The Stamping Idea Corner

Tips & Tricks for the new Paper Doily Sizzlits Die

2012-01-30T08:55:00.000-07:00

With the Paper Doily Sizzlits Die (item 125592) you can now create the intricate designs you've grown to love with our Sizzlits Dies, in a new, larger size!

A few tips and tricks:

Because of variations in materials, you will most likely need to use a shim (such as piece of card stock) when you send it through the Big Shot.
The detailed intricacy comes with a little added work. The negative pieces will not come out automatically when you cut the die.

It may take a little time to remove all the cut pieces from the die-cut paper. Remove the pieces by poking or punching them out. Carefully, push the pieces through the cut design and remove them from the back. Make sure you work from the front side of the doily (the side that was face-down when it was cut) and push the pieces through; if you try to pull them out from the front or if you push them through from the back side, the doily might tear. To make it easier, gently roll the die-cut paper to pop out some of the larger pieces.
Push the pieces out using the Paper-Piercing Tool or the small end of the Simply Scored Stylus.
The front side will look completely cut through, however, the back side may not. This is normal with this die, and if you follow the directions of removing the small pieces you will find that the die has cut through the paper.

Because of the intricate design of this die, small pieces might stick in the foam on the actual die. Clear all small pieces from the die before using it again. This will ensure you get a clean cut every time. Remove the remaining pieces by using your Paper-Piercing Tool, being careful not to tear the foam on the die.

One of the techiniques I've head about (and used) is to take a lint roller and roll it over the foam to help remove all the small pieces. While it doesn't always remove all pieces, it definitely helps in cutting down the amount of work! :o)

The most important thing to remember is that with the intricate delicacy and detail comes some added work. The larger Sizzlits dies require a bit more time to use than other dies and there is a certain amount of hands-on effort involved in creating with these detailed designs. However, you will find with the gorgeous finished piece, the little bit of extra effort is totally worth it!

Let's Sale-A-Brate!!!!

2012-01-24T08:37:00.002-07:00

Here are MY favorite Sale-A-Bration freebies!

The Everyday Enchantment Designer Series Paper...

AND the matching "Fresh Vintage" stamp set:

I love the "Home Sweet Home" Decor Elements... available in FOUR colors!

And, finally... the Elementary Elegance stamp set which coordinates with the curly label punch! I just LOVE stamp sets that coordinate with my punches! :o)

Which ones are your favorite???

Click Here to view all the wonderful (and exclusive) free products in the Sale-A-Bration brochure!

Contact me today to place an order, host a workshop or join my team - The Scrap 'n Stamp Divas during Sale-A-Bration!

Click here to begin shopping now in my online store and select your freebies when you check out!

It's time to have a workshop!

2012-01-19T21:39:00.001-07:00

I'm coming out of hiding, folks! I am so excited to be offering my first class since my little man was born! :o) And NOW is the perfect time to have one with the release of the AMAZING Occasions mini catalog and Sale-a-bration about to begin!

So please join me if you can - but hurry... space is limited!!!

Sunday, January 29th

1 to 5 pm

Registration: $30

Includes: All materials needed to make the 7 Valentine’s Day projects you see here including step-by-step tutorials for each project! All projects will be using one or more products from the new Occasions mini-catalog OR the Sale-a-Bration brochure!

Deadline to register is Thursday, January 26th!

Click Here to view the class flyer and more details - including how to register!

Occasions Mini Catalog!

2012-01-04T11:45:00.001-07:00

I am so excited!!! There are some amazing new products in the new Occasions Mini Catalog!!!

Framelits dies with coordinating stamp sets!
Edgelits Dies with matching Textured Impressions Embossing Folders (& a stamp set!)
A gorgeous paper doily die!
New Smooch & Dazzling Details colors!
Fabulous new product suites full of pure, coordinated bliss!
The new Blossom punch and coordinating stamp set!
Spring Fever Simply Scrappin Kit!
At Last! White Waffle Paper - just waiting to be stamped, twisted or colored!
3 New Bigz Dies!
A Very Fun Maze Game and Coordinating stamp set!
Scented Embossing Powders!
Baker's Twine in the 2011-2013 In Colors!
And so much more....

Click Here to view an online version of the catalog and Click Here to start shopping!!!

Saying goodbye...

2012-01-03T13:34:00.000-07:00

Today is the last day to order from the Holiday Mini Catalog before the Occasions Mini goes live tomorrow!

Here's a few of my favorite products and projects from the holiday mini... and at the end of this post is a link to the products that will be carrying over!

I really had a blast making this wreath at a class my downline, Michelle Walker, held. It was a lot of work, but well worth it in the end! This is a wreath I will be proudly displaying for many Christmases to come!

At the class, we could choose which products we wanted to use, and I chose the Holly Berry Bouquet product suite from the Holiday Mini catalog.

The wreath featured a whole lot of fan fold flowers using the brand new Simply Scored tool as well as some Yoyo's made from the Designer Fabric!

Here is a gorgeous wreath my upline, Alecia Connelly, made using the Spice Cake product suite:

And here's the one that started it all - made by the class instructor (and my downline AND BFF), Michelle Walker! :o)

Speaking of the Spice Cake product suite (which happened to be my favorite from the catalog) - I used it to make a Thanksgiving scrapbook page:

...and a lovely birthday card!:

Lastly, I made a witches hat with a hodge podge of products!

I featured a distressed banner using the Hand-Penned holidays stamp set from the Holiday mini:

For the loads of seam binding ribbon, I jut hand-dyed our very vanilla ribbon using the Cajun Craze and Concord Crush reinkers! I think they turned out great! :o)

So.... if there's anything you fell in love with in the Holiday Mini catalog, get off your patootie and into my online store to get your order in before midnight MST! And while you're there, don't forget to check out the clearance rack blitz still going on until January 5th!!!

Click here to view the holiday mini in PDF format.

Click here to see the carryover flyer for the holiday mini! (These are the products that will still be available to order after the 3rd).

2011-12-15T08:28:00.001-07:00

Holy Cow! The Clearance Blitz is ON!!! Check out these great deals in my store before they are all gone forever!

Online Extravaganza Starts TODAY!

2011-11-21T11:30:00.001-07:00

CLICK HERE to check out all the amazing deals available!!!

NOTE: You will not see the sale price for an item until you actually click on it!

