New Slideshow

I have just added a new slide show of my creations on the left side bar. There are a lot of cards that are not posted any where else on my blog! If you have questions about anything, please let me know.

(I have been busy getting ready for an event (craft fair kind of thing) to sell some of my things at...I will post more later!)

Create-a-Calendar '09

Here is a sneak peak of something that will be in the Holiday Mini Catalog. It's the "Create-a-Calendar '09"! The calendar kit comes with everything you need to create a 2009 Calendar, including 12 reprinted calendar pages with coordinating designer series paper (DSP) on the back, a die-cut pocket to store your calendar in, ribbon and a sheet of exclusive, self adhesive, die cuts to decorate your calendar with.

There are a lot of other things you can get from SU to give your calendar kit a little more zing! For example, any of the chip-board clip-boards (use them to mount the current month on so it is displayable) , more ribbon, extra DSP, your favorite stamp set to decorate the months....and so much more!

What a quick and simple gift idea for a friend or yourself!

Winter's on it's way

This is what we woke up to last week.

Yep, that is snow on the lawn! You know what that means...winter is just around the corner.

September Club Cards

Here are the Cards that we are doing in my monthly stamping club. The first one is our Halloween card. It uses the Ghostly Greeting DSP, Elegant Eggplant, Basic Black and Whisper White card stock, the new 5/8" Tangerine Tango Grosgrain ribbon, Haunting Halloween stamp set and a few black eyelets. I think the way the card is folded makes it look taller for some reason.

I sponged all the edges of the DSP, Whisper White and Elegant Eggplant card stock with the appropriate colors. The inside reads "... a haunting Halloween!"

The next two cards each use a stamp sets that is currently on promotion with SU for 15% off. They are both brand new sets to this catalog and I love them both!!

This card uses the new Urban Garden DSP, Kiwi Kiss, Whisper White and Not Quite Navy card stock, 1" double stitched grosgrain ribbon in Baja Breeze, the new Pocket Silhouettes stamp set, the new scallop edge punch, a 1/16" circle punch, the 1 1/4" square punch, a corner rounder and a silver brad.

This card could be changed so easily by using any of the DSP's and a coordinating stamp set.

This card uses the new Upsy Daisy stamp set (this set has sooo much potential!!), the Bella Rose DSP, Chocolate Chip, Riding Hood Red and Whisper White card stock, the 1 3/4" circle punch and the Coluzzle Cutting System. The daisy's are stamped in Riding Hood Red and Tangerine Tango.

I use ribbon a lot on cards, but this card has no ribbon, and I think it looks good that way!

My fellow demonstrators work...

This past Tuesday night we had a demonstrators meeting. There were about 14 of us there, we made a few projects using the Big Shot and also had a swap. All of the cards that I got during the swap were great, but I picked my top two favorites to show you. The one on the left was made by Cindy Garner and the one on the right was made by Erle Lynne Jones. I really like both of them, because they have such clean lines and the images stand out nicely. Thanks Cindy and Erle Lynn!

Simple Suspension

These are suspension cards. The punched out circle is "suspended" and spins around showing two different images.

When I read the sentiment that I used ("if nothing ever changed there would be no butterflies.-unknown") and thought of a suspension card, I came up with this idea. I thought it was appropriate, because the card is changing (while you spin it) to having a butterfly to no butterfly flying through the bold flowers.

I used all six of the new in colors on the two cards (three on each), along with the Basic Black and Whisper White paper. The flower and the butterfly are from the Pretty Amazing stamp set that is now on the dormant list, but still available and the sentiment is from Flight of the Butterfly stamp set in the current catalog.

For a tutorial on how to make a suspension card visit Splitcoast Stamper's:
http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/ee/index.php/resources/tutorials/suspension_card/

Sneak Peak!

As a demonstrator, I am able to order new products about one month earlier than when they are available for everyone to order, so of course I do! The Stampin' Up! Holiday Mini Catalog is the one I can order from now and there are some cute things in there. I received my order, and here is a picture of the things that I ordered....
I am not going to tell you what they are, but I figured a picture would tease you enough until you can order from the Holiday Mini Catalog starting October 1st. Can you tell what anything is?!?

(If I make anything using any of my new things, I will up-load it.....stay posted!! :) )

Placing Orders

Now you can place your Stampin' Up! orders online!

To do so:
-Go to my SU web-page (www.rgould.stampinup.net)
-Click on "Shop Now" on the top right
-Look through the on-line ordering catalog and click on the items you want
-Checkout, submit your order, and you are done!

