It's Back To Spool Time!!!!! Free Ribbon!!!!

Promotion Details: While the kids are heading back to school, Stampin' Up! is going back to 'spool'! For the month of September, get a FREE package of 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon-an $8.95 value-for every $40 you spend!  Choose from the following ribbons:

126848	Gumball Green 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon	$ 8.95
126847	Midnight Muse 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon	$ 8.95
126844	Primrose Petals 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon	$ 8.95
126845	Raspberry Ripple 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon	$ 8.95
126846	Summer Starfruit 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon	$ 8.95

 Click HERE to shop now!!!! :)

Four Ways Friday #100 - Perfect Pennants Die

I can't believe this is the 100th Four Ways Friday!!!!!  I have been pondering what I want to do moving forward.  I'm thinking about doing Two Ways Tuesdays and then introducing Friday Folds.  Friday would be a day where I share different ways to add folds to your cards and paper craft creations.  I would also go back to sharing a current project on Thursdays.  What do you think???  I am really looking to you to help guide my decision, so please feel free to share your input!  Thank you to those who already have ;)
For the 100th Four Ways Friday I decided to play with the Perfect Pennants Die in the Big Shot.  Here's what I came up with:

The Perfect Pennants die is perfect for making all kinds of cards!  I die cut the large pennant shape and one of the circles from designer series paper.  I then added a few circle punches and layered them all together on top of a piece of Pacific Point card stock that I had embossed with the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder.  The sentiment is from Petite Pairs.

I love triangles because they lend themselves to being turned into so many different things!  Here I die cut a few of the smaller pennants in Wild Wasabi card stock.  I then used the Fancy Fan embossing folder to emboss them.  I cut a few Chocolate Chip card stock rectangles and embossed them with stripes.  The trees were sponged with ink and I added dazzling diamonds to the embossing on the trees.  The snowman is from No Peeking (so cute!).  The greeting is from Wacky Wishes.  Get creative with those triangles!!!!!

Don't forget that you can die cut fabric with this great die!  Here I die cut a triangle of Flirtatious fabric and sewed it to the card front.  I then gathered some twigs from the backyard and used them as stems for tissue paper flowers that I made by layering tissue paper that I punched with the Boho Blossoms punch.  Adhesive pearls were used for the flower centers.  The greeting is from Itty Bitty Banners.

Once I started die cutting fabric I couldn't stop! :)  I die cut two triangles of the Flirtatious fabric and then sewed the triangles with right sides together.  I then turned the "cone" inside out and began decorating it.  I used hot glue to add the seam binding ribbon, the satin flower that I made from white satin ribbon and a button, and the First Edition specialty designer series paper trim.  This little "cone" would be great for a gift card or simple gift (handmade jewelry comes to mind!).
I hope you've enjoyed this week's Four Ways Friday and I hope it inspires you to get out your Perfect Pennants die and play!!!!!  I hope you have a wonderful and creative weekend, filled with love, laughter and peace :)

Circle Circus Paper Pierced B'day Card & An Acrobatic Squirrel

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Don't Let Anything Stand In Your Way!!!!

This squirrel inspired today's lesson from the craft room:

By gosh, by golly, he was going to get to that suet if it killed her!  I have never seen such amazing squirrel gymnastics!  It was like watching a trapeze artist at work!  Nothing was going to get in this girl's way!  We each need to take a bit of this determination into our own lives.  If there is something you want to do.  If there is something you have been dreaming of.  If there is an experience you know you would enjoy.  What can you do to stretch (yes, stretch - just like her) toward that goal?  How can you use your strength and determination to get closer to the dream?  Yes, this little squirrel is my hero (even if there is a part of me that wishes she would stick to the peanuts and let the birds have the suet!).
Today's card is all about paper piercing :)  (I know that I had been doing Throwback Thursday for a number of weeks, but I've decided to box up my retired stamps for now and focus on using what is current...I needed to create more space in the craft room and decided boxing up my retired stamps for a little while might give me a bit of breathing room...We'll see if they keep whispering to me from the boxes :)  I used the paper piercing tool and templates to paper pierce with the adorning accents edgelit.  I also paper pierced decorative corners and a circle.  I even used the template to evenly space my adhesive pearls.  The stamped circles are all from Circle Circus and the greeting from Pennant Parade.  I added a touch of First Edition designer series paper to the Summer Starfruit and Melon Mambo palette.  I hope you like it!  You can check out my YouTube channel here to see a few videos on different paper piercing techniques.  Enjoy!

Out On A Whim Wednesday: Rainbow Man Paper Cut

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Let Nature Captivate You

There are always birds in our backyard.  But I wasn't expecting to see the bird that I saw when I looked out the window the other day.  Here is what was looking back at me...