June Club Project

2011-06-26T15:09:00.000-06:00

This was our last club before I took my "baby hiatus", so I decided to go all out!!! I gave my hostess club members a choice of three different stationary box sets to make:

Choice #1 used the Woodland Walk DSP & Coordinating Colors:

Choice #2 used the Love Letter DSP & Coordinating Colors:

Choice #3 used the Elegant Soiree & Coordinating Colors:

When folded up, the boxes looked like so:

And each box contained 4 different card designs and 4 mini notecards:

Here is a link to the tutorial I put together for the workshop!

It is very easy to adapt to any other DSP collection!

Everyone did such a wonderful job on their projects... I am going to miss all my lovely stampin' gals while I take my little break! I'll see all you beauties when we start back up again next year!!! :o)

May Club Project - Father's Day

2011-05-29T14:48:00.000-06:00

For my May hostess club, we focused on Father's Day and National Scrapbooking month to make these great accordion-style mini albums!

Here is a great tutorial on how to make the basic album. What I love about this album, it you can expand it to be as large as you want it to be by simply adding more folded square pieces!

We embellished ours with the following supplies:

Nautical Expedition DSP (Summer Mini) & coordinating Card stock/Ink

The Open Sea Stamp Set (Summer Mini)

Broadsheet Alphabet stamp set

Sympathy Card

2011-05-02T16:03:00.000-06:00

I made this card for a very good friend of mine. It uses two of my favorite punches, Bird Punch and Decorative Label!

The stamp sets used were Thoughts & Prayers and the hostess set, Punch Potpourri from the 2010/11 IB&C.

April Club Projects - Mother's Day

2011-04-24T14:30:00.000-06:00

We did some great Mother's Day projects for our May hostess club!

First, we had some fun with acetate and made these awesomely simple pentagon treat tubes! I absolutely love working with acetate for treat boxes, because it makes choosing the treat for the inside so much fun!

Click here for a tutorial on SCS on how to make these goodies!

Secondly, we made a lovely collapsible card where we utilized the dryer sheet technique on the front:

We used the Word Play stamp set as well as the "Something to Celebrate" hostess set and "Easter Blossoms" stamp set from the Occasions mini.

I designed the card to write a childhood memory on the middle circle (hence, the "Remember When..." on the front of the card) :o)

March Club Projects

2011-03-28T00:20:00.000-06:00

Here are the projects we made in our March hostess club!

We made an awesome Spring-themed card using a patterned paper quilt technique with the Big Shot:

Simply punch out your desired patterned paper pieces with a square punch (we used the 1-1/4" Square punch, which worked perfectly for the 5-1/2" x 4-1/4" card), adhere the pieces to a piece of card stock with matching dimensions for your "quilt" pieces, and then run it through your big shot using an embossing folder or texture plate. We used the Finial Press Textured Impressions Embossing Folder for our project.

These Easter carrot boxes are made using the Petal Cone Big Shot die and the Perfect Details Texturz Plate for the waffle cone effect:

The "leaves" were made using the Build-a-Blossom stamp set and coordinating Blossom Petals XL Punch.

February Club Projects

2011-03-12T16:22:00.000-07:00

Well, here are the projects from last month's club! I challenged my gals a bit and we did 3 cards and 1 3D project - and they did great! Everyone left on-time with a handful of beautiful cards!

First, we made 3 identically designed cards in 3 different monochrome schemes: Baja Breeze, Rose Red and Pear Pizazz.

The simple but very elegant design featured my favorite Sale-a-Bration set, "Bliss" as well as our new "Framed Tulips" embossing folder, the newest shades of the seam binding ribbon and the oh-so-versatile "First Edition" Designer Series Paper - all from the Occasions Mini Catalog!

If you want to get your hands on the free "Bliss" Stamp set (or any other Sale-a-Bration set, for that matter) you better hurry! Sale-a-Bration ends March 31! Just click here for more info or here to view the SAB brochure!

To color the DSP and add a beautiful shimmer, we used three custom Smooch colors I made before class in Baja Breeze, Rose Red, and Pear Pizazz. They were a perfect match! Click here to see my tutorial on how to create your very own custom Smooch colors!

Lastly, we made a quick and easy little treat box for St. Patrick's Day using the Bitty Box & Envelope XL Die for the Big Shot and the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder. The stamp is the a-la-carte stamp "Lucky Shamrock" from the Occasions Mini.

When using embossing folders and dies together, you should cut your item with the die first, and then run it through with the embossing folder second. If the item doesn't fit completely in the embossing folder, that's OK! Just run it through a section at a time, making sure (if possible) to put the edge of the embossing folder along a score line of your project. If that is not possible, try to work with a simple pattern (like the polka dots that is easy to match up.

This treat box is perfect for the mini Reese's peanut butter cups, because it fits four of them just right!

For our little shamrocks on top, we just stamped the Lucky Shamrock stamp 4 times and punched only the shamrock out using the 1" circle punch.

Happy News + January Club Projects

2011-03-11T23:36:00.000-07:00

Hello All! Wow... it sure has been a long time! Well, over the holidays DH and I found out we are expecting baby #2! This was most welcome and prayed about news - we could not be more excited and happy! Unfortunately, my body did not take the news so well and I had a very exhausting and queasy first trimester. And instead of "morning sickness" I had a daily and consistent case of "afternoon and evening sickness." This did not bode well for my stamping productivity, as the evenings are my time for stamping and creating.

Well, long story short... my poor blog suffered the consequences - hence the lack of posting lately. So, here I am - finally into my second trimester and my energy is on the rebound! So I'm taking a little time to get caught up and get up my pics for my last 2 months of clubs!

First, I'm going to post January's projects, where we had lots of fun making Valentine's day projects and playing with bubbles!

Yes, that's right! Bubbles! The card we made featured an awesome technique I learned at the St. George regionals last September, and I had been dying to use it!

This was so much fun to do, and all it required was a bowl, a straw, some bubble solution and some Stampin' Up! classic ink refill! Simply mix the bubble solution and your ink in a bowl, stick the straw in and blow some bubbles! Once the bubbles rise above the lip of the bowl, touch your card stock piece onto the bubbles and a beautiful pattern will appear! Click Here to see a great tutorial video for this technique put together by fellow demo, Dawn Olchefske!

