Sneak Peek Products

I am finallly getting around to using sneak peek products from the new catalog.  I don't know what has taken me so long.  I guess because the last two weeks my blogging has been minimal at best.
I love the colors in this card.  Baja breeze, pear pizzazz, certainly celery, and  early espresso are the main colors. I don't have any pear pizzazz ribbon yet so I used certainly celery ribbon.  It matches much better in real life than it does on-line.  The buttons are some that I just happen to have in my stash.
I like all the layers in this card.  I got the sketch from this week's challenge at Card Patterns.

Thanks for stopping by and please leave a comment,
Patty Mickle
Stampin' Up! Demonstrator

Stamping 411 Challenge157

I am a texture person.  Whether it is the food I am eating or the cards I am making, I like texture.  For that reason I think I am addicted to embossing folders.  The one I used on this card is called square lattice.
If you ever think your card is missing something but you're not quite sure what it is, maybe you need to add some texture.  Texture makes everything better (in my opinion anyway!)
Oh, and I got the sketch for this card from this week's challenge at Stamping 411.
Thanks for stopping by and please leave a comment,
Patty Mickle

Tons of Texture

This card is simple but elegant, and it showcases a lot of texture.  I used two different embossing folders, polka dots and finial press.  I love embossing folders.  They are such an easy way to add texture to a card.
I used the stamp set, Artistic Etchings.
I got the sketch for this card from Stamping 411, and  I used the color challenge from Just Us Girls.
Thanks for stopping by and please leave a comment,
Patty Mickle

New Stuff - Yippee!

I just love getting new products to play with, and this card has several new items.  First of all the card base is the new core color, cajun craze (love it).  The stamp set is called Artist Etchings.  It has 5 other images with it. It is part of the new vintage collection.  You will be able to order it July 1st when the new catalog goes live.
I also love the pattern paper that I used.  It is called Newsprint.  Every page is black and very vanilla.  It is also part of the new vintage collection and will be available July 1st.
To create this card I complete three challenges.  I got the sketch from Diva Coffee Break Designs.
The color inspiration came from the City Crafter Challenge Blog.
Last but not least I fulfilled the challenge at The Shabby Tea Room.  You were to make a card representing something you like to do in the summer.  My card represents a vacation in France.  Wouldn't that be fun?!
Thanks for stopping by and please leave a comment,
Patty Mickle
Stampin' Up! Demonstrator

Bright and Cheery

I like cards that are bright and cheery.  These two cards are definitely that.  I made them last week or the week before for some challenges, but never got around to posting them for some reason.
I also like cards with a lot of texture, and these cards have that also.  Sometimes the easiest way for me to add texture (without having to move from my chair) is to use my crimper.  In the first card here, I crimped a black strip of paper and a pink strip, but I ran them through the crimper in two different directions.  I thought the effect turned out quite nicely.

This card below just screams out happiness to me (actually they both do.)  It is a bright, happy, cheery card for a happy, cheery  occasion.  Again, I used the crimper to add texture.

All supplies are Stampin' Up!  You can browse and order online by clicking HERE.  Be sure and check out the clearance section and the last chance lists.  Once these items are gone they are gone.
Thanks for stopping by and please leave me a comment.
Paty Mickle
Stampin' Up! Demonstrator

Stamping 411 Challenge

I used the sketch at Stamping 411 to make this card.  Since Father's Day is coming up I thought I would make a card for it.  Making a guy card isn't always easy.  You can't use a lot of your regular embellishments for fear of making the card too girly.  I did however manage to use a strip of ribbon.  Otherwise I just roughed up the card as much as possible and called it done.  Looks like a dude card to me.
Thanks for stopping by and please leave a comment,
Patty Mickle

