Gift Certificate

Hi all
Thought I would share with you one of the Christmas gift certificate cards I made for a daughter to give her mom, a stamper.

The card front is like one we made during one of my four stamp a stack classes.
I wanted the inside to be special, so I decided to make a pop up card.

The front tree with the star is the actual certificate, with the details written on the back of the tree; the front tree is removable.

The pop-up is relatively simple to make but you have to use a special fold to get the slot for the card/tree to sit in.  When  you insert the pop up into the folded card base you have to make sure you adhere the back and the bottom to the card base. 
Hope this fold inspires you!
Peggy

good girl/bad girl

Hi all,
Even though I have been a bad girl, by not posting on my blog in too long a time, Santa treated me very nicely this Christmas and I am hoping you were treated well, too.  Let me start by thanking all of you who have studied the many fabulous items in the Stampin' Up! Clearance Rack and sent me your orders, or purchased through my SU Blog.  There are many great bargains still on there, so check it out if you haven't yet.  Remember, too, that the current mini catalog is about to expire.  Grab all your favorites before they are no longer available.   I will be glad to combine smaller orders (ex. under $70) to save  on the shipping costs for everyone involved.
Soon (Jan 3rd) the new Stampin' Up! mini catalog will begin and once again there are many great new products in there, including stamps, framelits, designer papers, and accessories.  Several of the items are presented in bundles, where two products purchased together are priced lower than if each was purchased separately...I love a deal!  One of the new sets contains a seahorse, a shell, and a lobster, and more.....great for those of us Chesapeake Bay folk!  You will be delighted by some of the new accessories.  Contact me if you would like a copy of the new mini.   There is no fee for the mini but if you want it mailed, you will need to cover the shipping cost.  Or stop by and get a copy.

The day before Christmas, one of my coworkers had a baby.  I wasn't there when they did her baby shower, but I did bring her one of my memory tins.   Check it out.......

Luckily, she knew she was having a baby girl and had chosen the name Fiona so I was able to personalize the tin for her.

I decided to make the design a trellis of clovers.

Would you like to give a memory tin to your friend or family member?  Contact me and I'll help you design one or I can make it on consignment for you.
Thanks for stopping by..
Peggy

Hi all,
We certainly are having some difficult days of late.  I find myself thinking about the families of the murdered children .. so unimaginably sad...but also of the first responders and technicians who have horrible images in their heads that they will probably never want to share with anyone.  I hope they will come to some peace...and soon. 
I think of the front office personnel of schools and day care centers everywhere, who have been so horribly reminded that they are right on the front line of any attack.  All the procedures in the world are up for grabs against a maniac who loses his humanity and acts without conscience.  If you have a child in school, take a minute to thank every employee you see....from the front office staff  to the classroom staff to the custodians who every day make good decisions to serve you and your children and keep them safe in a dozen different ways.  At this time of year I'm always struck by the how families deal with the holidays.  Some try to show their gratitude and respect for teachers and staff with lovely gifts.  But to me, the best gift of all is a heartfelt thank you note.  There is no gift card or candle that will touch my heart as much as a handwritten note from a parent saying "thank you"...and it doesn't cost more than pennies and a few minutes of time.  Never say, I can't afford to give everyone a gift....you have a minute to say thanks.
Today I have a cute ornament to share with you...I think it might be the last one from the class....I'll have to check that.

This ornament was made from roof sheeting material and the two tags die and the Big Shot machine.  Love it.
Have you checked out the Clearance Rack on my Stampin Up! website!  LOTS of new items have been added ...go to www.peggyouten.stampinup.net

Peggy

Grinch ornament/treat

Hi all
Here is a nifty little ornament/treat that has been popping up all over the internet. 

Again it is a project that is made from punches: curly label, pennant, circle, lil flower.  So cute.  Of course, I used our skinny treat bags to hold the piece of licorice.  Wish I could make these for my 150 coworkers, but it just too labor intensive!!  I'll have to find a simpler project.
Come back tomorrow to see one more project from the ornament class.
Peggy

Elf ornament

Hi all
Today I had a surprise opportunity.  I was working with my students this morning and I looked up to find Dr. Dance, the Superintendent of Baltimore County Public Schools, standing there watching us.  I took a moment to shake his hand ...he and I went to the same college and his mom was an occupational therapist.  He has a nice firm handshake and an interested demeanor.  It was a treat for me to meet him.

Today I have a cute elf ornament to show you which I found on several different blogs - not sure who started it!

Can you tell that he was made using several different punched elements?  I just love the way his arms and legs are made from the candy canes.  Clever!  Just two more ornament projects to share ...come back to see one of them tomorrow.
Peggy

Countdown to xmas

Hi all
Today  I am interrupting the ornament show to post pictures of a countdown to Christmas I made for my roommates at work.

One nice thing about this project is, it is temporary; I can take it apart and reuse the box for another project.  I made the simple countdown numbers in alternating colors and clipped each to a drawer with a circular paper clip.  I bought the set of boxes at a big craft store with a coupon.  Unfortunately, the drawers fit quite tightly so covering them with designer paper is unlikely to work.  I love countdowns to Christmas although not too many of my gals seem interested in them.   Some folks think it is a kid thing but let's face it, anyone enjoys a little surprise treat!!  I didn't feel like I could take on making four different sets for my four roommates, which is why I am rotating who gets the treat from Monday to Thursday.  Everyone gets a treat on Fridays.  I think they are enjoying the treats - especially since I have been mixing up what each person gets...mostly candy.  Hope it inspires you to do something nice for a friend or co-worker.
Peggy

ornament class - medallion

Hi all
Today was a really great, but loooong, day.  It began early, so we could get to the volunteer fire station for Breakfast with Santa ...a family tradition for sooo long, I don't recall when we began ...but it is way more than 23 years now.  Love getting to see my friend and her family, even though half of our kids are not teenagers any more.  We didn't linger long this year; it turned out to be a very well attended breakfast so we gave up our seats to those who came after us.  Also, I had promised my friend/co-worker, Amy, that I would run a craft activity at her church, so I dropped the guys home and zoomed to the church.  It wasn't a huge group of ladies, but about half of them chose to make the star folded ornament (posted on 12-4-12).  Lovely group of ladies and I discovered that the pastor's wife is an occupational therapist (like me!) and even attended the same university that I did.  Funny!  Thank you, ladies, for the opportunity to play with you!

