The last three summers I have participated in an online group called VC_Rocks. This virtual celebration of Stampin' Up! was started eleven years by a group of SU demonstrators who were unable to attend the annual SU convention in Salt Lake City, Utah. It's a wonderful time of stamping, swapping, learning, and meeting new people. It opened for returning members April 15th and will be accepting new members during the month of May. If you would like more information or are interested in joining, check out our blog or home page here. We have had daily challenges these first two weeks to get us warmed up and I just finished the last one this morning. The challenge was to find a photo in a non-paper crafting magazine, select 3 colors and match them to SU colors, then create a card using those colors plus 2 different kind of embellishments. I chose the photo below from Southern Living magazine and matched SU's Early Espresso, Old Olive, and Baja Breeze with it. Here is the card I created using those colors. The design was inspired by a card in an old SU catalog. The Baja Breeze layer was stamped with the retired Linen background stamp and a piece of Newsprint DSP was added to the Early Espresso strip. The two different embellishments are the decorative snap and the ribbon.

I had some Origami paper left over from another project so decided to try it on a card using the Dream Garden stamp. The image was heat embossed with VersaMark and Marina Mist Classic ink and clear embossing powder on Whisper White card stock then mounted on Basic Black card stock. A piece of gold elastic cord was wrapped around the image and mat before adhering it to the origami paper and white card base.

One of my very favorite Easter stamps is the Chocolate Bunny, a single stamp that retired last year. This stamp was also used to create one of the funniest cards I've ever seen. I CASE'd the one posted to SCS by KopyKat and sent it to our nephew who I knew would appreciate the humor. The card base is Early Espresso card stock and the DSP is Blushing Bride from the current hostess pack.

I love coloring Easter eggs but these are the only ones I've colored so far this year. They and the wagon are from a retired set called Wagon Full of Fun and the sentiment is from Teeny Tiny Wishes. The card base is Bashful Blue card stock and the images were stamped on watercolor paper. The DSP and So Saffron ribbon is from last year's SAB.

How about a sneak peek at one of the projects for stamp club this Saturday? The technique uses SU's waffle paper to create a scene that resembles a Japanese Shoji screen. (I just realized that the scan is a bit crooked but the card is not.) The stamp set is Dream Garden and the border is a stamp from the recent Sale-a-Bration set Sweet Summer. The card stock is Real Red and Basic Black.

Welcome to the 5th stop on the April SU STARS blog hop! If you are hopping along in order, you arrived here from Shari Dudek's blog. Wasn't her tin pail cute?? If not, and you'd like to continue on the hop, a link to the next stop is at the bottom of this post. Or, you will find a list of all the participating blogs here. Our theme this month is ABC -- Anything But a Card. My project is an altered composition book covered with paper from the Newsprint Designer Series. The front is embellished with strips of Basic Black and Very Vanilla card stock and Love Letters DSP punched with different scalloped border punches. The key is tied to the Real Red satin ribbon with a piece of linen thread. The next stop on the hop is Mary Campbell's blog. She always has something fun to share. Enjoy!

Another altered composition book. I bought the patterned paper at a scrapbook convention last year. The initials are stickers that came with it. The trims were punched from Rose Red, Baja Breeze, and Early Espresso card stock and the ribbon is Baja Breeze. I'm using this one at work so kept it fairly simple.

It's so much fun using stamps and punches that coordinate like Create a Cupcake in the Occasions mini catalog. There are sooo many possibilities! Chocolate Chip, Pretty in Pink, and Very Vanilla card stock, Sending Love DSP (retired), and Chocolate Chip and Melon Mambo Classic ink were used on this card. Pink Microbeads represent sprinkles on the cupcake.

Today's project is not a card but an altered mini composition book. These can be purchased 3 for $1 at the Dollar Tree then dressed up or personalized to give as a small gift or stocking stuffer. This one features retired items - Pretty in Pink DSP from a past hostess pack and the stitched felt sweet pea flower. The binding could be Chocolate Chip card stock but I find Grungepaper painted with acrylic paint is more flexible and durable. If you like altering items, visit again on April 16-17 during the SU STARS blog hop. Our theme for the hop is ABC - Anything But a Card. My project will be a regular size composition book altered with SU products that are not retired but available in the current catalog.

If you haven't checked out the amazing deals in the Clearance Rack on my web site, you are missing out on some fabulous deals! Ribbon, markers, rub-ons, ink pads, reinkers, Simply Scrappin' kits, and other card making and crafting supplies at 50-75% off !!

A CAS (clean & simple) card inspired by one posted to SCS by SuG. Basic Gray, Whisper White, and Baja Breeze card stock were used. The image was stamped with Encore silver ink and heat embossed with silver embossing powder. The lines around the card were dry embossed with my scoring tool. Organdy ribbon was tied around the matted image.