FEBRUARY weSTAMP SWAP

Earlier this week we held our monthly weSTAMP demonstrator support group meeting. This group consists of Stampin' Up! Demonstrators from the creative teams/downline of Lorri Heiling (Confessions of A Stamping Addict) and myself.

NOW is the ideal time to become a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator because during Sale-A-Bration (now until March 17) you can purchase the Stampin' Up! Demonstrator Starter Kit (a $330 value) for just $159. That's 20% off the regular price! PLUS, you'll receive ANY FREE STAMP SET of your choice from the new Spring-Summer Collection - up to a $47.95 value! One of the perks of becoming a SU Demo on my creative team is the opportunity to participate in our monthly weSTAMP swap, whether local or out of town. Please contact me via e-mail for more details .... nrileycm@cox.net.

This first card was our Make & Take provided by our hostess, Lorri Heiling. The original design of this card came from our ever-so-talented friend, Chat Wszelaki, Me, My Stamps, And I ... aka nitestamper on SCS. Click HERE for all the details on Chat's original design.

In case you're new to stamping and wondering what a swap is ... each month there is a theme ... this month's "theme" was to make a card using ANY new stamp set from the new Spring-Summer '08 Collection, the Sale-A-Bration, or Occasions Mini. Next month's theme is to create a card or 3-D item with Mother's Day as the theme. There is a deadline for the participation rsvp, then a final count is done. If there are ten people participating in the swap, you would design or case one card and make ten of them to bring (or mail) to the meeting. Then, at the meeting we exchange (and ooohhh and aaahhhh over) our cards. Each participant goes home with ten cards of ten different designs. A great way to have numerous cards to display at classes!

Here are our swap cards for this month ...

by Leah Sinatra ....
by Pam Wood, Creative Inking ...
by Lorri Heiling, Confessions of a Stamping Addict ...
by Ginny Schembri ...
by Adriana Gray ...
by Anne Fundner ...
by Jessica Blair ...
by Linda Bickley ...
by me, but cased from Taylor VanBruggen, Taylored Expressions. See Taylor's original card HERE.RECIPE
Stamps: So Many Scallops (SAB), Polka Dot Background Stamp, Garden Whimsy, and Sincere Salutations
Paper: Ginger Blossom DP, River Rock, Ruby Red, and Very Vanilla CS
Ink: Ruby Red, Groovy Guava, and River Rock Classic Ink Pads, Versamark
Accessories: Gold Brads
Tools: ½” Circle Punch, Scallop Punch
Supplies: Stampin’ Dimensionals

CASE OF A CASE

What do you call it when someone CASEs you, you like their CASE even better than your original, and you CASE their CASE? Unless someone comments telling me an "official" term for this, for now I'm calling it a "CASEBACK". That is exactly what happened between Nancy Morgan and myself! I originally made THIS CARD, Nancy Morgan CASEd me with THIS CARD, I liked her version even better than my original, and I CASEd her back! The only differences between Nancy Morgan's CASE and my CASEBACK: a) I used silver brads, and Nancy used Pink Rhinestone Brads, b) ignore looking at my ribbon! (Nancy's is so much better!) ... I'm working on that!This is the card I provided as a Make 'n Take project at our very first weSTAMP Demonstrator Group meeting Tuesday night. My friend and SU Sideline, Lorri Heiling and I have combined our creative teams for monthly demonstrator support meetings and swaps. What a GREAT group of ladies we have in our group! We had a wonderful time, and I can't wait for our next get-together! Lorri came up with the name for our group which ties in with the name of my blog. I LOVE it!

RECIPE
Stamps: In The Spotlight (Level 2 Hostess), Priceless (pg. 117), Perfect Presentation (Level 2 Hostess)
Paper: Holiday Harmony DP (Holiday Mini 2007), Basic Black, Purely Pomegranate and Whisper White CS, and Mirror CS (non-SU)
Ink: Jet Black Staz-On and Purely Pomegranate Classic
Embellishments: Silver Brads, Purely Pomegranate Satin Ribbon (Holiday Mini 2007)
Tools: Slit Punch, 5-Petal Flower Punch, Paper Piercing Tool/Mat/Template
Supplies: Stampin’ Dimensionals/Foam Tape
Technique: Paper Piercing

SCS LIMITED SUPPLY CHALLENGE 124

I must have taken 30+ photos of this card, and just couldn't get the colors to show up well. Sorry!

The sentiment "thank you" is in the center of the top middle flower, and the sentiment "friend" is in the center of the right flower. There is a So Saffron Brad in the center of the left flower. All three flower centers are punched with the 1/4" circle punch and adhered with a Stampin' Dimensional.

Here are the requirements of today's SCS Limited Supply Challenge 124, "Message Bouquets":
Flowers: stamped flowers, punched flowers, silk flowers, etc.
Bouquet: 2 or more flowers
Stamps: sentiments or letters to spell out a sentiment + any backgrounds and flowers
Paper & Ink: any
Embellishments: 2 or less
Tools: any
Supplies Used
Stamps: In The Spotlight (Level 2 Hostess)
Paper: Rose Red, Bashful Blue, Whisper White, Cutie Pie DP
Ink: So Saffron, Rose Red, Bashful Blue, Certainly Celery
Embellishments: So Saffron Brad, Bashful Blue Grosgrain Ribbon
Tools: Scissors, Paper Piercing Tool, Template & Pad, 1/4" Circle Punch
Other Supplies: Stampin' Dimensionals
NOTE: The bold flowers are stamped in So Saffron on Whisper White CS, then stamped in Rose Red on WW CS ... cut out & mounted with dimensionals. Paper piercing along top and bottom of card.