To add a little extra pizzaz to our card, we sprayed a bit of Vanilla Shimmer Smooch on top! The stamp set used on the card was the "Filled With Love" set available from the Holiday mini and during the Filled With Love promo. We finished off our card with some Basis Black satin ribbon, some of the new pom pom trim (from the Occasions mini) and some lovely rhinestones!

Our second project was another one I had been itching to try in one of my workshops. I received a version of this gorgeous treat box during my trip to Founder's Circle last September. I instantly fell in love with the idea and knew it would fit in perfect for the V-Day theme, but at the same time also work great for any other occasion.

This adorable treat box uses the Perfect Setting XL Die for the Big Shot. When you flip open teh top (made from the 2-1/2" circle punch), you can place a cupcake liner and your treat or gift inside!

The key to getting the size just right, so your cupcake liner doesn't fall out of the bottom, is to overlap the ends by one scallop when putting the cupcake piece together:

For our treat holders, we used a simple but lovely color scheme of Crumb Cake and Pretty in Pink. The stamp set is "Valentine Defined" from the Occasions Mini Catalog.

"Love" Mini Album Class!

2011-01-27T15:16:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone! Just wanted to pass on this great opportunity! One of my recruits, Michelle Walker, is having her very first class on how to make a mini album for Valentine’s Day! The class will be held on Saturday, February 5th from 12-4!

This is one absolutely gorgeous album with some amazing techniques… I can’t wait to learn how to make those flowers! And what a great opportunity to create a very special handmade gift for that special someone on Valentine’s Day!

All information on the class can be found here on the the class flyer. Please contact Michelle directly if you would like to attend!

Hope to see you there! :o)

December Club Projects

2010-12-24T10:18:00.008-07:00

For this month's projects we focused entirely on different techniques using the Watercolor Wonder Crayons!

First, we made an ornament/gift card holder with the Holiday Line-up stamp set. Everyone got to choose which image they wanted to use, then we used the WWCs to color the image. For this technique, we colored onto a hard plastic surface with the WWC and then used an Aqua painter to pick up the color and transfer it onto the image.

This fabulous gift card holder idea was passed on to me from my upline, Alecia Connelly!

Our second project was a desktop calendar. You can find a tutorial for this nifty idea here! We used the Friends Never Fade stamp set and a color combination of Regal Rose, Rose Red, Always Artichoke and Early Espresso.

We used two different WWC techniques on this project. For the background image, we used the crayons to color directly onto the stamp and then we misted the stamp with some water before stamping onto the watercolor paper.

For the sentiment, we first stamped the image in Early Espresso craft ink and then applied embossing powder and heat set it. Then we used the crayons to directly color onto the paper. Lastly, we blended the color using an aqua painter.

I got the calendars we used in our project here, and they can also be purchased in other sizes and varieties here.

For demonstrations of all the different watercolor techniques we used, watch this great video from Stampin' Up!

Lastly, I wish each and every one of you a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year!!!

"Merry Christmas" Blocks

2010-12-17T20:23:00.003-07:00

Here's a fun little project I put together in a snap! I used some pre-cut wooden blocks from my local craft store and died them with a solution of classic re-inker and alcohol. The blocks sucked the ink solution right up, held the color beautifully and dried in a snap! I used Cherry Cobbler, Always Artichoke and Soft Suede as my color scheme.

I stamped my letters (Broadsheet Alphabet) in Versamark and embossed them in gold stampin emboss powder. This is such a beautiful font for vintage Christmas items!

Filled with Love Promo starts today!

2010-12-17T09:36:00.002-07:00

This Valentine’s Day, give your loved ones a beautiful handmade gift using products from Stampin’ Up!®

December 17–January 24, get a FREE package of Bitty Buttons when you purchase a Filled with Love Bundle, including the Filled with Love Stamp Set and exclusive Love Patterns Designer Series Paper Pack—only available through this special promotion!

Click Here to view the flyer and bundle information!

So what are you waiting for? :o) V-Day will be here before you know it... click here to shop online now or contact me to place your order today!

November Club Projects

2010-12-16T23:30:00.007-07:00

Wow! Sure has been a while since I've posted! I am bit behind, and for that I'm sorry! The holidays are just such a very busy time for me! Needless to say, I have a whole lot to post, and then I'll probably be MIA again until after the holidays!

So here we are... club projects from last month! :o) (Like I said... I'm Sorry!!!!) lol

First, we made this fun oragami box - perfect for holding a special gift for a special someone! My inspiration and the full instructions can be found here!

For our version in club, we used Very Vanilla 12 x 12 card stock (textured) for the box and then covered it using the Jolly Holiday DSP. The stamp sets used were Winter Post and Perfect Punches.

Our second project was a twirling card I designed, where the little snowman twirls around when you open it! (Stay tuned for a tutorial!) We used many great techniques to finish it off!

We embossed the front of the card with the Northern Flurry Textured Impressions Embossing Folder and then used a Versamarker to ink the top of the snowflakes and heat emboss them with Iridescent Ice embossing powder.

We used the Cute Christmas stamp set and colored our snowman image using Aqua Painters and classic ink. Our color palette was Blushing Bride, Baja Breeze and Whisper White. After we colored our snowman, we also used the Versamarker and Iridescent Ice embossing powder to give him some sparkle!

The inside of the card was decorated with some snowflakes from the Northern Hearts Level 1 hostess set in the holiday mini (Did you know these snowflakes perfectly match the ones in the embossing folder?) ;o) We also stamped "Have a Cute Christmas" underneath our snowman on the left side.

My favorite aspect of the card was the ribbon dying! We died a piece of Very Vanilla Seam Binding with Blushing Bride ink! I have a video tutorial I am putting together for this technique, so stay tuned! :o)

An AMAZING sale on some AMAZING products!

2010-11-22T10:16:00.001-07:00

For 9 days only, Stampin' Up! has announced a spectacular sale which includes discounts of up to 50% off current items and free shipping on orders over $150 (and don't forget the free hostess products you'll also receive for orders over $150!!!) WOW! What a deal! And just in time for some Christmas shopping!

Click here for the full list of on-sale products and then click here to start shopping online or contact me to place an order!

Hurry hurry hurry! This deal ends November 30th!!!

