• Hi Stampers,

    I'm here with this week's Create with Connie and Mary Challenge. This week we were given a sketch to inspire our creations…

    IMG_5544

    This sketch was a lot fo fun to play with. I like the label layer behind the square. 2012 Create Challenges-008It adds a lot of interest to a very simple layout.

    I have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of my You're My Type stamp set and it arrived this week so of course I HAD to play with it!

    I love the Gray, Yellow, Black color combination and it worked well for this stamp set. I added a little distressing around the edge of the card layer to go with the vintage type writer. But I still wanted a little bit of a soft touch to the card so I added the ribbon and rhinestones. I really like the Juxtaposition (don't I sound smart when I use big words like that) or the dark colors and distressing with the rhinestone sparkles.

    Don't forget to visit the Create with Connie and Mary website to get more inspiration from the other designers!

    While you are there, you can also sign up for the Create Occasions Edition going on right now! I hope you're inspired to play along with us this week! We love to see what you come up with! 

     

    • Stamp Sets: You're My Type
    • Paper: Whisper White, Basic Gray, Basic Black, Just Add Cake DSP
    • Ink: Basic Gray
    • Accessories: Decorative Label Punch, Mini Library Clips, Basic Rhinestones, Daffodil Delight 1/8" taffeta ribbon

  • Hi Stampers,

    Do you ever fell like you’re in a color combo rut?? There are times It seems like every time I sit down to create a project I choose the same color combos – sometimes I just want to try something fresh and fun so I use a color combo generator to surprise me with color combos!

    and NOW I have a fun tool on my blog that you can use to generate fresh color combos to help spark your creativity.

    The tool (which you can find on the left sidebar of my blog) is addicting. I can sit around all day clicking surprise me and making notes of my favorite combos that come up…

    Try it out – you’ll see what I mean šŸ™‚

    Note: If you have a blog and want to add this widget to your side bar as well check out the ColorLab Widget Page (click here). Anyone who donates $10 or more annually to help keep the ColorLab up and running can add this widget to their blog or website!

  • Hi Stampers,

    I'm here with this week's Create with Connie and Mary Challenge. This time we had a color challenge…

    IMG_5540

    The other day I saw the most fabulous banner for a party. It was filled with bright 2012 Create Challenges-007colors, sparkles, and flowers. I loved it and when I got the colors for this week's challenge (seen to the right) I knew RIGHT away it was perfect for a sparkley Birthday Baner! 

    I punched banners from DSP and linked them together with little rhinestones. Then added a few flowers with bigger Rhinestone centers and finished things off with a fun Celebrate stamp! I think this is a good Birthday card for a Tween :).

    Don't forget to visit the Create with Connie and Mary website to get more inspiration from the other designers!

    While you are there, you can also sign up for the Create Occasions Edition going on right now! I hope you're inspired to play along with us this week! We love to see what you come up with! 

     

    • Stamp Sets: Outlined Occasions (Sale-a-bration set)
    • Paper: Whisper White, Melon Mambo, Chocolate Chip, Lucky Limeade, Melon Mambo DSP, Lucky Limeade DSP
    • Ink: Chocolate Chip, Melon Mambo Stampin' Write Marker, Lucky Limeade Stampin' Write Marker
    • Accessories: Petite Pennant Builder Punch, Basic Rhinestones, Paper Daisies

  • Love You

    Happy Valentines Day to all my readers! I LOVE sharing my fun projects with all of you!

    Have a fabulous day of Sharing your Love!!

  • Sale-A-Bration Starter Kit Sale

     
       Q&A

    Sale-A-Bration Starter Kit Sale
    Q: What happens if I become a demonstrator during Sale-A-Bration?

    A: When you join the Stampin’ Up! family during Sale-A-Bration, you not only get the Starter Kit at a huge discount, but you eligible to get your choice of a package of Designer Series Paper or a Digital Download each month of 2012.  Here’s the scoop:

    Discounted Starter Kit
         It’s a bit of a secret, but the Starter Kit is the best deal in the entire catalog with more than $425 worth of stamping products and supplies for only $215 During Sale-A-Bration, the Starter Kit is an even more amazing deal since it is on sale for only $150. Plus, you get a bonus gift each month when you place a demonstrator order!

