June 19th Stamp Camp

June 1^st the new Stampin’ Up! catalog became available.  I can’t stop looking at it - so many pretty pretty things.  This last week at Stamp Camp I wanted to, of course, use all new products!  I am trying NOT to purchase one of everything in the new catalog.  So I sat down and carefully planned what I was going to use.  It was hard!

Pretty Pump

Receipe

Stamp Set:  Fabulous You

Ink:  VersaMark, Primroses Petals
Card Stock:  Whisper White, Summer Starfruit, Primrose Petals
Embellishment/s:  In Color Dahlias, 3/8-Inch Stitched Satin Ribbon-Primrose Petals, White Stampin’ Emboss Powder
Tools:  Aqua Painter, Embossing Buddy, Heat tool, Large Scallop Edgelits, Big Shot
 

I found, on line, a card that was made using this stamp set, in fact-I think that is what made me want the stamp set so badly!  I simply loved how they embossed and used the aqua painter; it really made the image pop off the card stock.  I can't wait to use this stamp set again!

Celebrate

Receipe
Stamp Set:  Topsy-Turvy Celebration
Ink:  Gumball Green, Summer Starfruit, Raspberry Ripple, Primrose Petals, Pretty in Pink, Pumpkin Pie (Stampin’ Write Marker) So Saffron (Stampin’ Write Marker)
Card Stock:  Pink Pirouette, Raspberry Ripple, Gumball Green, Whisper White
Embellishment/s:  Rhinestone Basic Jewels
Punches:  Boho Blossoms
Tools:  Stamp-A-Ma-Jig

This is another new stamp set from the Catalog.  I knew instantly that I had to have this one.  The cake part of the card I pretty much CASED the image that was in the Catalog.  I added the cake stand to dress it up a bit.  It is essential to use the Stamp-A-Ma-Jig to ensure proper placement of your cake layers.  But so worth the effort!!

Look What MaMa Goodson (GiGi's Momma) is Making!

My Mother is a beautiful seamstress.  Recently she had seen a vintage clothes pin hanger and she decided to try and make one herself.  No doubt…she did! 

Vintage Clothes Pin Bag

The story behind the clothes pin bags are that ‘in the olden days’ people hung their clothes out more than we do today.  There is nothing like laying down on sheets that have hung on the line all day, oh the sweet dreams that smell creates!  (Awesome childhood memory for me)  Back to the story…Ladies needed a way to have their clothes pins handy while hanging clothes on the line.  So many times scraps of material were used to create a bag to hold the pins in.  Sometimes old dresses were sewn together, patched up-or what not- to create a bag, of sorts (hence the different kinds of material or patterns).  I have convinced her that she should sell these adorable vintage looking clothes pin holders.  If you would like one, contact me.  It will take her a few days to sew one up for you, but they are worth the wait!  She is selling them for $22.00 each-which is a steal!  She is using vintage buttons on each one.  My Grandmother had more buttons saved then we can even believe-so she is putting them to good use!  You can actually use it for your clothes pins (its that durable)-there is actually a pocket inside the dress to hold the pins- for your line or you can hang it for decoration.

Summer Time...Slipping Away!

Slipping Through Summer
June 2012

Summer is simply getting away from me!  The Odum Family, so far, has had a fabulous summer.  We have a few more plans before it ends!  GiGi’s is gearing up for a very hectic month of July!  There will be a few old friends that I will have the pleasure to see again; and a few new friends that I look forward to meeting. 

Here are a few projects that I have been working on this summer.  Some, I am SURE, that I CASED or received inspiration from someone or something…  However, due to my untimeliness-I could not tell you from where.

Brad and I celebrated our 10 year Wedding Anniversary!  It’s hard to believe 10 years have passed!  I wanted to make something for him, but I usually like making girlie type things and although he would have acted like he loved it…I tried to man up a project.  I think it turned out Fabulous!

This little book, believe it or not, the center part of it is made from one 12 x 12 sheet of paper!  Yep, it all in how it was cut and folded-each page is a pocket!  If you would like the instructions, email me-Tonya@GiGisRetreat.com-I would be happy to share it with you.  I am not going to list all the items I used, only because I used many various stamp sets, inks, punches-etc.

I put little messages in each pocket--go ahead...AWWW!

Note of Thanks

This sweet little card was so simple and can be created in a flash!

