Clearance Rack is Updated!

Clearance Rack

Now is the perfect time to treat yourself to a good deal.  

The CLEARANCE RACK HAS BEEN UPDATED!!

More than 100 items have been added.  As always, it's while supplies last.  There are some items that are up to 60% off!  That is crazy!!  I have listed just a random sampling of items that are currently available.  Click on the picture and it will take you to my store for more info about the product. 

 

Product List

Detailed Dragonfly Thinlits Dies
Detailed Dragonfly Thinlits Dies
Corrugated Elements
Corrugated Elements
Dot To Dot Textured Impressions Embossing Folder
Dot To Dot Textured Impressions Embossing Folder
Floral Romance Seals
Floral Romance Seals
Fox Builder Punch
Fox Builder Punch
Gold Metallic Thread
Gold Metallic Thread
Large Letters Framelits Dies
Large Letters Framelits Dies
Nature's Poem Designer Series Paper
Nature's Poem Designer Series Paper
Playful Pennants Framelits Dies
Playful Pennants Framelits Dies
Silver Mini Sequin Trim
Silver Mini Sequin Trim
Tea Room Memories & More Card Pack
Tea Room Memories & More Card Pack
Tranquil Textures Sprinkles
Tranquil Textures Sprinkles
Sunshine Wishes Thinlits Dies
Sunshine Wishes Thinlits Dies

I wouldn't wait too long if there is something you must have!  It might not be there too long.

Until next time...Stampin' Always,

Cheryl, HomeStyle Stamper

 

 

Copper Holly Leaves

I'm slowly making progress on my Christmas cookies.  With Alyssa's help, two more kinds were made today.  They were the Italian Sprinkle Cookie and the Hershey Kiss Cookie.  Both are favorites of my family and I pretty much have to make every year.  I also made the dough for the cutout cookies.  Those will have to be baked by the 23rd.  Megan's roommate has offered to come and help decorate.  Don't think she knows that I always make a triple batch!

This card is VERY similar to the card I posted yesterday.  In fact, I designed this one first for my club.  My surprise was that I was out of copper foil!  I couldn't believe that I went through a whole pack!  So, it was onto a second design, which was almost as good as this one.

The holly/berries were colored by using the Copper Ink Pad and aqua painters.  I think it gives off a more rustic look which is a nice contrast to the more elegant copper embossed DSP.  First the holly/berries were  stamped with Versamark and heat embossed with the copper embossing powder.  Sorry, they have to be cut out by hand.  There are no dies or punches.

The card is very elegant by using all the copper foil and embossing.  No additional embellishments were needed.  I couldn't even figure out where some ribbon would inhance the look of the card.  I did manage to use Shimmery Crystal Effects on the berries.  

Click on the above picture for dimensions and instructions.

Until next time...Stampin' Always,

Cheryl, HomeStyle Stamper

tams# 39710

Product List

 

 

 

Beauty & Joy Christmas Tree

What a great and exhausting weekend here at the Charland house.  It was Alyssa's college graduation weekend!!!  I was so proud of her for getting her Bachelors Degree in Business.  She was a Marketing Major with a French Minor.  I know if Alyssa had a choice, she would have cared if she walked in the graduation ceremony.  My husband and I felt it was such an honor to graduate, we insisted she go through the ceremony.  Needless to say, we were very proud parents.  And being one, I just have to show a picture of her.  

       

Now, we just have to wait 1 1/2 years for Megan to graduate.  I think she was a little jealous it was Alyssa graduating, not her.  Patience.

Now, onto normal business.  

I kept forgetting about this Beauty & Joy Stamp Set!  This set is more of a Distinktive stamp where it stamps with a special texture that shows more depth and dimension.  Because of this, if you don't get a good stamp the first time, it's not always a good idea to stamp again.  I learned that the hard way.  I even showed my club ladies why NOT to stamp again.  By stamping a second time, it just turned out into a blog and showed none of the leaf details.  I had the Stamparatus already lined up so  they just had to press down again, but didn't have to re-ink the stamp.  