Today I want to share another project from the ornament class.  One of my ladies (Hi Patti!) wanted to get the special medallion kit that Stampin' Up! was selling, but it has now sold out!!!.. Tonight, I was talking with her about how she could create a version of the medallion with what she has or what she wants to order.  Here is my version....

The bottom layer was made by using the Holiday Ornaments framelits and the Big Shot and some retired, flocked designer series paper.   Because they used the precut DSP, the ladies in the class didn't have to wait for an opportunity to die cut a stamped image.  I thought that would really jam up the progress of the task!   The artichoke layer is made from 12 punched always artichoke ornaments and 6 stamped ornaments which were then punched out.  Each ornament was folded in half and then glued together to form a three part segment.  The white layer was made using the Rosette die (but you can hand score the cardstock to create a rosette too).  Finally, we used the faceted crystal buttons and a dahlia to compete the set.  The button and dahlia were attached with hot glue (I am definitely NOT a hot glue fan - makes me think of spider webs!  If you would like to try to make this ornament, tackle the task one layer at a time.  If you do not have the ornament framelit, think what you might use instead.  Just work thought the layers trying to make each layer a bit smaller than the one below.   By the way, the ladies attached each element to one of the nifty sticky circles from Stampin' Up!  That really made the task easier, I thought.
Here are the medallions some of the ladies made...

If you need more of an explanation of this project, don't hesitate to contact me. 
I will be holding a tag and gift card holder class next Sunday, please register early...I have several "extra- curricular' activities this week, so it would help me if I can make your packets early.
Peggy

Hi all
Sorry I missed posting  last night....got caught up in an activity and didn't get back to the computer. 
Today I have a fun ornament/pin for you...so fitting for the upcoming season....and easy to make too!

Several  punches went into this project:  scallop circle(backing), wide oval (hat), 1 3/4" circle (face), oval
(brim of hat).  And yes!! his nose is lit up!!!  How cute is that?!?!  There is a hole in the scallop circle backing so the on/of switch of the candle light is accessible.  You can add a pin back to wear it on your clothes or a piece of baker's twine to hang it as an ornament.  There are rhinestones for the eyes and mouth.  I had some left over black ones from a previous Stampin' Up! mini catalog but you can also use a black sharpie on clear rhinestones to make them black too.  Tie on a scarf of ribbon and you are good to go!!
Peggy

Hi all
Today I want to share with you a three dimensional star ornament - the gals really seemed to enjoy this project. 

 

I like it because it can be made any size which makes it useful in many different ways.  We used five  3" square pieces of designer paper which were each folded vertically and horizontally (the folds forming a + on the paper) and then you turn the paper over and fold just once on the diagonal.  You adhere the five pieces in a stack (glue the outside of the first folded paper to the outside of the second folded paper, etc.) Then you add a piece of solid colored cardstock to the top and bottom of the stack - we also stamped on a piece of vanilla cardstock and layered it on the colored cardstock square.  The ribbon is sandwiched between the solid cardstock and the stamped piece.
When you open the star up, here is how it looks....

Imagine that you made the item from several full sheets of designer paper.  Then you would have a large enough surface on which to scrapbook.  Experiment with different papers to see what you create!!
Peggy

Hi all
Today I have a cute angel ornament for you. 

 

The gals got to make two of these from two different sizes of scallop circles.  Some folks use part of the scallop circles for the angel wings but I think some of those angles look a bit more like a 747 about to take off.   I wanted a softer look, so we used a die cut butterfly for the wings instead.  When the gals made their angels, I had run their wings through a textured embossing folder to dry emboss them ...it gave them a real elegant look.  We used dazzling details around the angels wings on both the front and the back sides.  Hope you enjoyed seeing this project. 
Did you know that Stampin Up! is offering a special kit to make 10 medallion ornaments/gift embellishments.  Check out my Stampin' Up! website for details.
Peggy

Hi all

Today I had the most awful experience..really upsetting!  I was traveling on Joppa Road in Towson and signaled to make a left turn onto a side street in the neighborhood where I grew up.  There was a car coming down the side street....but she whipped into a U turn right in front of me!  Not only did she cut right in front of my car but she had pulled so far forward onto Joppa Road that she was actually in the lane going in the opposite direction from me as she turned.  Had I not screeched to a halt, we would have collided badly. I was totally irritated to see that not only was she holding and talking on a cell phone, but there was a young child sitting in the back seat!!!   I stopped my car and walked back to her.   She rolled down her window and apologized to me, saying that she was lost.   I told her she did not need to apologize to me but to her son, as she had seriously endangered him by holding and talking on a cell phone while driving.  She persisted in saying she was lost...I said then pull over and make your call!!!   She went into a tirade asking, hadn't I ever made a poor judgment?  Really?  Are you kidding me?  She continued to hold her phone and seemed unable to glean any insight into the horribly dangerous habit of talking while driving.  I walked away shaking my head and saying a prayer that the child's guardian angel is vigilant, because the mom wasn't at all!!  A long time ago, I was in an accident with my son in the car - we were rear ended while sitting at a stop light.   I felt horrible for not being able to keep my son safe from this danger even though clearly I had done nothing to create the situation, except be at the wrong place at the wrong time.  How could this woman not see the need to put down the damn phone!!   Please friends...keep your family safe - don't "cell" while driving.

