I made this 2 page layout using my Cricut Expression and the Walk In My Garden cartridge. Justin had gotten the sunflower seed from his preschool teacher (oh yes, I really am that far behind in my scrapbooking). He was really excited the day we planted it in our front yard. As you can see, it didn’t take too long before it was much taller than him!

Hello!

I am having a heck of a time trying to get my watermark to work in my newest edition of Photoshop! Sorry for the delay in getting some things posted. I decided to just post these without the watermark.

They were both made using the retired Stampin’ Up! Boho Blend Simply Scrappin’ kit. I added a little ribbon, but for the most part, everything was done with the SSK.

So it has been nearly a year since I’ve posted. I wish I could say I’ve been hanging out with George Clooney or Joe Mauer, but the truth is that I’ve just been overwhelmed. I took a part-time teaching job last fall and am still finishing my MLIS program at St. Kate’s, not to mention being the mostly stay-at-home mom of a seven-year-old and a three-year-old. I decided something had to give and it ended up being my blogging. While I am still an active Stampin’ Up! demonstrator, I took a break from that as well. I am, however, in the process of planning my New Catalog Open House Party for July 19th! I am hoping to learn to balance all of the aspects of my life as the summer progresses. If anyone has any tips or tricks, send me an email. I could use all of the advice I can get, as I am planning to be a full-time media specialist in the fall. I have done some stamping and scrapbooking, so I do have some things to post. I will be working on getting some of my more recent creations up this weekend, while my husband and son are off camping with the Cub Scouts! If any of you are still reading this blog, thanks for hanging in there!!!

I haven’t fallen off the face of the earth or left my family to fend for themselves while I follow Joe Mauer from city to city. I just cannot believe how fast the summer is going!!! I thought I would get a post in quick before I left out of town for a Girls Scrappin’ Weekend!!! Woo hoo!!! We are leaving bright and early tomorrow morning and I haven’t packed yet! That’s what I’ll be spending “nap time” doing today.

Here are a few more cards from my techniques classes:

This card was done using the Brayered Sky Technique using the tutorial on SCS. Thanks to Lori J. for the suggestion to use glossy card stock. Works MUCH better!!!

Stamps: Lovely As A Tree
Ink: Mellow Moss, Always Artichoke, Chocolate Chip, Really Rust, So Saffron, More Mustard
Paper: Whisper White, Chocolate Chip, Always Artichoke

And here is one using the Emerging Color technique, tutorial also found on SCS:

Stamps: Fabulous Flowers
Ink: Groovy Guava, Ruby Red, Rose Red, So Saffron, Versamark
Paper: Whisper White, Rose Red, So Saffron
Accessories/Tools: brayer, clear embossing powder

After I return from my retreat, I will have some scrapbook pages to share and hopefully some pictures of projects with the NEW SU! In Colors! They are *gorgeous*!

The new catalog release may seem like it’s so far away, but in reality it will be here before we know it! I am in the process of forming new hostess clubs beginning in August! Here are the details:

* Each club will run for 6 months

* You commit to spending $25 (before s/h and tax) each month from August through January 2009 out of the Fall/Winter Idea Book, any of the mini catalogs, or the BRAND NEW Decor Elements line brochures.

In return, you will receive the following hostess benefits:

* a FREE Fall/Winter 2008 Idea Book and Catalog and all mini catalogs released

* a MINIMUM of one LEVEL ONE exclusive hostess set

* A MINIMUM of $15 in FREE catalog merchandise

You are welcome to collect outside orders during your hostess month, but it is NOT required! Doing so will help increase your hostess benefits, however!

*** I am also offering a Refer-A-Friend bonus! If you refer someone to my club and they sign a six month contract, I will give you your choice of any of the new Simply Scrappin’ Kits OR any stamp set valued at $19.95 or less!***

You can email me at dkersteter@visi.com with any questions you may have or to sign up! Don’t wait!

Here is another one of the techniques we covered in class. This one is easy and I love the quilted look it gives your cards! I cased the card from Beate’s tutorial on SCS.

