Christmas Bows!

So how cool is this? I saw a bow like this in the SCS gallery, so I searched on Google for bow tutorial and found a great blog that had a step by step directions. Anyway, the tutorial can be found HERE. It's the November 3rd post. It is actually a couple different posts, but since the second two don't have titles I can't seem to get a link to them. Make sure you browse her blog too. She has lots of great ideas. These things are kinda time consuming, so I definitely won't be doing them for everyone, but I'll put them on a few presents. Like my mom who loves beautifully wrapped presents. I plan to wrap the gift in the chocolate snowflake wrapping paper that came with this one, and use some bashful blue grosgrain ribbon.
I guess a recipe isn't exactally needed this time. All I used is the blizzard wrapping paper, some snail adhesive, a brad and a glue dot.

Bucket of Apples!

Yay! I really love this image from Give Thanks. I didn't like the whole set, just the apples. Anyway, someone on SCS sent me some images to play with, so I have been coloring apples like crazy. This image just makes me feel inspired. It just makes me want to jump up and make a card! Funny thing is, I'm actually starting to like the whole set now. I've been looking in the gallery on SCS, and there is some awesome cards using this set. So I ordered it. I can't wait to get it. I think this could easily become one of my favorite sets now. Why is it always the sets I didn't even like when I first saw them ended up being my favorites? Seriously, Fabulous Flowers, Doodle This, Crazy For Christmas, Baroque Motifs, I didn't like any of them, but now those are my Favorite sets.This first card was my first attempt at coloring the apples. I like how they came out, but I want them to be better, lol. I want them to look real. Does anyone know of a good watercoloring tutorial? I've seen the one by Jule Buhler on how to use markers to watercolor. It was awesome (If you haven't seen it, click HERE), but I need something on shading, lol. I've never been good at blending colors. I seem to either blend it too much, or not enough. Feel free to share any tips you may have too.-Stamps-Give Thanks, Itty Bitty Backgrounds and Priceless
-Ink-So Saffron, Real Red, Close To Cocoa, Bashful Blue
-Paper-watercolor, Real Red, So Saffron, Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa.
-Accessories-Hodgepodge hardware, Hemp twine, Stampin Sponges
-Markers-Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa, Real Red, Bravo Burgundy, Ruby Red, Garden Green, Old Olive and Going Grey.

-Stamps-Give Thanks, Itty Bitty Backgrounds and Baroque Motifs
-Ink-Wild Wasabi,
-Paper-Wild Wasabi, Chocolate chip, So saffron, Real Red, and So saffron Prints DSP.
-Accessories-Round tab punch, Wild Wasabi double stitched ribbon.
-Markers-Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa, Real Red, Bravo Burgundy, Ruby Red, Only Orange, Garden Green, Old Olive, Gable green Going Gray and Bordering Blue.

Beate's Sketch challenge Season of Joy

This card was for Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge #26. I really love Beate's sketches. I think this one is one of my favorites.
-Stamps-Season Of Joy, Perfect Endings, Snow Flurries
-Ink-Old Olive, River Rock, Real Red
-Paper-Dashing DSP; Old Olive, River Rock, Real Red and Whisper White cardstock
-Accessories-Pewter Hodgepodge hardware, Real Red grosgrain ribbon
And I'm such a cheapskate. Whenever most of a piece of DSP is going to be covered up anyway, I'll cut out as much as I can. It really does make your Designer Series paper go further though. I know the edges are really raggedy. I used my old fiskars paper trimmer for this, which I only use for scoring and stuff like this since i have the tabletop trimmer now.

In The Spotlight snowflakes

This card was incredibly easy. It only took a few minutes to make. I don't have the circle punch that fits inside the scallop punch yet (it will be here Monday). so I had to cut the circle out. Thats why it's so crooked. I stamped the snowflake in blue bayou, then in whisper white craft, then again in soft sky, but I'm not sure that shows up in the picture. -Stamps-In The Spotlight
-Ink-Whisper White Craft; Blue Bayou and Soft Sky Classic.
-Paper-Whisper White, Blue Bayou and Soft Sky
-Accessories-Blue Bayou double stitched ribbon, Ticket corner punch, Scallop punch vintage brads

Thursday Sketch # 7

Here is my Thursday sketch for this week.
I had a really hard time with this sample. It just looked like something was missing at the top. Finally I used the tab punch and stamped merry from Perfect Endings (retired) on it, now I'm happy with it. I know it's kind of an odd sketch but Crazy for Christmas (retired) seemed to work perfect. I think Festive Favorites or Big on Christmas would work, but I didn't have either of those. I really need more stamps. I do have an order coming Monday though! I can't wait! Sorry for all of the retired stuff, but it just seemed to work. I'm pretty limited on Christmas sets right now too. I only have a couple that are current.

-Stamps-Perfect Endings, Crazy For Christmas, Linen Background, Season of Joy (the swirl was stamped off).
-Ink-River Rock, Real Red, Old Olive
-Paper-Dashing DSP; River Rock, Real Red, Old Olive cardstock
-Accessories-Round tab punch, Real Red1/4" Grosgrain ribbon; Real Red & Old Olive markers.

SU! November Paper Party Promotion

Stampin' Up! has a great promotion going on in November for all you of paper lovers. From November 1st-30th when you buy three packs of Designer Series paper, you receive the 4th free ($9.95 value)! This includes the DSP in the mini catalog. The best part is there are no limitations! Now is the perfect time to stock up.

You can see the DSP on pages 170-173 in the Fall-Winter Collection, and on page 12 & 19 in the Holiday Mini Collection. Or Click HERE to see all of the paper swatches.

Click on the image below to see it full size.

Email me at Stampingexpressions@gmail.com if your interested!

My stamp room

Well, I thought I'd finally post some pictures of my stamp room. I just cleaned it last night (well for the most part anyway). Hubby built the table for me a few years ago. As you can see, it's not completely done yet. We sill have to cover the 2'X4' front and legs with something. Other than that though I love it. The table is 4' deep and 8 foot long so it gives me plenty of room. If your wondering what the lines are all over the front of the table, those are one foot measurements. I did a ribbon swap a long time ago, so that made it much easier to measure yards of ribbon.

closer view

This is how I store my stamps. I wanted them all the all on display where I can easily see them. This is most of them, but the stuff I don't like anymore is shoved in the bottom drawer. Most of the shelves I built...thats why they're so crooked. Aside from the top one, the rest were built out of some scraps of wood, so I didn't even have to cut anything. I would like to redo these someday though and make them look nicer.
I made these of of green bean cans. I just covered them with cardstock and stamped on them. I wrapped the cardstock around part of the inside too to cover the jagged edges.This is my ribbon rack. I made this myself. The whole thing was made out of drawer fronts. Hubby used to work at a cabinet shop, so he got to take home all the scraps he wanted. This was also my first experience using a chop saw. I'm happy to say I still have all 10 fingers, lol. I really liked the design of the SU ribbon rack, but I'm kinda of " I want it now" person, so I just went a built it. I did have to have hubby nail it together for me though. I can use regular nails, but the little tiny ones I can't do anything with but bend.This is how I store my cardstock. I picked this up at Target a while back on clearance for $13 thanks to a thread I saw on SCS. Here is a closer view of the top.And of course, I had to put my computer right on my table so I wouldn't have to go far for inspiration.