Here is the project for today...

This project is made from the Framelits...three of them are glued together with the snowflake suspended inside.  Have to admit, the gals were a little stumped by the process of gluing half of one side to the next frame and then that frame to the third one but eventually everyone got theirs assembled.  The glitter paper looked great!
Are you considering giving stampin products to a friend or family member for Christmas?   Contact me about getting a gift certificate.   I will make you a nice card to hold the gift certificate. 
Peggy

Ornament class

Hi all
Today I had a lovely group of elves here, making a variety of holiday ornaments.  After the ladies left, I closed up my stamp room and headed out to eat dinner with my hubby.  When we returned home, I came back to my stamp room to clean up and put away my stamps and tools.  But...this is what I found!!!!

Oh no!  not sure exactly what happened but all of the ornaments were scattered on the floor!!  horrors!  I suspect that the heat blowing out of the ceiling vent softened the fun tack that was on the base of the tree, allowing it to fall over. Luckily, the only damage was a broken leg on my elf!!
Come back tomorrow to see close ups of the projects!
Are you hoping to attend a stamp class between now and the first of the year?  contact me with a suggested topic and date.  Let me help you make some lovely gifts, tags, packages, or cards.
Peggy

Holiday SAS session 4, project 5

Hi all
Here is the last holiday stamp a stack card for this season.  It is a fun card that was inspired by one I saw on the blog of another demo in my Stampin' Up! group, Patty.   As usual, I tweaked it a bit. 

When we made it in class, everyone got an assortment of Designer Series background papers and it was fun to see how the different papers change the overall look of the card.  Why did I do that?  Well, first of all, it is difficult to come up with enough of the same DSP for everyone to make exactly the same card, especially when each person is making multiples of each card.  Also, I once had a lovely lady attend all my classes for many months, but she obsessed about making her card EXACTLY like mine.  She was undone if she had to use a different pattern, or button, or ribbon.  It was so sad for me to see that she wouldn't allow herself to explore the possibilities.  She would ask for help, insisting that her card be just like mine.  I think most seasoned stampers will agree that sometimes the best ideas you come up with are accidents!!  I want my gals to have the opportunity to see how variations help express your individual style.
This card made use of many of my punches... pennant punch for the Santa hat, mitten builder for the mittens, owl punch for the goodie bag, tag punch for the bricks, and little label punch for the packages. Love it!!
Come back soon to see the ornaments from the Dec 1st class.

Peggy

Hi all
Well, I have to begin my post today with a big "Happy Birthday" wish to my dear older son, Davy.  Today he is 26 years old.  Davy is a wonderful son and man.  He is very focused and accomplished and it has been a treat to be his mom.  Where did the all the years go?   I remember when he was a young boy, he had the biggest mop of blond hair.  Early on, I use to cut his hair myself...bowl cut and all that jazz!  Now the light of the top of his head is showing through...how can that be?  As a little boy, he would methodically build with blocks, sometimes trying particular alignments of the blocks many times before he got exactly the correct alignment to build the way he wanted.  Today he is a mechanical engineer.  He prides himself in knowing as much as possible about every element of his job.  Soon he will be graduating from UMBC with his Master's degree.  He is always a great help to me when I prepare our holiday pies.  I have always said, if you can include a tool in the job, you can get a guy to help ...so Davy always mans the apply corer/pealer device.  It has always been a great help and saves stress on my achy hands!  On Thanksgiving, he works with my goofy dog until Remy can calm down and deal with our company.  Have a fabulous birthday, Davy!   Let me also send out birthday greetings to another addicted stamper, my friend Donna.   Hope you have a wonderful day, too!
Now on to a holiday card....
This card is nice and glitzy!!  Love it!

 

The snowflake was die cut using the Snow Flurry Bigz Die and the Big Shot machine, of course, and the gold glitter paper.  For this card, I resurrected some old gold organza ribbon and a gold brad to keep it all together.  A swatch of designer paper and a die cut pair of labels finish off the card front.  The small stamped medallion in the center of the snowflake is from the Mixed Medley stamp set.  "JOY" and the oval are from the Joyous Celebrations stamp set.  There is a greeting inside from the More Merry Messages set.
Peggy

Hi all,
Today I am back to posting holiday cards.  This one makes use of the Big Shot (of course!) and the Label Collection Floral Frames Framelits and is inspried by a card I saw on Pinterest by Maggie Parsons.  Not sure if she was the originator of the design or just one in a long line of tweaks!