Stamps: Baroque Motifs, Live Your Dream (sentiment)
Paper: Chocolate Chip, Soft Sky, Whisper White
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Soft Sky
Accessories: 1 1/4 Circle Punch, 1 3/8th Circle Punch, Scallop Punch, Mat Pack, paper piercer, Poly-Twill ribbon in Chocolate Chip, White Signo Gel Pen

And here is the (if I may say so myself) cute card I made for my cousin Amanda’s son Jackson’s first birthday. They had a cowboy theme, so I had to plead with the members of SCS for someone to trade some images with me. I don’t own Cowboy Kid, but knew it would be perfect for this occasion. This was also my very first time coloring an image with Prismacolor Pencils and gamsol. Worked beautifully!

Stamps: Cowboy Kid, Canvas BG
Paper: Night of Navy, Whisper White, Real Red
Ink: Night of Navy, Real Red
Accessories: Round Tab punch, prismacolor pencils, gamsol, blending stumps

Summer vacation is in full swing now and I’m going to try to keep my almost 6 year old quite busy, so he doesn’t drive me absolutely bonkers!!!!

Whew! We combined the second and third classes to cover six techniques in two hours. All of the instructions/tutorials I used are available on Splitcoaststampers. Here’s the card we made using the Magic Snowflake Technique. Since it is almost summer, I chose not to do an actual snowflake image.

Stamps: Doodle This
Ink: Barely Banana, Pretty In Pink, Apricot Appeal, and Regal Rose reinkers, Whisper White Craft Ink
Paper: Whisper White, Barely Banana, Regal Rose
Accessories: Regal Rose 5/8 inch grosgrain ribbon, white embossing powder, embossing buddy
Misc: 91% volume rubbing alcohol, cotton balls, heat gun

This technique is so easy and it really is like magic! Make sure that you rub the embossing buddy on the cardstock before stamping. It really makes a big difference, so if you don’t have one, you may want to get one. That is tool is *so* worth the $5 you’ll spend on it! I also really love this color combination for this technique, as well as the Doodle This set. I haven’t pulled that one out for quite a while, so it was nice to give it some love.

Here is another technique we did in class. It is called Emerging Color.

Ink: So Saffron, Groovy Guava, Rose Red, Ruby Red, Versamark
Paper: Rose Red, Whisper White, So Saffron
Accessories: Clear embossing powder
Misc: Brayer

This is another technique that is like magic. It was so fun to break out my brayer and actually get some ink on it! If you haven’t inked yours up lately (or ever), I challenge you to do so! Leave a comment on this post with a link to your creations so that I can check them out.

I made this scrapbook page for my sister for Mother’s Day. I had been promising to make a new one for her for a while and finally took a really cute picture of my nieces that I knew *had* to be scrapped! She has a page I made for her previously framed in her house, so this one will replace that. I think she really liked it and it was fun to do. I used a retired Simply Scrappin’ Kit from Stampin’ Up! (of course). It was called Just Delightful and I really liked the colors of the paper in it.

My sister and I also took my mom out to dinner and to see the show “Mom’s the Word” at the Lowry Theater in St. Paul for her Mother’s Day gift from us. It was absolutely hysterical and soooo true! If you are in the area and are looking for some laughs, you might want to check it out. It is running until July, I believe. The three of us had a great time. I’m very fortunate that I have a very close relationship with my mom and that my sister and I get along, too.

I hope you all had a wonderful Mother’s Day! Lord knows my kids drive me crazy, but I love them more than anything in the entire world and know how truly lucky and blessed I am to be their mother.

Here are the other two cards we made at Mary’s Stamp-A-Stack:

Wedding:

Stamps: Baroque Motifs, To Have and To Hold
Ink: White StazOn, Chocolate Chip
Paper: Groovy Guava, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White
Accessories: white organdy ribbon, Ticket Corner punch

Graduation:

Stamps: Great Grads
Ink: Basic Black, Basic Gray
Paper: Basic Black, Basic Gray, Whisper White
Accessories: Scallop punch, 1 3/8 inch Circle punch

Here are two of the cards we made at Mary’s Stamp-A-Stack. Mary is the ultimate hostess and has a really wonderful group of friends and family who get together to make cards. The themes she chose this time were wedding, graduation, Mother’s Day, and Father’s Day. Here are the Mother’s Day and Father’s Day designs:

Mother’s Day:

Stamps: Wonderful Favorites, Lovely as a Tree, Weathered
Ink: Chocolate Chip
Paper: Kraft, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White
Accessories: sponge

Yes, this is the same design you saw in the techniques post with a slight change in colors.

Father’s Day: