Kimono Thanks

Today while doing my usual, early morning, blog-hopping, I came across
"i {heart} 2 stamp" and immediately decided that I HAD to make a card for this weeks sketch challenge. Seriously, how FUN is this sketch?? I knew I was destined to my stamp studio today to make a thank you card for my "little sister", Kristina. In the purpose of multi-tasking, I am both entering a challenge AND making a card I need...that almost never happens! :)

I REALLY wanted this card to be bright and happy...this color combo seems to do the trick. I also wanted a LOT of sparkle on this card, which is shocking, I know! HaHa! On the pink layer, I busted my Itty Bitty Backgrounds set out of retirement. I then, inked it up in Versa-Mark and added some Iridescent Ice embossing powder to it to give it some "shimmery goodness". Blinged-out flowers and glitter glue also added some fun details. 


I HAD to ink up the new Kimono Kids set for the main image because it was so perfect for the reason for this card. Kristina recently embarked on a trip to Asia and upon arriving home, she sent me a great package of fun items from her trip, including a beautiful bracelet along with some truly unique paper-crafting items. 


For the record, I have to say that the little lady in the kimono has a lot of tiny details so getting her colored required a TON of patience from me. I added some dainty, little pearl accents as a finishing touch and there you have it...a fun card for a great friend! 

Stampin' Up! Supply List:

Stamps: Kimono Kids, Itty Bitty Backgrounds (retired), Picture This (retired, hostess)

Ink: Basic Black classic ink, Versa-Mark ink

Paper: Pear Pizzazz, Tempting Turquoise, Pink Passion (retired), Whisper White cardstock

Accessories: Word Window punch, Modern Label punch, Ticket Corner punch, 3/4" circle punch, 2 3/8" Scalloped circle punch, Circle Scissor tool, Iridescent Ice embossing powder, 5/8" organza ribbon in white, tiny pearls

Non-Stampin' Up! Supplies: embossing folder, blinged-out flowers, glitter glue, some really fabulous markers ;)

Just for fun, here is one of my FAVORITE photos of Kristina and I! :)

Have a great weekend,

The Coffee Throwdown

Another week and another creative day with my fabulous friend, Dawn. We have been having a lot of fun lately with using online challenges, (with our own little flair thrown in) to jump start our creativity. It's great to see what two stampin' souls can create from the same challenge.


This week our challenge had THREE parts to it! Why? Well, I think Dawn secretly enjoys watching me pull my hair out with my indecisiveness! :)


Here is the challenge break-down:

PART ONE- We used this fantastic color combo from the creative gals over at 

The Color Throwdown blog

PART TWO: Then we decided on this fun sketch from the Splitcoast Stampers Wednesday Sketch Challenge

PART THREE:  Because "someone" wanted to play with my new coffee-themed stamp sets (ok, we really BOTH did), we went with a crazy COFFEE theme! 

I will admit, I REALLY struggled with this challenge (maybe because there were, *cough, cough* so many parts to it...I'm KIDDING!) There was something about that Pretty in Pink color that had us both duped on this one. That is really odd for me, because if you know me, you know how much I like...ok, LOVE, pink! I just struggled to make these colors work for a coffee-themed card. 

So what you see is my end result...after a lot of hair pulling and copious amounts of Diet Dr. Pepper. I over-compensated for my indecisiveness with a lot of BLING and lots of tiny details. I embossed the coffee cup images on DSP and cut them out. Then I colored in the tops of the mugs and added Crystal Effects, so it looked like a "real cuppa joe". I thought adding the glitter to the "steam" would be cool, but in hindsight I should have maybe just embossed it...oh well. 

Until the next one...

**I do want to give props to Dawn and her cutting prowess, for cutting out the inside of the tiny cup handles for me...because I was whining about it like a small child. Thanks, dude! 

