A sketch card challenge

Christmas cards already! Reminder: Last week to buy retiring Stampin Up....

Before I forget, I wanted to post a reminder about Stampin Up's Last Chance lists - these are items that will be retiring, and June 30th is the last day they can be ordered...gee, that's tomorrow! 

So if you haven't checked our the Last Chance products,

you can take a quick peek here.

2 hybrid cat cards

I just made 2 "hybrid" cards for a cat themed swap - Hybrid means a combo of a digital software program and non-digital items. I used Stampin Up's My Digital Studio for the card base, and then embellished the rest of the card with Stampin Up products, such as an embossing folder, baker's twine, butterfly diecuts, and so saffron cardstock. 

A cute thank you card from Marti!

I received this cute thank you card from another fellow Stampin Up demonstrator, who had won the blog candy (beveled frame pin) I offered during the Sudsol blog tour.  I love the colors in it, and especially love lighter shades of blue and polka dots!  Thanks Marti!! 

Here is her blog where you can see a picture of her cat, Tea:  http://stampinwithteanme.blogspot.com/

I am finishing up decorating the graduation photobook for my son - here is the front of it, with a chocolate chip striped grosgrain ribbon. The book is crumb cake linen fabric, very elegant, with brown for the inside front and back cover.  I have been posting some pages of it this week.

Here's a closeup of the embellishments I attached to the grosgrain ribbon - Stampin Up's new early expresso striped baker's twine and a vintage trinket that is a key with a lobster claw. Hope he doesn't think it's too feminine - guess I will find out this weekend...

 I also made a hybrid card for his graduation, which is a combo of My Digital Studio and non-digital cardmaking items.  I embossed the front with the square lattice embossing folder, glued it onto designer paper, and added a strip of trimmed down grosgrain ribbon at the bottom.  That is a filligree brad with a glimmer brad at the bottom, and marina mist taffeta ribbon at the top. 

                                   

I even made a "matching" card for my son's girlfriend!  Her card has the rich razzleberry ribbon at the bottom, a white brad, and the scallops are in razzleberry too.  I hope they don't think I am too old-fashioned and corny for being sentimental....!!  Gee, you only get to graduate from high school once!!

Two more digital scrapbooking pages

Here are a couple more pages from my son's graduation scrapbook - My Digital Studio was used - my first big project...took me about a month from start to finish.  But I got to organize all my photos! 

This page features my son's "pets."  The little brown dog is our furbaby when we first got her 3 years ago.  I think every child should have the fun opportunity to have a dog...

My son is a natural athlete and once he has done an activity/sport several times, he does so well incorporating all the details of it to get the total picture.  That is his learning style....think he must take after me lol!  We had some fun times with the snowboarding weekends at Snowshoe Mountain. 

I am wondering if I should put in a few handwritten comments so my son will have that when I am gone....

My Digital Studio photobook for graduation 3 more pages

Here are 3 more pages of the My Digital Studio photobook I have been working on for the past month...sorting and organizing 18 years' worth of pictures in boxes and on my computer.  The photobook is for my son's graduation this weekend.

This page features photos of him and his older brother.

This page has some of the creative designs my son has done over the past 18 years - he really likes making things, and taking them apart to make them even better!  He calls it "modding."

My son also likes to play golf - you can see he started it at a very young age.  We usually find a mini-golf course to try out where ever we go!! 

I learned a lot doing this project, as it was my first really big project with My Digital Studio.  More pages coming....

Yellow vespa!

I needed to make some cards for a swap this weekend....When I went to get my new haircut (thanks for making me look great Sarah!), my hairdresser showed me her brand-new bright yellow Vespa scooter!  It was awesome and inspired me to use the On the Grow stamp set by Stampin Up because it has a vespa in it....

and of course I had to do it in yellow!! 

I knew I wanted to use some of the pretty items in the summer mini-catalog but had no idea of a design.  Then I remembered seeing a sketch challenge on Cristena Bagne's blog (http://www.gettincrafty.com/), which is shown above.

