I keep thinking that any minute now I am going to stamp, no matter what!  Well, it still hasn't happened, but I remembered that I never showed you my name tag I made for my bag I would receive at the Stampin' Up! Convention.  Of course I didn't know what color or style the bag would be, and as it turned out, this tag DID NOT match!!  And I should have realized that if the theme was "Flower Power" at the party, then vintage and elegant wasn't going to be the right style!!  But, who cares, I liked the tag and I got lots of compliments on it from other demos!  And I made one for my friend Nona, too!  Looking at it now, I don't think I chose the right alphabet either, but I was looking for something small enough to fit.  This is the Jumble Alphabet #115199.  The new designer paper is Elegant Soiree #117163 with some Crochet Trim #118481 (Victoria) and some Jewels…Basic Pearls #119247.  Then I just slipped this into a vertical ID badge holder from an office supply store.  You can also embellish the badge holder with ribbons!  So fun!

I always like to have my own notebook at Convention to take notes.  I purchased a rather small notebook at the store and then added my own card stock and stamping to decorate it.  In this case, I tried to copy the notebook on the front of the new Stampin' Up! 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalog.  I used the Artistic Etchings stamp set as well as the Tiny Tags stamp set.  The tag on the front with my name is the Two Tags die cut.  My name is stamped with the new Broadsheet Alphabet!  I can't wait to play with it some more! The flowers are partly made with the new Newsprint Designer Series Paper.

Whoops!  Guess I took this photo before I added various ribbons tied on the spiral on the side!!

 If you wish you were at the Stampin' Up! Convention, you should sign up to be a Demonstrator and start your own stamping business!  For more information, just click HERE.  The Starter Kit is fabulous!

Here's a necklace I just made with the Greenhouse Gala Designer Series Paper to wear to the Stampin' Up! Convention.  I was hoping to add pearls and rhinestones but not enough space for those!  Fun to use little bits of Crochet Trim!  All you need is a Simply Adorned necklace and Charm and you can design your own inserts!  Shop right here for your jewelry!

This is the new Color Coach #120148 from Stampin' Up! and you will want to have one!  It just looks good and is so versatile.  You'll see large swatches of color and on the back of each color are suggested color combinations.  There are even extra cards to help you with color theory and blank cards for you to record your favorite combinations of colors.

In Colors are included as well AND see the screw on the back??  You can take the pack apart to add new In Colors or remove old ones or even put the cards in the order you would like them.  If you prefer the colors be in order by Color Collection, you can sort them that way. 

Just to challenge myself, I was going to choose a random card in the Color Coach, without looking, and make something with those colors, regardless of what they were!  It was Early Espresso and I chose to use the "Creative Combination" of colors in a project.

Here's what I made:

Stamps:  Artistic Etchings (p.125 IB&C), Vintage Vogue (p. 126)

Card stock:  Very Vanilla #101650, Marina Mist #119682, Early Espresso #119686

Ink:  Early Espresso, Tangerine Tango, Marina Mist

Accessories:  3/8" Twill Tape #119970, Stamping Sponges #101610, Stampin' Dimensionals #104430, Paper Snips #103579, Crop-A-Dile #108362

Be sure to put that new Color Coach on your new order!  

Click HERE to shop!

This morning I was rummaging through my jewelry box and in my holiday decorations trying to find my 4th of July "stuff".  I couldn't remember if I had a special 4th of July bracelet or not, but I found some red and blue cheap plastic beads I probably bought last year and my little 4th of July "crown"…some star garland and cascading curled ribbons down the back!…..that my friend and I bought years ago at a 4th of July celebration.  Then I happened to think of my Simply Adorned Charms from Stampin' Up!  All I would have to do is make a 4th of July insert and I'd have my own customized jewelry!

The charm I have is the middle sized one, the Simply Adorned 1" x 1 1/4" Rectangle Charm #116798 with the 24" Simply Adorned Chain #116800.

Here's the front!

And I love that there is a backside too!

I just got out some stamps and punches and had some fun!

What I hope looks like fireworks in the front view of the charm is the medallion in the stamp set Charming #116519, with the center punched out with the Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack #118309.  The USA is stamped with the Rough Type Alphabet in the Summer Mini Catalog….the letters are just cut into little blocks by hand.  The star is cut from Brushed Gold cardstock. The red and blue strips are punched with the Pinking Hearts Border Punch #117649.

The backside of the charm I just stamped that same medallion from Charming in Real Red, Daffodil Delight and Pacific Point ink and punched out the three stars with the Star Punch (retired).  I think we need a punch with itty bitty stars!

I can't wait to wear my new 4th of July necklace to see fireworks tonight!!

These pansies made from butterfly punches are all the rage right now and so easy to make!  I believe another demonstrator, Dawn Olchefske, may be the originator.  After I made my pansy, I die cut the Stampin' Up! Fancy Favor Box #115965 with my Big Shot, stamped with Elements of Style from the Summer Mini with Versamark on the box, and attached my pretty pansy.

To make the pansy:

• Use the Butterfly Punch #116629 to punch two butterflies from Shimmery White card stock #101910. (it works better with the water)
• Place on a folded paper towel and spritz heavily with water.
• Using your Aquapainter #103954 or small brush, pick up some ink and touch to the wet butterflies.  Use one or more colors.  The ink will spread with the water.
• Let dry, draw little "whisker" type lines from the center of each.
• Assemble the two butterflies at right angles with a center brad, curl the edges a bit with your fingers or a tool, and look at your beautiful pansy!
• Be careful, because they are addicting and you will want to make more!

Who on earth would think you could make a pansy out of two butterflies?!  But that's how talented a lot of our Stampin' Up! Demonstrators are!

Enjoy this video from a local TV station in Utah featuring Annie Traynor of the Stampin' Up! home office demonstrating the Simply Adorned Charms.  She is using the Vintage Vogue stamp set and the Simply Adorned Chains and Charms, both found in the current Occasions Mini Catalog.  You can order your Simply Adorned jewelry by clicking on the red "Order Online button" in the upper right corner of my blog.