Supply List:

Stamps: Non-SU! coffee set...BUT the "steam" on the coffee is from the Morning Cup set

Ink: Basic Black craft ink

Paper: Pear Pizzazz, Rose Red, So Saffron, Whisper White cardstock, In Colors Hostess 6x6 paper pack, Delicate Dots DSP (retired, Sell-a-Bration)

Accessories: Pretty in Pink ribbon, Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder, Small oval punch, Scalloped oval punch, embossing powder, Crystal Effects, corner rounder punch, Dazzling Diamonds glitter, Non-SU! button, sequin, bling

Have a great day,

Sweet Sunday Hello

I had so much fun with last week's Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge, that I decided to give it a go again this week. Lately, I have been so inspired by all of the bright, new In-Colors and can't seem to stop using them! I did, however, try to lay off the "sparkle" a wee bit on this card (after my last couple of creations) . Some glitter DID find it's way onto the center of the flower on the tiny bee's wings, oops! How did THAT happen? Haha! I love that tiny bee, though. He's so stinkin' cute!! :)

I do have a question for all of you fellow stampers out there. Have you ever acquired a new and exciting product to your stamp/paper crafting "inventory" and had absolutely no idea of when you actually purchased the item? OK...maybe its just me. Maybe I have been doing too much shopping over the past 3 years. In my search for the perfect stamp to use for this sketch, I decided on the (retired) "It's a Stretch" set. When I pulled this one out to use, I seriously had NO RECOLLECTION of adding this stamp to my collection. Yet here it sits in my stamp studio, on my shelves, never inked up until TODAY. Hmmmmm...*insert "Twilight Zone" theme song here*...it's just strange. Maybe it's some kind of sign that I should stop buying stamping supplies?! Eeek, that would be a SCARY thought! ;)

Stampin' Up! Supply List:

Stamps: It's a Stretch (retired, ORIGIN UNKNOWN), Picture This (retired, hostess), Lots of Thoughts (retired, Sell-A-Bration)

Ink: Basic Black classic ink

Paper: Poppy Parade, Daffodil Delight, Pear Pizazz, Peach Parfait, Whisper White cardstock, Sunny Garden DSP

Accessories: Poppy Parade 1/2" stitched-poly ribbon, 1/2" circle punch, 1 1/4" circle punch, 1 3/8" circle punch, Scalloped Circle punch, Scallop Trim Border punch, Corner Rounder punch, Poppy Parade marker, Pear Pizazz marker, Peach Parfait Marker, Daffodil Delight marker, Neutral brads, paper piercing tool, Mat Pack,  Dazzling Diamonds glitter

Have a HAPPY day,

Viva Las Mojo!

If any of you have been watching the news, you have probably seen the hot...hot...HOT temperatures here in Texas lately. Nothing like a few 100 degree days to make one want to stay inside (in the cool comfort of a/c) and stamp! So that's what I have been doing. I love the Mojo Monday sketch this week for two reasons. Number one, it is a clean and simple sketch. Number two, it was designed by one of my all-time favorite stampers, Mary Fish...love her amazing style!!  

My card started out as a thirst-quenching tribute to the Texas heat. However, with the addition of all the sparkly goodness, it now looks like a tribute to Las Vegas, reminiscent of Elvis in the "white jumpsuit and lamb-chop side burn years"! I'm not really sure how it got to this point...

*Sigh* I had good intentions, but this gorgeous DSP was screaming for some dressed-up, blinged-out, FUN! I thought it would be fab to add some Crystal Effects and sparkly glitter to the stamped image to jazz it up a little. Then I added more glitter, then MORE glitter...suddenly I see how this card got to the "Vegas-Elvis" stage! :)

Quick tip for Crystal Effects: someone (namely, ME) shook the bottle a "little" too vigorously and the results of that are the air bubbles you see on the image. Although it fits for this project, (so, I will completely claim that I over-shook on "purpose") remember to be gentle with YOUR Crystal Effects for a smooth, glassy image. 

Stampin' Up! Supply List:

Stamps: Cheers to You

Ink: Basic Black classic and craft ink

Paper: Rich Razzleberry, Pumpkin Pie, Very Vanilla cardstock, Sweet & Sour Specialty DSP

Accessories: Word Window punch, Modern Label punch, 1 3/8" square punch, corner rounder punch, Crystal Effects, Rich Razzleberry marker, Dazzling Diamonds glitter, Rose Red ribbon

Non-Stampin' Up! Supplies: scalloped square die cut, sentiment stamp, bling, gold "Elvis-inspired" glitter glue, some really fabulous markers ;)

Thank you...thank you, very much! 
Viva Las Vegas, baby!