The Stamparatus would be the perfect tool to use if you are making multiple cards.  By aligning all the stamps, you can easily stamp this image within 2 minutes or less.  

The patterned paper is from the Wrapped in Plaid DSP pack.  It has a thin strip of gold throughout, so I used the Gold Foil to bring out that accent.  The gold is also in the ribbon.

Acting as berries are the red rhinestones.  I just randomly put them on the leaves wherever I thought they would look good.  They added the perfect touch to the "tree".  

Click on the above picture for dimensions and instructions.

Until next time...Stampin' Always,

Cheryl, HomeStyle Stamper

tams# 39695

Product List

 

 

 

 

 

Aqua Painters with the Copper Ink Pad

My husband and I are still having trouble believing that the time is actually here.  Alyssa graduates from college!!  The ceremony is Saturday and it's a day we won't dream about missing.  If she had her way,  Alyssa wouldn't walk in the graduation ceremony.  She has worked hard and deserves to be recognized.  I will be in the crowd trying not to cry.  After all, she is still my baby.

For this card, I tried something new.  Quite often I use the aqua painters with the  ink pads.  Never have I seen anyone try the aqua painters with a metallic ink.  Figured, there is nothing to lose so I gave it a try.

First, I stamped the holly/berry image in Versamark and used the copper embossing powder.  Then I started to color.  I took my aqua painter and swirled the ink around before I started to color.  Normally, I don't swirl the ink around, but this time it seemed to work better.  I suggest you give it a try on a scrap piece.  No point in ruining the good image right away.

I offset a lot of the card but in the end, it's all balanced out.  I purposely have the holly/berry image close to the middle of the card.  Having the sentiment off center made that work.  Don't center that sentiment on the Very Vanilla either.  That is the main reason this card works.  

Well, we are off for Oshkosh.  Have a great weekend everyone!

Click on the above picture for dimensions and instructions.

Until next time...Stampin' Always,

Cheryl, HomeStyle Stamper

Product List

 

 

 

Magnolia Color Block

It's only myself and my husband home, and things are just crazy!  I don't remember trying to get so many things done at one time when the girls were both home! I was hoping things would slow down and I could enjoy getting ready for Christmas this year, but I guess not.  One major thing I have to accomplish is my Christmas cards.  Yikes!  Time is getting away from me.  Next week Alyssa will be home so hopefully she will at least help me make some Christmas cookies. It's so more enjoyable with good help.

This was a fun card to put together.  It takes 4 pieces of patterned paper to make the focal point of the card.  So, here I used Magnolia Lane DSP scraps.  That's right, it is also a great way to use up some scraps.  We all have a ton of scraps, don't we?

So, start with 4 random patterns.  Adhere those to a mat, this help to ground the scraps and pull them together.  I added  a layer that is embossed just for more texture on the card.  The card looked a little plain and lost without that piece.  

My magnolia bud is colored with the Stampin' Blends.  I've used the Petal Pink Blends so much with this set, I'm surprised they haven't worn out yet!  The blends take some practice, but they can be so fun to play with.  With the Petal Pink, you can definately see the two different shades.  

I encourage you to find some scraps and give this card a try.  The hardest part is creating the dimensions for the scraps, and that is already done for you.

Click on the above picture for dimensions and instructions.

Until next time...Stampin' Always,

Cheryl, HomeStyle Stamper

tams# 39543

Product List

 

 

 

Christmas Fun Fold Card

Today I finally started my Christmas cookies.  I tried two new ones so far.  They are both citrus cookies, which my family loves.  One is a lemon poppyseed thumbprint with lemon curd in the middle.  I can't wait to try the finished product.  Tomorrow, I want to try a cranberry orange cookie.  As much as I like chocolate and peppermint, it's good to get away from those flavors too.  I do have my Hershey Kisses  already unwrapped and ready to go.  Maybe next week those will happen.

I was surprised that I hadn't posted this card yet.   It's similar to another card I posted, but the middle part is very different.  

It looks like the ornament is punched from the Christmas Gleaming DSP.  Well, not in this case.  The ornament is punched out of the Night of Navy with the DSP underneath.  The picture below shows more of what I'm saying.

