Double Take

Do you ever utilize your card layouts for different occasions? If not you are missing out on a great tool to help give you inspiration when starting a new project. For instance, one of my sister demos at our last meeting shared this layout:

Isn't that just a cute Christmas card? But, it was time for Valentine's day, and she needed a new card. So she took the inspiration for this layout and used it to come up with this:

By switching out the colors and stamps she had an all new look to her card in no time :)

Now it's your turn to get crafting in this 2-for-1 style. What semi-twins can you create?

Flutter back soon!

Chevrons are IN!

Wow! Have you noticed the new chevron trend taking crafters by storm? I don't know where they came from, but I think they are here to stay :)

StampinUp! has a new stamp set called "Oh, Hello" which embraces this new look and combines it with cheery spring flowers :) which of course I got a sample of at the last swap. Check it out, isn't it sweet:

This one was courtesy of my mom, Michelle Lembcke. The bright colors in it just make me so happy! One of the great things about this set is that you can get it bundled with a set of framlits to cut out the oval chevron background with (and by getting them together in the bundle you get a discount- SCORE!).

Flutterby again soon for some more crafting inspiration.

Recipe card (with links):
Oh, Hello Bundle
Gumball Green Stitched Satin Ribbon
Chevron Texture Folder
Scallop Trim Border Punch
Paper (Whisper White, Calypso Coral, & Gumball Green)
Ink/Markers (Calypso Coral, Gumball Green, & Summer Starfruit)

If you don't already have a demonstrator pick me (Amber Swift) to ensure you get the preferred prices!

Check out my NEW Web Address ↑

Did you see, did you see?!?! I've got a new web address :) You no longer need to type the .blogspot portion of my address to see me. Swell right! Don't worry if you've got it bookmarked already, the old address will redirect you here. But, if you are like me and tend to type it in each time it is SO MUCH better now :)

And it is all thanks to my super techy, wonderful hubby who got me hooked up. Gotta love him! He fixed my printer last night too so now I can print MDS stuff at home- which was probably my best news of the night! Look out paper, here I come :)

Flutterby again tomorrow for a great card :)

Box of Chocolates- Yummy!

StampinUp! recently released the Box of Chocolates download... and I fell in love with it. I knew I wanted it for my Valentine scrapbook pages this year. It is so delicious- and yet low on calories. :)

And then... I was also inspired by the layout I saw by Cindy Schuster, which got an honorable mention in one of MyDigitalStudio.net's weekly challenges. Isn't it sweet (click on the link above).

Well, I took that layout for inspiration and turned it into two pages. Here is my final work of art:

I'm so happy with how it turned out. I'm not normally a pink person (I kinda despise the color in fact), but I'm making an acceptation for this page. This is the first time I've tried out the new rounded corners feature on pictures too, and I'm really liking how it softens the look of the photos.

Flutter back soon. I've got a couple more spring swap cards to share with you!

Recipe card (with links):
Box of Chocolates Digital Kit
2010 In Color Paper Buttons
Word Play Stamp Brush Set
Baker's Twine

If you don't already have a demonstrator pick me (Amber Swift) to ensure you get the preferred prices!

Flying through the Swap

You can tell spring is on it's way! Many people at the swap I attended choose to make butterfly cards :) And you know how much I love butterflies! So, here are two more gems for you to fly with.

This one is all sparkle and shine from Lorri Reeder:

To achieve this look you have to cut the strips of paper the same width as the punch you are using. Then, you slide the end of the strip of paper into the punch and you have a perfectly matched cutout. Love it!

And then there is a more vintage feel to this one from LaMae Maher:

Love the elegance the large butterfly stamp has on this card. I got this stamp for Christmas and haven't had a chance to break it out yet- you can bet that will be changing soon!

Recipe cards (with links):

Lorri's Sparkle Butterfly
From My Heart Stamp Set     126557
Elegant Butterfly Punch     127526
Large Oval Punch     119855
Silver Glimmer Paper     124005
White Organza Ribbon     114319
Basic Rhinestones     119246
Cardstock (Whisper White & Midnight Muse)
Ink (Midnight Muse)

LaMae's Vintage Butterfly
Swallowtail Stamp     129216
Bloomin' Marvelous Stamp Set     12965      EARN IT FREE
First Edition DSP     121878
Cardstock (Whisper White & Pool Party)
Ink (Pool Party & Basic Grey)

If you don't already have a demonstrator pick me (Amber Swift) to ensure you get the preferred prices!

Valentine's Day Revisitied

So this past weekend we had our extended family Christmas get-together, and my mom had this great idea for Valentine's to hand out to the kids. She had bought the little boxes of cereal and wanted labels for them that said "Cereal-ously, Will you be my Valentine?". Isn't that just a cute pun :)

So that morning, before we headed off to see the family, I put these labels together. I used my yummy new "Box of Chocolates" kit. And I couldn't be more pleased with how they turned out!

Like it? I know it is too late for this year, but pin it to your Pintrest board and come back next year to grab the printable below!

Recipe card (with links):
 Box of Chocolate Kit
That's it! Talk about short and sweet (and with everything you need to create something fantastic!)

Hope you enjoy! Flutterby again soon.

Meet a New Friend: Paper Pumpkin

I have heard it from so many people: I would love to craft like you but...

• I don't have time
• I don't have the supplies
• I don't have room for storing supplies
• I don't have good ideas

The list could go on for awhile :) Well, I'm here today to tell you that StampinUp! is introducing a new program just for YOU! So, without further ado, let me introduce you to Paper Pumpkin!

Paper Pumpkin is just waiting to sweep you away in a creative carriage- just think, you could be a modern day Cinderella escaping to a place where you will have a crafting ball! It is a subscription service where once a month a project will arrive in your mailbox ready to create. What will it be? Who knows! It is a surprise- maybe it is cards, but maybe it is some other paper craft instead! (I'm hoping for some small scrapbook pages myself.) The best part is they did all the hard prep work for you and all you have to do is stamp, assemble, and admire your artwork :) Let's see how it stacks up against the roadblocks above:

• I don't have time- This project comes to you and is designed to be created in 30 minutes or less. And everyone needs 30 minutes a month to just relax and do something fun for themself!
• I don't have the supplies- All you need is a scissors and adhesive. I don't know anyone who doesn't have that in their house somewhere already.
• I don't have room for storing supplies- All you need to store is your scissors, adhesive, and the clear stamp mounting block that comes in your welcome kit (and I know you already have a place for the first two...)
• I don't have good ideas- First off, I don't believe that anyone doesn't have good ideas. However, if you are self-concious about yours, you can be calmed by the fact that each project comes with instructions. Follow them to a T if you wish (and as you become more daring you can break out of the mold and switch things up a bit!)

Sounds like a fairy tale come true right?!

If you are ready to get signed up (or you want more details) click on the picture above or visit https://mypaperpumpkin.com. Remember, when you sign up be sure to put me, Amber Swift, down as your demonstrator. That way I'll know you are out there creating and can help you with any questions that may arise :)

Happy Valentine's Day

Remember the cute MDS valentine I showed you a couple weeks ago HERE? Well I remembered to order them in time for Valentine's Day, so all the Grandma's in our family will be receiving this cute card today :)

I was so impressed with how the final product turned out that I wanted to share it with you:

Isn't it just adorable! I think the ladies are going to love them ;)

Hope you have a fantastic Valentine's day. May love give you wings to flutterby again soon!

ThINKin Amore

It is that time of year- everyone starts to think about love (and chocolate of course). Valentine's Day is right around the corner- are you ready for it? If not I've got some ideas for you from my class this month :)

Isn't this card just sleek? I love the lines of it and the simple elegance. I had seen an idea like it on Pintrest using the mirrored punch idea, and I knew I just had to make something similar.

We also made a 3-D Valentine to give with a treat inside:

This one I saw featured on Sandi MacIver's blog. I switched it up a bit to work with the supplies I (and my mom) had on hand and I'm so thrilled with the result. I love how it creates a pocket to fill with goodies of any sort. I even made 16 of these bad boys, and I'm going to send them with my daughter to daycare filled with crayons and a saying along the lines of "Valentine, you bring color to my life." Cheesy I know, but hopefully it will make the moms smile at least (and I won't be contributing to the sugar intake of their child- which is always a plus!)

Recipe Cards (with links):

Valentine Punch Card
A Happy Heart Stamp Set (retired)
Heart to Heart punch (retired)
Top Note Big Shot Die
Real Red Taffeta Ribbon
Cardstock (Basic Black, Real Red, & Whisper White)

Valentine Gift
Sealed with Love Simply Sent 
Scalloped Heart of Hearts Embosslit
Perfect Pennants Die
Full Heart Punch
1.25" Scallop Circle Punch
3/4" Circle Punch
Small Heart Punch
Red Glimmer Paper
Cardstock (Whisper White, Pool Party, Real Read)

If you don't already have a demonstrator pick me (Amber Swift) to ensure you get the preferred prices!

Children's Museum

We had a blast visiting the Minnesota Children's Museum last weekend. And of course I took WAY to many pictures... even though my camera died shortly after we got there (thank heavens for smartphones!). So, I had to design a spread that would hold a lot of pictures and allow me to journal a little bit. This is what I came up with:

With so many pictures to fit it was hard to do much embellishing. So I decided to jazz up the background using a couple overlays and then just give it bursts of color (like the museum walls) with circle punches. Also, if you look closely you'll see the little turtle embellishment from the Storytime collection (isn't he sweet!).

