MDS sale this week!

If you haven't already tried MDS - now is the time. You can take advantage of great sales and free downloads all this week! Don't have MDS? Well -  you can try that for free too!  Follow the link to my website for the downloads and information  http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/hilarysmith/promotions

More Single Stamps Released!

Just in time for today's Sell-A-Stamp Spooktacular!!! Stampin' Up! has released more single stamps. Today almost every stamp in the current catalogs (annual and holiday) are 15% off. If you order a stamp today through me or my website you will also be entered in a drawing to win a free gift! So start shopping :o)

 

 

Star Tree

I have been experimenting with possible Make N Takes for an upcoming craft show.  I think this might be my final design. The layer of Real Red has been embossed with the Plenty of Petals folder. The Star Tree is stamped in Old Olive and the 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon is also in Old Olive. I would love some feedback before the show!

Here is another version without the embossing.

Spooktacular Savings!

Wahoooo!!!! Save some time for yourself to do a little shopping on Monday! You can shop directly on my website www.hilarysmith.stampinup.net or email me at mightyoakstampers@yahoo.com to place your orders. Take advantage of this great sale and do a little Christmas Shopping (yes, you are allowed to stuff your own stockings too!)

Simplicity

This stamp set is so beautiful, I thought it could stand on its own.  I think even a single ornament with the words would be fine on a smaller card. Keep following the blog to see if I do that in a couple days :o) Stampin' Up! has done an amazing job with the detail on the Ornament Keepsakes stamp set.  The ornaments are stamped in Real Red and Lucky Limeade using Lucky Limeade and Whisper White cardstock. 

Framelit Window Card

This is a card that I cased from a fellow demonstrator - I thought it was pretty cute.  I love the simple lines.  It doesn't quite come across in this photo - but the red piece is actually a cut out. I used the Labels Collection Framelets to cut the shape out of the card. The red you see is actually the back of a piece of cardstock on the inside of the card that come from the Candelight Christmas Specialty Designer Series Paper.  I saved the cut out and used it inside the card as you can see below.

The stamps are from the More Merry Messages set or the Ornament Keepsakes set.  I really enjoy using the Naturals Designer buttons on my Christmas cards too, I think it gives them an extra warmth.  The button is tied off with Cherry Cobbler Bakers Twine. 

Boooooooo!

These were a lot of fun and really fast to whip up. I felt like taking a treat to help everyone through an evening meeting last week. I stamped right on to the cellophane bags (love these at only $2.50 for 50 bags!!!) using Stampin' Up! Black Stazon ink.  I used the Howlstooth & Scaringbone Designer Series Paper with the Scallop punch. The bat and spider stamps are from the Googly Ghouls stamp set in the holiday catalog. It's not too late to get your supplies for Halloween treats! Visit my website at www.hilarysmith.stampinup.net to place your order today.

Spoooky......

Okay, not too spooky.... actually lighting your way for Halloween!  Yet another way to use the Googly Ghouls. This was made using the Fancy Favor Bigz XL and Howlstooth & Scaringbone Designer Series Paper to make the basic box. Then I used the scallop punch for the window. I stamped the bats onto orange tissue paper and attached it to the inside of the box. The glow is a LED tea light. The mummy was stamped onto Whisper White cardstock and then cut out and attached with dimensionals to give him a little extra pop.  The Happy Halloween stamp is part of the Seasonal Sayings set in the Holiday catalog. However - it is also one of the stamps sets that is now available for purchase as individual stamps. Please check my blog for the details!

Help with the Clutter!

No, I am not offering to come and clean your house.  For a lot of us, Fall means school starting. School starting means notices coming home in bookbags. So there I was with a pile of notices on my counter and I needed to get them organized. Quick, run to the office and make something nice to hang stuff on the fridge! These are super easy and super cute! I just added some Twitterpated Designer Series Paper to a clothes pin. I added a little BoHo Blossom punch flowers with a Pearl. With a small magnet added to the back it was done in just a few minutes. Finding the tops of my counters took a bit longer :o)  Go see what you can create today!

C.A.S.E.

You may  have heard me use this term before - to C.A.S.E. a card. It means to Copy And Share Everything!  I was fortunate enough to join two of my fellow demonstrators last week. We each brought a new card to share with the others. Caroline brought the cutest Halloween card shown below with the Frightening Feline stamp.  I just loved it with the rhinestone eyes too! But since I did not have the stamp, when I got home and wanted to CASE it, I just tweeked it to what I had handy. Mine is the one above with the little Googly Ghoul.

Below, my Supervisor Michelle did a beautiful job with this card. The photograph really does not do it justice the colors are so rich. 

 

So once again I CASEd the card using the stamps that I had on hand. Yes, I did have the same Greetings of the Season stamp set (love it!) but I have the Star Tree rather than the Evergreen stamp set.  I was a little stumped on a color combination, so I turned to my handy Color Coach from Stampin' Up! to inspire me. I selected Lucky Limeade, Perfect Plum, and Red Riding Hood.  

I hope that you are finding things to CASE while visiting my blog - feel free to copy what I have, or to adapt it to what you like best. That is the fun of crafting and stamping - we can create whatever we imagine!  Now go get your hands inky :o)

Purely By Accident....

That is how this card came into being.... Purely By Accident!  I love it when that happens.  I had just cut out the tree using the Holiday Collection Framelit Dies, and I put the leftover piece of paper down on my workspace. It happened to land on this other piece of paper from the Candlelight Christmas Designer Series Paper. I took a glance at it and just had to make a card with it. So here is the final result. I placed my "accident" on Crumb Cake Cardstock, added a Real Red 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon, and a stamp from the More Merry Messages set. This was layered on Lucky Limeade cardstock that I first embossed with the Elegant Lines folder.  So go ahead and mess up your workspace - you never know what you might discover. Just keep Stampin'!

Single Stamps!!!

 

They're here!!!  Stampin' Up! is such a great company!  A lot of our customers had requested the option of purchasing single stamps rather than whole stamp sets.  Well - your wish has been granted.  Stampin' Up! is doing a trial run to see if this is something they wish to do in the future. (hint: if you are excited about this, let them know by purchasing a single stamp). As the flyer says, this is a limited time offer to see how well it works.  We only have until January 2, and at this time they are doing the trial for just three stamp sets. Take a look below and pick out your favorites - and hey, get a couple for stocking stuffers for your favorite stamping buddies too. 

 

 

 

Candy Cane Fun

Yes, I keep bouncing between Halloween and Christmas! I can't make up my mind which cards are more fun to work on right now, so I am doing both. This one is using the Scentsational Season stamp set and framelits to make the candy canes (pg 16 in the Holiday Catalog). I tied them up with Lucky Limeade Bakers Twine. The printed paper is from Candlelight Christmas Specialty Designer Series Paper. Cardstock is Lucky Limeade and Real Red. The sentiment is from the More Merry Messages stamp set (pg 15 in the Annual Catalog) and punched out using the Modern Label punch on page 183. I hope this might give you a little inspriration for some fun Christmas cards!