Wicked Cool Spooky Sketch

I had a fun time getting together with fellow stampers Dawn and Holly yesterday. We decided to try out a challenge, with a Halloween theme, based on this week's Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge. I love sketch challenges!! I am one of those people who agonize over the placement and design of my cards. I like to look at a sketch and then just focus on working on putting the pieces together. I am much more productive this way, although you wouldn't know it by how LONG it took me to get this card together. *Sigh*!

I used the new Wicked Cool stamp set on this card, which I think is pretty awesome for Halloween. I didn't use a whole lot of other Stampin' Up! products on this card...that will happen occasionally on my blog. I am going to affectionately dub these posts:

"My-Creations-Attempting-to-Use-Up-the-Ridiculous-Amount-of-Papercrafting-Products-I-Stockpile". Simply put, I need to dust off some of the collected products in my stamp studio and allow them to finally see the light of day. I guess you could say I'm a supply "collector", because the word "hoarder" conjures up images of those crazy reality TV shows. I'm not at that stage...YET...ok, maybe a little! But I digress....

Aren't these sparkly spiders adorable? The only problem was that I couldn't fit 4 of these creepy, little "beef-cakes" on the card like I had wanted to. :(

I heat embossed the candelabra and the sentiment in black, then added a wee bit of glitter to the candle "flames", because let's face it, who doesn't love making a mess with glitter! Even a teeny amount will effectively find it's way onto everything and everyone in the room, Haha! 

Thanks for visiting! 

Have a *spooky* day, stampin' friends! 

Hello, Baby!

When I recently initiated a card-challenge with a friend,  I fully intended to make it "multi-purpose". Our goal was to create a baby-themed card from the "Spring Card" tutorial  on SCS (<-- click it for the "how-to"). We wanted to try a new technique, yet I had a serious need to whip up a cute baby card. My fabulous friend, Dawn, welcomed an adorable baby boy to the world last month and I needed something fun to pair with the baby gift. 

I love the design of the "spring card". I think it's pretty cool that it just stands up on it's own, as if to say "Hey, look at me...I'm cute and fun!" I had a tough time deciding on an image for the card, because I really wanted to keep it super-simple and let the whole design of the card stand out. Somehow fashioning a circle punch in the shape of a baby carriage fit the whole simple style I was going for. I'm not even going to get into how many other things I attempted before I went with this option. If you have ever stamped with me, you know how I am with the indecisiveness...Ugh! I'd like to say I'm just determined in this respect, not completely obsessive! Ha! :) 

Stampin' Up! Supply List:

Stamps: Baby Bundle, Teeny Tiny Wishes

Ink: Basic Black classic ink

Paper: Baja Breeze, Early Espresso, Very Vanilla cardstock, Notebook DSP (It's very retired, sorry)

Accessories: Word Window punch, Modern Label punch, 1 3/8" circle punch (baby carriage), 1/2" circle punch (wheels) and of course, my beloved Stampin' Dimensionals

Non-Stampin' Up! Supplies: light blue sparkly bling, some really fabulous markers :)

Thanks for stopping by, 

Mojo and Apple Blossoms

As I looked around my stamp room the other day, I came to the realization that I have more then a few stamp sets from the new catalog that need to be broken in! Whenever I am in need of some creative inspiration, I know can always find it over at the Mojo Monday blog. It's been a while since I've made anything for the challenges, so it was time to crank up the ol' iPod and get crackin' on a new creation. 

I love the Apple Blossoms Hostess Set and thought this sketch would be the perfect opportunity to ink it up for the first time. For the color combo of Rich Razzleberry, Pear Pizzazz and Tempting Turquoise, I looked no further then the SU! Color Coach. I love, love, LOVE that little tool, as I probably never would have put those three colors together, ever! 

This is one "chunky" little card! Two things I'm absolutely infatuated with right now are: (lots and lots of) layers on my cards and (lots and lots of) Stampin' Dimensionals. It's pretty bad when every time I have seen my cat recently, he has those little papers from the backs of the Dimensionals stuck to his paws! After all was said and done with this one, I determined it will be a very tight squeeze in a regular-sized envelope and I'm 100% certain that this will require a wee bit of extra-postage. Oops, I might have gotten a little carried away!  HaHa! 