Hope you flutterby again soon!

Recipe card (with links):
Natural Composition Overlays (wrinkled paper)
Decorative Overlays (starburst)
Storytime Ensemble (turtle)

If you don't already have a demonstrator pick me (Amber Swift) to ensure you get the preferred prices!

Quick Swap Cards

I've got two more cards for you from the swap I attended last month. These two are quick and simple- perfect for if you are short on time.

The first selection is compliments of Julie Hausmann:

What a nice little birthday card. You could make a bunch of these in a snap and have them on hand for your next couple of parties :) It features one of the FREE Sale-a-bration stamps too!

Next I've got a sample designed by Sue Nelson:

I love how this layout makes for a great way to use up your paper scraps. Oh yeah, and score on more FREE stuff used to make this card :)

Recipe cards (with links):

Julie's Birthday Card
Patterned Occasions Stamp Set     129624     EARN IT FREE
Elegant Bouquet Texture Folder     115964
Melon Mambo Striped Organdy Ribbon     129293
Dazzling Details     124117     (on the cupcake top to make it 3-D)
Cardstock (Whisper White, Melon Mambo, & Basic Grey)
Various Markers

Sue's "For You" Card
Blooming Marvelous Stamp Set     129654    EARN IT FREE
Pretty Petites Stamp Set     129642      EARN IT FREE
Sycamore Street DSP     127540     EARN IT FREE
Petite Curly Label Punch     129405     EARN IT FREE
Blossom Punch     125603
Fancy Fan Texture Folder     127751
Dazzling Details     124117     (on the center of the tangerine flower)
Cardstock (Whisper White, Rich Razzleberry, & Tangerine Tango)
Ink/Markers (Rich Razzleberry & Tangerine Tango)

If you don't already have a demonstrator pick me (Amber Swift) to ensure you get the preferred prices!

Another Swap AND a Valentine's gift idea

My absolute favorite card of the swap was made by Gloria Flaten. You know how much I love butterflies, so check this out

Isn't it fantastic! I was so sad that it wasn't one of the swap cards I got to make, but I had to get a picture of it just the same. I knew you would love it as much as I do. I'm definately going to have to recreate this look soon :)

And then to top it off, she made a Valentine's Day gift for each of the people who did her swap. How sweet of her. My mom got one of the extras, so I had to steal a picture for you. Wouldn't these make a nice, simple treat for some of your friends and family too?

Alright, now that you are itching to get creating, here is the details on both of the projects above. Enjoy!

Recipe Cards (with links):

Butterfly Birthday
Bitty Butterfly Punch     209406
Elegant Butterfly Punch     127526
Honeycomb Texture Folder     129378
Basic Pearls     119247
Curly Cute Stamp Set     120510
Sliver Glimmer Paper     124005
Cardstock (Whisper White, Island Indigo, & Pool Party)
Ink (Island Indigo)

Valentine's Gift Bag
Sycamore Street Ribbon & Buttons     130812    EARN IT FREE
Pretty Petites Stamp Set     129639    EARN IT FREE
Petite Curly Label Punch     129405    EARN IT FREE
7/8" Scallop Circle Punch     129404
White Baker's Twine     124262
More Amore DSP     129309
Labels Collection Framelits     125598
Tea Lace Paper Doilies     129399
Lacy Brocade Texture Folder     127819
Cardstock (Whisper White, Island Indigo, Rich Razzleberry, & Pool Party)
Ink (Island Indigo)

If you don't already have a demonstrator pick me (Amber Swift) to ensure you get the preferred prices!

Christmas Album

I am finally getting all the 1000+ December/Christmas pictures sorted and starting my album for the season. Since I have so many pictures to scrap of such a short period I decided it would be much more time effective to start with one of StampinUp!'s templates instead of working all the pages from scratch. After looking around I decided that the "Keep this Memory" photobook would suit my needs.

Of course I wanted to season it up a little though, so I also grabbed the "Be of Good Cheer" kit to switch out page elements and papers. I've only gotten the cover done so far but I am really excited with how this is going to turn out!

Here is what the cover started as fresh out of the kit:

And here is my take on it, jazzing it up for Christmas!

Isn't it fun to see how a little bit of a change can go a long way? I'm so excited to get working on this album. More to come I'm sure :) Flutter back soon.

Recipe card (with links):
Keep this Memory Photobook Template
Be of Good Cheer Digital Kit
Get It Done Kit (punch)
Bright Hopes Stamp Set (tree)
Subtle Paper Buttons
Cherry Cobbler Baker's Twine
Glimmer Brads

If you don't already have a demonstrator pick me (Amber Swift) to ensure you get the preferred prices!