Open House! I will be hosting my Open House for the Stampin' Up Holiday Catalog next Friday and Saturday (September 8th and 9th). I have been busy making samples for display and classes.  
The Be Merry Kit gives you the product to make 12 ornaments. All you need is adhesive.  I used a hot glue gun and some Stampin' Dimensionals. These will be great for your tree, gift packaging or a focal point on a card.

Happy Birthday Anthony!
We have so many birthdays in September!  My oldest grandson Anthony starts off the birthday celebrations next week.  He will be turning 21!

Supplies: Dapper Denim and Whisper White cardstock;  Dapper Denim classic stampin pad; VersaMark pad; Clear Stampin' Emboss powder; Metallic Enamel Shapes.

Coming soon! One of my favorite suites in the upcoming Holiday Catalog is Painted Autumn.  Here is a little peek of my October 19th Sweet Suite Painted Autumn Class.  I love that Stampin' Up! is offering so many great suites and bundles.  It makes crafting so easy when everything coordinates.

This card is for all you cat lovers!  I'm so loving the Spooky Night Suite, It happens every time I just think the designer series paper is OK and then I open it and I'm in love! 

Supplies: Basic Black, Very Vanilla, and Pumpkin Pie Cardstock; Spooky Night Designer Series Paper; Basic Black Vintage Crochet Trim; Layering Ovals Framelits; Basic Black Mini Sequin Trim;  Black Rhinestone Jewels.

SHHH!!
Can you keep a secret? My mother will be turning 90 years young on October 7th.  Happy Birthday Mom!  She is adamant about not wanting gifts. My daughter Julie thought it would be great if 90 people sent her a birthday card.  She loves getting handmade cards so I think this would be a lot of fun for her.
Let me know if you would like to send her a card and I will send you our address.

Supplies: Calypso Coraland , Whisper White Card Stock; Vellum; Champagne Foil Paper; Calypso Coral, and Pear Pizzazz classic Ink; Rose Wonder stamp set; Rose Garden Thinlits; Rhinestone Basic Jewels; 

A Quick Thank You!
I was in need of a couple of thank you cards today, and I think this one turned out just so stinking cute! I don't often make 3x3 cards.  I don't know why because they are really quick and easy.  
I used my favorite designer series paper in the annual catalog Delightful Daisy.  There are so may colors that coordinate with it. I think it took me longer to choose the card stock and ink colors than it did to put them together!    

Supplies: Whisper White, Wisteria Wonder Cardstock; Delightful Daisy Designer series paper; Tranquil Tide classic stampin ink; Wood Words Stamp set; Whisper White Sheer Ribbon; Stitched Shapes Framelits

Stacked Collage One of my favorite techniques is stacked collage.  It works well with any look you are going for, but my favorite look is the shabby chic / vintage.  The inspiration for this project came from the catalog, page 143.  I can't decide which of these cards I like better.  Please post a comment and let me know what you think!
I have a party tomorrow night and the hostess wants to see how to use embossing paste.  I tinted the embossing paste with Crumb Cake ink refill and used the brick mask as the first layer.  I stamped and die cut a lot of flowers and started layering elements.  I really like how these cards turned out - I just can't decide which one I like better.  I also distressed the edges of the card with ink to soften the look.

Supplies:  Crumb Cake, Early Espresso and Soft Suede ink pads; Very Vanilla and Crumb Cake card stock; Falling Flowers & Flourishing Flowers (greeting) stamp set; May Flowers Framelit dies; Embossing Paste, Ink Refill and brick mask; Lace Trim and Crumb Cake Classic Weave ribbons; Pearls

Gorgeous Boxwood Wreath
One of my team members brought this card to me this week and I just fell in love with it. It was created by Australian demonstrator Judy May at Just Judy Design.  Isn't it gorgeous?  

Supplies: Whisper White Thick cardstock; Whisper white, Cherry Cobbler cardstock; Be Merry Designer series Paper; Cherry Cobbler classic stampin ink; Hang Your Stocking stamp set; Layering Circles Framelits; Boxwood Wreaths Embellishments; Gold Metallic Edge Ribbon; Cherry Cobbler Enamel Shapes

Sweet Sunflower!
One of my favorite suites in the new Holiday catalog is the Painted Harvest Suite.  I am having a Sweet Suite class using this bundle in October.  Stay tuned for samples and more details!
Sometimes we have a need a card in a hurry.  This card couldn't be easier!  Adhere a piece of designer series paper, stamp a greeting on a tag, add a ribbon and you are good to go!  I cut out a sunflower from the paper and popped it up with a dimensional.