Recipe

Stamp Set:  Creative Elements, Thank You Kindly

Ink:  Rich Razzelberry

Card Stock:  Note Cards

Embellishment/s:  ½-Inch Seam Binding – Pear Pizzazz

Wonderful You

Recipe

Stamp Set/s:  Mixed Bunch, Loving Thoughts

Ink:  Daffodile Delight, Rich Razzleberrry, Always Artichoke, Soft Suede (shading)

Card Stock:  Whisper White

Punches:  Blossom Petals Builder (for the leaves), Blossom, ¾-Inch Circle

Amour

Recipe

Stamp Set:  Artistic Etchings

Ink:  StazOn-Black

Card Stock:  Crumb Cake, Basic Black, Very Vanilla, First Edition (DSP)
Embellishment/s:  5/8-Inch satin ribbon-Basic Black

Cupcake Birthday

Recipe

Stamp Set:  Create a Cupcake

Ink:  Lucky Limeade, Crumb Cake, Melon Mambo
Card Stock:  Note Cards, Melon mambo, Marina Mist, Crumb Cake, Pretty in Pink, Whisper White, Cherry Cobbler, Lucky Limeade
Embellishment/s:  Dazzling Diamonds (glitter), 3/8-Inch Ruffled Ribbon-Lucky Limeade
Punches:  Cupcake Builder, 2 ½ -Inch Circle
Tools:  Scallop Circle Bigz Die, Big Shot, Paper Piercer, Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder

Hello

Recipe

Stamp Set:  Pennant Parade

Ink:  Marina Mist, Soft Suede

Card Stock:  Whisper White, Crumb Cake, Marina Mist, Cajun Craze, Pacific Point, Lucky Limeade

Embellishment/s:  Metallic Brads, Rhinestone Basic Jewels, Linen Thread

Punches:  Itty bitty Shapes Punch Pack, Petite Pennants Builder, 1-Inch Circle Punch

Tools:  Bitty Banners Framelits, Big Shot

Flower-Punched Thank You

This card I CASED from a Stampin’ Success Magazine.  Stampin’ Success is a monthly publication that I receive because I am a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator!  It features some of the most gorgeous paper crafts that other Stampin’ Up! Demonstrators have created as well as projects that the home office has made or wants to feature.  I simply fell in love with this card.  I liked it so much…I made several.  I have used them not only as a Thank You card, but as a Birthday Card too.  I just clipped the little tag off and replaced with one that said Happy Birthday!



Weekend Retreat
April 27-29, 2012
 

Had a FABULOUS weekend!  A lot of creativity in the house.  There were THREE groups of wonderful Ladies at GiGi’s this weekend.  Four Ladies from St. Joseph/Highland area.  This was there second stay at GiGi’s, it was really cool to catch up!  A lot of laughing went on at table 1!  Cathleen finished 58-yeah...58! pages!  She scrapbooked more pages in one weekend, then I have done in my entire scrapbooking career (career?  I don't know what else to call it).  AND they were good, not just thrown on a page, like all embellished and fancy!  I am amazed. 

Working hard!

Kris Cricut-ing, Jennifer on deck!

Amber creating a Family Heritage album

Teri working on Hawaii pictures!

Cathleen working on Halloween pages.

Then there was a Mother/Daughter combo that stayed for their first time.  Diane is from Orion, which is north/west by Iowa, and Daughter, Jennifer is living in Marion now.  They had a very relaxing time!  They had time to catch up and work on some projects, scrapbook pages, and cards!  Yeah-they covered it all! 

Diane and Jennifer working on cards at the moment.

Ahhhh, relaxation!
(REALLY, they were sitting more comfortable until I showed up with the camera!)

On Saturday, two Local Ladies came for a 12 hour crop!  Dena and Laveta worked on all kinds of stuff!  Decorating CD cases-(super cute idea), wedding reception invitations, May Fete Scrapbooking pages (getting ready for next weekend!).  So as you can see there was a lot of crafty-ness (if that is a word) in the air.

Laveta and Dena, utilizing their 12 hours to the MAX!

 

Thank you Ladies for a FABULOUS time!

Hope to see you all back at GiGi's real soon...

Retreat Weekend
April 24, 2012

Last weekend GiGi’s hosted a small group, but WOW did we have fun!  Two ladies from the Springfield area and two ladies from Centralia were crop’in their hearts out at GiGi’s.  Although Springfield is not local, Centralia is only about a 15 minute drive from GiGi’s.

My new Springfield friends were simply delightful! 

Deb and Sally

This was their FIRST…EVER retreat weekend.  I can’t even believe there are still retreat virgins out there!  So they were a little shy at first but soon were working feverishly to complete a wedding album and various pages.  They did take some time out to sit on the porch and take a few pictures of the beautiful flowers in bloom here at GiGi’s. 