    10 Free Designer Series Papers or Digital Downloads
       
    You know how special you feel when you receive a card or a gift for no particular reason, just because someone cares? Well, you can have that feeling up to 10 times in 2012! When you join Stampin’ Up! during Sale-A-Bration, you can receive a free package of Designer Series Paper or a free Digital Download each month of the year. You can select your choice of Designer Series Papers ($13.50 or less) or Digital Downloads (any price) starting the month after you join! That’s an additional $135.00 value added onto the already amazing Starter Kit bargain! Here’s the nitty-gritty on the free goodies: Each month you can choose to order Designer Series Paper or a Digital Download for My Digital Studio, and you can switch back and forth so you aren’t committed to one format for the whole year. Of course, you’ll only continue to receive the free products from March-December 2012 as long as you remain an active demonstrator (shipping fees may apply).

    Online Sign-up
      
    Since you don’t want to miss out on a single month of free Designer Series Paper or Digital Downloads, you can sign up online right now! It’s the fastest and most convenient way to get started! Whether you sign up online or by traditional mail, you can customize your Starter Kit so you can receive the products you love most! You can substitute the stamp sets, card stock and ink colours, for like products so that you get your kit your way!

    What’s Next?
        
    Does the idea of joining Stampin’ Up! sound interesting, but you are afraid of a big commitment? I often here that from potential team members, and they are always surprised at how non-threatening the real thing is! Well, you aren’t marrying Stampin’ Up! and there aren’t any big scary commitments. Once you purchase the Starter Kit, it is yours, end of story.

    You have until June to make your minimums in order to remain active or you go inactive. That’s it. Nothing scary, and no penalties or sales requirements to keep your kit. You choose how to make Stampin’ Up! fit you, your way. You can remain an active demonstrator by placing the minimum order each quarter, build a business to support large or small goals, or go inactive if you choose. Whatever you choose, you don’t lose anything because you started out with such a great deal on the Starter Kit, plus you’ll get your extra free products each month in addition to access to all of the great Stampin’ Up! demonstrator resources.

    Think of your first few months as a trial period, an opportunity to see what it’s like to be a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator. I think once you join, you’ll love it and want to stay! Questions? Please contact me today, I’m happy to talk over the opportunity with you!

    Starter Kit

     
     
    Ā© CraftyPerson Production. Images Ā© Stampin' Up!
  • Hi Stampers,

    If you follow me on Facebook you saw my post about Making Whoopie pies for our Sweets and Stamping Crop last night. They were a big hit and I wanted to share the recipes with you. Enjoy…

    Dark Chocolate Whoopie Pies with White Chocolate Raspberry Fluff Filling
    Makes 24 two-inch whoopie pies

    Adapted from the Classic Chocolate Whoopie Pies and Classic Marshmallow recipes in the Whoopie Pies cookbook written by Sarah Billingsley and Amy Treadwell.

    IMAG0062-1
    For The Cake:

    1 ā…” cups all-purpose flour
    ā…” cup unsweetened Hershey’s Cocoa Special Dark powder
    1½ teaspoons baking soda
    ½ teaspoon salt
    4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
    4 tablespoons vegetable shortening
    1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
    1 large egg
    1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    1 cup milk

    For The Filling:

    1½ cups Marshmallow Fluff (or other prepared marshmallow cream, which will do in a pinch)
    1¼ cups vegetable shortening
    1 cup confectioners sugar
    2 drops Red Food Coloring (optional)
    1 packet of White Chocolate Raspberry Daiquiri Mix (Dove Chocolate Discoveries)

    Instructions
    To Make The Cakes:

    Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375°. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

    Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt onto a sheet of wax paper. In the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter, shortening and brown sugar on low speed until just combined. Increase the speed to medium and beat until fluffy and smooth, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat for another 2 minutes.

    Add half of the flour mixture and half of the milk to the batter and beat on low until just incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the remaining flour mixture and the remaining ½ cup milk and beat until completely combined.

    Using a tablespoon sized cookie scoop, drop about 1 tablespoon of batter onto one of the prepared baking sheets; repeat, spacing the rounds at least 2 inches apart. (Note: You can use a spoon to drop the batter but the cookie scoop helps keep the cookies round and even.)

    Bake one sheet at a time for about 10 minutes each, or until the rounds spring back when pressed gently. Remove from the oven and let the cakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.

    To Make The Filling:

    While the cakes are cooling, In the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the Marshmallow Fluff and the vegetable shortening, staring on low and increasing to medium speed until the mixture is smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low, add the confectioners’ sugar, 2 drops of red food coloring, and the White Chocolate Raspberry mix, and beat until incorporated. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes more.

