Back from Vacation!

Yes, I'm back! Did you miss me? After being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator for over 10 years, I felt I needed to take some time away from stamping this summer to get some long-overdue projects done in preparation for our youngest son's high school graduation next June. Although I'm still doing in-home workshops, my stamp club is on hiatus for a year while I concentrate on my home and family for a while.

I did manage to carve out some time for stamping, though, and am sharing a card made for a coworker's summer birthday. This card features the first stamp set that went on my wish list when I saw the new catalog...Serene Silhouettes.

Recipe
Stamps: Serene Silhouettes, Itty Bitty Banners
Paper: Rich Razzleberry, Crumb Cake, Midnight Muse, Whisper White
Ink: Midnight Muse, Bashful Blue, Daffodil Delight, Tangerine Tango
Accessories: Paper Doily Sizzlits L, Bitty Banners Framelits, Big Shot, Stampin' Sponge wedges, Basic Pearls, Stampin' Dimensionals

Since my coworker has a camper near a lake in the summer, I knew she would appreciate this sponged sunset on the lake scene. I first masked off the top portion of the card to sponge the blue, then masked off the bottom portion to sponge in the sun and sky. Then I stamped the tree image along the sides, and along the bottom of the card stamped just the top portion of the trees to give the look of bushes. I think it turned out to be a very relaxing summer scene. What do you think?

Hope you're enjoying this beautiful Minnesota fall weather...I certainly am! Until next time, sweet dreams!

Soft Sympathy

When recently asked to create a sympathy card for a coworker whose baby girl was stillborn, I was a little unsure of what "type" of card to make. However, my stamp club had just met and we had made a wedding card (using all white) using this layout. By using pink instead and embellishing with small pearls, I hope I hit the right blend of soft sympathy that I was trying to achieve.

 

Recipe

Stamps: Bordering on Romance, Petite Pairs

Paper: Pink Pirouette, Whisper White

Ink: Basic Black, Pink Pirouette & Certainly Celery markers

Accessories: Big Shot; Elegant Bouquet & Designer Frames embossing folders; Labels Collection Framelit Dies; XL Oval punch; White taffeta ribbon; Basic Pearls; Stampin' Dimensionals; Mini Glue Dots

I found it is much better to die cut the Framelit label and then run it through the Big Shot in the Designer Frames embossing folder. I first tried it the opposite way, but the embossed dots on the Designer Frame were flattened when I ran it through to die cut the Framelit. The ribbon is just tied in a bow and attached with a glue dot.

Time to say Goodbye

Sadly, this is the time of year when we have to say "Goodbye" to the items retiring from the annual catalog, because the NEW CATALOG is coming out a month earlier this year - June 1!! It's always sad to say goodbye, but keep in mind that the retiring items are leaving in order to make room for even more new and exciting products!

So, you'll need to get the retiring items before they are gone! The retired accessories and Definitely Decorative (including Décor Elements) lists are now available and won't stay around for long--these items are only available while supplies last, and some are even discounted from 25% up to 70% off!  If you haven't completed your collection of the 2010-2012 In Color ink pads, card stock, markers, refills, or ribbon, you'll want to get them NOW.
 
When you look at the retired accessories list, you'll note that all of the Stampin' Pads are listed -  but don't let it scare you! They are listed for two reasons: (1) Craft Stampin' Pads will now only be available in black and white; and (2) Stampin' Up! is introducing a new Firm Foam pad in our Classic Stampin' Pads with the 2012-2013 annual catalog. The Firm Foam pads offer better ink coverage and, in turn, better stamped images.

Five ink colors have undergone formula changes to improve functionality and color stability with the new firm foam pads. These colors are:

• Basic Black
• Basic Gray
• Marina Mist
• Perfect Plum
• Tempting Turquoise

All five colors of the reformulated inks have been fully tested and approved. While using the new ink formula in the old Stampin’ Pads is fine, Stampin' Up! does not recommend using the old ink formula in the new firm foam pads. Any refills purchased after April 30, 2012, will contain the new formulated ink.

Some other things to note:

• Stampin' Write Markers will only be available in select individual colors, although they will still be offered in color collection assortment packs.
• 12" x 12" Textured Card Stock will no longer be offered.
• 12" x 12" Smooth Card Stock will only be available in select individual colors and color collections assortment packs.

I am SO EXCITED to see what Stampin' Up! has in store for us in the new catalog, and will have a hard time waiting until June 1st. However, I HAVE gotten a sneak peak at some of the new products, and will be sharing them with you soon!