Clematis

Clematis

Deb is a nurse at a wound hospital (I hope I got that right!) and she love love loves her job!  She works hard and it was nice to see her relax and rejuvenate.  Sally, Deb’s daughter, is a stay at home Mom of two girls.  This was her first time away from her 8 month old.  So I could tell toward the end of the weekend she was missing her baby.  But Dad kept her up to date with the little ones activities with text and pictures.  She too was very deserving of some relaxation.  On Sunday, and I hate Sunday’s…only because my friends leave me, Deb gave me a boomerang book.  I was so surprised at her beautiful gift!  I can’t wait to get some pictures in it and show it off.  How clever, I had never heard of a boomerang album, but they are fabulous!  Thank you Deb!

My other two guests were friends of GiGi’s.  Lisa and Julie, what a HOOT!  These two were really the entertainment for the weekend!  I am telling you I laughed so hard at these two at times, my stomach hurt!  It was good to see them both relax and have a great time.  Lisa taught me how to make felt flowers!  How darling these little flowers are (the ones on Julie's top)!  I know exactly what I am going to do with these cuties!  You will have to check back to see…J

Deb and Julie posing with the Coffee Cake

It was a FABULOUS weekend!  Spent time with new friends and old friends!

Stamp Camp
April 17, 2012

Had a wonderful Stamp Camp!  So glad to see some old friends that had been missing from stamp camp for some reason or another that were able to join us today.  Below are the cards we made.

This is such a simple card, and elegant (or so I think). I love cards like this, they are so versatile-you can use them for any occasion. 

 Recipe:

Stamp Set:  Artistic Etchings

Card Stock:  Crumb Cake, First Edition Specialty DSP, Basic Black, Very Vanilla

Ink:  Jet Black StazOn

Accessories:  Antique Brads, 5/8-inch Satin Ribbon Basic Black

This little cupcake card is SUPER simple.  I used (my favorite)NOTE CARDS-the best buy out there!  This card you could use for a youngster, teenager, or adult!

Recipe:

Stamp Set: Create a Cupcake (this is really optional for this card)

Card Stock:  Note Cards (whoot whoot!), Melon Mambo, Marina Mist, Crumb Cake, Pretty in Pink, Lucky Limeade, Cherry Cobbler
Ink:  Crumb Cake, Melon Mambo
Accessories:  Cupcake Builder punch, Dazzling Diamonds Stampin’ Glitter, Lucky Limeade 3/8-inch Ruffled Ribbon

The next two cards are Dana Price, I can’t comment on the particulars, I do know that it is all Stampin’ Up! supplies.  The Stamping Ladies loved Dana’s cards-so pretty, so clever!

Next Stamp Camp is May 1^st, there are two classes a 1:00 PM and a 6:00 PM class.  Class is $10.00 you make two of each!

What did GiGi do Today?

Adorning the front table...I LOVE IT!

Not what she should have been doing (like preparing for Stamp Camp)...OK, so I have had this Established, Decore Elements from Stampin’ Up! for a while.  I have pondered and was a little nervous about how to insert GiGi’s where FAMILY should be.  Stampin’ Up!  makes great Vinyl images.  However, I have heard that they will be retiring this line in a few months.  OK, so back to what I did today…  I have been pondering how to match the FAMILY font and size.  I found a Cricut cartridge (I think it was Plantain Schoolbook) that came close fiddled with the size and cut it on Cricut Vinyl-I think the color was Raven.  Then…voila!  Yeah, well, it wasn’t that FAST or EASY.  Cut the GiGI’s Retreat, Inc. and placed it where the vinyl word FAMILY was.  I adhered it in the middle of the design, measured-to the best of my ability (I do better eye balling).  Using Transfer Tape, I transferred the front of the design to the Transfer Tape.  Now it gets harry.  I took the Transfer Tape outside-that is where I had the cleaned up window laying on the porch (this was a huge mistake).  I carefully, placed it with the winds help and it adhered like no body’s business.  All crooked, bubbled, unsightly mess I had after spending so much time getting this just right!  I wanted to cry.  I just kept my cool (yeah, I really did as I squat in my PJ's on the front porch rocking back and forth saying under my breath-please work out, please don't mess up, come on pretty vinyl...) and carefully straightened it and worked it.  There are a few problem spots…if you look really close.  But all in all…I am happy with it.  NEXT…a window for my family-that keeps the word FAMILY in the middle done INSIDE (not on the porch), with no help from the wind!

 Stamp Camp tomorrow.  Check back to see what we made!