"Thankful" Banner

2010-11-13T10:30:00.003-07:00

Hello friends! Here is a Thanksgiving banner I made for my fireplace mantle using the Day of gratitude stamp set and the custom ink pad technique we did in club last month. The banner was completely inspired by a fall banner I saw at the St. George Regional made by SU's #1 Demonstrator of the year, Kimberly Van Diepen!

Here are each of the banner pieces close up... I have provided a list of primary supplies at the end of this post!

(Your eyes are not deceiving you.... the ribbon above and below has been dyed in Cajun Craze and More Mustard! Stay tuned for a video tutorial on this soon.... for those who attend my club workshop, we'll be learning how to do this on Sunday!)

My favorite aspect of this project was the gathering techniques for the ribbon! (Another technique I'll be demoing in my club workshop this weekend!) ;o)

Another custom dyed ribbon in More Mustard:

Here's just a quick look at what each banner piece looked like at the beginning... After stamping my images using my custom ink pad, I sprayed three layers of my custom Smooch Spritz colors: 1) a liberal spraying of Crumb Cake, 2) A couple of squirts of Soft Suede, 3) one spritz of Early Espresso.

After the pieces dried, I distressed the edges and inked them with some crumb cake.

Here are the primary supplies and colors used for the project:

Stamp Sets: Day of Gratitude, Define Your Life
Cardstock/Ink Colors: Naturals White, Early Espresso, Cajun Craze, More Mustard, Old Olive
DSP: Autumn Spice
Punches: 2-1/2" circle, Scallop Edge Border Punch
Big Shot dies: Alphabet Simple Letters Stampin' Up! Bigz Die

I also used a big variety of our ribbons, buttons, and other hardware to put the finishing touches on this project. If you have any questions at all about them, please ask! :o)

Thanks for looking, and I hope you have been inspired to make your very own Thanksgiving banner!

Who wants $310 in stampin' supplies for just $87.50?!?

2010-11-12T11:22:00.003-07:00

What do you call it when you get over $310 in crafting and business supplies for only $87.50? You can call it an amazing deal, but we’re calling it an amazing opportunity! From November 15-30, you can purchase either our Standard or Digital+ Starter Kits at 50 percent off the regular retail price of $175 (plus free shipping!), and enjoy these great benefits as a Stampin’ Up!® demonstrator.

Earn additional income while sharing creativity.
Make new and lasting friendships.
Enjoy access to nearly unlimited creative ideas.
Receive a free subscription to an exclusive monthly magazine.
Receive two free months subscription to your own business website.
Opportunity to earn free products and incentive trips.
Enjoy demonstrator discount/instant income on all SU products!
Early sneak-peeks and pre-ordering from mini catalogs and the IBC (Pre-ordering for the Occasions mini begins December 1, and the catalog is already on the demonstrator site!)
Our annual Sale-a-Bration event is right around the corner, which means even more opportunities of free goodies!

I would love you to join my team of Scrap n' Stamp Divas!

THIS IRRESISTIBLE OFFER IS ONLY AVAILABLE UNTIL NOVEMBER 30, 2010, SO CONTACT ME BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE!

If you've already made the decision, you can go here and use my password VJF0509 to sign up using this amazing deal from Monday, November 15 - Tuesday November 30th!! As soon as I get the notice, you'll hear from me very soon to get access to the Scrap N' Stamp Divas page and more!!!

Download the promotion flyer here!

Baby Shower Invitations

2010-11-07T21:27:00.000-07:00

I recently made 40 of these cuties for a family friend... I love doing this cute and simple card style!

I used the Fox & Friends stamp set and the following color scheme (for a boy): Bashful Blue, Crumb Cake, So Saffron, Certainly Celery and Peach Parfait.

The card-base is simple enough... Run a folded piece of card stock through the Big Shot using the large Scallop Circle die then run the front of the card through again using the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder!

Halloween Invite & Swaps (+ Founder's Circle!)

2010-10-30T11:57:00.000-06:00

Wow! Halloween's tomorrow, and I realized I forgot to post all these goodies!

First, here's a quick Halloween invite I made for a friend... she purchased the supplies and I provided a step by step tutorial, and she was able to make them all on her own! :o)

The idea came from the IBC (with some slight modifications). I used the Graveyard Gala stamp set and the following color scheme: Pumpkin Pie, Elegant Eggplant, Old Olive, Basic Gray and Basic Black. Oh, and of course... some smooch! The spray behind the gravestone is one of my custom colors: Cherry cobbler!

Next are a batch of great swaps I got back from a swap I participated in from Splitcoast Stampers (some didn't have names on them, so if it's yours, let me know and I will gladly add the credits!):

Created by: Charlotte R.

Created by: Anne Bamert

No Name :o(

Created by: Michelle Hamilton

Created by: Andrea

All of the following swaps are Halloween swaps I got from my Founder's Circle trip!

Created by: Lynsay Mahon

Created by: Dawn Griffith

Created by: Laurie Krauss

Created by: Deb Valder

Created by: Tami White

Created by: Patty Bennett

Created by Jenny Watson

Created by: Mary Kay Molnar

Created by: April Roycroft

Well, I think that's it for me for Halloween this year... I hope every one has a safe and spooky night tomorrow! :o)

Custom Smooch Spritz in SU Colors!

2010-10-27T22:51:00.001-06:00

If you're a regular here, you know I am completely in LOVE with the Smooch Spritz accent ink. Besides the beautiful sparkle and shimmer they add to any project, I am enthused about the re-fillable little glass bottles they come in. I have a goal to eventually have a Smooch Spritzer in every single SU color... and I am already well on my way to that goal (Yes, I use THAT much Smooch Spritz.) :o)

So, here is my own little way I have developed for refilling my empty smooch bottles:

What you'll need:

70% Rubbing Alcohol (dries very quickly and won't wrinkle your paper)
Empty & Clean Smooch Spritz bottle
Champagne Mist (116806) or Frost White (116854) Shimmer Paint
Classic Stampin Ink Refill (in color of your choice)
Empty Shimmer Paint Bottle (optional)
Labeler (optional)

First of all, I keep my empty bottles of shimmer paint as well for this process. Why? Because that little metal ball inside does a great job of mixing up the alcohol and shimmer paint. So I highly recommend keeping these empties around (at least 1 white and one champagne). If you do not initially have these on hand, you can use the empty Smooch bottle instead.

So, given that little tidbit of information, the first step is to decide whether you want a champagne-based or frost-based smooch spritzer (or see variations at the end of this post). In this example, I will be making a Pumpkin Pie smooch spritz and have chosen Champagne Mist as my base.

Start with your empty shimmer paint bottle (or mix directly in empty smooch bottle). I fill my empty shimmer paint bottle with alcohol and then add about 1/3 cupful of shimmer paint. I close it up and shake the heck out of it. (That's where the little metal ball comes in really handy)

Once I have my shimmer mixture, I pour it into the smooch bottle until it is 3/4 full.

Then I add my chosen reinker color. How much to add? Well, that's up to you. If you want a faint hint of color when you spray, just add 4-5 drops. Want a rich and saturated effect? go for 15-20 drops. Your best bet is to start with a few, test it, then add more later if necessary.

So after you have added your re-inker color, close up the smooch bottle, shake it up and test it out! It's seriously hard to stop spritzing... it always looks so beautiful!

Don't forget to label your bottle when you are done. Some colors are very hard to tell just by looking at them. If you have any left over shimmer mixture, save it for next time!

Other options and variations:

I have also taken a nearly full bottle of the Gold Glow, Silver Foil or Vanilla Shimmer Smooch and just added a re-inker color to it. For example, I added some Concord Crush to a Silver Foil smooch spritzer and the result was absolutely stunning!!!!
I have also used Pearl-Ex powders in neutral colors like gold or silver. I have not used the colored versions, as I want to try and keep my Spritzers as true to SU colors as possible. A note of caution when using Pearl-Ex... be careful how much powder you use... too much can potentially plug up the nozzle. Also, stay away from the "flaky" versions of Pearl Ex. I have one of these in copper... the metal flakes are much too big to fit through the tube and nozzle of the spritzer.

Stay turned for projects I'll be posting using many of these custom Smooch Spritz Colors!!! In the meantime, here are some of my favorite colors I've made so far:

Baja Breeze and Frost White
Crumb Cake and Frost White
Early Espresso and Champagne Mist
Cherry Cobbler and Champagne Mist

Hope everyone has as much fun as I have making your own custom spritzers! :o)

October Club Projects

2010-10-21T22:51:00.001-06:00

Here are the projects we made in my hostess club this month!

At the request of this month's hostess, we made a slider card for Christmas. These cards are so much fun!!! I mean, who doesn't love a card that surprises you? ;o)

We used lots of fun new products in the Holiday mini: Designer fabric, waffle paper, big shot dies, punches, ribbon and stamp sets! The color scheme we used was Cherry Cobbler, Always Artichoke, Crumb Cake and Soft Suede. The card was based off of this tutorial on the SCS website.

The stamp sets we used were Christmas Collage and Bells & Boughs from the holiday mini. We also used the Winter Post set from the IBC (one of my favs). We die cut the fabric using the new Tasteful Trims XL die from the mini. To get the "distressed" look in our fabric, after cutting it, we wadded it up and rolled it around a bit in our hands. After placing it on the card front, we added a few pearls for an added touch.

Our second project was my twist on the ever-popular Sweet Treat Turkey Guy! I switched it up a little using the gorgeous "Day of Gratitude" stamp set and the ornament punch, and I mounted him on a tent card so he can stand on his own for perfect placement at the Thanksgiving dinner table! Wanna know how we did it? Read on!

First, you will need to ensure you have all of the following pieces (Click on pic for a larger image).

The color scheme I chose was to coordinate with the fall-themed m&m packs that are out right now. So I used Cherry Cobbler, Early Espresso and More Mustard. Notice that several pieces have little "nips" taken out of them using the 1-3/4" circle punch.

To get the beautiful gradiated stamped image, I created my own ink pad using a piece of felt with a plastic tray underneath and SU re-inkers. I started with a circle of Early Espresso, added some Cherry Cobbler around it, and then some More Mustard as the last ring of color.

I made sure the finished ink pad was big enough to accommodate my image, and then started stamping away. Honestly... I couldn't stop. The image was so gorgeous and striking, I filled about 5 sheets of Whisper White card stock. LOL. I am going to make these for my own thanksgiving table, so I figured I'll have a head start!

Then, I used my craft knife to cut out the flower image and then used the 1-3/4" punch to cut out my circle. You can use the image above as a guide for placement. Basically, I used the mini-flower in the center of the image as my guide. I placed the top of the circle right at the top of that image.

Meanwhile, you'll also want to stamp two of the leaves in Early espresso and cut those out. Don't forget to "nip" them, too!

To assemble your turkey, Start with a sweet treat cup and adhere the 2-1/2" circle with the 1-3/4" circle punched out.

Add the ornament punch-outs starting with the sides and moving to the top:

You can then add the stamped flower image and then the two stamped side wings. (I used a dimensional to adhere the "wings"). For the face, add your choice of "google" eyes and craft a simple beak out of scrap cardstock.

Once you've got all the front pieces on, you can flip your turkey over and fill 'er up! Use the solid 2-1/2" circle to close up the back.

If you plan to mount your turkey on a tent card, you should have the tent card assembled like so:

Before I mounted my turkey on the tent card, I used my custom ink pad and stamped the "Happy Thanksgiving" sentiment from the Thankful For stamp set onto whisper white cardstock. I curled the middle and ends a bit using a pencil and lined it up with the bottom edge of the tent card.

Then I added my finished turkey!

Handmade Holiday Promotion!

2010-10-19T13:44:00.002-06:00

Create Amazing cards, Beautiful packaging,

and Cherished gifts this holiday season!

From October 19-December 16, choose from several different holiday bundles containing gorgeous Stampin’ Up!® products—perfect for creating cards, gift packaging, and gifts—and all at 20% off!

Click Here to download the entire bundle list

(French and Spanish versions available)

Click Here to download the promotion flyer

Contact me or shop online to order your handmade holiday bundles!

Time is running out!

2010-10-13T23:25:00.000-06:00

The Clearance Rack Blitz has been a big hit, but if you want to take advantage of up to 80 percent off of discontinued Stampin’ Up! products, you need to act fast!The Clearance Rack Blitz ends on October 18, so make sure you get your orders in before the blitz ends!

Click Here for more info on the Clearance Rack Blitz!

Halloween Extravaganza - Day 12

2010-10-12T10:00:00.000-06:00

Today is the last day of my Halloween Extravaganza, and I saved my favorite project for last! We made this "BOO" banner in my hostess club last month, it was so very fun!

Each pennant was made using Basic Black Card stock and paper from the in-color Patterns DSP stack. We used a different color for each pennant: Peach Parfait, Concord Crush and Pear Pizazz. We stamped on the black card stock using the "From the Crypt" stamp set and Frost White shimmer paint.

The letters were cut out using the Alphabet Simple Letters Big Shot die and they were mounted on a fan-fold flower (find a great tutorial for those here). We hung the pennants on a yard-long piece of 1-1/4" striped grosgrain ribbon (in Basic Black) and tied individual bows above each pennant in their coordinating color of 1/2" stitched poly ribbon.

Thanks so much for joining me during my Halloween Extravaganza! I hope you had a great time on got lots and lots of inspiration for my projects! :o)

Halloween Extravaganza - Day 11

2010-10-11T09:36:00.001-06:00

These are some "Thank You" treat bags I made for my club members last month!

I used the mini lunch sacks in the holiday mini and the House of Haunts stamp set.

On the tags, I punched the end using the scallop edge border to match the scallop edge on the bag. I tied them on using 1-1/4" pumpkin pie striped grosgrain ribbon and some of the raven lace from the mini.

On the front of the bag, I placed a couple of bats using the bitty bat punch and I used the following technique to create a moon behind my tree and owl image:

Using whisper white craft ink and a sponge dauber, I swirled on a circle and then dabbed a little bit of so saffron craft ink in the middle of the moon.

Then I just stamped the tree image overlapping the moon in basic black classic ink.

Tip: When stamping on the lunch sacks, insert a thin piece of chipboard to flatten out the surface (so the sides that are folded in won't interfere with your stamping!)

Halloween Extravaganza - Day 10

2010-10-10T23:07:00.000-06:00

Here's a cute and simple Halloween Card using the Spider Web embossing folder and the debossed/letterpress effect I used on this card in my August clubs. This time, I used Basic Gray card stock and ink and sprayed Silver Foil Smooch Spritz to finish.

I also used the Greeting Card Kids and House of Haunts stamp sets. I colored the little witch using blender pend and classic ink.

Halloween Extravaganza - Day 9

2010-10-09T19:51:00.001-06:00

Just a quick one today, my friends! Today was our 8th Annual Holiday Stamp Camp, and I am dead tired! Oh... and I have to get ready for my hostess club tomorrow! :o)

Another super-easy to do Halloween Treat! Candy bar wrapper! Simply, use your favorite Stampin' Up DSP (I used "Nite Owl" from the Holiday Mini), cut it a bit longer and about 2-1/2 times wider than your chosen candy bar and wrap that baby up! Sticky Strip is definitely the best adhesive to use. I also like to use my paper crimper to crimp the ends.

For the accents on my candy bar wrappers, I used various stamp sets: Dark & Dreary (Holiday Mini), Wicked Cool, and All Holidays. I also used (surprise, surprise) more waffle paper on one of them sprayed with some Silver Foil smooch spritz. It added a beautiful (yet spooky) touch!

Halloween Extravaganza - Day 8

2010-10-08T08:00:00.001-06:00

This is a fun little Halloween ornament using the sweet treat cups that go perfectly with the Sweet Centers Stamp sets!

The ornament is made with 2 cups, placed back to back, so the image has been stamped twice on two pieces of card stock to make two sides. And of course, my favorite Halloween accessory has been that black waffle paper... I just can't get enough of it! :o) Before sticking the two sides together, I ruffled a whole bunch of it between the layers.

Hasta manana mi amigos! :o)

Christmas Tag Box Project Class

2010-10-07T15:45:00.003-06:00

Notice: (posted 10/27/10) - Class cancelled due to illness. :o( (Me & the little man). Will be selling kit and tutorial for $10. Let me know if you are interested. Refunds going out to those who paid in advance.

Come join me in a great class where you will learn how to make this great gift tag box with separate dividers for tags, twine and fabric ribbon! Not only will you learn how to make this gift tag box, but you'll also make the 16 gift cards (in 4 designs) that go inside it! This great project is not just for the holiday seasons! Once you learn how to make this gift box, make it again and again for all your gift giving needs!

When: Thursday, October 28
from 6-8 PM

Where: My Home

Cost: $20.00

(Includes all supplies, step-by-step tutorial/handout, and refreshments!)

Space is limited, so contact me today if you would like to attend!

Pay in advance to reserve your seat!

Stamping techniques being taught in class:

Heat embossing (with glitter)
Watercoloring with Classic Inks and Aqua Pen

Aside from Stampin' Up's high-quality stamps, card stock and ink, you'll also get familiar with these great products:

Exclusive Stampin' Up Fabric
Specialty Designer Series Paper
Big Shot Embossing Folders
Stampin' Up! Punches
Pearlized Accent Ink
Rhinestone Jewels

Halloween Extravaganza - Day 7

2010-10-07T08:00:00.008-06:00

This is a Halloween card I created for a recent swap with the Sun City Stampers. It features the Dark and Dreary stamp set from the holiday mini, as well as the Teahouse background stamp from the IBC. When I saw that stamp, it just reminded me of "creepy" wallpaper in a haunted mansion! :o)

I also used some black waffle paper and the Raven lace trim - also from the holiday mini. I cut several layers of the waffle paper (at one time) using the new Scallop Squares Duo Bigz die (yep, also in the holiday mini). ;o)

For the main image on the front, before stamping my image in basic black, I created a gradient of color (to mimic a haunting sunset) with my sponge daubers and ink pads. I started at the bottom with the lightest color (Daffodil Delight) and then blended in the rest moving upward (Peach Parfait, Cajun Craze and Concord Crush). The key to creating a smooth gradient is to not use too much ink and to lightly and gently swirls your sponge on the paper. Remember... you can always add more ink if needed, but you can't take it away if you put too much! :o)

WOW!!! Check out the clearance rack!!!

2010-10-06T21:07:00.000-06:00

Stampin' Up just added gobs and gobs of "new" goodies to the clearance rack! Tons of stamping and crafting goodness for up to 80% off! There are BIG SHOT DIES for $7.99 in there, people!!! :-O

Check out my online store to see these deals for yourself! After clicking the link, click "Shop Now" and you'll find the clearance rack on the left side of the page. Don't hesitate to buy, because these goodies are going FAST - they are only available while supplies last!

