Design Team!!!

I get to share my exciting news a bit early!  I thought I was going to have to wait until late January to tell you, but Catherine let "cat out of the bag" on January 1st.   In December I was asked by Catherine Pooler to join her design team for StampNation.   You should have seen me doing the happy dance around my house.  It's such a thrill and honor to be chosen.  I only hope I can live up to the job. 

The day after she asked me I went to my craft room to get started on the January challenges and it suddenly hit me.... "can I do this?"  Honestly, I wasn't sure I was ready, but the ladies at StampNation are so nice that I decided to just take the plunge.  It's only paper, and I can always make another card if the first (or first 10) don't turn out.  :) 

The first card I made wasn't good enough for me, but it gave me a great idea for another card.  This card is one of my all time favorites!  I can't show you the card I made, because it is for later in the month, but I can show you a sneak peek.  (shhhh, don't tell anyone, okay?)   Actually, yesterday's post had another sneak peek, if you want to check it out. It is my current most favorite card and sitting in my craft room for inspiration.

For those of you who aren't members of SN, don't worry, I'll be showing all my creations on the blog after they go live over there.

My first challenge card as a design team member went live yesterday.  If you've been following my blog you probably already know I love a good challenge.  Even those that frustrate and stretch me beyond my comfort zone, because I almost always surprise myself and learn something new.

This card doesn't use anything new.  I wasn't sure if I was going to be announced this week or if I was going to be a mystery guest, so I didn't want to give away that I was a SU Demonstrator.  Sneaky, eh?   

Thank you so much, Catherine, and your awesome design team for giving me a chance.  You have made it a great start to the new year for me!   Thank you to all of you who have come here from Catherine's blog to cheer me on.  If you haven't seen her post yet, click here, to go to her blog. 

Creative Blessings,
Heather North

Card Recipe:
Stamps: Affection Collection, Rue Des Fleurs (retired- currently in Clearance Rack)
Paper: Festival of Prints DSP Stack, Cherry Cobbler, Bashful Blue, Very Vanilla
Ink: Bashful Blue, Cherry Cobbler
Misc.: Fashionable Heart Embosslit, Crystal Effects, 2 1/2" Circle Punch, Designer Label Punch, Adorning Accents Embossing Folder



Affection Collection

***Note*** Holiday catalog ends today, 1-2-12, and the Affection Collection stamp set is in this catalog.  I do not know if it will carry over into next year, so if you love it, get it today!  :)  The DSP stack is from the Holiday catalog as well.


Rue Des Fleurs



Adorning Accents Embossing Folders



Band Thanks

Last week was my son's Spring concert for band.  Here is the card I made for his teacher.  It uses 2 stamps I got just for this card.  One is Rue Des Fleur (not currently available) and the music notes wheel. 

I used 2 different challenges for inspiration for this card. 

The first one is obvious if you saw my masculine grad post last week, Hand Stamped Sentiments.  I have been needing to get in gear and make some masculine cards, so this challenge was just waiting for me.  I've actually made 3 masculine cards this week. 

Second, is this wonderful sketch from Try Stampin' On Tuesday.  I really like both of these blogs.  They have great challenges every week.  I'm adding this sketch into my rotation. 

My camera is still acting up.  Sigh.  I know I need a new one, but the new catalog comes out June 1st, and I would rather spend my $$$ on new Stampin' Up goodies.  :)

I tried to fix the lighting on one of my pictures with my computer software.  It did help. 

There is a new button in the new catalog that would be PERFECT on this card.   I don't have it yet though.  I don't even have neutrals buttons.  Sooooooo, I used my punch pack and some itty bitty buttons and made my own button using the same DSP that is the background of this card.

One last view.  I've been hoarding this rich paper, and I'm so glad I finally opened the package and used some of it.  The colors are fabulous for so many occasions, and work well on masculine as well as formal cards.

Creative Blessings,
Heather North

For those of you who are friends and family and want to see Mikey playing his trumpet in their recent concert, here is a short video.  Keep in mind this is the Middle School band.  (6th-8th grade)

Mocha Morning DSP

Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch

This is what I used

This is what I planned to use.  :)

Music Notes Standard Wheel

Midnight Muse Graduation

Today's card is similar to yesterday's card with a few tweaks.   This card is flipped on it's side.  I used the new Midnight Muse, Sahara Sand and Crumb Cake instead of just Black.  Midnight Muse is such a deep, rich color.  I really like it.  It falls between Night of Navy and Not Quite Navy.

