Tomorrow is the first day of the new Stampin'Up! year AND the first day you can order out of the NEW Idea Book and Catalog!  I know I am excited but  remember to place your orders for the retiring items before they are GONE!  There are  accesories that are sold out but there are still some great items available and some at a special price.  Be sure to check out all the retired items HERE.

In the new catalog there are 5 new In Colors and the 5 In Colors from the 2010-2011 catalog will also be available.  I love that!  Today's sample uses a new stamp set, Best of Everything and the current In Colors.

Love how simple and cute these birds are!  The little buttom  is also part of this set.   remember to punch out the little holes on the button before you punch out the button-so much easier that way, believe me!

Stamps:  Best of Everything and Happy Greetings
Ink: Peach Parfait, Poppy Parade, Pear Pizzaz, Concord Crush, Blushing Bride
Paper:  Crumb Cake cs, InColor DSP paper pack (hostess gift)
Big Shot:  Perfect Polka Dot TIEF
Punches:  Scallop Edge, Itty Bitty Shapes punch pack

I am going to take a nice long look at  the catalog before I put it in the archives.  Remember if you want any of the retiring items you only have until 10:50 (pacific time) pm to place your order via my website.   See ya tomorrow in the "NEW " Year!

I just could not resist sharing with you a sneak peek look at the  Sweets for the Sweet stamp set that will be in the 2011-2012 Stampin'Up! Idea Book and Catalog.   I am particularly proud to share these cards since they were  make and takes from the SU! cruise to Alaska.  Why am I proud?  Well, I have this terrible habit of not finishing the make and takes from the events I attend.   It is always difficult for me to focus on stamping at events when there  is so much else to do and look at.  Now this would be just fine if I went home and completed the projects but alas you know how it goes they get buried under something and never get completed.   This time I actually came home and completed them! 

I did change a few things but the basic design is the same.  The pinwheel was originally suppose to be in Wisteria Wonder, one of the new In Colors, and now I think it would have been a better choice then what I did.  Why?   If I had used Wisteria Wonder ink  then all of the new In Colors would have been  represented on this project. 

Here's a look at Wisteria Wonder and Lucky Limeade with a little Calypso Coral.

Look at that new ribbon.  Isn't it pretty?  Yes, it will be available in the new In Colors.  This ribbon is soft and very easy to tie.   I will definitely be having a ribbon share for this ribbon!  If you are not on my  As the Ink Dries newsletter mailing list then sign up for it in left column of the blog.   You wil be in the know of what's happening!

Happy Summer!  Yes, it has officially begun.  Yesterday in honor of the first day of summer Mother Nature gave us a picture perfect day to start off the season.  Loved it!  It was too nice to stay inside so i took some of my stamping supplies out to the porch and stamped alfresco.   I grabbed the new  My Friend stamp set, First Edition DSP some assorted accesories and headed for the porch.  I had to go back in for a tall iced tea cause you know stamping can be thirsty work! Here is what I stamped.

This definitely was inpsired by being outside. I used some Cherry Cobbler ink and stamped around the edges of the card.  The image still looked good side ways and upside down! Don't you love the sentiment.  I think it is so simple and sophisticated. 

Here's another one.

I inked the stamp in Very Vanila Craft ink and colored in the image using pastels.  The pastels stick to the craft ink and give it a soft look.  Just a few more sleeps till you can order the My Friend stamp set.  Remember to check out the retiring accesories and retiring stamps list HERE.  Today grab some stamps, ink, paper and stamp alfresco!

Sing it with me or at least mouth the words with me, Hello, Doily, well hello, Doily....  No it is not a typo I meant to write Doily.  Hello, Doliy is the name of a new stamp that will be making its debut in the upcoming SU! production called the 2011-2012 Catalog and Idea Book!  I love this stamp!  I  love it even more because of the great name, clever and fun!

Isn't this a lovely card?  I received this card in the mail from the Stampin'Up! Special Events group after the SU! Alaska cruise.  Can you believe it, they were thanking us! 

Supplies:  Hello, Doily and Curly Cute
Ink: White Craft pad, Basic Black Classic pad
Paper: Basic Black, Pretty in Pink, Whisper White
Ribbon:  Pretty in Pink Satin Ribbon

I know this stamp will be on my first order on July 1st  from the SU 2011-2012 Idea Book and Catalog.  Will it be on yours?  When you order this stamp in July  through my online store I will send you all the details on how to make this card, just a little thank you from me.

Hope you had a wonderful weekend!  Did you get a chance to play in your craft room?  I managed to get a little crafting time in between more mundane but necessary activites.   The first set I inked up was the My Friend stamp set.  I love this bold image and the words.  There are a couple of other images in the set that I am working on using.  They are cool  images but a little more challenging for me.  

Are you wondering if there is a new narrow striped grosgrain ribbon in the catalog?  The answer is no.  At my group meeting on Saturday,  Lisa W shared with us how to finish the edge of the striped grosgrain ribbon after you cut it so it doesn't ravel.  She took a lighter and held it close to the cut  edge of the ribbon.  The side of the flame just barely touching the raw edge.  If you hold it too close you will burn the ribbon so practice over the kitchen sink.  When you are done you will have a beautifully sealed edge that will not ravel. 