Halloween Extravaganza - Day 6

2010-10-06T08:00:00.003-06:00

Here are some great Halloween treat ideas for your Big Shot and acetate window sheets!

First up, this super cute little milk carton using the Mini Milk Carton Bigz L Die! I have been dying to get my hands on and use the "Got Treats" stamp set that just happens to coordinate perfectly! For my stamping, I used Whisper White craft ink and SU's White embossing power and then set it with my heat gun. The two make such a bold image!

This next acetate project uses the new Candy Wrapper Bigz L Die in the Holiday mini catalog. This one was quick and simple, but oh so elegant! I simply added Basic Black Taffeta bows on the end and embellished the "body" with the new "Black Flourish" designer jewels in the holiday mini. I imagine this would also make an amazing wedding or bridal shower favor using rhinestones!

The last project uses the pillow box die. The 3D pumpkin on the front is so cute and easy to do! I punched several scalloped oval pieces out of some textured Tangerine Tango card stock an then folded them in half. Then I used sticky strip to adhere all the back sides together!

Hope you enjoyed the treats today! See you tomorrow!

Halloween Extravaganza - Day 5

2010-10-05T09:00:00.002-06:00

Hello everyone! Here is the last Halloween project I'll be posting using the new Trick or Treat letterpress plate from the Holiday Mini. It's a super-cute trick or treat bag!

This time, I used the plate on black card stock with Whisper White craft ink. I also sprayed a bit of Vanilla Shimmer Smooch Spritz on it after I ran it through my Big Shot. I then mounted my trick or treat piece onto a piece of DSP from the Wicked Fun collection. After that, I gathered some strips of black waffle paper along the top and bottom using sticky strip tape.

For the bag itself, I used the Midnight Musings jumbo wheel (also from the holiday mini) along the top and bottom.

What a cute and stylish little bag for your little ghoul or goblin this Halloween! Don't forget, for more info on the letterpress plates, check out the tutorial video I posted for Day 3!

See you tomorrow for Day 6 of my Halloween Extravaganza!

Halloween Extravaganza - Day 4

2010-10-04T08:40:00.000-06:00

I am continuing Day 4 of the Halloween Extravaganza with more ideas using the Trick or Treat letterpress plate for the Big Shot. This time, I used the letterpress plate for a card. The image on the plate just happens to be the perfect size for a card front! :o)

Again, I used Basic Black craft ink and watercolor paper. This time, however, I treated my paper before printing the image. I did a wash on the watercolor paper using my watercolor crayons. Then I used my color spritzer while the paper was still wet to add splashes of color. This created a subtle bleeding effect into the watercolor wash.

Check out yesterday's post for more on the letterpress plates! And stay tuned for Day 5 tomorrow - I'll have one more project using them! :o)

Halloween Extravaganza - Day 3

2010-10-03T10:26:00.002-06:00

Day 3 of my Halloween Extravaganza features a really neat idea for a grown-up treat! Why not decorate a wine bottle for your favorite wine aficionados?

For my wine bottle, I used the Trick or Treat letterpress plate from the Holiday Mini Catalog. This is such a neat, new product! Check out the bottom of this post for a great Stampin' Up! video tutorial on how to use our new letterpress plates!

For my label, I used the Trick or Treat letterpress plate with Basic Black craft ink on watercolor paper. I also used my color spritzer tool (nicknamed "Squishy") and my markers to apply splashes of Cajun Craze, Pumpkin Pie and More Mustard. I finished it off with a couple of spritzes of Gold Glow Smooch Spritz. I inked the edges in black and layered it on a mat of Cajun Craze before applying it to the bottle with Sticky Strip tape.

The stamps used in this project are from the House of Haunts stamp set. My hanging tag was made using the same inking techniques I used for the label. I punched it out with our new Decorative label punch from the Holiday Mini.

For the tag that goes around the neck of the bottle, I used the Two Tags SU Bigz die, and stamped my image on it. The I used my 1-3/8" circle punch to punch a hole in the scalloped end for thew neck of the wine bottle. I used my 1-3/4" scallop circle punch and 1-3/8" circle punch to make the black accent.

Lastly, I stamped the pumpkin and punched it out with my 1-1/4" circle punch for the top of the wine bottle.

Here is a great video tutorial from Stampin' Up! that tells you all about our new letterpress plates and how to use them!

See you all tomorrow for Day 4!

Halloween Extravaganza - Day 2

2010-10-02T10:00:00.001-06:00

Day 2 of the Halloween Extravaganza features one of the projects we'll be making at the upcoming Stamp Camp!

I CASEd this fabulous idea from fellow demo (and Founder's Circle attendee), Deb Valder! We'll be making the luminary on the right at stamp camp... so no detail for this post today... you'll have to come to Stamp Camp to learn how to make it! (Aren't I just a stinker!) ;o)

See you tomorrow for more Halloween treats! :o)

Halloween Extravaganza - Day 1

2010-10-01T12:13:00.002-06:00

I am kicking off my Halloween Extravaganza with one of the projects we made at club last month!

These sour cream treat-holders are just perfect when you are pressed for time and need to make several at one time! They are so simple!

There is an excellent tutorial here on SCS for these quick and easy treats! Check back tomorrow for Day 2 of the Halloween Extravaganza! I'll be giving you a sneak peek at one of the Stamp Camp projects!

Supplies used: "Wicked Cool" stamp set; "Wicked Fun" Specialty DSP; Pumpkin Pie patterned DSP (retired); 1-3/4" Scallop Circle Punch; 1-3/8" Circle Punch; Spider Web Embossing Folder; Ribbon: "Raven" 1/2" Lace Trim, Concord Crush 1/2" Stitched-Poly Ribbon, Rich Razzleberry 3/8" Taffeta Ribbon; Paper Crimper; Crop-a-dile

I'm back!!! :o)

2010-10-01T11:38:00.001-06:00

Hello all my wonderful blog-world friends! I'm so sorry I have not posted in such a long time! This month was very hectic for me... I was so amazingly blessed to attend Founder's Circle in St. George, UT and spent a lot of time leading up to the event preparing 135 swaps! It was well worth the time and energy, though... I got back some of the most AMAZING cards I have ever seen from the top demos in the US and Canada! I can't wait to share photos from my trip and the swap! Stay tuned... they'll be up soon!

