Hello Stampers!

I am straying from my usual posts about stamping to share with you this really neat idea for gift giving.
My daughter-in-law, Melissa, has opened her own Etsy Shop called
  Coons Kreations.  She makes such adorable cup and mug cozies like the one you see pictured below.  And if you check out her site and don't see exactly what you want, never fear.  She also does custom orders from her site as well.  In fact, the cozy in the picture is one I custom ordered from her.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/CoonsKreations

To finish off the gift get a mug and put some Hot Cocoa packs or gourmet coffee packs and peppermint sticks in the mug.  Think of all the possibilities for how to give this cute little gift.  How about to a teacher, co-worker, sick friend, stocking stuffers... well you get the idea.  I also have just ordered another mug cozy that says " I love my sailor" and it is going to be for a secret sister gift exchange that I do with other Navy moms. So cute and a one of a kind gift.

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and then Christmas will be here!  Yay!  So before I get into posting Christmas Cards I thought I would share with you some Thanksgiving cards I have made recently.  I admit that one of these cards does not use Stampin' Up! products (other than the paper) but I just love how it came out.  Enjoy!

I got this embossing folder from Hobby Lobby and used my own homemade version of flower soft for the leaves.

This was such a fun card to make.  I love the versatility of the owl punch.

Aren't these little guys too cute?  

Thanks to Gail DeHorty for the inspiration behind this card.

New Photopolymer Stamp Sets

I am really excited about the new photopolymer stamp sets that SU! just released.  Photopolymer stamps are stamps that are completely clear.  They cling well to clear blocks for stamping and because it is completely clear it makes stamp placement on your project really simple.  Here are the two sets.  They  cost $13.95 each and can be ordered from my website.  Just click the button to the right to go directly to my website.

I can see using the US Map for playing the License Plate game when you travel.  Just stamp on a piece of paper and when you see a license plate from a different state color that state in.  This is our families favorite past time when traveling to see how many different states we can find.

Product Review:  Envelope Punch Board

Hi Stampers!

This morning I want to share a new product from Stampin' Up! with you.   How many times have you avoided making a different sized card from the standard 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" card just because you did not have an envelope to match it? The Envelope Punch board is a great tool for just that dilema.  There are measurements for making over 60 different sizes of envelopes with this product.  And it is not limited to just envelope making.  In fact, in my stamp club this year we are going to make adorable file folder cards using this board.  Here is a quick look at the Envelope Punch Board and a link to a video on You Tube that shows how it works.  You can order item # 133774 Envelope Punch Board for $19.95 on my business website:  www.lauricoons.stampinup.net.

Watch the video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzokPixtpko

Happy Stamping Everyone!

Lauri

Happy September Stampers!

In New England, September is the start of Fall.  We start to see the leaves turn and even may reach the peak of the Fall colors where I live, by the end of the month.  In fact "leaf peeping" is our favorite pass time.  It also can get quite chilly as just yesterday we were around 57 degrees for a high temperature.  Fall also marks the time that I love to change my color selections for the cards I am making.  I go from bright and bold to deep, rich, regal colors.  My cards tend to focus on themes of leaves, Thanksgiving, and a few sneaks of Christmas here and there.  So today I thought I would share a little of what I have taught in my stamp clubs over the years that used a Fall color theme.

Black Magic Technique

Front Flap Card

This card is so much fun.  To the left is a  picture of the card closed.  when you pull on the tab the center comes up and reveals a hidden message as seen in the photo below.

If you like these cards then why not join our Stamp Club and learn some fun new ideas for stamping.  I have 3 spaces left for my club starting September 28th.  To learn more details about the club see my previous post.

Surprise Pop up Card

Happy Stamping Everyone!

Lauri  

Good Monday Morning Everyone!

This past Saturday my Stamp Club met and we created these adorable cards.  I wanted to share them with you and also send an invitation out to join our club.  Stamp Club is a group of ladies that meet at my house every month (usually the last Saturday of the month) from 9:30 am - 11:30 am.  I teach two stamping techniques  and we create cards together using those techniques.  We meet each month for how many people are in the club.  For instance, if there are 8 ladies in the group we would meet once a month for 8 months.  Each lady who attends has the opportunity to be a hostess for one month.  They will receive hostess benefits and that means they earn  FREE product when it is their month.  The only requirement is that each lady commits to ordering $20-$25 of Stampin' Up! product each month we meet.  Our next club starts September 28th. There are a few openings available so if you are interested let me know.

Masking Tape Technique

Layered Window Frame Framelit Technique

Paper Pumpkin!

 I want to share with you my Paper Pumpkin I received in the mail today.  What is Paper Pumpkin?  Glad you asked!  Paper Pumpkin is a monthly kit that comes right to your home.  Sometimes you get supplies for cards and sometimes it is another type of paper project.  The kit is designed to take no more than 30 minutes of your time to assemble.  It is $19.95 a month (that includes shipping) and can be cancelled any time or just postponed for a month if you need to.  However, I have a great special to share with you.  Join now until August 31st and your first two months are only $10.00 each!  Use the Promotional code (PUMPKINDEAL).  Visit http://www.mypaperpumpkin.com/ and specify me, Lauri Coons, as your demonstrator.  How exciting is that!

Here is a photo of my cards I made from this months Paper Pumpkin supplies (2 stamps, stickers, 4 cards, 4 envelopes,  2 ink spots and instructions).  The card, center top, is the sample the instructions gives you to make, but look what I did with the same kit on my own.

Happy Stamping Everyone!

Lauri

Today I want to post a couple cards that are almost the same but not quite.  I have a couple of dear families I know that are going through very difficult times right now and when I sat down to make them a card this butterfly representing Hope seemed to be appropriate.  These cards took a lot of work but came out beautiful.  Stamp sets used were Stippled Blossoms, Swallowtail and Thoughts and Prayers.   If you would like to know more about how to make these cards just let me know.

Have a great day everyone and Happy Stamping!

Lauri

Welcome!

Hi Stampers and Welcome to my new blog!

I am excited to share a bit of my stamping creations and ideas with you and am glad you have joined me for the adventure.  Thanks to my sweet daughter for pushing me into the 21st century by helping me create my own blog.  

Do you see that adorable couple in my profile picture?  That is me and my husband celebrating our 25th Anniversary in NYC.  We are sitting in the Majestic Theater on Broadway getting ready to see the Phantom of the Opera.  Our very sweet daughter sent us on a trip to NYC for 3 days and to see the Phantom.  Don't we look in love?

Speaking of love I want to post a few cards I have made recently for newlyweds.  We have several nieces and nephews getting married this summer so it is keeping me busy.  

This first card is for my nephew and his bride who are bike enthusiasts. I cased this card from Caroline Bennie in Australia.  The Timeless Talk stamp set from Stampin'Up! (SU) works so well for this.

The second card is for my niece.  I love the new In Colors that SU is offering.  In this card I used Crisp Cantaloupe and Pistachio Pudding.  The swirls (not an SU stamp) were embossed in gold embossing powder.  Each flower has a tiny rhinestone in it. (This is cased from another stamper, but I don't know her name.)

The third card is for another nephew in Florida. The color combo of Coastal Cabana and Real Red has a "pop" effect. I used the Chalk Talk Framelits and Regarding Dahlias Stamp set, which work beautifully together.  And did you notice the Chevron pattern on the Real Red card stock?  It is created with the Big Shot machine and Chevron embossing folder.  Thanks to Patty Bennett for the inspiration for this card.

Thanks for stopping by and checking out my new blog.  Please leave comments and let me know what you like or don't like about it.  I will be improving it as I go.

Happy Stamping!

Lauri