Here's one more using the same stamps from the My Friend stamp set.

Isn't stamping so fun?  I love that you can totally change up the feeling of this stamp set using different colors and accesories.  Okay that is it for today!  I am off to the post office.   Jim got to the post office too late on Saturday so I am mailing catalogs today!  Sorry for the delay ladies but they are coming!  If you need a catalog and do not have a SU demonstrator  please contact me and we will get one to you!

I woke up this morning and there was this brightness in the sky that  was almost blinding.  It is vaguely familiar but wait a minute, can it really be?  YES, it is the sun!  It is sunny and bright out today.  I am not complaining since  there are places that have been really suffering through some horrible weather, just happy to see blue skies and sunshine.  Maybe, just maybe Spring has finally arrived!

Mother Nature here's to you!

Same elements different layout.

Stamps:  Thank You Kindly and Love & Care
Ink:  Chocolate Chip, Pumpkin Pie, Rose Red, Old Olive
Paper: Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla, Sweet and Sour DSP
Big Shot: Vintage Wallpaper TIEF, Perfect Polka Dots TIEF, Scallop Circles #2
Extra;:Pumpkin Pie Satin Ribbon
(items in Bold are retiring order them now before they are gone!) 

Thank you for stopping by!  Don't forget to let me know if you need a copy of the hottest Summer read aka the 2011-2012  Stampin'Up! Idea Book and Catalog!

I have another sneak peek for you today!  There are actually two new things I used but i already spilled the beans and told you that one of them is Delicate Doilies.  Delicate Doilies is a new stamp set that will be making its debut in the 2011-2012 Stampin'Up! Idea Book and Catalog.   Doilies alwasy remind me of my Grandma.  She was a great crocheter and she made a lot of doilies and table runners.  I am lucky enough to have some of the things she made.  This means of course I had to buy this set.  I cannot show you the actual stamps but I did use 3 of the 4 image so you will get a very good idea of what the set looks like.

Do you see what the other new item I used is?  Here's a clue.

If you guessed a new color than you are right!  Let me introduce Island  Indigo!   What a great new color!  The color combination I used : Island Indigo, Baja Breeze, and Rich Razzleberry.  How did I come up with this combo?  There are new add on cards for the Color Coach with the new In Colors!  So great right?  Does the shape of this doily look familiar?   If you think it looks a lot like the Doily Triple Layer punch that is in the Summer mini Catalog  then you would be right!  Don't you love it when you can punch out an image? 

Hope you liked this little sneak peek. I f you don't already have a demonstrator and would like a 2011-2012 Stampin'Up! Idea Book and Catalog please send me an email  and we will get you fixed up!  It will be the hottest read of the summer so don't delay!

I am making my way down my to-do list and that is making me happy.  Don't get me wrong the list is still long but I am definitely making progress.  I still have a few more birthday cards to mail but if your birthday is in June and I missed you (sorry!) please let me know and i will get one in the mail to you.  There's always a little something in your birthday card too!  Here's one of the cards that you might be getting.

 
I love the little squares layered on the scallop square.   This grid look is a favorite of mine!  Here's what I used to make this card.

Stamps:  On a Pedestal( Happy Everything words), Birthday Bliss, Perfect Postage
Ink:  Baja Breeze, Old Olive, Early Espresso  markers
Paper:  Whisper White, Striped DSP from the Nursery Suite Specialty DSP, Baja Breeze, Early Espresso, Old Olive
Punches: 1-1/4" Square punch
Big Shot:  Perfect Polka Dots TIEF, Scallop Squares Duo die and Floral Fusion Sizzlit
Extras:  Circle Ice Rhinestone brad, Early Espresso grosgrain ribbon
(BOLD items are retiring at the end of June!)

Head on over to my As the Ink Dries Facebook page and see another version of this card.  All you have to do is click on the  link on the left hand side column and while you are there become a fan!

Yes, I fell of the blogwagon but I am making my way back!  I did not plan to take a break  it just happened.  I had some out of town  company,  went on a quick trip and there just wasn't much time to do much else so i decided to just go with it and enjoy.   It has been a crazy month and a half but so many good things just not much stamping.   

Here's something I made yesterday and it pretty well sums up how I feel.

Stamps: Pretty Postage and FYI
Ink:  Concord Crush, Peach Parfait, Pear Pizzaz
Paper:  In Color DSP pack (level 1 Hostess gift), Whisper White and Sahara Sand
Big Shot:  Floral Fusion Sizzlit
Punches: Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack and Postage Stamp
Extras:  Basic Rhinestones
(BOLD indicates retiring product)

I am also late in sending out birthday cards for June.   I am getting them in the mail today!  If you don't get one please drop me an email and let me know so I can fix that right away.  Remember to use your birthday coupon! 

Thanks for stopping by, I appreciate you not giving up on me!

If you blog hop you  have seen a lot of pictures from the SU! Cruise to Alaska.  I am sure that the scenery pictures you have seen are  way nicer than the ones I took.  However there is one picture you may not have seen.   We were walking back to the ship in Ketchikan and came across this sign and it made me giggle.  This sign definitely captures the spirit of making it work.  Hope you like it too.