Color Me Bold Swap

This is a swap I participated in with fellow SU! demonstrators. It was called Color Me Bold - and challenged participants to use only ONE SU! Color Family, plus a neutral. All but one stuck to that - but the results are beautiful and varied - don't you think? I LOVE swaps for the variety of styles, stamps & color combinations they bring to me. It really helps me stretch out of my comfort zone and style box - and hopefully also helps meet my customers inspiration needs.
Birthdays are the Best Card: Stamped by Peggy Cook. Stamp Set: Pick a Petal & It's Your Birthday. CS: Bold Brights Family - Lovely Lilac, Tempting Turquoise, Gable Green, Pixie Pink & Glossy White. Ink: Green Galore, Tempting Turquoise, Lovely Lilac & Basic Black. Access: Godl Brads, 1/16" Hand Punch, 1/4" White Grosgrain Ribbon, Stampin' Write Basic Black.
Flower Garden Card: Stamped by Diane Harman. Stamp Set: Just Like You. CS: Not Quite Navy, Pumpkin Pie, Whisper White. Ink: Not Quite Navy, Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie. Access: 1 1/4" & 1 3/8" Circle Punch, Scallop Punch, Circle Fire Rhinestones Brads, Mini-Glue Dots, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, Dimensionals & Crafters Tool Kit for paper piercing.
Garden Whimsy Card: Stamped byJuli Smith (Me!). Inspired by Fall/Winter Collection pg. 32. Stamp Set: Garden Whimsy. CS: Night of Navy, Rose Red, Regal Rose, So Saffron, Bravo Burgundy & Whisper White. Ink: Rose Red & So Saffron. Access: Stampin' Write in Rose Red, Scallop Punch, 1/16" Hand Punch, Crafters Tool Kit for paper piercing, 1/4" Bravo Burgundy Grosgrain Ribbon, Double Circle Punch, 1 3/8" & 1 1/4" Circle Punch, Paper Snips, Dimensionals.

Color Me Bold Swap Cont'd

Musical Card: Stamped by Michelle Merksamer. Stamp Set: Elegant Notes. CS: Night of Navy, Bravo Burgundy, Whisper White & Glossy White. Ink: Night of Navy. Access: Classic Reinkers in Night of Navy, Brocade Blue & Bordering Blue. Technique: Polished Stone - Shown under the staff image. Contact me to schedule a workshop to demonstrate this technique!
Colorful Birthday: Stamped by Sue Selfridge. Stamp Set: Outlined for Fun & In My Thoughts (inside). CS: Whisper White, Basic Black, Watercolor Paper, Real Red, Only Orange, YoYo Yellow, Green Galore, Taken with Teal & Elegant Eggplant. Ink: Versamark. Access: Watercolor Wonder Crayons, Aquapainter, Black Embossing Powder.
Wild About You Card: Stamped by Diane White. Stamp Set: Wild About You. CS: Rose Red, Regal Red, So Saffron, Prints DS Designer Paper in Rose Red. Ink: Garden Green & Taken with Teal Classic Ink.

Color Me Bold Swap Cont'd

Rose on Rose Doodle This Card: Stamped by ?? (she didn't include her name). Stamp Set: Doodle This. Card Stock/Paper: Prints DS Designer Paper in Rose Red, Regal Rose, Whisper White, Rose Red. Ink:Rose Red Classic Ink. Access: Crafters Tool Kit for paper piercing, Coluzzle, Dimensionals, Rich Regal Buttons.
Happiness Card: Stamped by Teri Klawitter. Stamp Set: Word on Word (Host Set), Petals Jumbo Wheel. Card Stock: Rose Red, Elegant Eggplant. Ink: Rose Red and Elegant Eggplant Classic Ink. Access: Elegant Eggplant Grosgrain Ribbon, Rich Regal Brads, 1/4" Square Punch & 1/16" Hand Punch.
Baroque Motifs Card: Stamped by Tammy Fite. Stamps: Baroque Motif. CS: Certainly Celery, Almost Amethyst, Whisper White & Brushed Silver. Ink: Certainly Celery, Almost Amethyst & Versamark. Access: Scallop Punch, Certainly Celery Grosgrain Ribbon, Silver Brads, Sterling Silver Embossing Powder.

Marriage Encounter Family Camping

Finally an updated family picture since Christmas! This is from a Marriage Encounter Family Camp Out in June 2007. We were blessed to borrow Steve's parents' pop-up camper this trip. For the first time - NO TENT! It was wonderful!! Of course, anything is better than the last two years of rain on this camping weekend! heehee

We have been involved with Worldwide Marriage Encounter for 8+ years, making our first Weekend in February 1999. The Weekend gifted us as a couple in so many ways - and still continues to do so today. One of the many blessings has been our local M.E. Community - being surrounded with so many couples who value God, marriage and family has been invaluable for us. We made a second Weekend this past February, and were asked to become presenting team for future Weekends. We said - YES! And have been on a new adventure ever since!! We highly recommend the Marriage Encounter Weekend to everyone - it is the best gift you can give yourselves, your marriage and your family. You will find the information you need at http://www.wwme.org/ or feel free to contact us and we'll help find the info you need. ENJOY!

