hit me with your BIG SHOT

Woah! Has it really been 5 days since I've blogged last? What's up with that? I never go that long. There's usually something I have to say. I suppose there's just been a lot of other things that have sucked up my time and I'm trying really hard to be better at prioritizing. I think I might have said this once or twice before!

So, while the kids take a {much needed} nap, I wanted to share with you some cards I made over the weekend. I hosted my second Stampin' Up! workshop on Saturday and it was so much fun! Thanks, Angie, for hosting!!

My friend, Andrea, who is also my upline (the person I signed up under) loaned me her BIG SHOT over the weekend. It's a die cut machine you can purchase through SU! Oh, and let me tell you...this bad boy is definitely going on my Christmas list (if I can wait that long!!)

I got to play around a bit with the "top note die" and the "medium scallop die". It was so much fun to use these to make cards. Here are the samples I created below...just for fun!

These two are created with the "top note die". I love the look it gives the card and the way it frames the stamped images. I always make at least 2 of each of the cards I design.


This one I did as a demo at the workshop, so the guests could see the Big Shot in action. The flowers in the top right corner are also created using the Big Shot.


These next two cards I made just for fun using the "medium scalloped die" (blue circle background). I, again, made two of each of these and then just changed out the greeting, so it's a different sentiment on each one...to have a variety of occasions to choose from.

**Sneak peek! This first card is going to be one of three cards that we will be making at my card making night next Thursday.


This next card was actually the "make n take" at the workshop on Saturday. We didn't use the die cutting machine for this one. Can you tell I love this little birdie set!? It's called Cheep Talk. (There are other samples I've created here.) Thank goodness it's sticking around for the next catalog. It's too cute to retire!


These last samples were the hostess gift for my friend Angie, who hosted the workshop. (For each workshop I do, I try to spoil the hostess by giving them some extra goodies, since they are so kind to open their home to let me come in and share about Stampin' Up!)

I made 3 of each of the two small birthday gift tags and then made a matching box to put them inside. These are made with the stamp set Think Happy Thoughts and the Seeing Spots stamp set. Seeing Spots is actually retiring from the catalog. So sad! I loved this one. I'll still use it for my own personal use, but I won't be able to show it off at any of my future workshops or card making nights since it won't be available for purchase any more.

3x3 cards...

...with matching box

Each of the guests at the workshop had these at their table, and then I quickly did a demonstration of how to "whip these out". Check out this tutorial if you want to make your own!


For all of those die hard Stampin' Up gals out there, sorry I didn't go into detail about the colors/DS papers used, but I didn't want to bore all my other readers with a long list of supplies. Please e-mail me if you'd like to know. I find it very helpful when I'm searching out ideas for Stampin' Up! products to know what colors are being used in the project, so I have decided that (because I don't have enough already to do) that I'm going to start another blog (oh goodness!) that will showcase my SU! projects. On that blog, it will post all of the "ingredients" needed to make them. It will be slow in getting up and running, but it will come soon and I will tell you all about it when it happens. In the meantime...I need a name! There are so many play on words with Stampin' in the title, but so many are taken. So far I have Stuck on Stampin'! which I haven't seen used...yet. Any other ideas??

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And in other craftiness...

Don't forget you still have TWO MORE DAYS to showcase your monogram projects! We will be taking July & August off from the monthly craft challenges, so be sure to squeeze this one in! If you haven't yet checked out the fun projects, be sure to visit here. Thanks to everyone who has joined us so far! It's been fun to see what you have come up with.

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I'm working on a Father's Day gift for the grandpas, so I'll see if I can get that finished to show off tomorrow! Hope you are all having a great start to your week!