Train Tunnel

I am taking a class called Stampbooking by Erika Martin a fellow Stampin' Up! demonstrator.  I have really learned some neat techniques.  Some are techniques I already knew, but never thought about using them on a scrapbook page.  I used a few of her techniques on this page.  One for example is the direct to paper technique.  I've known about if forever, but haven't used it on a layout in forever.  Basically if you can use it on a card, you can pretty much use it on a scrapbook page.  Notice that my embellishments are made of cardstock.  Using cardstock saves a lot of money that you would have spent on embellishments.  One of the good things about stamps is that you can use them over and over.
On this page I used the stamp set, Certified.  It is great for scrapbook pages.  It is retiring at the end of the month, but you can still get now.  Just click here.
Thanks for stopping by and please leave a comment,
Patty Mickle
Stampin' Up! Demonstrator

ATC Swap

Here is an ATC (artist trading card) that I made for a swap on the ning community, Soul-Scrappers.  My card goes all the way to Australia.  It will be interesting to see how long it takes to get there.
I used the stamp set, Vintage Vogue, which I believe has been carried over into the 2010-2011 catalog.  I will know for sure tomorrow when I get my copy.  Woohoo!!!  Yes, I am a little LOTexcited about getting my new catalog!  Getting it early is just one of the perks of being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator.

I only used two ink colors on my card, mellow moss and bravo burgandy.  The cardstock is very vanilla.  The brads however are not SU!  They are just some I had around.
Thanks for stopping by and please leave a comment,
Patty Mickle
Stampin' Up! Demonstrator

A Few Recent Scrapbook Pages

I don't scrap chronologically.  I used to try, but I got really behind when I was teaching 1st grade.  Now I am no longer teaching.  I have more time to scrap, and I scrap whatever pictures I am in the mood to scrap at the time.  I know where to find the pictures I want because of the way I organize my photos. (I took a class at big picture scrapbooking.)

All three pages below are of my oldest son taken during his first year.  (He is now 14.)  I love going back and scrapping my boys' baby pictures.  They make me smile.

So my point is sometimes I scrap recent pictures and sometimes I scrap older pictures.  I don't feel the chronological urge.  If I did I would probably feel that I am never caught up.  This way I just scrap happy.

All the supplies in the above lay-outs are Stampin' Up!  Notice how I use cardstock as my embellishments.  Using cardstock saves a lot of money.

Thanks for stopping by and please leave a comment,

Patty Mickle

Stampin' Up! Demonstrator

I Challenged Myself

I decided to challenge myself to create a kit and see how many scrapbook pages I could complete with it.  I also couldn't use anything that wasn't Stampin' Up! on it.  I love creating from kits!!  Kits are great for taking to crops.  It cuts down on the amount of supplies you have to take.  I love the challenge of creating from the kits only and not using anything that isn't in the kit.
In this kit I put 4 12x12 cardstock sheets, 3 sheets of designer paper,  and 6 sheets of 8 1/2 x 11.  I also included one flower from the pretties kit, the word fun, 7 brads, flower layers from the flower layers die, a few top note die cut outs, and a few cut out butterflies.

While I am not completely happy with my layouts (there are things I wish I had done a little differently), I am happy about how many pages I was able to create.  I created two double page layouts and 1 single page layout with supplies left over. 

I really enjoyed this challenge and can't wait to make more kits to scrap from.  In my next challenge to myself however, I will have to incorporate stamping on my pages.
Thanks for stopping by and please leave a comment,
Patty Mickle
Stampin' Up! Demonstrator

Last Chance Lists

Stampin' Up!'s last chance lists are here, and once they are gone, they are gone.  July 1st is the first day for the new catalog, so you have until June 30th to buy items from the present catalog that will be retiring.  I wouldn't wait to shop though, because many items will sell out before the end of the month.  Click here to see all the retiring, stamps, decore elements, and accessories.

Thanks for stopping by and happy stamping,

Patty Mickle

Stampin' Up! Demonstrator

Sneak Peek

It's June already.  Can you believe it?  That means a new stamp class is coming up soon, and I wanted to give you a little sneak peek.

I will also say that this month's class involves stencils.

I'll have more info soon,

Patty Mickle

Stampin' Up! Demonstrator