Time To Celebrate!

Today marks my 10th year as a Stampin' Up! Creative Coach. WOW! I have enjoyed every minute of it. Let's see, there was my first, very nervous workshop; the workshop a year or so later when I dumped my entire pastels case on my floor in the middle of a workshop; making everything for my own wedding, as well as making or help make items for several other weddings. Through the countless events, workshops, and classes I have held I have met so many wonderful people, several of whom have become close friends.

Today I wanted to make a special thank you card. I share this with everyone today as I think about each individual who has made my business possible through orders, referrals, and reading my blog.

I love shaped cards, and I love easel cards, so I thought, "Why not combine the two?"

Supplies used:
  Cardstock: Smoky Slate, Tempting Turquoise, Very Vanilla
  Stamp sets: Simply Sketched, Express Yourself
  Ink: Tempting Turquoise, Smoky Slate
  Framelits: Labels Collection, Bitty Banners
  Embellishments: Large Basic Pearls
  Tools: Sponge Daubers, Big Shot, Paper Trimmer, Simply Scored
  Adhesive: SNAIL, Stampin' Dimensionals

I'm celebrating today over at my Facebook page by giving away $100 in Stampin' Up! goodies! Click on the picture below, then share and comment the giveaway post for your chance to win! I'm planning to celebrate all year long on my Facebook page; I'd bet you don't want to miss out!

Washi Tape Background

Happy Tuesday! I hope you are having a great week so far.

Today I created my own background paper out of Washi Tape for my card. This is a great technique to do if you don't have "just the right" patterned paper that you want to use on your project. I love the colors and patterns in the Retro Fresh Washi Tape now available in the Occasions Mini Catalog. I still had the Bermuda Bay on my craft table from yesterday's card, and it pairs so well with the Tangerine Tango.

I also wanted to give my flower a little pop, so I used a Blender Pen with the Tangerine Tango ink pad to color the folds in the petals.

Supplies used:
  Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Bermuda Bay, Very Vanilla
  Stamp sets: Secret Garden, Another Thank You
  Ink: Chocolate Chip, Tangerine Tango, Bermuda Bay
  Accessories: Retro Fresh This & That Designer Washi Tape, Blender Pen
  Tools: Paper Trimmer, Simply Scored, Bone Folder
  Adhesive: SNAIL

Thanks for stopping in today. Make sure to come back tomorrow. There's something big happening that you won't want to miss!

Fun Color Challenge

Let's say goodbye to these crazy cold temps and all this snow; and say hello to a bright color challenge today!

I love the detail that cutting into each scallop can have on the scallop circle punches. Grab your paper snips and see what a difference it makes!

Supplies used:
  Cardstock: So Saffron, Primrose Petals, Bermuda Bay, Very Vanilla
  DSP: 2012-2014 In Color Paper Stack, Kaleidoscope
  Stamp set: Itty Bitty Banners
  Ink: Bermuda Bay
  Punches: 1-3/4" Scallop Circle, 1-1/4" Scallop Circle, 7-8" Scallop Circle
  Tools: Paper Snips, Big Shot, Bitty Banners Framelits, Paper Trimmer, Simply Scored
  Adhesive: SNAIL

We'd love to have you play along with us! Stop over at Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration and check out the other designers' creations and then link up your color challenge creation this week. 

Goals for 2014

As I've spent the last five days of 2013 sicker than a dog, it's hard to look back on 2013 and think that anything positive came from it. But it did. I went from blogging once or twice a month in the spring, to blogging on a more regular basis towards the end of the year. Which included July-September when my computer crashed and I was blogging from my tablet. I made a lifestyle change in my eating and exercising habits in December that has made a positive impact in my life and attitude. 
In 2014, I intend to continue this healthier lifestyle change; complete my yoga teacher training certification requirements; and complete the Dirty Girl Mud Run. 
My Stampin' Up! goals include: 
1) Start holding monthly classes again. 
2) Holding bi-monthly downline meetings. 
3) Coordinating a quarterly stamp-a-stack with my downline. 
4) Attend my first ever Convention in 10 years.
5) Add 1 downline member to my team. 
My blogging goals include:
1) Blogging on a regular basis by posting at least 4 times per week.
2) Updating the layout of my blog. I really didn't know what I was doing when I started my blog; and just picked a template and tried to make it look presentable!
3) Creating a weekly or monthly series feature. This will include written and/or video tutorials. Please let me know if you have a preference one what you'd like to see featured in this series.
My crafting goals include:
1) Challenging myself once a month to use a stamp set, paper, or embellishment that I haven't used in the last three months. This is a huge one for me, as I have a tendency to get stuck in a rut of finding a favorite and then using it on everything I make for the next month! 
2) Sending out a weekly Random Card of Kindness
3) Spending 1 day per month producing cards so that I always have one on hand when I need it at the last minute, or my husband comes home and says, "so and so's last day is tomorrow, you should make them a card." 


Inky light and inky love for a wonderful 2014!

Blog Year In Review

A special Thank You to all of my blog readers! I hope you enjoy reading my posts as much as I enjoy making the projects and sharing them with you!

Tomorrow I will be doing a list of Crafty Goals, so today I wanted to review my blog from 2013 so I can more easily track those goals in 2014.

Including today and tomorrow, I posted 89 times to my blog in 2013.

My top three viewed posts were:

Christmastime

12 Cards of Christmas, Day 6

Graduation Announcements

Over the year I definitely learned about photo lighting, backgrounds, and editing!

My favorite My Digital Studio post was:

Scrapbooking-MDS Style

My favorite tag that I created this year was:

Swap Breakdown Day 9

The favorite card that I made was:

Swap Breakdown Day 7

I'm excited for what 2014 holds in my crafting business world. I hope that you'll continue to join me! I love to read blogs. If you have your own, no matter what the subject matter, please post it below so that I can follow you as well!

Inky love and light for a positive and powerful 2014!

Gift Certficate Holder

Any guesses what my favorite tool is these days? The Envelope Punch Board! I've got another project for you today that I used it on. This project was again simple and quick!

The Coastal Cabana cardstock is 5-1/2" x 8-1/2" just like a normal card base. I scored it at 2-1/8" and 5-1/4". Once you fold it, you may have to trim of a little bit from the top flap. I stamped the front with Festive Flurries in Versamark ink. (If my Coastal Cabana walked to your house, please send it back home!)

The belly band is from the Raspberry Ripple section of the 2012-2014 In Color DSP stack. The greeting is from Label Love and punched with the coordinating Artisan Label punch.

The inside is where I used the Envelope Punch Board to spruce things up a bit. I used MDS to create a gift certificate for my friend. Want to know what the certificate is for? Stampin' Up! products, of course! Now, I just hope she doesn't see this post before I give her the gift! 

Happy stamping!

Envelope Punch Board Treat Box

Greetings! Are things getting back to normal for you after the holiday craziness?

This is the treat box I created today as the featured designer at Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration.

I created a photo tutorial on how to recreate this box. You can get to it by clicking the Stylin' Stampin' link above the pictures.

Inky love,

Darcy