WHAT? NO STAMPING?!

Here's this morning's card - inspired by the Dalia fold, a SCS sketch challenge, and my need to try the rub-ons! I like it ... even though there's no stamping at all.
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STAMP SET: NONE!
CARDSTOCK: ROSE RED, PUMPKIN PIE, TEMPTING TURQUOISE, BALI BREEZE DSDP
ACCESSORIES: 1 3/8" CIRCLE PUNCH, SCALLOP CIRCLE PUNCH, PAPER PIERCING TEMPLATE & TOOL, FELT FLOWERS, PRETTIES KIT, URBAN WEST RUB-ONS

IN-COLOR COMBOS

Ya'll know I'm lovin' the new Designer Papers just released in the S-S '08 Catalog! I think the color combos are brilliant and beautiful. Well, you can create the same wonderful looks, using the In-Color Combination Chart provided by Stampin' Up!.

The combination on the top left looks like the inspiration for Bali Breeze DSDP. See if you can find the combo for Ginger Blossoms using the link, above.

HAPPY DAY

I had a happy stampin' day today. One of my dear friends came over and we spent the afternoon covering a chipboard album together. She was so thrilled and pleased with the final product ... well, it just made me happy. It was a day just like this Pick-A-Petal card, so I thought I'd post it!
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STAMP SET: PICK A PETAL, HAPPY EVERYTHING
CARDSTOCK: WILD WASABI, CLOSE TO COCOA, PUMPKIN PIE, SUMMER SUN, PURELY POMEGRANITE, WHISPER WHITE
INK: WILD WASABI, SOFT SKY, PUMPKIN PIE
ACCESSORIES: SCALLOP & CIRCLE PUNCHES, SPRING BOQUET PUNCH (RET)
COMMENTS: TREES ARE THE SOLID PETAL, MIDDLE OF THE SUN IS STAMPED IN PUMPKIN PIE CRAFT AND EMBOSSED WITH IRRIDESCENT ICE; EDGES ARE SPONGED.

PAPER PALETTES

The following is a list of Double-Sided Designer Papers from Stampin' Up!s Spring-Summer 2008 Collection, and the exclusive Stampin' Up! colors that coordinate with them. These beautiful papers are offered in the versatile 12"x12" size, with 2 pages each of 6 designs. Use your Designer Papers to: create quick cards, make beautiful scrapbook pages, cover journals, tins, coasters, and more!

AZURE: Brilliant Blue, Very Vanilla
BALI BREEZE: Taken with Teal, Purely Pomegranate, Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive, River Rock, Soft Sky, Regal Rose
BERRY BLISS: Pretty in Pink, Purely Pomegranate, Close to Cocoa, Chocolate Chip
CUTIE PIE: Bashful Blue, Basic Black, Certainly Celery, Rose Red, So Saffron
EAST COAST PREP: Tempting Turquoise, More Mustard, Real Red, Wild Wasabi
FALL FLOWERS: Old Olive, Really Rust, Sahara Sand, Soft Sky
FLOWERS FOR YOU: Certainly Celery, Lovely Lilac, Regal Rose, Tempting Turquoise
GINGER BLOSSOM: Groovy Guava, Cameo Coral, Ruby Red, River Rock
JERSEY SHORE: Brilliant Blue, Bashful Blue, Wild Wasabi, Pumpkin Pie
LE JARDIN: River Rock, Bashful Blue, So Saffron, Very Vanilla, Always Artichoke
NOTEBOOK: Kraft, Soft Sky, Very Vanilla
OLIVE PRESS: Very Vanilla, Old Olive
PORCELAIN PRINTS: Blue Bayou, River Rock, Wild Wasabi
SPRING BREAK: Soft Sky, Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive, Blue Bayou
SPRING FLING: Pretty in Pink, So Saffron, Sage Shadow, Certainly Celery
SPRING SILHOUETTES: Soft Sky, Certainly Celery, Wild Wasabi, Very Vanilla
WESTERN SKY: Rose Red, Soft Sky, River Rock, Ruby Red, Blue Bayou

OFFICE PARTY

I was on an Office Accoutrement kick a couple weeks ago, and here's a quickie I came up with for an "office party" look, using the new Bali Breeze Double-Sided Designer Paper. I like how the corner rounder punch worked out on the bottom flaps of this card.

