Designer Cut Cards

Have you noticed the Designer Cuts cards seen on page 9 of the current mini? I must admit I totally missed them until they began showing up on blog posts. This card was made as a case of the post seen here. I finally got around to making it and I have to agree, it is beautiful in person. Love the Blushing Bride matching envelope too! Who cares if it says be mine, Valentine? My Valentine is mine year round! Whoa, it did not look so crooked in real life!

CAS Thank You Card

I just got a new package of these note cards and wanted to have a quick card that I could use for a door prize for the Women's Retreat and pulled out the elegant Rue des Fleurs set and made all 20 in the package. I mean you can never have too many thank you notes on hand! I mounted both stamps on one block and the stamping was quick and painless. In fact, I did not mess up a single card! 

P.S. CAS means Clean and Simple

Rue Des Fleurs Strikes Again!

One more time...Rue Des Fleurs. I believe I have now shown all the great images to be seen in this set. How about this great parasol? Don't you love it? It would be great for a shower card too. I used it for the thanks as you can never have too many thank you cards. Colors used are Pool Party, Very Vanilla and Soft Suede.

Beau Chateau Side Notes

I ordered the package of Beau Chateau Side Notes as soon as the new catalog came out but have been hard-pressed to use them. So now, whenever I am sitting around looking for inspiration I am challenging myself to use one of these. No stamping required and they add such a pretty piece to whatever element they are being used on.

Another Rue Des Fleurs

I can't help myself, I love this set and I am sure it won't be the last you will see of it! This one features the pen, the thanks and the corset! As you can see I kept it very basic in colors to offset the flourishes and used on Soft Suede and Whisper White.

CCMC 190 - A Sketch

Here is the Sketch

And this is my interpretation of the above sketch. I have just pulled out this hostess stamp set called Precious Butterflies and have been playing with it all evening. I love the soft colors of this card with the So Saffron & Wisteria Wonder. Spring is absolutely busting to come here in Hot Atlanta. I worked in the yard all afternoon after work today. I can hardly move my arms but I am still stamping! The Forsythia is in bloom as well as Cherry trees and Tulip Poplars. If that is not spring, well, it can't be far behind!

Manly Elementary Elegance

Do you find yourself challenged to make masculine cards? Well, I know I am and so are most of my stamping friends so when you see a good one you want to make it right away. I saw this one of Fran Sanbad's blog and cased it right away making a couple of minor changes. Now I have a manly man card that you can create for yourself and it is made using one of the great FREE SAB stamp sets called Elementary Elegance! A bonus: this little card took less than 5 minutes to make. This also works for the Paper Players Clean and Simple challenge this week.

Fresh Vintage - SAB set

This is one I just made and was also inspired by Fran Sanbad. I changed the colors and the embossing folder and the sentiment but the rest is hers. I love the new new Paper Doily but I have to admit it is rather "fussy" to work with. The colors seen here are: Pink Pirouette and Sahara Sand.

Another Challenge Card for Connie and Mary

I think this will be the last challenge for this session of Occasions 2012 Create with Connie and Mary. They have agained wowed me with all the projects and full tutorials. If you have never subscribed, what are you waiting for? I just love the ideas and challenges and to see what others are making and their creativity. I am mostly a 'caser' so this is perfect for me!

Today these colors reminded me of a challenge from a couple of weeks ago and I again reached into my stash and cased myself. Since the colors were rather funky, I used the stamp set Funky Four. I love the little brads since they match the colors. And that owl punch, well, you can never use him too much!

A great card for anyone!

A Leadership Card

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This is one of the cards we made at Leadership back in January. Although I knew no one going into it, I met some new people and had a lot of fun! I hope I will be able to go again and I really hope Stampin' Up! will do another Regional here in Atlanta so I can take some of you with me!

Killing 2 Birds...

You know the old saying, "Killling 2 birds with 1 stone." That is what this card represents. It is answering the call to 2 challenges this week. The first one is the Paper Pals Art challenge and the 2nd is the Creating Pretty Cards week 3 challenge. The sketch for both is so similar that I figured..."why not?" I started with the very pretty Pool Party card stock and layered with the Poppy Parade and a piece from the Attic Boutique DSP. The quote is from the set Fabulous Flowers. It is simple and clean, just my style! Seems like I have been on a paper flower trail lately. Oh well, they are so pretty!

Chocolate, Limeade and Melon Mambo - CCMC 189

Thought you had me there for a while! I was a bit stumped but I pulled it out and put together this card casing a sketch from another card from my stash. I used all the colors but mostly the Limeade and Mambo (kind of sounds like a snake)! I used 2 stamp sets and a piece of the Beyond the Garden DSP. Thanks for looking!

Stamp Sets:  Fabulous Florets & Happy Greetings

Creating Pretty Cards - Week 2

I am playing with another sketch and any one can play! Just click here for more info. This was another sketch. There is a tutorial to help you with your sketch as well. I used Marina Mist, Very Vanilla, Soft Suede and the Beau Chateau DSP. The flower is from the Beau Chateau side notes. I just cut and colored it. The dream is from the mini called Loving Thoughts.

