Hi Stamping Friends,

Here is another peak of a card we are going to make tomorrow at our Stamp Club Workshop. Last time we met was in November and I can't wait to see everyone!

This is, of course a Valentine's card and I just love a red, black and white color scheme don't you?... so dramatic. I used the stamp sets; Hugs Rounder, Middles, and Forever in My Heart. The background is the lacy heart stamped with VersaMagic Cloud White ink on the black card stock. I love that look don't you? The Hugs Rounder is made into a scalloped circle with my Nestabilities dies and Cuttlebug machine, and inside the rounder I stamped a red heart and then the Middles image that says "& Kisses".

I will have another card to show you this weekend. I hope you all set aside some time this weekend to stamp or scrapbook!

Paper Heart

Hey Stampers and Scrappers,

Here is a Sneak Peak of one of the projects we will be creating this Saturday at our workshop. It is a 3D paper heart. Isn't it cute?! I added to a card but it would also be a great addition to a gift package, or a decoration in your home.

For those of you who can't join us, I will be posting instructions next week.
This idea came from Barb Dean's blog. Thanks for the great idea Barb!

Snow Day!

Hey Everyone,

It is snowing in Georgia! It never snows here... well hardly ever. I think the last time it spitted some snow was a couple years ago and it was just as exciting then as it today. They even canceled school for today. It really is hardly snowing at all, and in fact, I went and took some photo's of it and my boys and the snow did not even show in the photographs. Ha! My boys are ecstatic that they have a "snow day" from school and I know that you Northerner's are laughing at us right now. (I used to live in Wisconsin "once upon a time" and do know what "real" snow is). So anyway, we are having a fun day hanging out at home today.

I am working in the Studio getting ready for our Stamp Club workshop that we are having here on Saturday at 11:00-2:00. We still have room so it you want to join us please let me know and wewill love to have you. It is a free workshop you just have to RSVP melissa@thestampingstudio.com. We will be making 3 Valentine themed projects and eating lunch and it is all FREE. How great is that? I am looking forward to seeing everyone!

Later... It is snowing a bit harder and I able to get a couple shots where you could tell it was snowing! This is Alec (left) and Sean (right).

Cardmaker Magazine

Check out this cute card that Brooke Smith designed and has published in the current issue of Cardmaker magazine. Isn't it the cutest? She used our stamp set #RSSBS27 Kissing the Frog which she herself designed for us.

This is a great set for the Valentine season!

Click on this link http://www.cardmakermagazine.com/webbonuses.html?_id=317 and you can download a template and sayings for free. How great is that?

Chalking on Photo's

Hi Stampers and Scrappers,

Here is something fun to try with some supplies you probably already have in your stash... chalking on black and white photographs. It looks like the expensive color tinting products but all you do is to apply chalk (I like the Pebbles Inc. kits that we sell) with a pom pom and there you have it. It really is as easy as that! Let me know if you try it and what you think.

Here are a couple photo's of my 3 boys that I did this with. I have 3 frames that stand in our living room entertainment center that I switch photo's out seasonally, and these are a couple of what I have in them right now.

Valentines Cards

Hey Stampers and Scrappers,
Here are a few cards that I was working on today.
Free standing "Stand-Up" card
Back view I used our Chandelier stamp along with a small heart from the "From the Heart" set. The flower is cut from the heart flowers. Feel free to cut apart your unmounted stamps if you want... they go right back together and it is one great advantage of an unmounted stamps.

I also used the "Mini Rounder" set and punched it out with a 1" circle punch.

This card folds up for easy mailing. It also fits into a standard 5.5x4.25 envelope

I used our "Owl are You" set to make this ValentineThe sayings reads "Love is for the birds"I used the Mini Rounders set here as well as the 1" circle punch to make a fun attachment to the side of the card.

Here I used some non-traditional stamp sets for the Valentine card as well. I first stamped the flowers using our Favorite Florals and Big & Little Botanicals sets for the great floral scene, and then I stamped up a couple hearts and cut them out from the "Forever in My Heart" set and then stamped the saying from that same set.

Here is another corner embellishment that was punched from a heart I stamped. I sure had fun playing with my stamps!

Another FOTM sample

Check out Brooke Smith's blog to see a great card she made with her new Snowdrop FOTM stamp set. Love it! Brooke, of course, is the artist of all the FOTM stamp images and if you look around her blog and artwork areas you will find some of the new flowers to come and how she used them.

http://magnoliagrace.blogspot.com/2009/01/simple-thank-you-card.html

The guys have been working on laying laminate flooring through out the Studio so it is a bit of a mess and hard to work in, but it is going to look great when it is done. They are almost half finished. Yea!