For my card, I decided to try a non-traditional color combination - lucky limeade and night of navy.  This was the "religious" card for the final session of holiday cards ("NOEL").  Some of the ladies felt they had more than enough religious cards from the previous sessions so I went a bit gentle on this last session. 
There are many layers on this card - 6 of them!!!  The lucky limeade card base, the night of navy medallion on the bottom, two different layers of stamped white cardstock, another later of night of navy cardstock (which was cut out of the base medallion using another framelit - they were run though the Big Shot at the same time), and the "NOEL" stamped layer (which had been hand punched from the smaller white layer).  Inside the card there is a label with the greeting (sorry, I don't have a picture of that!) which had been cut with a framelit when the larger white layer was cut).  Did you know that you can use more than one framelit at a time? ... really makes the cutting go quickly and makes great use of your cardstock.  I especially like that cutting the middle out of layers allows you to add layers without adding weight to the card.  Gotta keep those postal costs down!!
Hope you will join us to make some special cards and goodies sometime soon.  Unearth the creative you!!
Peggy

Hi all,
While many of you are probably out shopping, taking advantage of the Black Friday sales, I am here in my stamp room.  I have never been a big fan of crowds and I cannot think of a thing I need or want that is worth the crush.  I hope you have found all the goodies you sought!!
I want to acknowledge another pleasant Thanksgiving dinner at home with my extended family.  Even my stuffing turned out better than usual!  It was worth an extra trip to the grocery store on Thanksgiving to add the celery and perk up the flavor of my stuffing.  Have to admit, I was surprised at the cheerful attitude of the staff at the new Giant on Belair Road at Ebenezer Road as I walked through the store on Thanksgiving.  Not a single sour face in the store.  They seemed genuinely glad to help customers.   Isn't that a great attitude to have at this time of year?
Today I want to share with you a fun idea I saw on Pinterest.  As soon as I saw it, I knew I would have to use it for my coworkers Thanksgiving holiday treats.

One of my schools is Seven Oaks, so obviously, an acorn fits there perfectly and my coworkers at Oliver Beach loved it too.   Some folks said it was my best treat ever!  Hope my book club ladies enjoy it as well!
Here is how I packaged the treats...

The greeting says "Gratitude can transform common days into Thanksgivings." (Stampin' Up! - Day of Gratitude set, available thru my Stampin' Up! website). Gratitude is a big issue for me.   I think there is nothing easier than saying "thank you" - just can't imagine why it is so hard for folks to do.  The word "entitlement" makes my blood run cold - the more entitled people feel, the less they seem to appreciate the kindnesses sent their way.
Here is another picture for you......

I ended up making about 150 of them...they are a Hershey kiss (the most time consuming part was unwrapping the kisses!),  a Nutter Butter Bite cookie (they come in a pouch) and a mini chocolate chip.  I melted some chocolate chips to act as the glue holding the three pieces together.  If you want to give them a try, I suggest you attach the kiss to the cookie first, let them set up a bit and then go add the mini chip. 
Now that you have made it home from the battle of Black Friday, don't forget to check out the specials at my Stampin' Up! online store. http://peggyouten.stampinup.net 
Also, remember to contact me by Nov 28th if you plan to attend the ornaments and treats class to be held on SATURDAY,  that's right SATURDAY, December 1st. at 1PM
Or, if you are more interested in package tags and gift card holders, join me on Sunday, Dec 2 at 2PM - the sign up deadline for that class is also Nov 28th.
Warm wishes to you as we kick off the holiday season.  I appreciate the support and loyalty of my customers and followers.  What are you thankful for this season?   Leave a comment on this blog entry and I'll draw a name for a secret prize.

Peggy

Holiday SAS#4 Card post #2

Hi all
First, thanks to all who have already made an Extravaganza Sale purchase through my Stampin' Up! website (peggyouten.stampinup.net).  Glad to see folks are taking advantage of the various discounts - 20%, 25%, 30%, 40%, 50%....Get yourself the holiday gift you really want or whisper in your loved ones ear to call me and I will help them get a great deal for you! 

This card has several nice features.  First, I love the textured impressions background...reminds me of a paneled wall.  The star on the tree is punched from gold glitter paper. Can you see at the top of the card there are two elements - polka dotted ribbon and ball fringe trim?  Then, the gold elements on the sides of the greeting are not brads. Nope!  They are actually mini mini mini bells.  I had the gals punch a small hole and then stick the shank of the bell through the hole.  Once the shank was accessible on the back of the card, we slipped a piece of stiff wire through the shank and then we bent it to keep it from sliding out.  The label was edged with the gold paint pen.
Call me if you need help with your Extravaganza order. 
Remember, too, that the ornament class is being held on Saturday, December 1st at 1PM.  I need to hear from you by Nov 28th if you plan to attend.
Peggy

Hi all Tonight there is so much to tell ...but I will try not to overwhelm you. First ...You are going to want to check out my Stampin' Up! website at peggyouten.stampinup.net on Monday, the 19th, when a HUGE special begins! DON'T wait til Tuesday to check it out because some really special 20% off offerings are on Monday only!!!! ...like the the Big Shot machine (my FAVORITE!) for only $79.96 instead of $99.95...great savings! Tell your significant other that THIS is what you want for Christmas! The Big Shot Doctor's Bag (for storing and carrying the Big Shot) is also on sale (55.96 instead of 69.95) as well as the Diagonal Plate (9.56 instead of 11.95). Second, there is a 20% off clear block bundle and caddy special on Nov 28th only - check out the details!! Next, some Designer Series Paper is 20% off from Nov 19-28. Several stamp sets and the Northern Flurry Embossing Folder are 25% off. Next there are 30% off specials on various accessories (smooch, gift boxes, ribbon, brads, buttons, punches and dies. There are even 40% off special bundles. And even some stamps and MDS products at 50% off. Finally, I want to share a holiday stamp a stack card from the last class.