On a side note, something has gone terribly wrong with my camera. I'm hoping it's just that the batteries were super low. I had to run through all the different settings on my camera just to get these 2 shots.   Do you have any good camera recommendations?

Creative Blessings,
Heather North

En Francais

Soft Suede Taffeta Ribbon

Teeny Tiny Wishes

Happy Graduation ~ PDCC132

Graduation cards are in high demand right now.  Here is an elegant, yet simple card to make for any grad. 
The color combo comes from this week's color challenge at the Play Date Cafe.  I thought the new Summer Starfruit color was a good yellow for this challenge, and black & white are always nice on formal cards.

Hopefully you picked up the Rue Des Fleurs stamp set before the Occasions Mini catalog was over.  If not, then keep your fingers and toes crossed that it will show up in a future catalog.  It was such a pretty set. 

I'm not yet sure which grad(s) will be getting this card.  It is one that I will probably make a few more of, so I have extra on hand.  Now that I have a child in high school it seems like I know more people who are graduating.  :)

Creative Blessings,
Heather North

Teeny Tiny Wishes

En Francais Background Stamp

Basic Black Scallop Dotted Ribbon

Word Window Punch

Birthday Week Baby!

Around here we celebrate birthdays All.Week.Long!  :)  This week it's my turn to celebrate my birthday.  If I can't avoid getting older, at least I can enjoy feeling special and loved by my family and friends.  <3

I want you to be a part of the fun, so we will be celebrating by having a party on my blog.  To start us off, I'm starting at the beginning with a Baby card.  After all, we all start our birthdays as a baby, and my dear husband's best friend just had a baby so I made this card for him & his wife.

Today is the last day to order items from the Occasions Mini Catalog, including the Twitterpated DSP and Rue Des Fleurs stamp set I used on this card.  I don't know whether or not it will carry over to the new catalog, so if you love it, order it NOW.   :)  I'm glad I did.

Here's a little video for you showing you how I created this card. 

Come back every day this week for more creative birthday fun.

Creative Blessings,
Heather North

Twiterpated DSP

Rue Des Fleurs

Blushing Bride Pleated Satin Ribbon

Adorning Accents Textured Embossing Folders
Pack of 3

Basic Pearls

Basic Rhinestones

It's My Party...

...and I'll post twice today if I want to.  :)  There's so little time left in the occasions mini catalog.   It ends tomorrow and this beautiful stamp set may be gone forever.  I've been wanting to make this card since the stamp set was released.  I think the layout/sketch is perfect for most of the images in this stamp set, but especially the pen and trumpet.  

The difficulty for me came in making the pen.  I wanted it to be gold or silver, but I don't have any SU embossing powder in those colors.  (Shocking I know, that there is something SU sells that I don't have.   lol)  When I saw Ann Clemmer's post using this stamp set I asked her what color she used and she told me More Mustard.  I have had that color marker since I got it in the marker set a decade ago, and haven't yet used it, until today.  It still works, and I think it is perfect for this pen.  What do you think?

My favorite part of this card, besides the focal image, is the background stamping with flowing script En Francais.  I inked it up with Crumb Cake, then stamped off before stamping on the Very Vanilla paper.

The inside is decorated as well.  Sorry the picture is a little blurry.  It's hard for me to photograph inside on dark and dreary days like today. 

Come back every day this week for my Slumber Party blog posts.  It's going to be a fun week on Heathers Creative Blessings.  :)


Creative Blessings,
Heather North

Rue Des Fleurs

Blessings From Heaven

En Francais

HSS #108

Yesterday I had some time to play in my craft room and made a couple of cards and a couple of scrapbooking pages.  How fun!   So today you will have two posts to enjoy.  :)  Scrapbook Sunday will be next post.

First, one of my cards....

The inspiration...

Close Up...

Another View...

So many fun things were used on this card.  I'll try to list them here.  Most of the paper came from the Attic Boutique Designer Series Paper Pack, but the red strip was from a retired paper pack that was in the Holiday Mini last year.

Attic Boutique DSP

Rue Des Fleurs

Antique Brads

Crumb Cake Seem Binding

Linen Thread

Creative Blessings,
Heather North