Stampin' Up! Supply List:

Stamps: Apple Blossoms (Level 2 Hostess Set)

Ink: Pear Pizzazz, Tempting Turquoise, Rich Razzleberry classic inks, Basic Black craft ink

Paper: Pear Pizzazz, Tempting Turquoise, Rich Razzleberry, Basic Black, Whisper White cardstock, In-Color DSP (Level 1 Hostess choice)

Accessories: Word Window punch, Modern Label punch, Scallop Border punch, Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder, clear embossing powder, Rich Razzelberry 1/2" polka-dot grosgrain ribbon (retired), glue dots, OODLES of Stampin' Dimensionals

Non-Stampin' Up! Supplies: oval and scalloped oval dies, black button, little "shiny bling"

Have a great day, 

Creative Day!

I was pretty excited to FINALLY have a Stampin' Day this week, with my favorite "creative-partner-in-crime", Dawn! To celebrate the new SU! catalog, we decided to do a little challenge amongst demos! Our mission: to create a simply, fabulous card with the new Artistic Etchings stamp set.

Note: whenever Dawn and I get together it traditionally takes 3+ hours before we even get STARTED on a project. We are usually too busy chatting and chomping away on chocolate treats to stay focused. :)

After MUCH deliberation, I finally put this card together. I combined the Artistic Etchings set with the Love Letter Designer Series Paper (from the new catty). Then I threw in a couple of new products from the Holiday Mini Catalog, which makes it's debut on September 1st. Contact me today to get your copy!

I started by using a (non-SU!) background stamp on the focal image. Then I added the circle image from the Artistic Etchings set in Riding Hood Red. The Eiffel Tower image was stamped in Versa-Mark ink then heat embossed in black. Because every gal loves a little SPARKLE, I then gave the image a shot of Smooch Spritz. (Sorry, it doesn't show up well in the photo...) I also used the Color Spritzer tool to "age" the background on the red cardstock behind the main image, along with the cardstock behind the sentiment. The embossed "Bonjour" sentiment came from the retired set, Carte Postale, which I still adore! I inked the edges of most of the layers in black, because I felt the card needed to look a little "dirty" to maintain that "shabby chic" feel.

The Glimmer Brad, Silver Glass Glitter (adhered with Sticky Strip) and Black 1/2" Lace Trim are all previews from the Holiday Mini Catalog!! Pretty exciting, huh?

**QUICK NOTE: use caution when applying the new Glass Glitter. After applying it to the Sticky Strip I pressed down gently to make sure it adhered and...OUCH, guess I should have paid attention to the word *GLASS* in the product description. I chalk this up to a "blonde-moment"!

Below is the result of our little challenge! Check out Dawn's Blog (<-- Click her name) to get the details of her beautiful card! I LOVE her color combo, the embossing on the background and the sparkle on the crown! :)
Stampin' Up! Supply List:

Stamps: Artistic Etchings, Carte Postale (retired)

Ink: Riding Hood Red classic ink, Basic Black classic ink, VersaMark ink

Paper:Riding Hood Red, Basic Black, Very Vanilla cardstock, Love Letter DSP

Accessories: Ticket Corner punch, 1 3/8" x 5/8" Large Oval punch, 1 3/4" x 7/8" Large Oval punch, black embossing powder, Smooch Spritz in Vanilla Shimmer, Color Spritzer Tool, Stampin Dimensionals, Sticky Strip, black marker

Brand Spankin' New Accessories from the Holiday Mini Catalog: Glimmer Brads (basics assortment), Silver Glass Glitter, 1/2" "Raven" Lace Trim

Non-Stampin' Up! Supplies: background stamp, silver staples

Happy Stampin'!

Circle Circus Inspiration

Have you ever stumbled upon a card and absolutely fell in love with everything about it? I sure did! When I saw this one, I knew I HAD to CASE it...which is a pretty rare thing for me to do! I used a slightly different shade of blue and a different embellishment then the original, so I guess it had a little originality. (*wink, wink*)

One of the great things about being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator is every month we receive a fabulous "demo-exclusive" magazine delivered right to our mailboxes. It is filled with loads of great ideas and inspiration. That's where this beautiful card sample came from! Just so I give appropriate credit, this card is from the May 2010 issue and was created by a fellow demonstrator, Lisa Nichols.