Blossom Butterfly

Wow...I blinked, and it's already the end of April. Just a reminder that items in the Occasions Mini Catalog are only available through the end of this month, so place your orders now! Speaking of the mini catalog, here's a card that Stamp Club did last month which features the fantastic Blossom Punch and the beautiful Attic Boutique Designer Series Paper.

Recipe
Stamps: Teeny Tiny Wishes
Paper: Whisper White, Pool Party & Soft Suede smooth CS; Whisper White textured CS; Attic Boutique Designer Series Paper (mini catalog)
Ink: Soft Suede
Accessories: Blossom Punch (mini catalog), Scallop Trim border punch, Large Oval & Scallop Oval punches, Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack, Antique Brad, Basic Pearls, Stampin' Dimensionals

Fresh Vintage Doily

I think I jinxed myself when I stated in my last post that things would slow down. Between work, the flu bug, work, the busy Lenten church season, work, and - oh yeah - stamp workshops, it's pretty obvious that I've been unable to post in the last few weeks. It's already the last week in March and Sale-A-Bration will be ending in a few short days! Yikes!

So here's a card we've been making at my workshops, which incorporates my favorite SAB set, Fresh Vintage, with my favorite Occasions Mini Catalog item, the Paper Doily die.

Recipe

Stamps: Fresh Vintage (SAB), Petite Pairs

Paper: Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake, and Naturals Ivory card stock

Ink: Crumb Cake pad (card 1); Melon Mambo, Old Olive & Elegant Eggplant markers (card 2)

Accessories: Big Shot & Paper Doily die, Basic Pearls

You will have to experiment when using your Paper Doily die, as it may require the use of extra "shims" or layers when making your Big Shot sandwich. I found that I needed to use an extra piece of colored cardstock as a shim layer or the smaller pieces would not punch out cleanly from the doily. This could vary depending on individual Big Shots, so don't give up if your first Doily does not punch cleanly. Be patient and persevere - it's definitely worth the extra trial and error!

That's all the time I have for now, but I'll try very hard to carve out more time later this week to share some more Sale-A-Bration inspiraton! Sweet dreams!

Tea Shoppe Wishes

Just a quick post to let you know that I am still here, just very busy lately! I was asked to create some gift-type cards for a "Tea Party" at a local church, so I've been playing around with the wonderful Tea Shoppe set in the Occasions Mini Catalog. This set wasn't originally on my Wish List, but I'm glad I was asked to create something with it, as I think it is a set I will be using quite often! This is a card I made for one of Jayson's teachers, who happens to love coffee. I CASEd the layout from fellow blogger Debra Currier.

Recipe
Stamps: Tea Shoppe, Bring on the Cake

Paper: Whisper White, Soft Suede & Baja Breeze CS; Attic Boutique DS paper (mini catalog)

Ink: Soft Suede

Accessories: Big Shot, Perfect Pennants die & Square Lattice embossing folder; Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack; 1-3/4" Circle punch; Basic Rhinestones; Stampin' Dimensionals

The three small cup images come on one piece of rubber, but I cut them apart so I could use them separately more easily; that's one of the things I love about the clear-mount stamps - you don't need to try to find extra wood to mount your stamps on if you wish to mount them differently.

That's all the time I have for right now; things should be slowing down in the next few days so I hope to be posting more regularly again. Sweet dreams!

Be My Origami Valentine

I honestly don't know where the time goes sometimes; Valentine's Day will be here before I know it! Here's another project that my stamp club did last month. It's a funky fold project, meaning that it's a project that uses unique folds instead of the standard side-fold or tent-fold. This Origami Diamond Fold was actually a very easy project to complete using the new Simply Scored Scoring Tool, available in the mini catalog.

Recipe

Stamps: Delightful Dozen, Sprinkled Expressions (sale-a-bration)

Paper: Twitterpated Designer Series Paper (mini catalog); Basic Gray, Real Red & Whisper White CS; Red Glimmer Paper

Ink: Real Red, Basic Gray

Accessories: Simply Scored Scoring Tool; Big Shot & Perfect Pennants die; Decorative Label, 1-3/4 Circle, Full Heart & Small Heart punches; Whisper White 3/8" taffeta ribbon; Stampin' Dimensionals

There is a wonderful tutorial of this funky fold project here. However, I did make some changes to the scoring lines so that the origami pocket would be centered on the project, and scored at 3-1/4", 5-1/2", 10" and 12-1/4".

Hope you enjoyed this funky project! I'll be sharing some treats next week, so hope to see you then. Sweet dreams!

