Valentine's for Soldiers

I have been without a camera, because our little digital gave out, and I had to take these with my hubby's IPhone. He bought a really cool new camera, and was so excited showing it off to his parents, he left it at their house. So, I'm reposting some pics of Valentines to encourage you to send some cards to Beate who is sending them to soldiers who are away from their Valentines serving our country bravely! Do it today, so she can get them in time! She will send you an address, so email her first! Spread the love! And if you've checked out the Color Q site save your Color Collection, upload a photo of your Valentine's, and em me the name so I can check them out! Happy Stamping!

Look what we made!!!!

I started this new site for my stamping/crafting/scrapbooking
business. Of course color is useful in every craft-but these are the colors from my Stampin' Up! business. It is so fun to play with so check it out. It's hard to mess up at putting colors together when you see them laid out in the view portion. This is just a picture of the original mock-up. We've been working so hard on it! So, go check out SUColorQ.com
and start creating your personal Q (Queue) of Color combos which we call Color Collections. Inspiration for your crafting will be waiting for you!Many Thanks to my sis-in-law for her input and enthusiasm! Check out her blog too-Dragonfly Impressions.

COLOR COLLECTIONS!!!!!

Autumn Quilt- That is what I named this Color Collection. It reminded me of a quilt my Grandmother might have made. I really loved how this card turned out, so I will definitely keep this Collection in my Q! For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about-my Q is referring to my new website SUColorQ. I am so excited to finally launch it and present it to the world! On this site you can create Color combos-referred to as Color Collections, and then save them into your Q (Queue). You can give each Collection a name, and as many labels as you wish. When you are in a pinch preparing for a class (SU Demonstrators), or just having crafters block, you can go to your Q, look at your labels and pick Boy and Birthday-and Voila! -inspiration you already love. You will be able to share your Collections with others, as well as surf through the Collections they have shared. You can view, edit, print etc. whatever you might need to get ready for your next craft moment. Start by looking at the Idea Book and Catalog, and create a Collection based on a project you liked. Try it out free for a week-and see what you think. I welcome any feedback you'd like to give. Happy Stamping! Oh-and Grandma, I love your quilts!

Products/Techniques Used

Thought you might want to know what products I used for this Valentine's Card. All products are Stampin'Up! because they are the best! Card itself is Rose Red Card stock, with a strip of Regal Rose, and image is stamped on Naturals Ivory. I think the Ivory has a more Vintage look than the Vanilla-so I thought it suited a Valentine. The stamps are from the (just retired) Wing It Stamp Set, and the Rough Edges Alphabet. I used Real Red, and Pixie Pink Ink Pads, with Pixie Pink sponged/blender penned in on the edges. Glitter on sentiment and crown are 2-way glue with Dazzling Diamonds. Rhinestone brad is from the Pretties kit (The smallest size). Ribbon is (oops-Martha Stewart Seam Binding)-but I wont have my Regal Rose until my Valentine's Bundle comes in-FREE RIBBON! Check it out before the special is over! I used the Slit Punch to create 2 right angle slots for the ribbon, which i folded back through the opposite holes. Stampin Dimensionals lift the sentiments.Inside Is Naturals Ivory Card stock.
On the Valentine Candy Treat I used Real Red Textured Cardstock and Regal Rose card stock. Real Red and Pixie Pink ink for the Wing It images and sentiment. Versamarker on Heart with Clear Embossing Powder. 2 way glue and Dazzling Diamonds on Crown and swirled on background. Le Piece De Resistance: Hat Pin, Pearls, and Rhinestones from the Pretties Kit. Other:Making Memories pink staples, Adhesive bags-Michaels.

Winging It

I am so in love with this new stamp set SU sent to me, my heart has wings! I had to make some sweet Valentines and a Card for my Hubby who has been working very hard to build me a cool new website. More on that tomorrow. For now, get out your candy hearts, your glitter, and those old elementary school yearbooks of Timmy So-and-So and make yourself that Valentine you never got. Heck, buy yourself some chocolate, rent some 80's movies and be the best Valentine you ever had. Timmy wasn't that nice to you anyway-that and he was 9. You're grown up now and madly in love with_______ and He buys you all sorts of stuff(though he has no idea you used his card). Schlep around in your pajamas too-the ones with hearts all over them, you are in good company here. Pass the Godiva, please.

Yum! Brownies!

Okay, I have to admit... my scratch-n-sniffs didn't work out so well. They kept ending up sandy looking. By the time I'd add enough embossing powder you couldn't smell them anymore. The strawberry was the best. I used Crystal Light which doesn't have much dye in it. I recommend trying highly dye-and-fragrance enhanced Kool-Aid. When I find a chocolate that works better I will post it. Meanwhile, I had to give you something for your Chocolate cravings. After all that talk of chocolate, and scratch-n-sniffing a lot of it yesterday I had to make my favorite Brownies. I will share the treasured recipe with you just to smooth over the sandy images in your mind.

Chocolate TRUFFLE Brownies:

• 1 stick butter (in 1/4's)
• 3 oz. unsweetened chocolate, (chopped)
• 1 cup sugar
• pinch salt
• 2 eggs, (room temperature)
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 3/4 cup cake flour (not self-rising)
• 3/4 cup chocolate chips (I use Milk)

Oven to 350 Grease 8" square pan or muffin tins

1. Melt butter & chocolate in double boiler or saucepan, low
2. Let cool 4 mins.
3. Add sugar/salt
4. Add in eggs & vanilla-Stir just until blended
5. Add Flour, stir
6. Stir in chips

Bake 30 mins. (12 muffin cups)

Enjoy the luscious chocolatey scent, no scratching required.

EXTRA! EXTRA!

Have you tried heat embossing with chocolate yet? Go out and get yourself some sugar-free hot cocoa. (It has to be sugar free or you will have creme-brulee. ) Burnt sugar anyone?

1. Select a solid image style stamp
2. Your VersaMark pad
3. A sugar-free drink mix
4. Clear Stampin' Emboss powder
5. A heat tool

When choosing your drink consider color and scent.

• Mix- 1 part drink mix to 1 1/2 parts Clear Embossing Powder
• Stamp your bold image in VersaMark on your card stock
• Heat emboss the image with your mixture as you would any embossing project
• Scratch-and-Sniff ...and Smile!

I would love to see what you come up with! Please leave me a link if you try this project. Scent-sational! Happy Sniffing!

HOTT! OFF THE PRESS

Welcome to my new Stamping Page! I realized, as crafty as I am I needed more room for just stamping. So, I'm spreading my stamps out on the table, juicing up my ink pads and heating up my heat gun! I also love color-so I will be doing a daily color challenge using Stampin' Up!'s exclusive color collections as my guide. Expect to see cards, scrapbook pages, and plenty of 3D stamping ideas. Sometimes I have more time for my ideas than I do to actually realize them so I will be offering inspiration to those of you with crafters' block. Happy Stamping!