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STAMP SETS: OFFICE ACCOUTREMENT, POLKA DOTS & PAISLEY

CARDSTOCK: CRAFT, TEMPTING TURQUOISE, BALI BREEZE DSDP

INK: PUMPKIN PIE, ROSE RED, BASIC BLACK

ACCESSORIES: SPIRAL PUNCH, CORNER ROUNDER, ROUND TAB, HODGEPODGE, TURQUOISE GROSGRAIN RIBBON

RIBBON ORIGINALS

On my latest "Always" card, I used a lovely snippet of Rose Red stitched ribbon from the Fairy Tale Ribbon Originals. As a helpful resource, I've listed the entire line of Ribbon Originals from the Spring-Summer '08 Collection below, along with the Stampin' Up exclusive coordinating colors.

BEACHFRONT: Whisper White, Sahara Sand, River Rock, Very Vanilla, Basic Gray
DISTRICT: Pumpkin Pie, Certainly Celery, Whisper White, Basic Gray, Blue Bayou, Sage Shadow
FAIRY TALE (pictured): So Saffron, Rose Red, Certainly Celery, Regal Rose, Almost Amethyst
JERSEY: Basic Black, Real Red, More Mustard, Wild Wasabi, Brocade Blue
SHERBERT: So Saffron, Groovy Guava, Purely Pomegranate, Mellow Moss, Soft Sky, Very Vanilla
THEATRE: Always Artichoke, Close to Cocoa, Old Olive, River Rock, Very Vanilla, Chocolate Chip

ALWAYS stampin'

I haven't put this set away since the day it arrived! I just love this heart - so beautiful with a bunch of techniques. I'm in a Convention-Quality Swap ... I'm a little intimidated by the other swappers, but this is my submission. What do you think? ********************************************************************************
STAMP SET: ALWAYS, CANVAS & FLORAL BGs
CARDSTOCK: WHISPER WHITE, ROSE RED, BASIC BLACKINK: ROSE RED CLASSIC & VERSAMARK (FOR THE EMBOSSING)
ACCESSORIES: SHERBERT RIBBON ORIGINALS, PRETTIES KIT, FELT FLOWERS, WHITE MULBERRY PAPER, EYELETS, PAPER PIERCING TOOL & TEMPLATE, WHITE GETL PEN, EMBOSSING POWDERS (WHITE, CLEAR IRRIDESCENT ICE)
COMMENTS: FOR THE HEART, I STAMPED THE IMAGE IN VERSAMARK AND EMBOSSED WITH WHITE EP. THEN, I COVERED THE WHOLE HEART IN VERSAMARK AGAIN AND EMBOSSED WITH IRRIDESCENT ICE EP, THEN CUT OUT. I USED A BLENDER PEN TO TRACE AROUND THE HEART ON MULBERRY PAPER. THE BLENDER PEN WETS THE APAPER AND ALLOWED ME TO TEAR IT OUT IN A SHAPE. THE BLACK PANEL IS CANVAS BG STAMPED IN VERSAMARK AND EMBOSSED WITH CLEAR EP.

MY 1ST STAMP SESSION

For my first stamp session of 2008, I created this stack of Valentine's Cards to send to a platoon in Iraq near and dear to my heart. The sentiment is, "Always on my mind, forever in my heart." I like how they came out ... sort of rough and soldier-y. Hope they make it in time!
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STAMP SET: ALWAYS, HOLIDAYS & WISHES, CANVAS BG
CARDSTOCK: OLD OLIVE, KRAFT, ROSE RED
INK: OLD OLIVE CHOCOLATE CHIP
ACCESSORIES: BRADS, 5/8" WIDE GROSGRAIN RIBBON

DEEP BREATH ...

