My Happy Stamping Place

Cupcakes!

Happy Easter-almost!  I'll be making those yummy chocolate chip cookie, oreos, brownie bars for my family's gathering tomorrow.  I have shared it with my husband's side of the family but my side of the family hasn't had the pleasure yet.  My side are total sweet addicts too.  They are going to loooooove it!

I had stamp club Thursday night.  Beth was our hostess and she brought some lovely treats.  There was this fruit pizza.

And these adorable bunny cake pops!  So cute and yummy!

I have made no secret of my love of cupcakes.  More to look at than to eat.  I found this adorable card by Linda Aarhus. I used some different pucnhes to create the cupcake and mounted them on the scallop circle. I added a little decoration on the inside which you can see peeking through the card.

This satisfied my eye candy sweet tooth! Hah! The designer paper is from the Occasions mini catalog called Sweet shop.  The cupcake paper and the embossed heart paper the cupcakes are on are both from this adorable paper pack.  But hurry!  It's only available through the end of this month.  You can order it through my online website here.

Have a Happy Easter!

Kathleen

Love the Vintage Look!

We found Rebecca's prom dress! After much searching she found one she's really happy with.  I don't know who was more relieved she found one - me or her! Here is a picture of it.

Now that I can check that off my list it's on to other things. 

I got a big box of new stamping toys.  I haven't had a chance to play with it yet.  I hope to get the chance sometime this week.  I have the final card from this month's stamp club.  It is a a case of a card by Karen Barber. She is one talented stamper!  The label dies are layered and the edges are roughed up with the distressing tool.  I cut two of the larger labels and cut one down in roughly the same shape as the smaller one.  I roughed up the edges so it didn't matter if it was cut perfect.  Close was good enough! The edges are also sponged with crumb cake ink and tiny pearls are added to some of the middles of the flowers. 

The ribbon is the vanilla seam binding.  Just spritz the ribbon with water and crumple it up in your hand.  Let it air dry or speed the process up with your heat gun.  The stamp set is Apothecary Art.  It matches the labels die!

Thanks for stopping by today!

Kathleen

Missed Opportunities

My daughter and I went prom dress shopping on Monday.  Our first stop was at a store about 30 minutes from our house called Opitz.  It's a discount designer brands store and we heard they had prom dresses. What they had was one small little rack of full length prom dresses.  She tried about 6 on but no luck.  We decided to head to a consignment store I had heard about that turns 1/2 their store into prom dresses at this time of year.  This store was another 1/2 hour away.  We set off for the store,with the help of our navigational device, hoping for better luck. We finally locate the store in a strip mall. We can see the window display as we pull into the parking lot and we start to get excited.  It looks promising!  As we locate a parking spot, suddenly the lights turn out in the store.  They are closed!  It was like letting the air out of a balloon.  We were suddenly deflated.

We start making our way back home(about an hour away now). On our way home Rebecca talks me into going to a mall to look at a store she's heard about.  Again, this store is not close.  As we pull into the parking lot, I get a phone call from Sam. He's home alone and he's scared.  I tell him we will come right home.  Another missed opportunity.  All of this running around and we barely got to see any dresses. So the hunt for the perfect prom dress is still on.

I have another card to share from stamp club.  This one utilizes a technique called VersaShadow.  I cased this card from Erin Gonzales.  She has a video of the technique here.  Go check it out!  She's amazing!

 

I used the new blossom punch that coordinates with the Mixed Bunch stamp set.  I grow to love this stamp set more every time I use it!

Thanks for stopping by today!

Kathleen

It's all about the flower!

The kids got a 2 hour late start day yesterday because of the weather.  Lucky ducks!  I could have used a couple extra hours in my day.  It seems we're always running.  I bet you can relate.  We finished our taxes! This is early for us but we needed to make deadlines for Financial aid for my daughter who's going off to college next year.(sniff!). Yep, the same one with the attitude.  It comes and goes and she can really be a sweet girl.  It's that whole establishing independence thing.

Tonight I have stamp club.  Yipee!  I love my stamp club girls! This is a sneak peek of one of the cards they will be making tonight.

I got the idea for the flower from Tessa Wise.  I punched out a bunch of scallop circles out of tissue paper and then stamped them with black ink with the Fresh vintage Sale-a-bration stamp set.  Then I stacked them together, poked one of fun Sale-a-bration brads through the middle and squished the petals up around the brad.  Easy peasy!  I felt it needed something so I added the blossom flower punch behind it in Island Indigo. The designer paper is a Sale-a-bration item too. 

