prsd4tim2{quilt}: Girls Night Out

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Girls Night Out

Tonight my friend Charlotte, who is a Stampin' Up demonstrator, hosted our first workshop since the new catty came out. Fun! She had such great ideas that I just had to share. I honestly haven't stamped since I cleaned up my stamping area when my kids came to visit in April. Why? Maybe because my stamping area looked so tidy I just couldn't bear to mess it up?

Here is the first card we made. Very easy. It used the new Greehouse Gala DSP and the Big Shot Square Lattice embossing folder. (The Big Shot sure makes embossing easy - how did we ever manage with a brass plate and a stylus? That probably explains why I didn't do much of it!) The card is very simple, but nice. Obviously, I need to cut the ribbon, but overall, I think, a lovely card. I was using glue, which I almost never do, but I forgot to take my tape runner, and so beggars can't be choosers, you know? Anyway, I didn't really realize how fast the glue would dry when the two layers were put together, so I wasn't able to adjust the top flower when I realized it was a little off. Oh well. Something to remember for next time.

My second card didn't turn out as well as I would have liked. It was a fussy, vintage card, and Charlotte's sample was beautiful. Mine suffered from inexpertly applied 2-way glue and an attempt to compensate with too much glitter, which meant it didn't photograph well at all. Probably just as well.

The third card was adorable and elegant at the same time. How does that happen? I loved the stamp set, and the inside sentiment, "If you are what you eat, eat something cute," was fun. The card used another Big Shot texture folder called Elegant Lines and the scallop punch. Lots of fun. I love the SU! rhinestones. They are the best ones I have used, and really jazz up your card. Love the way they add sparkle. We also tried out the new Smooch pearlized accent ink. This product is new, and adds just a touch of spice and interest.

I hadn't realized until I decided to do this how difficult it is to photograph these cards. The detail just doesn't come through very well in the photo. I actually did these with the camera, and not with my phone, and I still took multiple shots, of which these are the best. The difficulty may be in my technique, of course. My photography has never been my most expert hobby.

The last card we made also used some of the new SU! Elegant Soiree DSP and the adorable owl punch. The owl was cute, but wasn't on my "must have" list until I did a Halloween blog hop on Stampin' Addicts recently and saw all the ways it was used - everything from flower vases to witch's cauldrons. I really think I NEED this punch.

DSP makes putting a card together so easy. Add a little ribbon and some kind of focal point, and you have a card. It can be as simple or as elaborate as you like.

I really need to get back into stamping again. It is always a lot of fun to meet with other ladies and create something fun and attractive.

And when I got home, guess what??? A Stampin' Addicts blog hop using some great new products from the Holiday mini. Tonight was Stamping Heaven!

Charlotte had a ton of samples on her kitchen counter when we arrived. At snack time, I took a moment to take some photos of them. Great ideas for my next stamping adventure. (These were photographed with my phone off her kitchen counter, but they do show the main elements of the cards.)