Congrats!

Congratulations to Shelly!  Your comment was randomly picked to be the winner of the $40 Stampin' Up!  shopping spree.  Email me at allison.ohran@gmail.com in the next 2 days to claim your prize.

Here's Shelly's comment:
       "Wow! It sounds like you and your family are living quite the adventure. Glad to see you are finding some time to stamp again."

Happy stamping everyone!  

Simple Flower

A couple of weeks ago I hosted a stamping class in the compound.  I wanted to see if there was enough interest to start teaching regular classes in the fall.  There seems to be a fair bit of interest, so now the only trick is how to get enough supplies into Saudi.  We're coming back to the US for a visit this summer, so I imagine I'll have a suitcase full of stamping supplies on the way back.  :-)

Anyway, this is the card we made at the class.  Since the majority of the ladies had never stamped before, I wanted to do something pretty simple.  This card basically consists of stamping and then punching (the flower and sentiment) and the using an embossing folder through the Big Shot.  Almost everyone was pleasantly surprised at how easy the card was to make, and they agreed that tying the knot was the hardest part of the card!

Don't forget that today is the last day to enter the drawing for $40 worth of free Stamin' Up! product!  You can see more information and enter the drawing by leaving a comment on THIS post.  There aren't very many comments yet, so your chances are pretty good.  :-)

Stamps:  Flower Shop
Ink:  Raspberry Ripple
Paper:  Raspberry Ripple, Baked Brown Sugar and Whisper White
Accessories:  Pansy Flower Punch, Decorative Label Punch, 1/2" Circle Punch, Square Lattic Embossing Folder, Big Shot, Whisper White grosgrain ribbon, Pearl Basic Jewels, dimensionals

Hello, Free Product, and Lacy Dress

Hi everyone!  I thought I would pop in, let you know what I've been up to, share one of the few cards I've stamped in the last 10 months, and offer some free product!  (Ok, and see if anyone still follows this blog, lol)

First I'll let you know where I've been. . . or rather where I am. . . in Jubail, Saudi Arabia!  Crazy, huh?  Our family relocated here with my husband's job last October (2013) and we plan on being here for a few more years.  It's been an interesting experience with ups and downs, although overall we are enjoying our time here and the opportunities that come with expat life.  I am adjusting to not driving and wearing an abaya, among other things.  If you are curious to learn more about our adventures in Saudi, you can check out my Winding My Way blog.

Now back to stamping!  I needed a wedding card, so I pulled out my stamping supplies and went to work.  It had been a long time since I had created anything, so I kept it pretty simple.  :-)

I used the Dress Up framelits for the dress as well as the dress layers.  The texture for the dress comes from the Lacy Brocade embossing folder.  I used the Ovals Collection framelits and coordinating Occasions paper-piercing pack for the Smoky Slate oval layer.  The sentiment is from the Curly Cute stamp set.  I made up a few cards to have on hand just playing around with different colors of ribbons and accessories.

Even though I am so far away, I will still be stamping!  It's taken me a little while to feel settled here, but I have committed to teaching stamping classes in my compound here starting this September.  (Of course it didn't help that 3 months after moving here we moved again to a different compound in the same city.)  So although I don't plan to post more than occasionally over the summer, I'll be back to regular stamping this fall.  :-)  

In the meantime, since there is a new catalog to celebrate (yay!) I thought it would be fun to give away some free product.  To be entered into the drawing:

1.  Leave a comment on this post no later than June 29th, 2014.
2.  If you'd like to be entered a second time, you can leave a comment on any post over at my Winding My Way blog, also no later than June 29th, 2014.

I'll randomly choose a comment on June 30th and the winner will receive a $40 Stampin Up shopping spree (US addresses only please, I'll pay the tax and shipping too).  I will contact the winner on June 30th and they will have 48 hours to claim their prize.

Have a wonderful day everyone!

Stamps:  Curly Cute
Ink:  Smoky Slate
Paper:  Smoky Slate and Whisper White
Accessories:  Lacy Brocade EF, Dress Up and Oval Collection framelits, Big Shot, Occasions paper-piercing pack, paper-piercing tool, rhinestones, ribbon

Stampin' Celebration #70

Hi all!  Sorry for the long absence. . . there's a big move on the horizon for our family, so between that and spending a good part of the summer visiting family I haven't been stamping much.  :-)  I'll post later more about all that, but for now on to this month's Stampin' Celebration challenge!  

This is an exciting month over at Stampin' Celebration since we have some new stampers who have been selected to join our Design Team!  So make sure to head over to the blog to see who's joined us.  There's lots of talent as well as great inspiration this month.  :-)  

It's been a while since I stamped anything, so I thought I'd go simple.  :-)   I loved the bold colors and simple style of these photos.  