Supplies: Garden Green, Soft Sky Card Stock; Painted Autumn Designer Series Paper; Early Espresso Classic Stampin Ink; Painted Harvest Stamp Set; Garden Green 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon.

Halloween Card Part 2
Here is the other card that I did on Tuesday.  Its nice that the Halloween stamps and accessories really coordinate!  The cat punch will work on either the Spooky Cat stamp set or the Spooky Night Designer Series Paper.  The Black Rhinestone Jewels made a perfect collar.  

Supplies: Very Vanilla, Basic Black card stock; Basic Black Archival Stampin Ink; Pumpkin Pie Classic Stampin Up; Detailed Gate Thinlits dies; Everyday Label Punch.

Sympathy Card
I always struggle when I have to make sympathy cards. What to put on it...what to write on the inside.  Yes, it would be "easier" to go to the store and buy one.  But the point of a hand stamped card is to give a gift that shows how much you care. I will steal the phrase "when you care to send the very best", make a card.

Supplies: Rich Razzleberry, Whisper White card stock; Rich Razzleberry, Garden Green Classic Stampin Ink; Versamark ink pad; Gold Stampin Emboss Powder; Painted Harvest, and Better Together stamp set.

 Every time I opened a hand stamped card that was sent to me when my Dad died, I felt the prayers and friendship the messages conveyed.   

Where has the Summer Gone?!?

Where Has the Summer Gone?!? My Illinois grandchildren start back to school next week already. That got me thinking about Summer ending and Fall starting.  And that got me thinking about crisp Fall days and Halloween. I broke out some of my new product from the Holiday catalog and created some Halloween cards  
Its a batch of happy Jack-O-Lanterns!  I'm much more into happy than spooky! I cut some of the pumpkins from the designer series paper and stamped some with the Patterned Pumpkins dies with matching Pick a Pumpkin stamp set.

Supplies: Very Vanilla, Basic Black, and Pumpkin Pie card stock; Basic Black Archival Stampin Ink; Spooky Night Designer Series Paper; Pick a Pumpkin stamp set; Patterned Pumpkins thinlits Dies; Vintage Crochet Trim; Black Rhinestone Jewels; 

Wedding Wishes One of my stamping friends just got married so Congratulations Laura & Stephen! The Bloomin' Heart Thinlits is perfect for wedding and anniversary cards. It is such a beautifully intricate die. I always use the Precision Base Plate and Die Brush set when I use any of the detailed dies.  You will save so much time and patience not having to sit and poke out all the little pieces that some intricate dies leave behind.  I'm sure so many of you crafters know what I mean!  

Supplies: Rich Razzleberry and Whisper White CardStock; Rich Razleberry Classic Ink pad; Decorative Ribbon Border punch; Bloomin' Heatrt Thinlits; Floral Phrases stamp set.

http://susanlacroix.stampinup.net/

If you are not yet a Paper Pumpkin Subscriber and have been thinking you want to be now is a great time to sign up!  If you sign up August 11th through September 10th you will receive your first kit at 50% off!  
I love Paper Pumpkin!  They include easy and detailed instruction sheets.  Each kit is comes with all of the supplies you need to make the featured projects and still have a lot of leftovers to create even more!
To subscribe, log onto www.paperpumpkin.com and enter the promo code HALFOFF0917
Here are samples of the June and July Paper Pumpkins: 

http://susanlacroix.stampinup.net/

Break from Holiday Cards!
 I thought I would give you all a little more of a break from Christmas cards. It's going to be hard considering August 1st was the first day that Stampin' Up demonstrators can order from the Holiday Catalog.  I decided to post a very cheery card, with lots of blooming flowers!  2017 has seen a lot of moves in our family.  Our daughter Yvonne moved back to Ohio from New York, Our son Mark and his wife moved from Scranton, PA to Athens, Ohio.  Julie and Jim sold their home and bought another one in Champaign, IL and my mom moved in with us.  The At Home With You stamp set is perfect for not only creating cards for new homes but is versatile for year round occasions. 

Supplies: Crumb Cake, Whisper White Card Stock; Black Archival Stampin Ink;Watercolor Pencils & Blender Pencils, At Home With You stamp set; At Home Framelits; Brick Wall Textured Embossing Folder

susanlacroix.stampinup.net

I am feeling Golden today! 