This card uses one of my absolute favorite stamp sets, Circle Circus! This stamp set is so versatile on cards for any occasion! Every image in this set also coordinates with a punch so it makes it THAT much easier to whip up a beautiful card with perfectly cut-out circles, EVERY time! Also included on this card are three of the new colors introduced in the 2010-2011 Idea Book and Catalog: Daffodil Delight, Marina Mist and Early Espresso. See the full product list below.

Stampin' Up! Supply List:

Stamps: Circle Circus, Wow Flowers (for the "Thank You" in the center circle)

Ink: Early Espresso classic ink

Paper:Early Espresso, Daffodil Delight, Marina Mist, Whisper White cardstock

Accessories: 1/2" circle punch, 3/4" circle punch, 1" circle punch, 1 1/4" circle punch, 1 3/8" circle punch, Scalloped circle punch, lots of Stampin' Dimensionals

Non-Stampin' Up! Supplies: yellow fabric flowers, BLING

Thanks for stopping by!

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

I actually made this card earlier in the year for a Demo Swap where the theme was to find something in the great outdoors and re-purpose it on a card. At the time, I took photos of the whole process while making the card because I thought: "This would be a great blog entry...for the blog I have yet to create...someday". So, because this card was originally intended to go on my blog (eventually), I wanted to add it.

This was a bit of a tough challenge for me, as those who know me are aware- I'm not a gal that one would classify as "outdoorsy"! For example, my idea of camping involves indoor plumbing and a Hilton! Then one Sunday morning, while going outside to pick up the newspaper off my front porch, I saw it...

A little piece of the fern in our front landscaping jumped out at me. It was the only piece that looked like it had just given up in the Texas heat, so I cut it off and took it inside determined to create something from it. It sat on my desk for a while as I mulled over what I could possibly do with it. Then it hit me, I wanted to use this fern as the background on my card design.

I applied Always Artichoke classic ink directly from the ink pad to the fern, then placed the inked side of the fern down on Very Vanilla cardstock and rolled my brayer over the back (uninked side) to distribute the ink to the paper. I then inked it up again and kept repeating the process, while making a random pattern, until I was happy with the way it looked.

I decided on the retired set, Sidekick Sayings for my sentiment simply because it had the "earthy-feel" that I wanted. Added some other earthy elements like the hemp twine, tearing and beads. In the end, really liked how it all came together.

As a result of this project, sadly, I am not any closer to wanting to sleep under the stars and become "one" with nature (...still sticking with the indoor plumbing, thanks). I do however, look for creative inspiration all around me, every day. You never know where you might find it!

Stampin' Up! Supply List:

Stamps: Sidekick Sayings (retired)

Ink: Always Artichoke classic ink, Gable Green classic ink, for watercoloring leaves (retired)

Paper: Always Artichoke cardstock, Basic Gray cardstock, Very Vanilla cardstock

Accessories: Always Artichoke 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, silver brads, hemp twine,

Non-Stampin' Up! Supplies: fern "stamp", fern patterned paper (made from 70% recycled material to keep it "green"), beads, silver eyelets

Welcome to the "Stampin' Anne" blog!

Well, I did it! I finally took the plunge into the world of "creative blogging". Whew, I'm so excited to get this little bugger up and running!! Let me start by introducing myself. My name is Anne Marie and I have been a Stampin' Up! demonstrator since March 2008. I have enjoyed playing with all things paper and craft related...well, for as long as I can remember! I live in the great state of Texas with my amazing husband, our two kitties and one very boisterous terrier. I look forward to sharing my creations with you. If you are looking for a Stampin' Up! demonstrator, or if you are one of my fabulous customers, please feel free to contact me, anytime.

My email address is: annemariehile@satx.rr.com

Thanks so much for visiting! Have a great day!



Ps: Want to give a shout out to Bernadette for throwing out the great idea for the name of this blog, you ROCK! Thanks also to Dawn and Christina for constantly nudging me along to (finally) get this thing off the ground!