I love the mug image...so cute! Always enjoy using the glittery dazzling details! I wanted the petal die on the cover and did die cut a petal but found it was a big large so I trimmed it a bit to be the perfect size. Hope this card makes you smile! The ornament class I had originally planned for this Sunday, has been moved to SATURDAY, December 1st. Yep!! Saturday. I have so many possible projects that I am having trouble narrowing it down to the selected few. Gosh! the holidays are such a fabulous time to stamp! Now before you click onto your next stop, be sure to put a reminder in your phone to check out the details of the Holiday Extravaganza sale on Monday at my Stampin' Up! website. these special prizes apply to orders placed by phone or email with me or through my SU website. Sunday is my 29th wedding anniversary....special hugs go out to hubby Dave. Peggy

getting my life back!!!!

Hi Stampers!!! Can you see me jumping up and down in excitement? Can you hear me cheering? Well the first reason to be soooo happy is that today I finally finished my last progress report for the first quarter of the school year!!! Yeah!! so many to do and so much to say...but after two weeks of nightly evening and weekend work, they are finished for now! Then a little birdie told me that Stampin' Up! is having a very special special starting Monday. I will share the details as soon as they are posted BUT if you are in love with the BIG SHOT as much as I am, NOW is the time to buy!!! The price is being reduced on the Big Shot ...tell your significant other to get you this fabulous tool!!! Contact me to find out the special days for this special price. Time to share a pic. Today I want to show you a funny little Halloweentreat I made for the staff at my two schools.

This little witches broom is made from the paper Stampin' Up! uses to pack their boxes for shipping. I love using this paper. It is good for so many uses and it is free! And I love recycling perfectly good stuff! I plan to start posting my last stamp a stack cards but I see that blogger has made some changes again so don't be too harsh if my posts look funny! They seem to be ignoring my formatting! I am hostessing a repeat session of this Sunday's ornament class. The repeat class witll be held on December 1 - yep!! that is a SATURDAY. We will begin at 1PM...contact me to reserve your seat!! Peggy

SAS, Pt 3, Project 5

Hi all
Tonight I want to share with you the final project in the third Holiday Stamp a Stack class of this season.  This card, inspired by Sandystamper, has such a neat fold that I had to include it in my class.

The card stands up in three dimensional fashion.

Of course, I included the Large Delicate Doily from the Big Shot..Love my Big Shot!!  The Word Play set is the source of the greeting.
There will be one more Holiday Stamp a Stack class to be held on November 11th (registration deadline is 11-4).  If you need a few more cards, or (horrors!) haven't started yours yet, join us.  Next week, on Oct 28th, will be our Thanksgiving class where we will be making cards and projects.  Sign up by 10-24.
On Nov 18th we will be making Christmas ornaments and treats; register by 11-13.
Peggy

Holiday SAS, Pt 3, Proj 4

Hi Friends
Have to admit, I have been very distracted by local sports lately...what a time we have had!  The O's really gave us quite a season, making it to the last game of the playoffs, with many "extra innings", before losing to the opponent.  I am monitoring the next stage, hoping that the right team wins.  I tend to cheer for the underdog because I can't much stomach what I think is smugness on the part of teams who always think they are entitled to win.  So ugly.  Let's hear it for the underdog!  Spread the wealth!!
Then the Raven's gave us quite a "squeeker" today.  Whew!  That was too close for comfort!
After that excitement, my family took me out to a local haunt for my birthday dinner.  Monday is actually my birthday but when you have a busy family, you have to gather them together when you can!  Love being with my guys!  The dinner was great ...and I still have half of it left for lunch tomorrow.  Yum!

Here is another Stamp a Stack card from the last holiday class ...this class will be repeated on Sunday, 21st ...sign up by Tuesday if you want to attend.  This card is a tweaked version of one by Renee Thompson.

This card uses Midnight Muse blue, a color I don't usually use for Christmas.  But I wanted to offer an alternative option for those who think out of the box more than I do.
I have seen many cards that have this same basic format, but I switched things up a bit and punched a hole in the center of the ornament and the card front, and placed the infant Jesus (retired set: Deer Friends) on the inside of the card.  This was the religious card for this class.
Peggy

xmas stamp a stack pt 3, # 3

Wow, it sure is a beautiful day today.   I love fall ...the leaves blowing...the wind...bright blue sky..lovely!
Today I have another card for you from the Stamp a stack class.

Some of the ladies that come to my classes are seamstresses.  So, I used fabric to dress the front of this embossed card, an idea I got from a card by Lisa Freeman. Of course, I used my Big Shot to dry emboss the snowflakes onto the card front and highlighted the snowflakes with some pearls.  The greeting has two colored layers behind it to help pop it off the page a bit. The button is tied onto the fabric - there is actually no sewing!
I have to say, I was impressed by how nicely the Stampin' Up! fabric tore.  I have never enjoyed such nice tearing in any fabric I have used before.   This is one of the cards we will be doing at the repeat class on Oct 21st.   I need to hear from you by Oct 16th if you plan to attend.
Peggy

Xmas SAS, pt 3, project 2

Hi Stampers
Today I have another card for you.  This card is a bit more labor intensive because it involves coloring.   I offered the stampers at the class the opportunity to use a variety of coloring options, including watercolor crayons and watercolor pencils.  One lady even chose to leave the bird in black and white.

Some folks aren't into birds, but I really like this image.  Wish I could remember the name of the bird.   One of my stampers knows her birds and she immediately named it - as I recall it began with "English". She said we have lots of them in this area. Maybe if she looks at this post, she can add a comment to tell us the rest of the official name.  Unlike yesterday's card, this card made good use of my Big Shot:  Finishing Touches Edgelits (lacy Old Olive edge), Labels Collection framelits (Cherry Cobbler frame around the bird), Designer Frames (the impressed dotted oval on the label), and Petals a Plenty Textured Impressions Embossing folder (the Cherry Cobbler strip on the side).  This card was tweaked from a similar card by Fran Kennedy.
Have you looked at my Stampin' Up! blog (peggyouten.stampinup.net) to see the Perfectly Penned stamps that are available individually for a short time only?  This is such a nice option to be able to buy just the one greeting you prefer from a set.
Peggy

Xmas SAS, Part 3, Project 1

Hi all
Hope you are all at home, watching the O's and cheering them on to a victory tonight!!

