Masculine Technique Cards Class REGISTER TODAY!

World Map & Traveler Card Stamping Class If you love color, travel, stamping techniques or having those elusive masculine cards on hand this class is for you!

This class focuses on some of the hottest colors on trend right now. The Blackberry Bliss is amazing! I'll show you how to include these colors effortlessly as well as go to techniques such as Collage, Sponged Backgrounds, Sponged Stamp, and Faux Antique Paper. Let me show you how pairing these rich colors with the World Map background stamp and the Traveler stamp set creates cards to fit a world of occasions! Reserve your spot today and join me on this worldly tour!

Registration is available now on my Meetup!

Saturday, July 26 at 10:00am  http://www.meetup.com/kellistamps4u/events/193594342/

Monday, July 28 at 7:00pm
http://www.meetup.com/kellistamps4u/events/193594982/

Buy 3 Get 1 FREE DSP!!

What a great sale!! During the month of July, buy 3 packs of Designer Series Paper and get 1 FREE!  That's a $10.95 value!  Summer is a great time to stock up.  Check out the DSP available with this sale by clicking any of the links below. This offer is available on individual orders OR your hostess club order!

Flower Pot Designer Series Paper [133698]	Flashback Designer Series Paper [133699]	Sweet Taffy Designer Series Paper [133693]
Confetti Celebration Designer Series Paper [133692]	Park Lane Designer Series Paper [133694]	Maritime Designer Series Paper [133696]
Lullaby Designer Series Paper [133695]	Back To Black Designer Series Paper [133700]

Big Ways, Small Ways to use the Envelope Punch Board

I'm working on a swap card that focuses on the use of the Envelope Punch Board. Hummm...Aside from making envelopes, I enjoy the file tab look that the punch creates. Using that as my inspiration, this is my first pass at my design for the swap. Whatcha think?

So, the quick run down on what I did.  The background was made using the new Designer Masks that had been spritzed with a Reinker/Alcohol combination. I added some Washi Tape to the top of a piece of Whisper White cardstock and used the Envelope Punch Board to create the "file tab". Score. Fold. Stamp using Something To Say.  To keep the little file tab closed, I punched the heart from Something To Say with the new small heart punch in the Itty Bitty Accents Punch Pack and attached it just to the side of the file tab with a Dimensional.

I'm not sure if this is my swap yet or not.  I'm going to keep playing and see what else I can come up with!

Imitation is the greatest form of flattery!

I admit it openly. Sometimes I don't have an original idea in my head. If it weren't for Pinterest and the Internet in general I may NEVER do anything creative.  Sometimes, I can come up with something kinda cool on my own and I love to post it.  A while back I posted this Sea Street card on my blog and then onto Pinterest.  It gets a bunch of shares which makes me quite proud :)

We do a card swap as part of my monthly hostess club meeting. My friend Patty made a very cool Sea Street card.  She asked if I recognized it from Pinterest.  Recognize it? I posted it!!  She had no clue :)  I gotta say, I felt like a proud mama. I got to see my card inspire someone who had no idea I was their inspiration AND I get to keep it.  Patty's card is on the left, mine on the right.  It made me happy!!

Swallowtail Meets Work Of Art

I've totally got a "thing" for butterflies.  Anyone who has known me for any length of time will tell you it's almost an obsession.  I've even got myself a couple butterfly tattoos :)  When the Swallowtail stamp came out, I knew I had to have it.  I've done a lot of different things with it but I think this has to be my favorite.

Jan Tink is a super successful and amazingly talented Stampin' Up! demonstrator.  I love to stalk her blog.  She posted a very similar card and I knew I had to take a shot at recreating it. It uses the Work of Art stamp set to color the butterfly.  I used Gorgeous Grunge to take up the white space.  I AM IN LOVE!  We're making this card in Sunday's Work of Art Stamp-A-Stack.  I still have some available spots if you'd like to come!

Randomly, I took this photo in my stamp room.  Notice how the card base sort of blends in with the wall?  I took a sheet of Wisteria Wonder cardstock to Home Depot and said, "This color, please."  Pretty cool, huh?

Has anybody seen my ruler?

Because I certainly haven't!  This is where I am...halfway between a massive disaster and beautiful breakthrough. If only I could find that silly ruler!!

Trying to be essentially chemical free

First of all, I'm not a doctor, a trained physician of any kind or even well read on the use of homeopathic remedies.  I do, however, know what works for ME and MY FAMILY and think it warrants sharing because OMG! It works!  I should also note that I am not a representative or customer of any direct sales company who sells essential oils (nor will I be any time soon!)

Second, I realize this has nothing to do with stamping unless you think of it from the perspective that I wouldn't be able to spend a material amount of time enjoying my paper if I feel like garbage.   So in a way, it's kind of stamp related, right?

We are trying, difficult and slow as it may be, to get rid of unnecessary chemicals in my house. We're making our own cleaners. Eating MUCH better, nothing from a box or a bottle if we can't pronounce all of the words. I'm trying to venture down the road of essential oils for natural health. I haven't taken an allergy pill all season...and it's been a bad one.  And you know what? It's working! I've felt better. I sleep better. I'm losing weight (but that's a totally different discussion for a totally different day.)

The best thing I've done for myself lately is to learn about essential oils and aromatherapy.  I'm certainly no expert but I am convinced it works and works well.  Lavender Essential Oil is something I have near me always.  It helps me sleep. It helps a headache. It helps clear up blemishes. It helps heal cuts. It smells great in just about everything. It's become my go to when I just don't know what I need.

Today is especially icky outside as it relates to grass pollen, which makes me miserable. My sneezing, itchy eyes, scratchy throat almost had me heading for the medicine cabinet this morning but I held off and whipped up an EO concoction. Would you know, within 5 minutes all of my symptoms were gone. What?? Scouts honor, I feel like a human and it doesn't involve a lick of Zyrtec. My concoction consisted of 2 ounces almond oil as my base with essential oils of: lavender (8 drops), lemon (8 drops), peppermint (4 drops), and eucalyptus (2 drops).  I've rubbed it on my throat and neck, a little behind my ears, took some deep breaths from my cupped hands. I can breathe. My sneezing has stopped.  My throat isn't scratching. My eyes aren't watering. That's all I've got. It works.

Maybe I'll start putting together a book that has all of my cool natural recipes in it. That would be stamping related...PROJECT LIFE!!  I'm on it, kids.  Want to learn more about what I'm doing to move us to a chemical free household? Just ask :)