I'm on Twitter - Come Tweet with Me!

Finally had a moment to set it all up and am having a blast with it already. Follow me at www.twitter.com/heatherporto or view the recent activity in my right sidebar! I used the beautiful background Michelle Laycock created for my blogs and then added my picture and text to the left column area. The of course, after I added my pic, changed the color scheme and got it looking the way I wanted, I had to start "tweeting".

Hope to have you follow me...enjoy!

Cold & Cuddly Holiday Card

Couldn't pass up these cuties!!! Love the penquin especially. Wanted to put a little twist using Chocolate chip and non-traditoinal holiday colors. I really like how it came out and the warmth it brings to the "cold" scene (LOL).


Product Used

• Soft Suede or Close to Cocoa cardstock
• Very Vanilla cardstock
• Chocolate Chip Craft Ink
• Clear Embossing Powder
• Heat Gun
• Dazzling Diamonds
• SNAIL Adhesive
• Stampin' Dimensionals
• Cold & Cuddly stampset
• Four the Holidays stampet (greeting)
• Christmas Cocoa Specialty paper

Instructions

1. Created a 5-1/4 x 5-1/4 card using Soft Suede or Close to Cocoa
2. Cut a 5x5 squre of snowflake patterned paper.
3. Using Very Vanilla hand draw 2 slopes and cut out. Layer over each other at the card bottom. Then line edge with Dazzling Diamonds glitter.
4. Stamp the pole, seal, penquin, bear and iceberg on scrap Very Vanilla paper using Chocolate Chip craft ink (and then emboss with Clear Embossing Powder and Heat Gun). Cut out all image and adhere to card using Stampin' Dimensionals.
5. Stamp greeting on a striped pattern piece of paper, emboss, and cut and mat on Very Vanilla piece of paper. Adhere greeting to card front using Stampin' Dimensionals.

Happy Holidays!

Good Cheer Card - Happy Christmas

This card was again part of my Holiday Card Making workshop and part of the Class Card Kit. I really like creating cards like this. Last year I created one using the Home For Christmas stamp set (click here to take a look).

Includes the following Stampin' Up! product:

• Brushed Gold cardstock
• Chocolate Chip cardstock
• Real Red cardstock
• Whisper White cardstock
• Good Cheer stampset
• VersaMark Pen
• Clear Embossing Powder
• Heat Gun
• Garden Green, Real Red, Chocolate Chip and Creamy Caramel Stampin' Write Markers
• Textured Impressions Folder, Petals-a-Plenty

Instructions

1. Create standard card using Brushed Gold, in landscape form.
2. Cut a 4" x 5-1/4" piece of Chocolate Chip. Emboss the upper, left corner with the "branch-like" stamp from Good Cheer. Stamp in Chocolate Chip Craft Ink, sprinkle with Clear Embossing Powder, shake off excess powder, then heat with heat gun.
3. On the other side, emboss with Textured Impressions folder (use the Big Shot or Cuttlebug). I placed 3 gold brads in the bottom, right corner. You can wrap ribbon around and knot instead of or in addition to. Adhere piece to card front using SNAIL Adhesive.
4. Color the Santa/Reindeer image with the above mentioned Stampin' Write Markers or colors of your choice. Then stamp in 3-1/2 x 3-1/4 piece of paper. Mat it on a Chocolate Chip piece of paper 1/8 inch larger on all sides.
5. With the Real Red paper, crumble in your hand, again and again and again. Keep doing it until you get the desired distressed look. Then adhere Santa completed piece onto the red, off-centered, using Stampin' Dimensionals at least at the bottom, right side.

Enjoy!

My Twist on the Holiday Extavaganza --- You Won't Want to Miss This Opportunity!

The holidays are here and we know Friday through Monday are BIG shopping days here in the U.S.! So from FRIDAY (11/27/09) to MONDAY (11/30/09), shop online and SAVE BIG!

For every $5 you spend in product when placing an order with me, you will get $1 credit to a future, single Stampin' Up! purchase.

• So if you spend $50 in product, get $10 credit to a future single order with me!
• Spend $100, get $20 credit.
• Spend $150, not only will you get a free Level 1 Hostess set, $15 in free merchandise from Stampin' Up!, you will also get a FREE stampset from me (your choice).

Note: If you already have a demonstrator, I respect their business and would ask that you please continue to place orders with them. Thanks!

Click here to access my online store!

So...what are you waiting for!!! Stampin' Up! has many products up to 50% off (Holiday Extravaganza), retired product up to 80% (Clearance Rack), and a beautiful Holiday Gift Guide.

• Big Items -- be sure to check them out!
• Stamper's Startup Kit (Part of the Holiday Extravaganza) - this is a wonderful gift for someone special or a gift to yourself! Full of stamps, stampin' spots, paper, and more!
• Many "bundles" for Card Makers, Scrapbookers, Accessory-lovers and more!
  Big Shot Special (Holiday Gift Guide)

Happy Holiday Shopping!

Delightful Decorations

I really like the way this card came out and of course had to use one of my favorite stamp set during this holiday season (Baroque Motifs - LOVE that big swirl).

This card will be part of the Holiday Card Kit.

So this card is made up of the following Stampin' Up! product:

• Baroque Motifs stamp set
• Delightful Decorations stamp set (from the Holiday Mini)
• Christmas Cocoa Specialty paper (from the Holiday Mini)
• Ornament Punch (from the Holiday Mini)
• Chocolate Chip Craft Ink
• Clear Embossing Powder
• Heat Gun
• Gold Cord (retired)
• Antique Brass Hodgepodge Hardware (retired)
• Chocolate Chip Taffeta Ribbon
• Close to Cocoa Cardstock

It was fairly easy to make...the ribbon tying is the most time consuming part of the project.

