GulfcoastStamper

Vintage Valentine

Happy Saturday!  Today's post is a card we made at my Stampers 6 club meeting last week and I am just now getting around to sharing.  It is a little Vintage for me but I like the way it turned out.  I am loving those adorable little kisses and the matching glassine envelopes...how cute are they? 

The Designer Series Paper is from the Sending Love collection in the new Occasions Mini.  All of the layers were edged with the new Scallop Trim Border Punch, which is FREE right now during Sale-a-Bration!  (click HERE to see how you can get this beautiful punch for FREE!) It is hard to see in the photo but my card base is Chocolate Chip layered with Pretty in Pink to match my DSP.  The little glassine envelope was run through my Big Shot using the Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Folder, also from the Occasions Mini.  It was lightly sponged with Pretty in Pink classic ink to give the raised dots a little more definition.  The sentiment is from the Well Scripted set and stamped on one of our new "kisses" in chocolate chip ink.
It is finished off with our FAB new Satin Ribbon in Pretty in Pink.   (you gotta try this ribbon!) 
Thanks for stoppin' by! 

Help for Haiti

 I {Heart} Hearts     set of 8     #117010  $26.95 (w)     #118571  $18.95  (c)

Help make a difference in the lives of those who continue to suffer from the effects of the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12th.  From now until February 28, 2010, Stampin' Up! will set aside $2 from the sale of every I{Heart}Hearts stamp set and donate it to the American Red Cross' Haiti Relief and Development Fund.  The Red Cross is already well established in Haiti, and the money will be used to provide immediate relief and long-term support through supplies, technical assistance and other support to help those in  need.

Please contact me directly or click HERE to order on-line.  Thank you for your support.  

Mojo Monday & Stamp Club Project

Mojo Moday to the rescue again!  I needed one last project for my Stampers 6 Club meeting this week and was pressed for time as usual, so I headed over to the Mojo Monday Blog for some inspiration.  I love this weeks sketch and this card came together so quickly and turned out great if I do say so myself! 

The candle was a little added bonus.  I found these marked down at Michaels after Christmas...3/$1.00!  I bought everything they had left in the purple because they match our Cottage Wall paper perfectly!  A few punched flowers, a texture plate and my Big Shot and they are much better looking than when I picked them up at the store!  They make a great set, don't ya think?

LOVE the new Satin Ribbon from the Occasions Mini too...I used Old Olive to wrap the candle)  

Off to go out to dinner for Thomas' 15th Birthday! 

Have a great week!

Totally Tess Desktop Calendar

Have I mentioned how much I love this stamp set?  "Totally Tess"  is from the new Occasions mini and is my new favorite.  The desk calendar is a standard A4 card size but is is a little thick once the Post-It notes are added so I think I would use a bubble mailer if I was to send her.

 

 

I got the idea from Cindy Galbraith (aka the Stamping Granny) and she was kind enough to share the dimensions with me.  I used this for my Stampers 6 group last night and we had a blast making them.  I used Old Olive and Rich Razzleberry for the base and Cottage Wall Designer Series Paper for some color and for Tess' wardrobe.  The calendar was created in excel and the 2010 was computer generated as well.

So, how cute is she?  Want to make a Tess of your own?  Just place a $50 order through my on-line store that includes Tess and I will e-mail you a 2 page pdf file with step by step instructions for creating this great project.  You will also receive the excel file to print out your own calendar.  And, because it's Sale-A-Bration (the most wonderful time of the year at Stampin' Up!) you will also receive a FREE Sale-A-Bration set of your choice! 

Please feel free to call or e-mail me with any questions!

Have a great weekend!

We have a winner!

For the last few months I have been running a 50/50/50 promotion with all my Stampin' Up! customers.  Spend $50, get your name entered into a drawing for a $50 gift certificate and when I have 50 names in the jar we will draw a winner.  We picked our first winner at Friday night's Stamp Camp and the winner is...(drum roll, please!)

DOREEN FUTHEY

Doreen, please contact me to claim your prize and place your order!

So, now the jar is empty and we need to fill it up again!  Sale-A-Bration is the best time to place a $50 Stampin' Up! order.  Why?  FREE stamps!   Call or e-mail me for details!

Sending Love Irish Cream Brownies

Every month a group of my regular Stamp Campers participates in a 6x6 recipe swap. Our theme this month was Valentines Day and this was my contribution this month.
I used the new Sending Love Designer Series Paper from Stampin' Up! LOVE this paper. It is all double sided but the best part is that one side of each page is glittery! The hardest part is deciding which side to use! the pink ribbon is the new 5/8" satin ribbon from the new Occasions Mini. The heart was punched and sponged with Chocolate Chip classic ink.


Since I had to work late every night this week I had my personal chef (my 12 year old son Christopher) whip up a batch of my Irish Cream Brownies for Stamp Camp Friday night. These brownies were so rich and fudgy with just a hint of Baileys Irish Cream for a decadent "adults only" treat. I wish I had taken a picture of them before they disappeared because they were as pretty as they were tasty. They didn't last long so for those of you that did not participate in our recipe swap and were not fortunate enough to go home with the recipe, here ya go...