Want to get your free Sale-a-bration stuff?  Hop on over to my online store and order $50 or more of Stampin' Up! product and pick any Sale-a-bration item for FREE!  I'll also send you an emblem towards more free product.  Collect 12 emblems and you get a $20 Stampin' Up! gift card from me!  This is good through Kathleen Hopperstad only.

Thanks for stopping by!

Kathleen

 

Happy Valentine's Day!

Do you have big plans with your loved ones today?  Usually, we pick up a heart shaped pizza from Papa Murphy's, I layout the table with festive Valentine placemats and plates, I give them each a little gift and we have some kind of sweet Valentine treat for dessert. Unfortunately, this year we will be scattered in different directions.  My daughter, Rebecca,works(at Papa Murphy's!), Nick has soccer, and Sam has gymnastics.  There isn't even time for my husband and I to sneak away for a romantic dinner because we have to be back in time to pick the kids up.Oh well.  Life is busy!

My youngest, Sam, is in 6th grade.  This is his last year in elementary school and the teachers told them it was optional to bring Valentines.  Sam didn't really want to but I wanted one last year to make something for his classmates.  So reluctantly, he is bringing in these for his class:

You can find the bubblewands at Target.  I just made little tags to hang from their heart shaped handles.

For his teacher I made this treat holder with a punch art lady bug:

Well, I gotta run to work.  Thanks for stopping by today!

Kathleen

 

 

 

 

 

Simple Sale-a-bration

Welcome to Tuesday, infinitely better than Monday but still a long way from Friday.  I'm in the mood to crawl back into bed this morning, can you tell?  I'm tired.  I have such a busy week this week too.  I gotta find the energy somewhere.  One of the things on my agenda this week is taxes.  Eeek, taxes!  We have to fill them out early this year because we have financial aid forms to fill out for Rebecca.

Enough doom and gloom, how about a pretty card to look at?  I made this one when I was playing around with Sale-a-bration sets to make make-n-takes for my Open House.

Stamps: Fresh vintage Sale-a-bration stamp set, the greeting comes from Apothecary Art in the Occasions mini catalog.

Ink: Luscious Limeade, Poppy Parade, Soft Sky, Basic black

Paper: Whisper white, Basic Black

Other: Large pearls from Occasions mini catalog, 1 inch circle punch, stampin' dimensionals

Thanks for stopping by today!

Kathleen

No clever title

One of the toughest things for me in blogging is coming up with a snappy title for my blog posts.  I know how to write and create cards and other papercrafts but for some reason I get stuck on my titles.  Anyone out there hear me on this?  That one stumbling block can hold up my posting. 

I had my monthly stamp club last night.  Here are my projects from this month's stamp club.

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I cased this idea from Heather Klump.  The image from Elementary Elegance is embossed with clear embossing powder.  Then I sponged it with soft suede ink. The middle is punched out with the curly label punch and stamped with the "Hello" from the same stamp set. I used the hearts embosslit on the label and the new buttons from the Occasions mini catalog.  The stamp set is one of the Sale-a-bration items you can earn for FREE with a $50 purchase through March 31.

On this card I used the Sale-a-bration stamp set, Fresh Vintage, and more of that yummy designer paper, Everyday Enchantment.  The edges are die cut with the Edgelits and embossed with the Adorning Accents embossing folder.  The banner is from the petal cone die.  Since discovering this banner I can't stop using it!  The image is punched out with the 2 3/8 Circle punch and backed with one of the Label Collection Framelits die.

I combined ideas from a couple of ladies on this treat container.  The ribbon idea and the cherries with this paper came from Erica Cerwin.  The treat container came from Karen Squires. The cardstock is Calypso Coral and the designer paper is from the Sweet Shop pack from the Occasions mini catalog.  The hearts are embossed for an extra cute look.The stamp set is from the Occasions mini catalog and is called Mouthwatering.

I'm off to visit a college with Rebecca this weekend.  She's still trying to narrow it down.  She qualified for a chance at a scholarship by writing an essay on diversity.  She is one of 600 to make this cut.  After interviewing this weekend they will award 100 of them $5000 scholarship each year for 4 years.  Wish us luck!  Doug is holding the fort at home with the boys.

