Hello! I know I'm really late posting today, but I had the first session of my SWOW/Christmas Card Class today and I'm just now getting time to post!

However, you are in for a real treat, because I had some time to play this evening while my last stamper was here (hey, Natasha!) and I made THIS:

I'm really excited about it! I LOVE it! I used the Reinker Blowing Technique to layer the fall colors for my leaf: Tangerine Tango, Crushed Curry, Rich Razzleberry, and Old Olive.

To do the Reinker Blowing Technique all you need  are Classic Ink refills in your colors of choice and a common, ordinary drinking straw! I started with my Tangerine Tango reinker first. I put a couple of drops (enough to make a reinker "puddle") on the Very Vanilla cardstock in the lower third, then immediately started blowing the reinker across the cardstock with the straw. The reinker will stream across the cardstock pretty much any way it wants, but you can direct it a little with the direction and force of your blowing. (Don't blow too much for too long without taking a break or you might get light-headed. Ask me how I know this. ha!) I repeated the process with Crushed Curry, then Rich Razzleberry, and finally with Old Olive. After the I had blown all the colors across the cardstock once, I then added & blew more drops of color wherever I felt like needed more of that color. The cardstock on the above left shows approximately what the blown reinker looks like. The leaf on the right is after I cut it out with the Autumn Accents Bigz Die and then sponged Chocolate Chip ink on all the edges. I actually used the backside of the leaf instead of the front because the backside had more of the Tangerine Tango color in the center as you can see in the picture below:

I used the new set, Lots of Thanks, from the Annual Catalog for my greeting and inside sentiment. I stamped them in Chocolate Chip, as well as the Magnificent Maple stamp all around the edges of the Very Vanilla layer. My card base is Chocolate Chip with a Cajun Craze layer under the Very Vanilla layer. After stamping all the maple leaves around the edges I ran it through the Big Shot in the Square Lattice Textured Impressions Folder, then sponged the edges with Chocolate Chip ink.

I cut the banner around the "thank you" greeting with one of the new Circle Card Framelit Dies. I dirtied up the Summer Starfruit 3/8" Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon with Chocolate Chip ink before tying in a bow and adding a Vintage Trinket safety pin!

Inside I stamped the Magnificent Maple around the edges of the Very Vanilla layer with Crushed Curry, Cajun Craze, and Chocolate Chip before adding a bit more Chocolate Chip sponging all around!

Well, I'm yawning my head off, so I'd better close and head to bed!

To order your Magnificent Maple stamp, Autumn Accents Die, Lots of Thanks stamp set, or anything else I used for my creation today, go to my website: www.carolpayne.stampinup.net

and click on "products" and then the "shop now" tab. In the upper left it will say "welcome! Sign In or Create an Account". After you create your account you can start shopping. (Magnificent Maple is in the Holiday Catalog) After you have put your first item in your shopping bag, please enter this Hostess Code:

XKNWJ4D4

Using the Hostess Code will allow you to be eligible for Double my Bluesox Rewards tokens, as well as allow you to receive my current Online Ordering Gift of three completed hand-stamped cards!

This Hostess Code is good through Sunday, September 22nd!

Online Ordering Tip: As you are placing your order, please keep an eye on the name in the upper right corner. It should say "Carol Payne" the whole time you are in my store. If any other name appears, you will need to shut down your computer, restart, then clear your cookies before going back in and ordering. I apologize for this inconvenience, but this is hopefully a temporary glitch with the ordering system that will soon be resolved. If you get frustrated, just email me or call me (info in my blog header) and I will be happy to help you!

Until tomorrow, have a Stampingrox! day!

All products used are ©Stampin'Up!™1990-2013