I used my Pear Pizzazz and Coastal Cabana markers to ink up the flower image from the Morning Meadow (hostess) set.  (Side note:  I just love the hostess sets in the current catalog!)  Although the picture doesn't really show it, I added Crystal Effects on just the flowers for a little dimension and shine.  The rhinestones add even more bling.  :-)  

To get the little 'notch' in the Basic Gray layer, I used the edge of one of the framelits from the Apothecary Accents set:  

I ran it through the Big Shot twice--once on each end.  The card below uses the colors Calypso Coral and (again) Pear Pizzazz.  I enjoy making sets of cards that I can give as gifts. . . fairly simple and easy to change the colors up.  I'll make a few more of each of these, a couple in Wisteria Wonder, and I'll have a gift ready to go.  :-)  

Now it's your turn to play along with us at Stampin' Celebration. And also remember to take a look at what the other design team members created! 


You have until Sept 25th to play along. And don't forget to check back on the 15th for some more inspiration. :-) 

To follow along on this month's Blog Hop, simply click the links below:

Erica Cerwin - Pink Buckaroo Designs

Erin Gonzales -Hand Stamped Style

Rochelle Gould - I stamp, I create, I have fun!

Cori Kozak - Creative Chat

Allison Ohran - Sweet Impressions

Nina Dee - Deesigns by Nina Dee

Lauri Ingram - Paperville Crafts

Krista Jensen - Krista's Stamper Room

Anita Krul - My Paper Chronicles

Stampin' Celebration Inspiration Challenge

Stamps:  Morning Meadow (hostess), Sweet Essentials

Ink:  Pear Pizzazz, Calypso Coral, Coastal Cabana (and markers)

Paper: Naturals White card stock, Basic Gray

Accessories: Subtles Candy Dots, Distress Tool, Crystal Effects, Apothecary Accents framelits, Big Shot, Rhinestone Jewels, dimensionals

Stampin' Celebration #67

Well I'm almost a week late, but I still wanted to make a quick something for the Stampin' Celebration challenge this month (I did choose the inspiration pictures after all, lol).  

I pulled out some of my items from the New Catalog!    If you haven't seen it yet, go take a peek. . . I used the new Mosaic Madness stamp set with the coordinating punch and Modern Mosaic Embossing Folder.  I did hand-cut the smaller gray images.  The Daffodil Delight seam binding ribbon is tied off with a little White baker's twine, and I also added a few rhinestones for a little bling.  

Now it's your turn to play along with us at Stampin' Celebration. And also remember to take a look at what the other design team members created! 

To follow along on this month's Blog Hop, simply click the links below:

Allison Ohran -Sweet Impressions (you are here)

Cori Kozak - Creative Chat

Erica Cerwin - Pink Buckaroo Designs

Erin Gonzales -Hand Stamped Style

Rochelle Gould - I stamp, I create, I have fun!

Jenny Peterson - Lakeshore Stamping

Stampin' Celebration Inspiration Challenge

You have until June 25th to play along. And don't forget to check back on the 15th for some more inspiration.

Stamps:  Mosaic Madness, Delightful Dozen
Ink:  Daffodil Delight, Basic Gray and marker
Paper: Basic Gray, Whisper White
Accessories: Modern Mosaic EF, Mosaic punch, Daffodil Delight seam binding ribbon, White baker's twine, rhinestones, dimensionals 

Stampin' Celebration #66

 

 

 

I'm running a little late this month, but I definitely couldn't miss out on playing along this month with the Stampin' Celebration challenge!  What fun colors! 



 
I'm always in need of tween birthday cards for my nieces, and with these colors I thought that would be the perfect combo.  I'm not sure if I ended up hitting the 'tween' age (maybe a bit younger?) but I have younger nieces too.  :-) 
 
I also wanted to pull out and use some of the stamp sets that will soon be discontinued.  All 3 of the sets I used. . . Mouthwatering, Distressed Dots (background stamp), and Made for You (sentiment). . . will no longer be available after June 3rd.  And, Pretty in Pink is one of the colors we are losing in the Color Refresh. 

To see the retiring stamps click HERE, for the accessories click HERE. 
 
This card is pretty straight forward, I just inked with a marker and stamped the top of the ice cream cone 4 times, hand cut, and then layered.  For the background stamp I inked it up, stamped off once, and then stamped on the card base. 
 
Now it's your turn to play along with us at Stampin' Celebration. And also remember to take a look at what the other design team members created!

To follow along on this month's Blog Hop, simply click the links below:

Allison Ohran -Sweet Impressions (you are here)

Cori Kozak - Creative Chat

Erica Cerwin - Pink Buckaroo Designs

Erin Gonzales -Hand Stamped Style

Rochelle Gould - I stamp, I create, I have fun!

Jenny Peterson - Lakeshore Stamping

Stampin' Celebration Inspiration Challenge

You have until May 25th to play along. And don't forget to check back on the 15th for some more inspiration. :-)
Stamps:  Mouthwatering, Distressed Dots, Made for You
Ink:  Tangerine Tango (and marker), Melon Mambo (and marker) and Pretty in Pink marker
Paper: Tangerine Tango, Melon Mambo, Whisper White
Accessories: Pretty in Pink stitched grosgrain ribbon, linen thread, dimensionals