Thanks for stopping by today!

Kathleen

Open House make-n-takes

Has life got you running around like crazy?  Is it hard to fit it all in?  I know I feel that way. I don't have any great answers for you but I do know it's important to fit in some time for you and do the things you love.  For me, that includes some time creating in my stamp room.  I have squeezed in some time lately and am pleased with the results.  It refreshes me to spend time creating with my hands and spirit and come up with something beautiful to give away to someone I care about.  It's like giving a little piece of myself.

I hosted a Sale-a-bration Open House this past weekend.  Here are the make-n-takes my customers got to make:

This is a simplified version of a card made by Mary Fish.  I used the Elementary Elegance stamp set and the Everyday Enchantment designer paper.  You can earn either item for FREE as an exclusive Sale-a-bration item.  Spend $50 in product and select one of many items for FREE! I used the label collection sizzix die that is new to the Occasions mini catalog. I can't get enough of this die!

On this card I used the Fresh Vintage Sale-a-bration stamp set and the Everyday Enchantment designer paper(again!) You can earn both of these items for FREE with a $50 purchase. I also used the Adorning Accents Edgelit die, the pleated ribbon in pear pizzaz and butterfly embosslit.  The greeting comes from a new stamp set in the Occasions mini catalog called Apothecary Art.  This is a deceptively simple card!

To order your product and earn your free Sale-a-bration goodies simply place an order with me on my online website or by contacting me at kathleen@myhappystampingplace.com.

I hope you take some time today to do something you enjoy!

Kathleen

Masculine birthday

My son Sam, was invited to a birthday party for his friend Preston. He saw a trick his brother played on his cousin and he's been dying to try it out.  He wrapped a big box with gfit wrap.  Inside that box was a smaller box with gift wrap, and inside that was a third box with gift wrap.  When the recipient gets to the third box they may be getting a little frustrated.  In the third box is an empty bag and there is nothing else to open.  That's when Sam pulls out a card with money in it and says, "Here you go!" 

I made this card to give to Preston.  It's simple but masculine.  I used the new Adorning Accents Edgelets.  Love this fancy edge!

Well, it's Monday so I have to dash to work.  The kids are off today.  Must be nice! Tomorrow Sale-a-bration starts!  Yippee!  My favorite part of the Stampin' Up! year!

I'm having a Sale-a-bration Open House on Sunday, January 29.  If you are local to the Twin Cities and would like to come by it will be from 2:00-5:00. Just contact me at kathleen@myhappystampingplace.com or at 952-226-2190 to let me know you're coming.

Thanks for stopping by today!

Kathleen

 

 

Recipe cards

I like to try new recipes, don't you?  But I don't like going through all of the work of making a new recipe only to find my family and I don't like it.  That's one of the reasons I love my recipe club!  I have 5 or 6 ladies who switch off being hostess. The hostess provides 3 recipes for me ahead of time which I create 6x6 recipe cards for.  On the day of recipe club the hostess makes her recipes for the rest of the club.  We all get to try her recipes and then everyone creates the 6x6 recipe cards so they can take the recipe home. You get to taste the recipe to decide if you would like to make it yourself and get some fun stamping time in.  It works for me!

Here are the 3 recipe cards I created from this month's hostess, Beckie.

I went for a sophisted look on this one with the recipe printed on River Rock cardstock, and the striped designer paper from the Mocha Morning Specialty pack.  I used the new Apothecary art stamp set and labels collection Sizzix die both from the new Occasions mini catalog.  The veggies are from the stamp set, Homegrown.

I used my new favorite ribbon from the mini the pleated ribbon!  This one is in Riding Hood Red. the stamp set is Fruits and Flowers.  Colors used are Early Espresso, Whisper White, Pear Pizazz, Daffodill Dellight, and Riding Hood Red. Can you see the subtle stripe of the stripes embossing folder beneath the fruit?

I have been itching to use this stamp set with my recipe cards and I finally did.  This one uses the designer paper, domestic goddess.  The stamp  is a single stamp called Now You're Cookin'.  I see lots of possibilities for this one.  I used the labels die cut again and backed it with the 2 1/2 inch circle punch. Colors used are Basic Gray, Calypso Coral, Pool Party, Daffodil Delight and Whisper White.

I hope you enjoyed these.  Thanks for stopping by today!

Kathleen