Last of the calendars for 2011---September through December

I hope you aren't tired of my 2011 calendars.  If so, this is the last of them.  But I know from your emails to me, some of you are enjoying them.  Here is the September one.  This stamp set was in the mini last year and I'm sure hoping it will come out in the new Idea Book and Catalog.  I love this set.  I've used it alot on cards for my grandchildren, as well as on this calendar.

 Here is the October calendar.  This image is from the Every Moment set.

 Here is November.  This set is not a Stampin' Up! set, but I do love this bowl of fruit.

 December uses the Come to Bethlehem set.   I like the set but it is hard to get it to ink completely.

So that's the year in calendars.  I hope they have inspired you to make your own.  I buy these calendars online from a supplier.  I'm not sure if she is interested in expanding her business right now, or I'd post a link to her.  Anyway, thanks for visiting today.  Come back soon!! Smiles, Laura

Black and White....

Hello!  Today I wanted to share with you a card I made for a stamp club swap.  The only parameters for the swap were that you use black and white for it---only those two colors.  At first I was at a loss, becuase I rarely use those two colors together.  Then I remember the Come to Bethlehem set and decided it woudl be perfect for the swap.  Here is my card.

I cut the oval using the Frame, Oval Scallop die ith my Big Shot machine, just leaving off the scallop edging.  I don't have a close up shot, but I put one of the SU "rhinestore jewels" in the center of the star.  It shows up really well on the card. 

This is a really quick Christmas card and you could turn out a few of them really quickly.

I appreciate your visit today.  Smiles, Laura

Yes, let's think Christmas....

Some of my customers are already asking for Christmas cards, so I have starting thinking about designing some for class. Here is one I made using the new Come to Bethlehem set in our new catalog. I asked SU several times for a stampset with wisemen and camels and they gave us this one. I'm so excited about using it. It is very hard to tell the colors in this one, but the card itself is Elegant Eggplant and Blissful Blue with a mat of Brushed Silver in there. It looks so elegant in person. The stamp of the wisemen is a bit hard to ink because of the solid space and I am still working with mine to get it to ink well. All the wording shown is also in the set as two words stamps.

I used a sponge dauber to brush eggplant around the edges of the blue to make you think of night. This star comes on the same stamp as the wisemen, but I cut mine off because I wanted to use it separately and color it differently. All of my words and images are stamped with Elegant Eggplant except this star. I used Encore Silver on it and it shows up so pretty. I put a Jewel in Basic Rhinestone in the center and does it twinkle!! It finished off this simple card perfectly.

We'll be doing this one in class sometime soon. I hope my ladies like it!! Smiles, Laura