It's that easy! Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Framed

If you have looked through the new catalog, I am sure you will know where I got my inspiration from for this frame. As soon as I saw that picture frame (pg 161) in the catalog, I new I was going to make one like it, so I did! I found the picture frame I used at a discount store on sale. I then brought it home and distressed it a little bit with a sanding block (you probably can't see it too much in the picture). Then came the hard part, what colors to use. I came up with Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, Pink Pirouette, Baja Breeze and a little Riding Hood Red for some accents.

I made each little square a little different and had fun experimenting with each of them! I used punches, felt flowers, brads, mini library clips, buttons, sponges, ribbon, paper piercer, stamps, ink and paper. (I only used accessories, designer series paper (DSP), and the colors that are available in the new catalog.) I purposely put each square on a little crooked, because I knew I couldn't put them all straight in a row!

I thought the stamp "happiness always" was a good sentiment to put in the middle, because that what stamping is to me! :)

In this picture you can see a few of the little squares and some of the details of them. I really had fun with this frame!

(If you have any questions of what exactly I used, let me know!)

Subscribe...

Now you can subscribe to my blog! (See the link on the left)

*FYI- when you subscribe you will receive an e-mail whenever I add something new to my blog!

Christmas Cards in September?

Yep, that is right, Christmas Cards in September. A customer of mine is hosting a small workshop on Sunday and she wanted to do Christmas cards, so that is what we are doing! I defiantly wasn't in the mood for Christmas, but once I got going, it was fun. She said she wanted to do a "pop-up" card. So I did two different variations of a "pop-up" card. The first one is called a "free standing pop-up" card. The picture might me hard to tell, but the Riding Hood Red tag thing in the middle is "popping up" from the base of the card. This card is neat, because is does fold flat and fit into a standard size envelope. I added a few die cut snowflakes I made using the Big Shot to give it a little more 3-d.

The second "pop-up" card is this one. I made the front of this card plane, because the inside is exciting! The second picture of it shows the "pop-up" part from the side.The size of this card is 6 1/2" X 3 1/4".

This next card is made from a flower set! It is from the Fabulous Flower Stamp Set. I stamped the "flower" and then cut around the edge of it and then punched out the middle the make the wreath shape. Then I added the berries and the five petal flower punch to finish it off. I created the Close to Cocoa background by scoring it and then sponging over it.

The last card we are doing at her workshop is very simple, using very few supplies and colors, but striking at the same time. I CASED it from LateBlossom on Splitcoast Stampers (SCS). The background is done by sponging. I really like this card! Thanks LateBlossom for the inspiration!

My Stamping Room

This is my stamping room. You can tell it gets used!

Halloween Faces

Halloween is just around the corner, so I have been making a few Halloween cards. Here they are! What do you think?





I have seen cards and bags and candy holders very very similar to these, so that is where I got my inspiration. I didn't use a single stamp on them. I used punches, ink and a sponge daubers, my scissors and a marker! They are pretty easy to make and I think they tured out cute! Can you tell what they are?

Sizzix Big Shot

Have you ever heard of Sizzix? Well SU rescently partnered with them and now SU sells The Sizzix Big Shot! (FYI...The Sizzix Big Shot is a personal die-cutting system that is run with the crank of the handle and is super easy to use!) SU came out with some exclusive dies that coordinate with some of their other products. I haven't had a chance to play with it a lot, but what I have had time to do I have had fun with!

Here is a card that I made that uses the Scallop Envelope Bigz Die and the flowers from the Birds and Blooms Sizzlits die. (That is the Big Shot in the background) I think you can tell, but the "birthday..." stamp is stamped on a piece of paper that is slipped into the envelope that I die cut and taped onto the card front. The paper that I used is called Green Tea and it is from the new Designer Series Paper.

(I am actually demonstrating this card as my "Sizzix Project" at our next Demonstrators meeting next week.)

I will have to play around with my Big Shot more! There seems to be no end in possibilities with what you can do with it! (oh....did I mention that it can cut through over 45 materials including fabric, metal, cork and chipboard!!!)

Decore Elements

Stampin' Up! (SU) recently came out with a new product line.....Decore Elements! These self-adhesive vinyl designs coordinate with many of SU's existing products. They are super easy to apply and just as easy to remove. They are a great way to add a decorative touch to your home. They can be applied to any smooth clean surface (they recommend not using them on textured walls, but I did and they worked just fine!)

I put up my first Decore Elements, and they were so easy! I used the Manhatten Flower's and the Create Definition. (The flowers are the craft color and the definition is chocolate chip.) For the Create Definition, I painted a canvas and then applied the Manhatten flowers, and then the definition. I liked the way it turned out. So after I did that one, I had parts of the flowers left, so I put them around my window in my craft room! I think they look good too! What do you think?

My First Post!

I am going to be posting cards and projects that I have created. I don't promiss to post every day, but I will try to post at least once a week, that it my goal. I hope you enjoy my projects and fell inspired to make something of your own! Here I go!