Work has been crazy busy and so I have been delinquent in posting my projects.   I am going to try to get caught up by starting to post the cards from the third holiday stamp a stack of the season.  At your request, we will be doing these very same projects on Sunday, 10-21.  (I am taking 10-14 off  in celebration of my big milestone birthday on Monday).  Please contact me by 10-16 if you want to be part of the session on 10-21.  Remember you get to make 4 of each of the five designs I am showing this week.

The first card I want to share with you has a simple elegance that is so eye catching.  It is inspired by a card I saw on Pinterest.  Sorry, I do not see the name of the originator.

She used the medallion stamp on her card but I do not have that stamp anymore so I used the Hello Doily stamp instead.  Colors are Cherry Cobbler and Always Artichoke.  I switched up the bow - she had hers on the top and I wanted to add more balance to the card so I put my seam binding ribbon at the bottom.  This card is so easy and quick.   Do you know what is really amazing about this project?   I didn't use the Big shot!!!!!  Wow!! that doesn't happen very often!!!  I did use the scallop circle punch instead.  Love it!
Did you know that Stampin' Up! is offering individual stamps from three sets of stamps for a limited time?  The sets are all greeting sets:  Word Play, Perfectly Penned, Seasonal Sayings.  Visit my Stampin' Up! website for details at      peggyouten.stampinup.net

Peggy

Xmas Stamp a stack pt 2 #5

Hi all
Today I want to share with you the fifth project from my second Holiday Stamp a stack class of this year.  I am having two more holiday stamp a stack classes.  The October class is on Oct 7th - you MUST register by Sunday, September 30th.  The November class is on Nov 11th and you MUST register by Nov 4th.  Due to the demands of my day job, I cannot accept late registrations for these classes as I do not have extra time to go back and make up additional project kits after the due date. 

I like to include one religious card in each of my Holiday Stamp a Stack classes because, although you might not be particularly religious yourself, most of us know someone who likes to receive a religious card.  This fifth card is the religious card from the second Stamp a Stack.

This card uses the retired 8 piece stamp set (baby) called "Deer Friends" (which is for sale from me - contact me if you are interested).  The words are from the retired set called "The Sounding Joy" - also for sale from me.
We used Marina Mist, Bashful Blue, and Whisper White card stock with Night of Navy ribbon and ink.  Notice the dry embossed Delicate Designs texture on the left side of the card.

Hope you have already taken advantage of the free ribbon offer from Stampin' Up!  because the offer ends on Sunday!  For each $40 (subtotal) you spend, you get to choose a free spool of the stitched ribbons in "in color" shades.
Peggy

uh oh!!!!

Hi all
Just want to catch you up.....something new is going on with blogger and I am having trouble finding all the aspects of my blog.   I will try to figure out what is going on and where to find details but in the meantime, I will add another card for you to see. 
This card simply features a wreath ...but I love it!  It was inspired by Georgeann Manning.  I changed it up a bit, as you know I like to do.  Hate to take someone's idea without putting in a little thought into it  myself.

I used the wood grain textured impressions folder, hoping it makes the white segment resemble a door.  Wanted to have a nice greeting on the card and this one is from the Christmas Lodge stamp set.  Now this particular tag shape is die cut using the Apothecary Accents Framelits.  Of course, this framelit only cuts one size so guess how I got the second layer?  I simply traced around the outside edge of the framelit.  The edge of the framelit is slightly larger than the cutting point so it makes a perfect layer - the gals just had to hand cut the old olive c/s.   If you align one long edge to the next when you trace,  it reduces the amount of cutting you have to do.  Love the sweet edge along the side of the woodgrain made by punching out with the ribbon border dotted scallop punch. 
Remember, you have just a short time (one week) to cash in on the "back to spool" offer from Stampin' Up! - a free spool of 3/8" stitched satin ribbon (five "in colors" to choose from)  for each $40 you spend...but you have to get it in by the end of September.   Can you believe September is almost over?   Remember, too...need to hear from  you by Wednesday if you plan to attend the Halloween class on Sept 30th...cards and treats!
Peggy

Xmas Stamp a Stack, pt 2 #3

Hi all
No...I'm not MIA - just super busy at work.  But I do have another SAS card to show you today.  The gals liked this card because of the vintage feel - the colors have an "old time" feel. 

Of course we used the Big Shot - no surprise, right?  We used it (Delicate Designs Snowflake Textured Impressions Embossing Folder) on the center of the always artichoke c/s and again on the cherry cobbler medallion (Large Delicate Doilies Die).  The stamp set is Easy Events and we added cherry cobble quilted ribbon (retired) and Cherry Cobbler Dazzling Details.  This card would be easy to duplicate in large numbers if you use a assembly line style.
Have you started your holiday cards yet?  I have two more holiday stamp a stack classes - one in Oct and one in November.
Peggy

Xmas Stamp a stack, part 2 project 2

Hi all
Whoo! so glad the temps have cooled!!  I was climbing around in the garage today, looking for some special materials to use with my "day" students.  Could never have done that a week ago, as it was stifling; today was rather comfortable. 
Time to show you another card from the holiday stamp a stack...

This card gave us an opportunity to use several of the images from the Joyous Celebrations set.  I always seem to include my Big Shot in all my projects...you can see this time it was with the new Fancy Fan Textured Impressions Embossing Folder.  Great background!  The inks include Raspberry Ripple, Gumball Green, Primrose Petal, and Soft Suede.  The cherry cobbler dazzling details highlights the reindeer's nose and the Xmas tree.  The brad that is holding the bow together has a rhinestone in it and there is a rhinestone at the top of the tree. The Primrose Petal ribbon is on special...for each $40 (subtotal) you spend, you get a roll FREE!!!   yum!!
One of the great things about this card is that it lends itself to mass production and assembly line production.  The bow is separate from the ribbon wrapped around the card so you could easily sit at your child's sports game, whipping up a bunch of bows or pre-cutting the ribbon to wrap around the card.  You can pre-cut several 8 1/2 x 1 3/4" strips of white c/s and stamp out a bunch of ovals then later stamp in the detail image.  When you are trying to make many of a single project, it pays to study the assembly to find some segments that you can accomplish when you only have a few minutes at a time.
Tonight I have been working on my upcoming class schedule.  I have so many great ideas to share with you that I can hardly squeeze them all in!!  Tomorrow starting checking my SU website (peggyouten.stampinup.net) for details.

Peggy

'12 Stamp a Stack, Part 2, project 1

Hi all,
Well, I must apologize...I have been away from blogging this week ....mostly, I have been falling asleep in front of the TV at night.  These first couple of weeks of work have been exhausting!!  The horrible heat and humidity have been unbelievable but, in addition to that, I have moved my stuff from one room to another TWICE at one of my schools and once at the other school.  It is hard enough to physically move the stuff, but setting it all up to be efficient, only to have to regroup again bleeds the mind and spirit, too.  I hope I can stay put for a while!!

Today I am going to begin to show you the five cards from my last holiday stamp a stack class.   Today's card uses cherry cobbler cardstock and lucky limeade ink.  You know I am totally hooked on my Big Shot so, of course, I used the Label Collection Framelits, the Holiday Collection Framelits, and the Window Frame collection.  The big shot REALLY came in handy for this card .... I had all of my available seats filled for this class so I was cutting for 32 of each card design!!  That is why the signup date is early for Stamp a stack classes...I need plenty of time to get all the prep done. 

When the gals made their cards, they were given four different pieces of Designer Series Paper so each person had a unique collection of four cards and each card had its own special flair.  Fun to see how changing up the papers impacts on the splash of each card.  This card was tweaked from a card made by Mary Brown....I love her work.
My next holiday stamp a stack class - with all new card designs - will be held on October 7th.  I am already accepting registrations for this class so if you are interested, contact me soon.  There will be one last collection of holiday cards on Nov 11...I am accepting registrations for that now as well.   Don't wait til the last minute...you might be shut out!  if you are interested in the next class but cannot attend on Oct 7th please contact me.   I have been asked to do a repeat of that class Oct 7th class on another date and I am considering doing a repeat of the session if there is enough interest.

Peggy

Wedding shower card

Hi  all
Today I want to share with you a special card I made for the wedding shower for the daughter of my dear friend, Maureen. 

Have to say I was impressed by how Kelsey's friends attended so carefully to every detail in the food, the invitation, and their welcoming spirit.   Lovely afternoon in the back yard.  So nice.
Peggy

Another convention trade

Hi all
Did you visit yesterday?  Then you saw Peggy's first convention trade.   Today you get  to see a variation on it.  Peggy is smart.  When she wanted to make multiples, she just switched up a few elements but kept her base design.  Great approach to getting more cards from your supply of materials.

If you want to leave a nice comment for Peggy, I'll be happy to pass it on to her!
Tomorrow I have a special card to share with you...check back!
Peggy

More Convention trades...

Hi all
Today I have a convention trade to show you that was made by my down line, Peggy.  She was not able to go to convention this year (She opted for a anniversary trip to Panama with her hubby instead...fabulous!) but hopes to be there next year for the big Stampin' Up! 25th anniversary convention.  Here is one of the cards she made that I traded for her.

The picture doesn't really show the glittered effect well.....hey!   I'm a stamper, not a photographer.
Lovely, isn't it?!

Peggy

Beachy wreath

Hi all
Today I want to share with you another version of my willow wreath.  This one was inspired by dreams of a day at the beach....which unfortunately I did not get this summer. 

The base wreath is made using the packing paper from the Stampin' Up! orders punched out using the 2 3/8" scallop circle punch.  I'm thinking of doing one for Halloween too!
The next Holiday stamp a stack is on September 9th...sign up soon!!  We will make 5 different card, four of each card.
Peggy

Baby tin

Hi all
Today I want to show you a baby tin I made last spring for a coworker's baby shower but the baby is not due until around Labor Day (Labor Day ...tee hee, right?)

Because the baby has not yet arrived, I could not put the baby's name on the tin but I promised the mom that I could add it later.  There is a poem printed on the lid about preserving those special memories as baby grows.  Hopefully you can see the green tags hanging from the left side of the tin - this is where you record the events and then you store the tags in the tin until you are ready to scrapbook the event.  There is a pen hanging from the other side so that it is handy when you want to make an entry.  There is also a metal washer to help pry open the lid.
Peggy

Another Scrapbook page

Hi all
I am preparing this post ahead of time to appear on 8-20 ...the first day of school (edit: ended up appearing on 8-25 after I inserted my Xmas stamp a stack cards in the order of posts) .  Here is the page I made for the part time Pre- K teacher who got a full time K job at another school.  Great lady.  Hope she has a great work environment.

We used a special program with her class that included a figure called "Mat Man" so I decided to make her page show Mat Man saying goof bye.  This page made me smile when I made it.  Crafting should always make you smile!!
Peggy

Catching up....

Hi all
I was browsing through my computer the other day and came upon a 8 x 8 scrapbook page that I made last June.  When my coworkers leave one of my schools, we make each one a good-bye scrapbook.   Here is one of the pages I made using one of the papers the school bought for the book...

I love the way the shoe looks and it was the perfect image for my coworker who also works in a clothing store.  I used a white gel pen to write her a good luck message.
Check back tomorrow to see the page I made for another coworker.
Peggy

Convention 2012 My Trades #8

Hi all
I really love this last card I made to trade at convention.  Hopefully, if you have been following my blog daily, you will immediately say, "Oh, there is the (old olive) frame she used to cut the layer under the tree on yesterday's card".  Again I encourage you to make use of every little scrap you have, when you are crafting.

I am so excited about the new Scentsational Season stamp set (clear 14.95) and the coordinating Holiday Collection Framelit Dies (24.95).  So cute!!  We have had gingerbread boy stamps before but this one is what I think they really should look like!  The fact that those two products are bundled to save you money ($32.95 in the bundle, instead of 39.90, plus you save a bit on the shipping and tax, too) is fabulous!

The gingerbread boy inside the jar was stamped on cork and die cut.   The gingerbread boy climbing out of the jar was just die cut from cork and embellished with Cherry Cobbler Dazzling details.  The greeting is stamped in Real Red ink using the Friendship Preserves stamp set and the Window Frames die was used to create the frame.  I hand cut the inside of the jar with a craft knife (the jar die cuts around the outside of the jar, not inside).  I placed a piece of acetate behind the hole to add to the glass jar illusion.
Do you love it?  Make my day...leave a comment!!
Peggy

Convention 2012 My Trades #7

Hi all,
My convention trade for you today is really fun, I think.   I got to use lots of cool elements and I think it turned out great.

The only stamp on this card is from the Wacky Wishes set, which I embossed with white EP onto a die cut Window frame.  Where did I get that die cut? ...  from inside the frame around the tree!  Did you notice that I used the new Fancy Fan textured impressions folder on the layer above the white base of the card.  That color cardstock is the new Summer Starfruit In Color - some folks call it yellow but it is really more of a green. I put another old olive Window Frame inside the red frame and mounted the tree on top.  How did I make the tree?   I die cut the tree using the Holiday Collection Framelits and a Mountain Dew soda can.  I love the way the can has the green, red, and white coloring which is perfect for Christmas.  Surprisingly, the edges of the aluminum do not have sharp edges after you cut it.  I am careful to place the frame on the can so the curve of the edges of the piece is concave not convex ...play with it and you will see what I mean.  I topped the tree with a punched glittered star.
Come tomorrow to see my last, and favorite, convention trade.
Peggy

Convention 2012 My Trades #6

Hi all
As promised, I am going to show you another convention trade - this one was inspired by the small strip of designer paper I had left from yesterday's card.

Now the beauty of this card is you can  use whatever you have left.  Just notice how much of each paper you have left from previous projects and make sets.  Some of my cards were ABA patterns others were BAB.  I just worked it til all the scraps were used.  Notice the outside corners of the designer papers were rounded.  That effect really added to the overall appearance.  The greeting is from Layered Labels.  Colors are Baja Breeze and Island Indigo. DSP is Twitterpated.  The Apothecary Accent Framelit was used to cut out the greeting.   Now go use up your scraps!!
Peggy

Convention 2012 My Trades #5

Hi all
Remember yesterday I told you to look for the inside of the frame in today's post?  check it out....

I hate to waste my materials so when I cut out the center of the frame for yesterday's jar card, I knew that my next card was going to have to use that lovely center part.   I encourage you to let your scraps inspire you, too.  You might be surprised at what you come up with!!
This card was actually rather popular when I was trading - I gave out all of them before some of my favorites were gone.  What I especially like about this card is how the ribbon ran over the Island Indigo layer but under the hello layer...I think it helps tie the two layers together.  To me the difference in the sizes of the two die cut pieces was too different to run the ribbon under both images.
Look closely at the designer paper ...you will see scraps of it show up in tomorrow's card.  Check back!
Peggy

Convention 2012 My Trades #4

Hi all
Okay...when I saw the Holiday Mini catalog (I guess you know that demos get to see, and order from,  catalogs a month before it appears for the public...lucky us!) I was sooo excited.   A long time ago, Stampin' Up! had a jar image that was such fun to use.  Well, we have another new jar image and the really fun part is that there is also a coordinating Framelits set, called Cannery, for the Big Shot too.  I know that the Big Shot can cut many different materials so I immediately had the idea to cut the jar out of metal. 

Guess what kind of metal I used? ???????  So simple!!!  Such a great look!!!
The top of the jar was cut using the cannery framelit and designer paper. So easy!!  Even the label was cut using the bitty banner framelits.  I love my Big Shot and I use it all the time!!!!
This card happens to also use the new Window Frames Collection Framelits (around the yum).  The YUM is not another layer - it is actually stamped inside the frame - this saves your card from weighing so much when you go to mail it but still looks like another layer.
Still wondering about the material I used for the jar?   It is a soda can!!  You are looking at the inside surface of the can.  Recycling!!!
The greeting "smile" was was made by omitting part of a petite pair stamp - we inked it using a marker.

Notice that in order to make the Island Indigo frame around "yum" I had to cut out the center ...you will see that reappear tomorrow!!  Come back to see!
Peggy