Thanks beary much

Can you tell we have a 3 year old daughter who loves this stamp set? I didn't think I would be crazy about this little Build a Bear set until I turned my 3 year old loose with it. She just loves to color the images and look at the finished product.
I know what you're thinking....no....she didn't color this bear! I used this card to send thank you notes from all of her loads of birthday presents! I stayed with the same colors from the party and added a touch of glitter (which you can't see, of course!!!) for a cute and simple birthday thank you.

Little Bearthday card

Here is a quickie little bearthday card I made just the other day for my daughter's friend. It used a few scraps of paper for the background and a stamped little girl bear on watercolor paper. I colored her using Melon Mambo and Soft Suede markers. I finished it off with just a touch of glitter. This set is just perfect for giving children presents! I always think it's funny, too, that all of our friends know exactly who gave them the present when they open the card! Oh, well....that's what sharing your passion is all about!!!

Gift card holders

Here are some different gift card holders I made. This particular gift card holder also doubles as a Ghirardelli chocolate holder. I found the fabulous idea and measurements for this little darling quickie on UStamp with Dawn and Friends - it's a great little website that gives you a project a day for about 30 days or so!!!! It is absolutely fantastic for quick and beautiful, innovative gifts. Check it out on the right side of my blog - there is a tan colored blinkie that will take you right there.
This is what I did with the inside of the holder. As you can see I used the Definitely Decorative ornament stamp and ornament punch. It is terrifically quick - just like this project. Although you can't see it, I mixed some Frost White shimmer paint with real red. I love all the sparkle it makes!

Here I have used Andrea Walford's idea to create a stocking that can double as a gift card holder and an ornament. The top of the stocking lifts up to reveal the gift card. It's very cute!

Getting ready for Christmas

At our club meeting this past week we played with the oh, so beautiful shimmer paints! We made our own shimmer paint color using ink refills and did a one-sheet wonder to use on all three projects. Here are two of the projects that we made. We did a simple little scrapbook page that you see above.

Next, we used one of my role model demonstrators, Andrea Walford's idea, to create these little folios in which you can put a set of 4 bookmarks. I know you can't see it, but the front of this is spritzed with my homemade shimmer mist, so it is very sparkly! I LOVE shimmery things!

On the inside are 4 magnetized bookmarks I created. These can be used as gifts or for yourself. As you can see, I added just a little bit of magnet on the fold to attach it to the front. Then you can use it again for something else cute!!!

My baby is 3!

Well, it took a while for me to get this posted, but I actually used Liz's sketch to create Halleigh's 3rd birthday card. I liked the sketch and needed something that wasn't too complicated, but had enough character to get a quick card done in time for the birthday party last Sunday.

Of course, it got tossed amidst all the wrapping paper and boxes...but Halleigh did like all the glitter and the popped up sentiment on the front. This, of course, is always verified by the need to re-stick the sentiment on after lots of playing with her glittery card! Here is the inside, also...why is it that I always see the crooked pieces AFTER I post my cards?!

Serene Snowflakes class kit to go!

Don’t have enough Designer Paper? No Problem. This class will solve that for you. These six cards are all created using a One Sheet Wonder technique. Stamp these beautiful snowflake images as your Designer Paper, add the co-ordinating matchbook and you have an amazing gift set!

Supplies

• Stamps: Serene Snowflakes, Four the Holidays

• Ink: Not Quite Navy and Sahara Sand Classic inks, Frost White Shimmer paint

• Paper: Kraft CS, Not Quite Navy CS, Very Vanilla CS, Medium Very Vanilla Envelopes

• Accessories: Sticky Strip, Snail adhesive, Paper Snips, paper-piercing tool, mat pack, Scallop Edge punch, Jumbo Snowflake punch, bone folder, Stamp-a-ma-jig, Stampin’ Scrub and Mist, paper trimmer and Scoring blade, pencil, Stamping Sponges, Sponge Daubers, grid paper, paint palette, paint brush, RSVP pen, Crop-A-Dile

You can purchase this class kit for $25 through Pay Pal OR you can get it for FREE with a $50 purchase on my Stampin' Up website.

Shop right now at http://valeriedurham.stampinup.net/

***This offer is not good for SU demos. Please visit demotodemo.com if you would like to purchase a class kit.

Tree of Life

I decided I couldn't do all of my Disney trip pics in an ongoing album, so I think I'm going to try an 8.5 X 8.5 album for them. So...this is the opening page of our trip - we went with some of our best friends. Thus, this is "friends for life at the Tree of Life." I cut out the birds in the Tall Tales DSP and set them on a few branches I cut out from the birds and branches sizzlits die cut. For the title letters, I smeared Old Olive craft ink all over some chipboard letters and embossed with clear powder (while they flew all over the place!!!) Finally, I dotted the little spots on the birds with glue and dipped it into green glitter because everything needs a little sparkle!