So I used this sketch to make up my swap cards with a yellow watercolored vespa.  Here is the card - the new triple layer punch is in the corner, as well as the Beyond the Garden designer paper.  This designer paper inspired me to use the colors of daffodil delight, pacific point, and tangerine tango and wild wasabi (in the flowers).  Aren't these colors bright and cheery?!  

After stamping the scooter with black stazon ink on watercoloring paper, I used Stampin Up's watercolor pencils and the blender pen.  Here is a closeup of the watercolored vespa.  I think my watercoloring skills have improved, and that what I've learned from taking Diana Gibbs' watercoloring classes are starting to sink in...!

I made an extra card that I am going to send to my hairdresser to thank her for making my hair look great (that always makes me feel good too!) and inspiring me to come up with this card.  Here is a picture of her on her new vespa and the flashy helmet she got too - the helmet has yellow and black flames on it.  She wanted to make sure everyone saw her coming and going -- Doesn't it look fun?!

Our furbaby, Inu, thinks it is pretty cool too, and very quiet! 

Much nicer than those noisy motorcycles that scare her lol!!

I think I might try using more sketches in the future when making cards - I enjoyed using this one - thanks Cristena!!

First page of photobook...and how much is that doggy on the cupcake? I mean those twin doggies...

What a cute boy, huh?!!  I wanted to start to share the My Digital Studio photobook that I have been working on for the past 3 weeks, and just sent to the printers earlier this week.  This is the first page of it - it is in crumbcake, blues, and browns. 

There is a really nice graduation poem on the first page that you can't see, so a larger version of it is below.  It expresses my feelings perfectly! 

I will be posting more pages of the photobook later...

 Also I made a dog card for a Sudsol challenge, online class challenge, and a swap.  I love the pompom trim by Stampin Up, so used that around the picture.  The dog on the cupcake reminded me of that song by Patti Page, "How much is that doggy in the window?"

But to say, "how much is that doggy on the cupcake?" would fit better, right?!  And since I made a pair of them, I could even call them the twin doggies!  The dogs have a blingy rhinestone collar!

So have you been able to check out the items that will be retiring in Stampin Up yet?   After this month they won't be available (unless you get them in the digital software My Digital Studio).

Have you checked out the easy to use digital software My Digital Studio yet?

Is this absolutely pretty and sweet??  This is one of Stampin Up's My Digital Studio downloads available this month. It is so cute and I know different parts of the kit can be used for other occasions,

not just baby events!

Why is My Digital Studio software so great??  My Digital Studio allows you to be your own digital designer and create an array of interactive digital scrapbooks, cards, calendars, and more—which can then be printed by Stampin’ Up!’s professional print services or printed at home, saved to DVDs, e-mailed, or uploaded to the Internet. 

 

One of my favorite things about My Digital Studio downloads is seeing some of my favorite retired Designer Series papers return!  Once you get the download, it is yours forever to do whatever you want with it...and you can download it instantly right after you pay for it. 

This is called the Hello, Baby Ensemble Kit -

Out with the old....Stampin Up retiring stamps, accessories, decor elements Last Chance

This list was just announced this morning!

Stampin Up's retiring accessories are only available while supplies last - so do not delay in ordering these items, they go quick!  And to make it even sweeter, many of these retiring accessories are 25% and 40% off!  And many of our beloved stamp sets are also retiring, so be sure to order your favorites before they retire as well.

The quickest way to order today is by ordering from me to get your goodies at the best preferred prices before they are gone forever! 

These retiring last chance items and prices are available only for the month of June, so don't delay...

Click here to see the lists:

Retiring Stamp Sets Clear Mount 

Retiring Stamp Sets Wood Mount

Retiring accessories list

(items with an * in the right hand colum will be back in a new and "configured form" and you will recognize them; however,

there may be a price increase.)

Retiring Decor Elements

(There will no longer a separate catalog for decor items as they will be offered with all the other Stampin Up products in the new summer catalog next month.  So there will be many decor elements no longer available, but new ones too.)

Last Chance Discounted Products

(these range from designer paper, diecuts, and embosslits,

to ribbon and hardware)

Get all your Stampin Up retiring items by contacting today to

place your order, OK? 

If you reside in Leisure World where I can bring your order by your manor I offer a reduced shipping cost!!