YES! YES! YES! The UPS lady brought me my box of brand-new product from the Spring-Summer '08 Catty! OMIGOSH - I just love new stamp days!

"Okay, deep breath, Laurel." Now, here's what Rylee & I dug out of that beautiful brown box:


GLITTER!!!! Goodie goodie gumdrops!

Oh, yea ... and a *few* other things:

STAMP SETS!

BOHO BLOSSOMS PUNCH!

STICKY LETTERS!

SIMPLY SCRAPPIN' KITS!

RUB ONS!

FELT FLOWERS!

Cool, huh?! What's going to be in YOUR first order?!

ISN'T IT PURDY?!

*** Well, it's been a quiet, wait-ing kind of weekend. I'm waiting to hear from my darling hubby, I'm waiting for my 1st shipment of Spring-Summer '08 product to arrive, I'm waiting for the kids to wake up ...

*** So I figured I'd better stamp a little to kill time! I was inspired by a stamper named Cathy LeDonne and her Valentine's wreath card. I changed the color scheme a bit, used my slightly neglected Office Accoutrement Stamp set and ... VOILA!

*** I'm just tickled with how this card came out!

Now, I just have to wait 'till Mr. Brown brings me goodies ... 24 hours and counting!

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STAMP SET: OFFICE ACCOUTREMENT, WONDERFUL WORDS

CARDSTOCK: ROSE RED, GOING GRAY, WHISPER & SHIMMERY WHITES

INK: ROSE RED CLASSIC & CRAFT (EMBOSSED WITH IRRIDESCENT ICE EP), BASIC GRAY

ACCESSORIES: PRETTIES PEARLS, ROUND TAB PUNCH

ALL IMAGES COPYRIGHT STAMPIN' UP! 1998-2008

GET YOUR *STAMP* ON!

Finally, after long last, I'm forming a Stampin' Club!

I'm looking for 6 dedicated stampers to kick it off with. We will meet once a month for six months. At each meeting, I'll provide two fantastic, fully-embellished projects to create. Each member commits to purchasing $25 or more in Stampin' Up! products each month, and each will take a turn at being the "hostess" - picking the project theme or technique and recieving the Hostess Benefits for that month's collective order (to include FREE stamp sets and merchandise!!!)

In addition to getting FREE stuff, each member will also receive:
* A FREE catalog
* A hostess-only coupon book
* A standing $5 discount to any other stampin' event during club duration
* Special hand-crafted gifts
* A fun, productive, crafty girls'-night out with friends!

SIGN UP BY JAN. 31ST!

COLOR CODES

For the birth announcements above, I printed the inside message on my home computer in Chocolate Chip brown, to match the colors. How, you might ask?! Well, it's the coolest thing. Some genius ladies on SCS have collaborated and put together the following custom computer RGB (red, green, blue) codes for each of SU!'s exclusive colors. Try it out sometime!

2007-2008 IN-COLORS
Blue Bayou R-83 G-134 B-142
Soft Sky R-182 G-229 B-223
Wild Wasabi R-133 G-179 B-113
River Rock R-210 G-198 B-141
Groovy Guava R-244 G-159 B-140
Purely Pomegranate R-176 G-74 B-107

SOFT SUBTLES
Almost Amethyst: R-189 G-189 B-255 OR H-170 S-255 L-222
Apricot Appeal: R-255 G-184 B-73 OR H-26 S-255 L-164
Barely Banana: R-248 G-250 B-156 OR H-44 S-230 L-203
Bashful Blue: R-215 G-235 B-255 OR H-149 S-255 L-235
Blush Blossom: R-255 G-226 B-204 OR H-18 S-255 L-230
Certainly Celery: R-125 G-153 B-63 OR H-56 S-106 L-108
Lavender Lace: R-215 G-215 B-255 OR H-170 S-255 L-235
Mellow Moss: R-111 G-136 B-60 OR H-57 S-100 L-98
Pale Plum: R-215 G-173 B-211 OR H-217 S-88 L-194
Perfect Plum: R-125 G-61 B-119 OR H-217 S-88 L-93
Pretty In Pink: R-250 G-181 B-201 OR H-243 S-223 L-216
Sage Shadow: R-147 G-187 B-115 OR H-66 S-88 L-151