In Color Combo Swap

I hosted this swap with fellow demonstrators to utilize the In Color Combination chart that Stampin' Up! put together for us. It is a great addition to the Color Coach because it gives color combos with the newest In Colors (there was one for last catalog's In Colors too!) I find I am so much more likely to try color combos out of my comfort and style range - if someone else has put the colors together for me! The Color Coach and this In Color Combo Chart, together with the Idea Books & Catalogs for layouts, make it super easy for me to focus on my stamps and embellishments - which is the part I find the most FUN! I figure you all are probably similar to me in this respect - so all of us who participated in this swap hope you enjoy these samples! Contact your demonstrator for a copy of the In Color Combo chart. If you don't have a demo - Please feel free to contact ME!

Butterfly Card: Stamped By Juli Smith. In Color Combo: Groovy Guava, Blue Bayou, Soft Sky & River Rock. Stamps: Garden Whimsy. I got this layout directly from the Stampin' Up! Fall/Winter Collection p. 108. Absolutely LOVE the In Color Double-Stitched Ribbon. I used the 1 3/8" Square Punch to punch out the butterflies. Tip: stamp first, punch second - makes it so much easier to line up the punch with the image. Second tip - hold most punches upside down so you can see where you are punching. This design is fast, easy and quite lovely - IMHO. Thanks SU! designers! :) The Soft Sky butterfly doesn't show up well on my scan - but it is very nice in person.

Masculine Birthday #1: Stamped by Juli Smith. In Color Combo: River rock, Mellow Moss, Basic Gray & Ruby Red. Stamps: Close as a Memory, Sincere Salutations, Rough Edges Jumbo Wheel. Access: Crafters Tool Kit for paper piercing on the Basic Gray along the Ruby Red edge, Ticket Corner Punch, Designer Label Punch, Slot Punch and Basic Gray Taffeta Ribbon (NEW!), Clear Embossing Powder (the flowers).

Masculine Birthday #2: Stamped by Juli Smith. In Color Combo: Wild Wasabi, River Rock, Blue Bayou & Chocolate Chip. Recipe same as above - only I used the River Rock Double-Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon instead. I had what I thought was an extra flower focal piece laying around, counted my swaps, had enough, so picked another combo to try. I found the other swap all done except for it's focal piece later! Poor card - all done up with no focal piece to complete it!! Heehee

In Color Combo Swap Continued

Flowers of Gratitude Card: Stamped by Becky Campbell. In Color Combo: Purely Pomegranate, Pumpkin Pie, Bashful Blue & Old Olive. Stamps: All Occasion-Gratitude (Host Set & Wheel). She substitued So Saffron for the Old Olive - but who can blame her? Flower centers aren't ususally green!? This combo says Summer while hinting at Fall. The tone on tone on Bashful Blue gives a lovely and subtle background.
Hippo Card: Stamped by Carrie Srail. In Color Combo: Blue Bayou, Certainly Celery, Chocolate Chip & Soft Sky. Stamps: Zoofari and See You Around Jumbo Wheel. Access: Wide Chocolate Grosgrain Ribbon, Jumbo Antique Brass Eyelets, Cropadile, Aquapainter. Dont' think you can see the TEXTURED Card Stock she used (Certainly Celery) in this scan. The New Textured Card Stock is very FUN! almost everything she use din the design of this card is NEW this Fall/Winter Collection Idea Book & Catalog - from card stock to accessories! And how about the Long Note size for another fresh change up? The Long Note size isn't new this year, but if you haven't tried it yet - it really freshens up your style. Envelopes are available for this size, and a larger long note too. Too cute!
Flower/Vase Card: Stamped by: Jean Warren. She didn't use an In Color Combo as specified in the swap guidelines - but it is a quick and lovely design. So I am sharing it anyway! Stamps: Vases in Vogue (Host Set).

In Color Combo Swap Continued

Happy Birthday Card: Stamped by Peggy Cook. In Color Combo: Soft Sky, Blue Bayou, Real Red & Chocolate Chip. Stamps: It's Your Birthday & Garden Silhouettes (Host Only set). Basic Brown Classic Ink substituted for the Chocolate Chip;

Friends Latch Card: Stamped by Mari Leininger. In Color Combo:Purely Pomegranate, Wild Wasabi, Soft Sky & Kraft. Stamps: Year After Year, Taggers Dozen & Curvy Verses. Access: Word Window Punch, Bashful Blue Brads, On Board Chipboard Tags, Crimper & Dimensionals. She brouhgt in the Soft Sky by using the Prints Double-Sided Designer Paper to cover the Chipboard Tag.

Cherish Card: Stamped by Melisa Olsen. In Color Combo: She saw Combos pairing the Soft Sky with Close to Cocoa and Chocolate Chip (in separate combos) and went with that, slightly deviating from swap guidelines. The results are beautiful though! Stamps: Baroque Motifs. Love that swirl image from the Baroque Motifs stamp set. Here, Melisa used a tone on tone effect by using the Versamark Ink Pad. A slightly darker tone on tone can be achieved by using the matching Classic Ink pad.

Warm Wishes Tent Topper Card: Stamped by Laura Pertot. In Color Combo: Soft Sky, Taken with Teal, Lavendar Lace & Old Olive. Stamps: Year After Year and Hugs & Wishes. She brought the lavendar lace color in by using Flowers For You Double-sided Designer Paper. The In Color Double-Stitched Grosgrain is quickly becoming my favorite ribbon! Although - did you notice that sexy basic gray taffeta ribbon in the above samples? Elegant is all I can say about our new taffeta ribbons!