Twitterpated!

Well, I survived birthday week, but just barely! My youngest son turned 18 recently, and it was very hard for me...the realization that he is now an adult somehow made me feel SO much older. Probably because now that he IS considered an adult, we have to take special steps to protect him, as he could be considered a vulnerable adult due to his autism spectrum disorder. Needless to say there is lots of paperwork involved in that protection, which is why I've been absent from blog land for a while.

But now that I'm back, I'm going to share one of the projects my stamp club did this week. Our theme was "It's All About Hearts!" in preparation for Valentine's Day. This card, however, was not the one I had originally planned for the club. My mom, who is a club member, came over to celebrate birthdays (my oldest son also turned 29) two days before the club was to meet, so she made her projects then. Unfortunately the original Smooch Spritz project I had planned turned out to be not very club-friendly, so I had to make a last-minute change. Thankfully I had this wonderful layout in my head, as I had just seen it on the talented Chris Smith's blog. Thanks for the inspiration, Chris!

Recipe

Stamps: Word Play

Paper: Whisper White & Riding Hood Red CS, Twitterpated Designer Series Paper (mini catalog)

Ink: Basic Gray & Riding Hood Red markers

Accessories: Square Lattice & Petals-a-Plenty embossing folders & Big Shot; Baja Breeze Seam Binding Ribbon; Framelits Dies Labels Collection; Heart to Heart punch; Vanilla Shimmer Smooch Spritz; Illuminate Top Coat Smooch Pearlized Accent Ink; Basic Pearls; Stampin' Dimensionals

I just LOVE the new Framelits Dies in the Occasions Mini catalog! They are so easy to use, and with six different sizes to choose from there are endless layout possibilities. The colors in the beautiful Twitterpated Designer Series paper are some of my favorites, and of course they coordinate so well that this card practically made itself! The embossing folders add interesting texture, and the Smooch products add just the right amount of glimmer. I hope you can see in the close-up how I "painted" with the Illuminate accent ink along the top right edges of the greeting layer. You may also be able to see how the flowered paper is embossed with the Petals-a-Plenty folder. This card is very versatile, and could be used for many occasions such as an anniversary, "thinking of you" or even a birthday or sympathy card. 

The cold wind is really blowing the snow around outside my dark window, so I'm looking forward to climbing into bed under some warm blankets. Sweet dreams!

Jolly Bingo Birthday!

It's time to get back to work now that the holidays have come and gone. I hope everyone had a memorable Christmas and is enjoying the new year! During the next six weeks my family will be celebrating over 10 birthdays, so I really have to buckle down and get some serious stamping done.

Tonight I'm giving you a sneak peak of some of the new products available for FREE during the upcoming Sale-A-Bration, which starts January 24. It's a birthday card, of course! I've been wanting to use this neat layout ever since I saw it; it's borrowed from the very talented Mary Brown (aka stampercamper). The stamp set I'm using is actually a Christmas set called Jolly Bingo Bits, but it is so versatile that it can be used all year long.

Recipe
Stamps: Jolly Bingo Bits, Fabulous Phrases
Paper: Pool Party, Calypso Coral & Whisper White CS; Everyday Enchantment DS paper (SAB)

Ink: Pool Party, Calypso Coral, Lucky Limeade & Basic Gray

Accessories: Tasteful Trim die & Big Shot; Everyday Enchantment Ribbon & Brad Pack (SAB); Basic Rhinestones; 1/16" circle punch; Paper Snips; Stampin' Dimensionals

Isn't this a fun layout? The Pool Party card base is cut 3-1/4" x 11" and folded in half, allowing the greeting layer to hang over the edge for just an extra pop of interest. The ribbon bow is also done using Mary Brown's technique, but since the organdy ribbon is thin I wrapped it three times around a cardstock scrap, then carefully slid it off and inserted it in the opened brad, then closed the brad and popped it through the greeting layer. The greeting layer is popped off the base using Dimensionals.

I just love the Everyday Enchantment DS paper and matching accessories; the color combinations are really fresh and I know you'll love the patterns as much as I do! As much I'm looking forward to Sale-A-Bration, though, I'm even more excited about the Occasions Mini Catalog, which went live on January 4th. It is chock full of exciting new products and stamp sets - so many wonderful things that I'm having a hard time trying to talk myself out of just ordering everything in the catalog!! You'll be seeing me use some of those new products here in the coming weeks, so check back once in a while.

Time now for me to head off to bed, where I hope I can dream up some more sweet birthday layouts. G'night!