BOLD BRIGHTS
Brilliant Blue: R-46 G-46 B-182 OR H-170 S-152 L-114
Gable Green: R-197 G-254 B-154 OR H-67 S-250 L-204
Glorious Green: R-57 G-155 B-66 OR H-89 S-118 L-106
Green Galore: R-159 G-253 B-89 OR H-67 S-249 L-171
Lovely Lilac: R-170 G-54 B-255 OR H-194 S-255 L-155
Only Orange: R-254 G-103 B-0 OR H-17 S-255 L-127
Orchid Opulence: R-182 G-109 B-255 OR H-191 S-255 L-182
Pink Passion: R-255 G-83 B-169 OR H-234 S-255 L-169
Pixie Pink: R- 255 G-118 B-194 OR H-232 S-255 L-187
Real Red: R-212 G-0 B-0 OR H-0 S-255 L-106
Tempting Turquoise: R-113 G-252 B-255 OR H-129 S-255 L-184
YoYo Yellow: R-251 G-229 B-19 OR H-38 S-247 L-135

EARTH ELEMENTS
Cameo Coral: R-255 G-113 B-143 OR H-246 S-232 L-155
Chocolate Chip: R-66 G-28 B-28 OR H-0 S-101 L-47
Close To Cocoa: R-147 G-97 B-69 OR H-15 S-92 L-108
Creamy Caramel: R-214 G-160 B-88 OR H-24 S-154 L-151
Garden Green: R-57 G-125 B-55 OR H-84 S-99 L-90
More Mustard: R-216 G-175 B-0 OR H-34 S-255 L-108
Not Quite Navy: R-0 G-79 B-118 OR H-142 S-255 L-59
Old Olive: R-149 G-146 B-0 OR H-41 S-255 L-75
Really Rust: R-199 G-77 B-9 OR H-15 S-233 L-104
Ruby Red: R-212 G-29 B-30 OR H-0 S-194 L-121
Summer Sun: R-242 G-204 B-16 OR H-35 S-229 L-129
Pumpkin Pie: R-232 G-138 B-0 OR H-25 S-255 L-116

RICH REGALS
Always Artichoke: R-68 G-79 B-55 OR H-62 S-46 L-67
Ballet Blue: R-97 G-134 B-205 OR H-156 S-132 L-151
Bordering Blue: R-155 G-155 B-168 OR H-170 S-7 L-158
Bravo Burgundy: R-100 G-15 B-35 OR H-245 S-188 L-58
Brocade Blue: R-135 G-176 B-219 OR H-150 S-137 L-177
Elegant Eggplant: R-108 G-0 B-77 OR H-255 S-255 L-54
Handsome Hunter: R-15 G-51 B-23 OR H-94 S-139 L-33
Night of Navy: R-0 G-0 B-75 OR H-170 S-255 L-38
Regal Rose: R-251 G-129 B-175 OR H-239 S-239 L-190
Rose Red: R-255 G-27 B-130 OR H-236 S-255 L-141
So Saffron: R-246 G-210 B-127 OR H-29 S-221 L-187
Taken With Teal: R-0 G-156 B-152 OR H-126 S-255 L-78

NEUTRALS
Going Gray: R-150 G-150 B-150 OR H-170 S-0 L-150
Sahara Sand: R-149 G-151 B-121 OR H-46 S-32 L-136
Whisper White: R-255 G-255 B-255 OR H-170 S-0 L-255
Very Vanilla: R-249 G-248 B-224 OR H-40 S-172 L-237
Basic Brown: (using Chocolate Chip) R-66 G-28 B-28 OR H-0 S-101 L-47