  I'll be "case-ing" this one!!

 Here is the card I made for my challenge partner, Melody Martin.  I used the sentiment from the new Sale-a-bration Elementary Elegance stamp set.  I also used the new Labels Collection dies for the green and pink on the front. 

I'm not sure what this layout is called, but my friend Judy Thompson (whom I stamp with frequently) taught me this one.  I just LOVE it and have made others by this layout. 

The top of the card flips up and the two sides at the bottom flip out to open.

Here is the card with the bottoms opened out.

And here is the card with both the top and bottom opened out.

To make this one, you start with a piece of cardstock that's 4.5" x 9". You score the top fold at 3.5" from one end, so when folded, the card is 5.5" long.  The bottom piece is 2" wide and 8.5" long. Score that one at 2-1/8" from each side and fold the sides inward.  Glue that onto the bottom of the card.  It's that easy. If you need a picture of this, leave a comment and I'll add it another day.

Thanks for coming back to see me.  I'll try not to be gone so long again, but you know how life can be.  I have more to share, so you know I'll be back!!

Smiles, Laura

More Merry January....

Here is another card made using the Merry January series paper by We R Memory makers.  This one used the "Slush" pattern for the background on the Very Vanilla card (which is also layered with Sahara Sand).  There's that wavy striped pattern again for which I don't have the pattern name, but same series.  That strip is layered on Sahara Sand punched out with the Dotted Scallop Ribbon Boarder for each side.  

The sentiment is from the Petite Pairs stamp set.  I backed it with the Oval from the Designer Frames Embossing Folders set.

The hearts are cut with the new Fashionable Hearts Embosslit die in the new Occasions Mini.  It cuts and embosses at the same time. Wonderful tool!!!  I used various patterns of paper for the hearts.

Here is a close-up of the hearts.  You can almost see the pattern in each one.  

I love the colors in this paper and how this card turned out.  I hope you do, too.  More for you another day!!

Come back soon!

Smiles, Laura

Merry January....

Back in November, I discovered some delightful paper at the local scrapbook store by We R Memory Keepers in the Merry January series.  I just LOVED all of it.  And since my birthday is in January, I decided I NEEDED some of the Merry January papers to use.  It goes with Stampin' Up! Pool Party, Sahara Sand, Crumb Cake and others.  I just had to buy sheets of each pattern in the series--Twig, Branch, Slush, Flake, etc.  I'll be showing you cards in the next few entries that I made using this paper.  I had so much fun using it.  

Along with the Merry January papers, I also started using some of  the new products I pre-ordered from the SU Occasions mini catalog.  We can all start ordering from it this month.

This card is Pool Party card stock and I used the new Label Collection Framelits Die for the sentiment background.  The dotted patterned paper is the flip side of the Merry January "FLAKE" paper.  It goes with our black cardstock, so that's what I backed it with.  I stamped the sentiment from the You're Cherished set.  I only had one piece of the curly striped paper and no long have the name of it but it is from the Merry January series.  Love the colors in it.

The flower is the Triple Treat Flower Single stamp and I stamped it twice, once on designer paper and one on Sahara Sand.  I popped up the layers of the flower.  The Sand backing behind the flower is also cut with the Labels Collection Framelit---a smaller one.  And I punched out a Modern Label from black cardstock to go with the image.

This was a fun card and a layout I'm using again on another card.  Thanks for looking today!!  See you here again soon, I hope!   Smiles, Laura

Bon-Bon, Anyone?

Yes, more candy today.  Ha!!  We're gaining pounds just readying my blog, huh?  Hee,hee.  This is about it for the candy, but I did want to share this one.  Remember those bon bon of our childhood?  We had them at Christmas time and always looked forward to them.  They had white creamy insides and chocolate outside and were delicious.  Well, I decided to make what looks like a box of 4 of them for a neat Valentine card.

I used the Stocking Accents die for the chocolates--the light bulb die in it.  The card itself is white (run through the Perfect Polka Dots die) and I cut a Rose Red designer series paper circle and backed it with a Chocolate Chip circle to layer on the white card.  

The sentiment on this one is from the Occasions Alphabet stamp set.  I backed it with the Rose Red cut with the Scallop Oval punch, and layered that onto a Chocolate Chip piece punched with the Decorative Label punch.  

Have a great day!! See you on another visit.  Smiles, Laura

Hershey's Kiss...

Happy New Year to you all!!  This is my first entry of 2012.  Can you believe it is 2012 already????  Yesterday was my and hubby's 34th wedding anniversary and we went out for dinner last night.  It started snowing while we were out and the roads all iced over.  The 16 miles home were very slick and we skidded a few times, but arrived home safely.  Whew!  Glad he was driving!  So today we are "iced in" and I will have some stamping time!  So for today's share.....

You all saw my sample the other day using the Blossom Builder punch to make a piece of candy.  When I discovered last fall that the punch would make a piece of candy that looked like a Hershey's kiss, I decided I'd HAVE to do this card (below) for my class in December--in preparation of Valentines Day.  My hubby isn't a sweet eater, but does love just one piece of chocolate sometimes after dinner, so he enjoys Hershey's kisses. 

For this card, I used Cherry Cobbler.  I cut the white card stock using the Note Note die for the candy's background and stamped "Be My Valentine" from the Delightful Dozen stamp set.  I stamped it in Chocolate Chip and colored in the "hollow spots" on the letters with the Cherry Cobbler marker.

For the kiss background, I ran aluminum foil from my kitchen through the Xyron so it would stick and cut it into 2" squares.  I popped up the kiss and added a Cherry Cobbler heart to it, using the small heart punch.  The little heart on the sentiment is from the Owl Builder Punch.  And I used the quilted Cherry Cobbler ribbon around the white Top Note.  

Oh, the "I Love You" sentiment is from the Three Little Words set.  

Well, thanks for stopping in today.  Smiles, Laura