A Vintage Petite Purse

I put together a quick little bag with 6 3x3 cards and envelopes here to be used as a door prize at my upcoming women's retreat. I found the tutorial here at Another Chance to Stamp. It was so simple and I made a little change to make it more simple for me. It is so pretty I almost hate to give it away!

Week 4 - Theme Challenge

Another sweet treat. Ok, I hate to admit it but I have had this little box for a couple of years and have just now torn it apart to make another one. Mine was made of pink card stock and had little chocolates (handmade) in it. I loved the box and so I made one like it with DSP from Pocketful of Posies. I decorated it with some of the flowers from the Blossom Builders kit. I closed it with a mini magnet and the brad.

The Valentine's Dance

Nick and me

My old class from Harrison High

A friend from Lost Mountain, now at Allatoona High

It was a lua theme

 I have to say that this has to be one of the best days of the school year for me and so I know it is for these special kids! I love my job and I love being a servant for this special population. I just had to share a personal note. This is why I love Valentine's day. Thanks to Kennesaw Mountain High School for making this happen again!

Challenge #82: Ann's Colour Challenge

Today I am playing with the Paper Players Challenge. This is a first for me, I just stumbled upon this blog last week. Today is a color challenge. You know how I love the challenges!
This is my card. It is very basic and clean as is my style. I used the floral image from the Day of Gratitude stamp set in the prescribed colors.

The Paper Players Design Team Call

Ok, bear with me for this one. I am applying to be a designer! I will be showing repeats from recently for this blog and then will move on to new stuff. But hey, since I am doubling up I figure you can handle it!
My name is Judi Sparks. A little about me...I am a Christian wife, mother of 3, life long crafter and a Stampin' Up! demonstrator. I also have a full-time job as a nurse with special needs children. I stay very busy but am able to make time to craft by skipping TV! I love to work with paper and play with challenges. I am posting 3 very recent projects for you to view. Thanks!

Week 4 Create with Connie and Mary Occasions Challenge

A LITTLE TREAT FOR SOMEONE SWEET!  That is the theme for this week's special occasions challenge. I just so happened to see this heart box on Christena Bagne's blog and went on to create one. Well, it is after Valentine's so I am either late or early for next year! I prefer to think I am just way ahead of time. Click here for her tutorial.  Now, without further ado...here is my box. 

 Would be yummy with m&m's in there!

Valentines Box

We made this little box at my recent Valentines SAB class. I was inspired to make it from the one I got at Leadership. I changed the embosslits and filled it with candy when I was done. This was  the little treat bag for my little preschoolers for Valentines. Don't you love the little Fancy Favor box die cut? Gotta love that Big Shot!

Ooh La La, Rue Des Fleurs

How about that corset? Isn't she a beauty? I would never wear one myself but if I did it sure would not cinch in the waist like this one. I love the flowers sticking out the top. The DSP I used is again from the Attic Boutique and the little tags were done using Tiny Tags. Love the lace!

A Heart Felt Expression for My DH

I wanted something a little more special for my DH. He is so understanding and tolerant of my need to stamp and blog! I saw this heart on the Stamping School blog and stopped everything to make it. I used the retired Newsprint DSP but you could use the First Edition Specialty DSP. It is a large heart that was hand-cut and folded to make it look like an envelope. It might be called a Heart-a-lope? In any case, I am attempting to show the folds in the photos. First fold it in half to cut the heart, then fold the outer humps of the heart to the center. Now, fold the top down and bottom up. Clear as mud, huh? I closed it by stamping a piece of Very Vanilla with the circle from Artistic Etchings and punched the red circle to go over it and added a piece of the bakers twine to tie it shut to the red circle fire brad.

A Glittery Valentines to You

Inside of Card

Ok, this is a glitter card for Valentines. I used Real Red and stamped the flourish from Creative Elements with VersaMark and used the Heat and Stick powder to make the glitter stick. The other elements were done with Crumb Cake and the glitter paper. I stamped the buterfly on Pink Pirouette to soften it a bit. The scroll work was done using the Subtles DSP and the Lace Ribbon Border punch. I think it turned out great!

Create with Connie and Mary 188

Here is the sketch and the challenge is to make a Stampin' Up! only card or project using this sketch and any colors or stamps that I choose. If you want to play along click here for all the deets!
For my sketch I took the layout seen in the mini and made it into a card. I started with the Soft Suede card stock and used some of the beautiful Attic Boutique DSP for the elements. So, what do ya' think?

 

This one will have to be hand-delivered or packed in bubble wrap!

A Manly Valentines Card

This is one of the projects I recently made for Valentines. It is always a bit challenging to make manly cards and an occasion like Valentine's is no exception! This one was made using the Basic Grey, Whisper White and Real Red card stock. As you can see I used the new heart embossing folder for the middle of the card. The sentiment comes from the ever useful Teeny Tiny Wishes set.