Both cards I will be showing today are going to be using Carols of Christmas stamp set, which is from the early released bundle out of the upcoming Holiday Catalog! I love sharing all these great sneak peeks.

I have 2 cards that I want to share today. The first card is designed by Brenda Porath a very talented Sparkler. When she brought it over I just had to ask her if I could CASE this card! The gold from the designer series paper just pops on the vanilla card stock and then throwing in a little gold embossing powder and she has created a beautiful card!

Supplies: Vanilla Card Stock;Bundle of Love Specialty Designer Series Paper; Gold Glimmer Paper; Carols of Christmas stamp set; Layering Squares Framelits; Gold Metallic-Edge Ribbon

On the second card I used the Carols of Christmas bundle which has the coordinating dies and stamp set. I wish you could really see how the moon and stars really sparkle, to achieve that I used the gold glimmer paper to really add some sparkle in the sky. The trees I backed in designer series paper, die cut out the sweet little deer and embossed in gold Peace on Earth, I just loved how it all came together!

Supplies: Thick White Cardstock; Merry Little Christmas Designer Series Paper; Gold Glimmer Paper; Carols of Christmas Stamp Set; Card Front Builder Thinlits; Gold Embossing Powder.

I have just wrapped up my August hostess Club! I always look forward to having all my stamping friends to my studio crafting and learning about new products and techniques. If this sounds fun there are still seats available for new members. We meet once a month at my studio where you will make three projects. The cost is a minimum $15 order, and you will also be put on the calendar to be hostess and earn all the great Stampin' Rewards for that month! Come and have some fun!
These are the 3 cards we did for this month Club!  I received this beautiful card as a swap from Thailand! Unfortunately the very creative designer put her name on a post it and it didn't make it through our long journey!

Supplies: Thick white Cardstock; Old Olive Card Stock; Bermuda Bay, Pink Pirouette,Flirty Flamingo Classic Ink; Beautiful Bouquet Stamp Set; Layering Square Framelits; Bouquet Bunch Framelits; Pearl Basic Jewels; Linen Thread.

I think its so great when you have stamp sets that coordinate with dies!  You can make flowers look very dimensional and colorful with them. This card was cased from the annual catalog page 21.

Supplies: Daffodil Delight, Whisper White Card Stock; Gold Foil Sheets; Pink Pirouette, So Saffron, Early Espresso,  Soft Sky, and Calypso Coral Classic Ink Pad; Climbing Orchid Stamp Set; Orchid Builder Framelits; Stamping Sponge.

One of the new 2017-2019 In Color is Lemon Lime Twist!  It is such a refreshing color, Stampin' Up could not of picked a better name for this color.  I encourage you to try it, not only does it go well with all the other In Colors, it also looks great with so many of the Core Colors!

Supplies: Fresh Fig, Lemon Lime Twist, and Whisper Whit card stock;  Fresh Fig Classic Ink Pad; Happy Birthday Gorgeous Stamp Set; Balloon Bouquet Punch; and Whisper White Solid Bakers Twine.

Another sneak peek!
Now that I can share the Holiday Catalog I can also share the make and takes from my incentive trip to Thailand.  I always love going to Stampin Up events not only to see all the great new products, but to play with some of them.  It's hard not to get inspired.  Makes me want to come home and create!
These great tags are from the Merry Little Christmas Suite.  I will be using this suite in my September 27th Christmas Card Class.  For people that love to really decorate your Christmas gifts this is the suite for you.  It has such sweet little ornaments, ribbon, and evergreen sprigs.

I just adore the Painted Autumn Suite, which is actually the suite I will be using for my October 19th Sweet Suite Class.  They used the new Leaf Punch to punch out a vellum leaf which really just finished these cards!

I think my mom will call this last card a WOW card and I will have to agree with her!  They used the Year of Cheer Suite, which I will be using for my November 16th Sweet Suite Class.  I just love all the foil accents, its so easy to make this card a WOW card!!!

I hope you enjoyed them all!

2016 - 2017 Retired product Sale I have just scheduled my retired product basement sale for August 18th 1 pm to 4 pm and August 19th 10 am to 2 pm.  I will have all my retired items for sale, which include: stamp sets; ribbons; big shot dies; punches; card stock and designer paper; and embellishments.  Come on over and pick up a bargain or two!

It's a great early release kind of day!! Staring today you can order a great new bundle from the not yet released Holiday Catalog!  I know I will be using this stamp and dies for a lot of my cards this season.  It is such a versatile bundle the possibilities are endless!