It was hard to get a good picture, but this defintely shows the detail up close. And don't throw away the ornament.  Use it on another card.  If you can plan ahead, maybe emboss an ornament in the exact placement that works for this card.  Then it's a two-for.  

I also used the ribbon as my sentiment.  Just centered it perfectly on the Night of Navy and done.  I honestly couldn't come up with another way to use a sentiment with the ribbon.  Even a sentiment from the Itty Bitty Christmas stamp set made the card look crowded.  And those are some small sayings!

Click on the above picture for dimensions and instructions.

Until next time...Stampin' Always,

Cheryl, HomeStyle Stamper

Product List

 

 

 

Tricorn Fold Card

My club member, Elaine wanted to design a card for our last club meeting.  She does a fabulous job making cards, especially those extremely detailed cards.  This last one did not disappoint.  There is so much detail packed into one card.  It's a special treat for me when she does this.  I get to make a card too! 

The card is called a Tricorn Fold Card.  It can be found on Jan Brown's blog.  Click here to see the blog post and youtube video.

This is the front.  Isn't it absolutely beautiful?  It is standing on one end and it multi-dimensional.  The great feature of this card is when you go to send it, the card does fold flat!  

 

Here we used the Itty Bitty Christmas and Rooted in Nature Stamp sets.  The images were embossed with white embossing powder.  The card stock is Pretty Peacock and Gold Foil.  

Take a peek at the back of the card.  Here you do have a space for a sentiment and to sign your name.

And if planning and prepping cards for us wasn't enough, she had  TWO cards for us to make!  

I absolutely LOVE the little mittens.  They perfectly match the retired DSP used. 

This is not typically the card I gravitate towards.  That's another reason why I loved making them.  Thank you so very much Elaine!

Until next time...Stampin' Always,

Cheryl, HomeStyle Stamper 

 

Tasty Thursday - Double-Chocolate Peppermint Biscotti

It's that time of year!  Christmas Cookie Time!!!  It's my family's favorite time.  They LOVE their cookies, especially Christmas cookies.  Megan has complained that I've been slacking the past several years.  I know I have, but it's also because we don't need all the cookies I used to make.  

Just about every Sunday, my friends and I meet at our local coffee shop for coffee and to chat.  I try to make a breakfast treat when we celebrate and exchange our handmade Christmas presents.  Since we are drinking coffee, what goes better with coffee than biscotti?  

At first, I was intimidated by making them.  But really,  they are relatively easy.  Make the batter, roll into a log, bake, slice and bake again.  Yes, you bake it two times.  That is what makes it great for dipping.  The second time is really quick and I don't always bake them the time it calls for.  I prefer my biscotti a touch on the softer side.  Try some both ways.

Double-Chocolate Peppermint Biscotti

Double-Chocolate Peppermint Biscotti

  • Lightly grease two cookie sheets; set aside. In a large bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Beat until combined, scraping bowl occasionally. Beat in eggs and peppermint extract until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour and the bittersweet chocolate.

  • Divide dough into four portions. Wrap each portion in plastic wrap or waxed paper. Chill for 30 to 60 minutes or until dough is easy to handle.

  • Preheat oven to 375°F. Unwrap each dough portion and shape into a 7-inch roll. Place rolls 4 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets; flatten slightly until about 2 inches wide.

  • Bake, one sheet at a time, for 14 to 16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on cookie sheets on wire racks for 1 hour. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.

  • Using a serrated knife, cut loaves diagonally into 1/2-inch slices. Place slices, cut sides down, on cookie sheets. Bake for 5 minutes. Turn slices over; bake for 5 to 7 minutes more or until crisp and dry. Transfer cookies to wire racks; cool.

  • Dip one long side of each cookie into melted candy coating. Place cookies on waxed paper. While coating is still wet, sprinkle with crushed candies. Let stand until coating is set.

To Store:

Layer cookies between sheets of waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.

My friends always look forward to these biscottis.  Of course, I share with the people working at the coffee shop too.  I definately can't leave them out.  

Until next time...Stampin' Always,

Cheryl, HomeStyle Stamper