We will see hawks fly to our backyard on occasion.  They are usually there to hunt - looking for mice and small birds.  You may notice, if you look closely enough, that this hawk had caught a small bird.  At first I was upset - after all, we have created a beautiful sanctuary in the backyard for the birds to come and eat seeds.  This hawk decided we had created a beautiful restaurant for him as well!  I accept that this is nature at work - the food chain playing itself out in our backyard.  And then I became fascinated by this beautiful hawk.  I ran and got the binoculars and, knowing that the small bird was already gone, I sat there and watched as this hawk dined.  It was captivating to me.  I thought I would be grossed out, but watching his amazing feathers, talons, beak - it was breathtaking.  Of course, when he finished his dinner and started looking around the backyard again, I decided it was time to go outside to let him know there was a one-bird limit in our yard and that he would just have to go somewhere else to hunt for the night!  This experience was a highlight of my day - allowing nature to just captivate me.
Today's Out On A Whim Wednesday card was created for Michael.  He had been taken to dinner by some friends who are enamored with Native American jewelry so he asked me to make a thank you note for him.  The image is of a Rainbow Man.  I took a picture of a Rainbow Man pin and used it as the basis for creating this papercut.  I used a hobby blade and Basic Black card stock.  I also used my paper piercing tool for creating small holes (which are very difficult to see in the photograph).  I've been enjoying getting to know the art of papercutting.  It is opening a whole new world to me :)  You might enjoy it too! :)

Just Believe Happiness Card With Rose Red Glitter

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Go Barefoot!

It wasn't my intention.  I purchased a new pair of shoes and was bold enough to try to wear them on my morning walk with Buddy.  They felt comfortable enough so I thought I would be safe.  But about 3/4 of the way into our walk, I started to develop a little blister on the edge of my pinkie toe and I decided it was time to take the shoes off and walk the rest of the way home barefoot.  I can't remember the last time I walked any distance barefoot.  I think I took my shoes off in the backyard one day - just to feel the grass in my toes - probably after watching Pretty Woman for the umpteenth time (I can still see Richard Gere gingerly stepping through the grass in his bare toes).  Now I'm wondering why I don't go barefoot more often!  It was a wonderful experience on a number of levels.  Are you aware of the different sensations caused by walking on different surfaces?  It was like a tactile explosion on my feet!  First there were the cement sidewalks.  Then the asphalt of the road.  The grass on a few yards we walked by.  The field of weeds in the park.  And it wasn't only the different textures - there were also different temperatures.  The coolness of the cement; the heat of the blacktop; the cold wetness of the watered grass.  And yes, there were the occasional "ouchies!"  The little pebbles that found their way under my foot - to that exact spot on your heel that makes you want to yelp!  The one little pine needle that tried to come home in my toe (now I know why Buddy stops immediately when one of those pine needles gets into his paw).  But the "ouchies" were far less than the wowies!!!!!  Yes, going barefoot was a highlight of my day.  Why not give it a try? :)
Today's card was made using some Rose Red glitter that I colored on my own (yesterday's video will show you how!).  I stamped the floral image from Just Believe with Versamark and then covered it with heat & stick powder, heated it with the heat tool and covered it with the Rose Red dazzling diamonds glitter.  I then tore the edges of the piece of Crumb Cake card stock.  Next I stamped the word "happiness" from Fabulous Phrases in Early Espresso ink onto Whisper White card stock that I cut into a banner.  The banner was added to the Crumb Cake card stock with dimensionals.  I then crimped a strip of Baja Breeze card stock with the paper crimper and sewed this piece to the Crumb Cake piece with a sewing machine.  The whole panel was then adhered to a Crumb Cake card base with dimensionals.  I hope you like it!

Coloring Dazzling Diamonds Glitter: A Video!!!

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Some Things You Learn Best By Doing

I'm not suggesting you try skiing from a helicopter without any form of instruction!  What I am suggesting is that some things you learn best by just sitting down and giving them a try.  Sometimes I think telling ourselves, "I don't know how to ______" is a way to keep ourselves from even trying.  Fill in the blank with whatever you have kept yourself from doing artistically - I don't know how to ______ (draw, paint, sketch, take pictures, make a card, collage..).  If you can pick up a pen, pencil, brush, glue and use it, then there is a lot you CAN do.  I'm not saying you will love what you create the first time.  I'm not saying you will even be willing to share it with another human being or even your cat, dog or fish.  What I am saying is that if you can pick up the pen, pencil, brush or glue then do so...and be willing to see what happens.  I know one thing - your inner critic will definitely show up and try to deter your efforts.  You call that a picture of a person?!  You call that art?!  Who gave you permission to give that a try - you're making me cringe!  Yup - the inner critic will do what it does best - try to deter you.  I think he gets points for every time he can deter someone from stretching their limits, going outside their comfort zone, demonstrating a willingness to try.  Well you show that inner critic that he ain't gonna get points from you!!!!!!  Just do it!!!!  And then do it again...and again...and again.  Soon you might actually find bits and pieces to smile about.  Maybe even a drawing that you want to share with someone else (or your cat).  One day maybe you'll decide to read a book on it or take a class on it or watch a video on it.  But before you do.  Before you watch someone who creates end products that you can't even imagine you can create right now...pick up those supplies or tools and try it.  Some things you learn best by just doing...and doing...and doing :)
If you have ever wanted glitter to coordinate with your cards or papercrafting projects, this video is for you!!!!  Learn how to color your Dazzling Diamonds Glitter to make whatever color you choose!  Enjoy!!!