    To Assemble the Whoopie Pies:

      Spread filling onto the flat side of one cake. Use a pastry bag with a large round tip to pipe the filling onto the cake for a smooth neat look or use a spoon and spread the filling on. Top with another cake flat side down. Gently roll the edges of the Whoopie pie in pink decorative sugar to decorate. Repeat with remaining cakes and serve.

    We also made Red Velvet Whoopie Pies (can you tell it is almost Valentines Day!) šŸ™‚

    IMAG0067

    I found the recipe for theese Whoopie Pies on Sand and Sisal (Kim Wilson's Blog)

    I like that the cakes used a cake mix (instead of being from scratch) so they went together VERY quickly!

    I wanted a more classic Cream Cheese filling for these Whoopie Pies though. (Kim did more of a frosting filling.) So I used this recipe for the filling from BHG.

    Cream Cheese Filling

    1/4 cup softened butter
    1/2 an 8 ounce package softened cream cheese
    7 ounce jar marshmallow creme

    Directions In medium mixing bowl beat butter and cream cheese until smooth. Fold in marshmallow creme.

    Whoopie pies are quickly becoming on of my new favorite sweet things!! I love that you can combine cakes and fillings for so many different possibilities!

    What's your favorite Sweet flavor combo??

  • Hi Stampers,

    I'm here with this week's Create with Connie and Mary Sketch Challenge…

    IMG_5514
    The sketch for this challenge (seen to the right) made me think of the Big Tea Cup from 2012 Create Challenges-006 Tea Shoppe. I decided to change the scallop circle layer to a full square background – I really wanted to be able to see the fun aged, embossed background on this card.

    I colored the flowers on the Tea Cup in with the Pool Party Stampin' Write Marker and added small Pearls to the centers of the flowers. The card went together very quickly and easily! Don't forget to visit the Create with Connie and Mary website to get more inspiration from the other designers!

    While you are there, you can also sign up for the Create Occasions Edition going on right now! I hope you're inspired to play along with us this week! We love to see what you come up with! 

     

    • Stamp Sets: Tea Shoppe
    • Paper: Pool Party, Very Vanilla, Pool Party Patterns DSP
    • Ink: Soft Suede, Pool Party Stampin' Write Marker
    • Accessories: Soft Suede Striped Grosgrain Ribbon, Pool Party Seam Binding Ribbon, Stampin' Diminsionals, Basic Pearls, Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder, Labels Framelits, Modern Label Punch

  • This week's new Digital downloads include a lot of Easter and St. Partriks Day Fun!

    See all the latest releases here.

    If you're new to My Digital Studio Check out this 30 Day Free Trial of the My Digital Studio Express Software.

     

    Everything Easter Ensemble – Digital Download (#129363) $14.95

    Click Here for More Details

    A Good Egg Stamp Brush Set Digital Download (#129364) $3.95

    Click Here for More Details

     

    Spring Fever Kit Digital Download (#129608) $7.95

    Click Here for More Details

     

    Lucky Me Stamp Brush Set Digital Download (#129361) $7.96

    Click Here for More Details

     

    Enjoy this week's beautiful Digital Downloads – if you would like to learn more about Digital Designing e-mail me.

  • Hi Stampers,

    This week's Create with Connie and Mary Challenge was a Color Challenge…

    IMG_5498-copy2

    …based on the combo shown here. This combo was right up my ally – purple and aqua it doesn't get any better. I love the way the Concord Crush is a bold splash of color against the soft Pool Party and Sahara Sand.  The soft colors in this combo again inspired a sweet and simple card. I wanted a lot of white space so the Concord Crush splash of color would really shine. Don't forget to visit the Create with Connie and Mary website to get more inspiration from the other designers!

    While you are there, you can also sign up for the Create Occasions Edition going on right now! I hope you're inspired to play along with us this week! We love to see what you come up with! 

     

    • Stamp Sets: Up in the Air
    • Paper: Concord Crush, Pool Party, Sahara Sand, Whisper White
    • Ink: Concord Crush Classic Ink, Jet Black StazOn, Pool Party and Sahara Sand Stampin Write Markers
    • Accessories: Pool Party Seam Binding Ribbon, Adorning Accents Edgelits Die and Embossing Folders.

  • Hi Stampers,

    Are you on my e-mail newsletter list?? Every month I send out 3-4 fun newsletters filled with inspiration like the project below.

    So Sweet Scrapbook Page

    This sweet scrapbook page was shared in the newsletter I just sent out today. Click Here to Check out the Rest of the Newsletter.

    If you're not already getting my newsletters, signing up is easy just enter your information below…

     

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