Frosted Irish Cream Brownies

Brownies:
1(1 lb. 3.8-oz.) pkg. fudge brownie mix
1/2 cup oil
¼ cup Irish cream liqueur
2 eggs
Frosting:
1/2cup butter or margarine, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons Irish cream liqueur
2 to3 teaspoons milk
Glaze:
1 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon butter or margarine
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom only of 13x9-inch pan. In large bowl, combine all brownie ingredients; beat 50 strokes with spoon. Spread in greased pan.
2. Bake at 350°F. for 25 to 30 minutes or until brownies are set and begin to pull away from sides of pan. DO NOT OVERBAKE. Cool 45 minutes or until completely cooled.
3. Beat 1/2 cup butter in small bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in all remaining frosting ingredients, adding enough milk for desired spreading consistency. Spread over cooled brownies.
4. Place glaze ingredients in small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH for 30 seconds; stir until melted and smooth. Drizzle over frosted brownies. Refrigerate 30 minutes or until firm. Cut into bars.

Hope you all had a fabulous weekend!
Enjoy!

Stamp Camp!

Stamp Camp last night was a blast although a little crazy and over-crowded! I ended up with 18 women crowded into my house but everyone was super patient and a fun time was had by all. (thanks for your patience ladies!) When there was no room to stamp there was time to visit with friends, shop the new Occasions Mini and Sale-a-Bration catalogs, or sample some of Christopher's Irish Cream Brownies. Yum. (I'll post my recipe card with the recipe tomorrow. You're going to want to try this one!) I wish I had taken a picture of them, they were as pretty as they were tasty!
Our first project of the night was a hanging Valentine treat holder using the Big Shot and the Petal Card die. We ran Pretty in Pink card stock and the new Sending Love DSP through the Big Shot and folded the bottom two score lines only to form the heart. One Ghiradelli chocolate was the perfect fit but of course we had to dress it up a bit with some more Sending Love DSP and the "Love You Much" sentiment from the new Well Scripted set in the Occasions Mini. The little "Love Bandit" on the front is also from the Occasions mini but you will see more of him in just a minute.

The next set is also from the Occasions Mini and is called "Totally Tess". She is my new personal favorite and you will be seeing a lot of her in the next few months! I actually have another Tess project and on-line special that I will post in the next few days. This fashionable stamper is dressed in Thoroughly Modern Designer Series Paper along with Bermuda Bay and Rose Red card stock. The "Friend" sentiment is from the Great Friend set in the Stampin' Up! Idea Book & Catalog.

Up next is a quick, simple card using the Big Shot and the Elegant Bouquet Embossing Folder. The stamp set is "Flight of the Butterfly" in Bermuda Bay ink along with Bermuda Bay Polka Dot Grossgrain Ribbon. the Butterfly was stamped on Vellum Card Stock and punched out with Stampin' Up's Butterfly Punch.

Last but not least is a card that was CASED from Ilina Cross. This little guy is also from the Occasions Mini. The set is called "Love Bandit" and although my kids are way passed the Valentine stage (no more elementary school for me) he was just too cute to pass up.

That's all for tonight! Happy Saturday and Ill be back tomorrow with a great recipe to share!

My New Years Resolution...

Just like 90% of the general population I never keep my New Years Resolutions so I seldom bother making them. But, it's a new year and some change is in order so I'm breaking my own rule and resolving to adjust a few things this year.
One of the things I have been sorely neglecting lately is my Blog. I seem to find time to stamp and create (it is my much needed therapy) but I never seem to find the time to share. So, I am going to try to post at least once a week cuz there's just too much cute stampin stuff not to share!
So, with that in mind, I'm going to catch you up on a few things that I did not post in December.
My favorite by far is the Christmas Card that I did for a few select friends. It is no secret to those that know me that I am a homesick New Englander and Florida is soooo not my favorite place to be in December. But, seeing as how I am stuck here in what most would consider paradise, I try to make the best of it and enjoy the palm trees wrapped in lights and being able to Christmas shop w/o having to hit the malls in full winter gear. T-shirts and shorts are our typical December shopping attire here and one of my new favorite Christmas songs is Tropical Christmas by the Belamy Brothers...my feeble attempt to embrace an 85 degree snow-less Christmas:

"And when the sun sets down in the ocean, we'll decorate the palm trees
Flamingo ornaments with coconut lights
then we'll go caroling in paradise
and thank baby Jesus for this tropical silent night...

I had the idea last year to create a Christmas CD with some of my favorite songs but never managed to pull it off. This year I started early and my son Thomas and I spent hours on I-Tunes researching the best versions of some of our old favorites and managed to find a few new ones along the way. The hardest part was narrowing it down to the 18 songs that would fit on the CD. Each one was customized for the recipient but the challenge was how to package them cuz you know a regular CD case simply would not do.

Here's what I came up with:



The palm tree and stocking are from a retired Stampin' Up set called Sunny Seasons Greetings. I bought this set right before it retired and it was looking like a move to Florida was in our future. It's one of those sets that I will never part with, it's just too cute to let go. The alligator is from a Sparkle & Sprinkle set that I bought at a CKC Convention last year. Another must have set and one of the few non Stampin' Up sets that I own. (another feeble attempt to embrace my tropical surroundings at Christmas) The CD is hidden in a pocket behind the playlist.

Thanks for looking, thanks for sticking with me during my little hiatus, and I will be back with more in a day or two!