1. Cut a standard card size of Close to Cocoa.
2. Then cut a 4 x 4 piece of patterned paper (soft suede and white) and a 2-1/2 x 4 piece of patterned paper with the holly. Lay one on top of other, depending on how much of the holly paper you want to show, and then adhere to leave the panel 4 x 5-1/4.
3. Then stamp Baroque Motifs in Chocolate Chip Ink in the upper left and lower right corners. Cover with Clear Embossing Powder and heat.
4. Wrap Chocolate Chip Taffeta ribbon and strip og gold cord around the panel threading through the hardware buckle (adhere in back).
5. Then on piece of red patterned paper from the Specialty pack and stamp 2 ornaments in Chocolat Chip Craft Ink and emboss. Punch out with the ornament punch. Then, tie a bow in gold cord around the top of each. Then cut 2 other pieces to adhere behind the ornsments and then adhere to the back.
6. Adhere the panel to card front using SNAIL adhesive. Then adhere ornaments to card front using Stampin' Dimensionals.
   

Happy Stamping!

Holiday Helper 2009 is Here!

The holidays are here and the Holiday Helper 2009 is coming! It is 12 remarkable newsletters to be delivered 12 days before Christmas (one each day) and filled with beautiful, holiday fun-filled projects and ideas. Truly a blessing and I look forward to it each year. I want to share them with you!

If you signed up for throughout this last year, then you are already on my Holiday Helper mailing list and will begin receiving these beautiful newsletters 12 days before Christmas. If you have not signed up, sign up below and select Holiday Helper from my newsletter sign-up form. Thank you! You're gonna love them!

Happy stamping!

Serene Snowflakes

I just love this new stamp set from Stampin' Up!, featured in the Holiday Mini Catalog. I found inspiration from the card sample provided in the catalog with Bella Bleu designer series paper, but added my own twist using Chocolate Chip and heat embossing, as well as one of the felt snowflakes (now on the Clearance Rack!!!!).

Instructions

Stampin' Up! product used is bolded.

1. Cut a 4-1/2 by 11 piece of Kraft paper and then score in half.


2. Cut a 4 x 5-1/4 piece of the blue patterned paper from Bella Bleu DSP. Rub-on many white snowflakes from the Icicles rub-ons (again featured in the Holiday Mini). Then stamp a few snowflakes in Chocolate Chip Craft in (some overlapping/on top of the white snowflakes), then sprinkle with Clear Embossing Powder and heat.


3. Cut a 1-1/2 inch piece of kraft patterned paper from Bella Bleu DSP and then run the Sweet Swirls wheel in Chocolate Chip Craft ink a few times, sprinkle with Clear Embossing Powder and then heat. Add a rub-on or stamped greeting as well. I used a holiday greeting from the Chit Chat rub-on collection. Adhere this strip to the blue patterned paper.
   
4. Tie a piece of Kraft Taffeta ribbon around the panel, adhere in the back. Attach a felt snowflake with a Styled Silver piece of Hardware (brad). Then adhere the panel to the card front using SNAIL adhesive.

To view more cards using Heat Embossing, click here.

To view more cards using Snowflakes: Snow Swirled, Snow Burst, The Snowflake Spot.

Enjoy and have fun stamping!

Getting Ready for the Holidays

Stampin' Up! is gearing up for the holidays! Here is a new fun-filled Holiday Guide - something for everyone - from kids to the experienced crafter!

Shop from this guide and get FREE stuff! Purchase $50 worth of product from this wonderful holiday guide and purchase a FREE Decor Element (up to $16.95).

On the last page of the guide there is a Big Shot Gift Pack! Check it out! I am asking for one for Christmas!!!!

Get busy holiday shopping for your favorite stamping buddies. Oh, and don't forget you can use my Gift Registry as well or shop online if you'd like to place an order.

Snow Swirled Snowflakes

Bashful Blue and Chocolate Chip reminds me of Pottery Barn for some reason (LOL). So I kept this card clean and crisp but I really like the way it came out.

This is another card we'll be making at my Holiday Card Making class (Nov. 6th) and will be part of the Class Kit as well if you cannot make the class (or the rescheduled date).

The following Stampin' Up! product was used:

• Bashful Blue, Chocolate Chip, and Whisper White cardstock
• Blue Circle Rhinestone Brads, Ice Collection
• Filigree Brads
• Bashful Blue and Chocolate Chip Stampin' Write Markers
• Ticket Corner Punch
• Stampin' Dimensionals
• SNAIL Adhesive

Instructions

It was quite easy to make. Simply color in the medium sized snowflake from the Snow Swirled stampset first with Bashful Blue. Then use the Chocolate Chip marker on the tips and desired parts of the snowflake. Then stamp on the Whisper White paper. Do this twice.

Then for the center snowflake, stamp on scrap paper and punch with the Circle Scallop Punch. Use Piercing tool to pierce all snowflakes. Since the center snowflake is the focal point, this has the larger Filigree Brad and the blue rhinestone. The other two snowflakes on the card have smaller Filigree Brads and the silver brads that come with the Filigree Brads container.

Add the focal point snowflake, to the 2x2 inch square piece of Bashful Blue paper (where 2 sides have been punched) using SNAIL adhesive. Then this focal point is finally adhered to card front using Stampin' Dimensionals (where the rest of the card is assembled using SNAIL adhesive).

Enjoy!