Upon my return from FC, I had a huge project due at work that absorbed just about all of my time. I finished the project yesterday, so I am ready to get rollin' and play catch-up over here! Today, I am going to debut a "Halloween Extravaganza" where I will be posting 1 Halloween project or card per day for the next 2 weeks! (Can you believe it's already OCTOBER?!?!?)

Also, don't forget about our upcoming Stamp Camp this weekend! It's going to be so much fun with so many amazing holiday projects on the agenda!! Make sure you register early for the fee discount, and be ready to come have fun AND win some prizes! See you there!

Finally, I am on the fence about having a project class this month... but if I decide to, I will announce it in the next day or two... so stay tuned for that as well!

It's Stamp Camp Time!!!

2010-09-08T00:35:00.002-06:00

Once again it is time for the exciting 8th Annual Holiday Stamp Camp in El Paso, Texas!A group of local Stampin' Up! Demonstrators will be hosting a fun filled day full of card and project making for all of the upcoming holidays. Make plans to join us today!

Saturday October 9, 2010

11:00 AM to 5:00 PM

$30.00 for early registration

$35.00 the day of the event

(all fees are non-refundable)

Lunch will be served!

Click Here to download the flyer and registration form!

Space is limited, so reserve your spot today!

We'll Have Lots of Door Prizes and 3 Raffles
(Including a HUGE Big Shot package!!!)

ETA: Although the camp is scheduled from 11-5, the format is such that you can work at your own pace! We have provided a long time frame for those who may work slower and want plenty of time to finish their projects. We have 10 projects planned... it's going to be a blast!!! No need to bring supplies... all materials will be provided!

FREE Greenhouse Gala Craft Tote!

2010-09-02T08:00:00.001-06:00

Imagine sharing your love of Stampin’ Up! with this stylish and practical tote, patterned after our Greenhouse Gala Designer Series Paper and large enough to carry 12" x 12" card stock and a Paper Cutter, as well as punches, ink pads, and accessories. And with two Starter Kits to choose from—Standard and Digital—at a brand-new lower kit price, there’s never been a better time to join the Stampin’ Up! family.

September 1 through October 18, receive a FREE craft tote—a $39.95 value—when you join Stampin’ Up!® as a demonstrator!

CONTACT ME TODAY TO GET STARTED WITH THIS TOTE-ALLY AWESOME OPPORTUNITY!

Download Starter Kit Flyer | Click Here to Join my Team

Enter code VJF0509 to join!

My First Diaper Cake!

2010-08-17T22:04:00.001-06:00

This last weekend, I attended my first baby shower in over 6 years, so I jumped at the chance to make my very first diaper cake! I really enjoyed putting this lovely little creation together!

I created a topper for the cake using the "Baby Bundle" and "Occasional Quotes" stamp sets, the scallop circle die and the perfect polka dots embossing folder for the big shot. The color scheme for the cake was a combination of Pink Pirouette and Certainly Celery.

I rolled up little baby socks into rosettes and places them around the cake:

I added several bows around each tier and accented each layer with the SU Basic Rhinestones Jewel Accents:

I love my SU-created custom "handmade by" stamp... just perfect for those projects that involve a bit more than just stamping! ;o)

I also created a card that matches the cake topper:

Such a fun project to make! Can't wait to make one again! :o)

August Club Projects

2010-08-15T14:16:00.001-06:00

Here are the club projects we did this month...

This first project we did is a beautiful wedding card using the Elegant Lines embossing folder and a debossed/letterpress effect.

To do this technique, you open the embossing folder and then use your brayer to ink up the flat side with the grooves (not the raised side with the ridges). You do not have to apply very much ink. In fact, too much ink will make the finished product look messy. Carefully place your card stock into the embossing folder onto the raised side and close, then run it through the Big Shot. I did a few experiments with this technique, and found when it comes to using white card stock, glossy yields the best result.

For our card, we used Baja Breeze classic ink and then added some sparkle with some vanilla smooch. We finished off with some rhinestones.

The sentiment was stamped using the Word Play stamp set in Elegant Eggplant and then punched out with the heart punch. We also used Certainly Celery 5/8" satin ribbon - and the color combination was beautiful!

Our second project was a school planner. For the cover, we took a 8-1/4" x 11" piece of Basic Black card stock and scored it at 4" and 4-1/4" to create the spine. We folded it closed at one of the creases and cut into the spine to create the pencil holder.

The cover was made with a collage of various stamps: the Medallion background stamp, and stamps from the Exteme Elements stamp set. We stamped the "To Do" phrase using the Rough Type alphabet set in the summer mini. We sprayed a little Silver Foil Smooch to finish off our "grungy" look.

The color scheme we used for this project was Basic Black, Basic Gray, Tempting Turquoise and Pear Pizzaz.

I have provided the files below which I created to use with the school planner. They are in editable Microsoft Word format so you may feel free to change colors, text, etc. for your own use.

Click Here to download the weekly planner file in Word 2007 format.

Click Here to download the calendar in Word 2007 format.

"I want a Monster Truck Birthday, Mommy!"

2010-08-09T21:11:00.002-06:00

When I asked my soon-to-be three year old son what kind of birthday party he wanted this year, he enthusiastically replied "Monster Truck Party!" And he has been reminding me of it ever since.

Well, we always end up combining whatever theme he has with a "Luau" theme to go with our Hawaiian-themed back yard (as well as the loads of Luau party supplies I've collected over the years), so here's what I came up with for his birthday invitations:

Of course, I had to use some smooch on the truck and the sand... it had a stunning effect!

I used lots of current and retired stamp sets: Tropical Party, Party This Way, All in the Family, Just Surfing, Introducing, and Beautiful Batik. I used Tangerine Tango, Pacific Point, Kiwi Kiss and Wild Wasabi as my color scheme.

Banner Birthday Card

2010-08-07T15:15:00.006-06:00

Just a quick share on a birthday card I made today using the "Party this way" stamp set. I love this set and bought it specifically for doing mini-banners! (I've noticed they're all the rage in the paper crafting world right now) ;o).

The color scheme I used was Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight, Wild Wasabi, Marina Mist and Perfect Plum.

An unexpected surprise!

2010-07-26T22:31:00.004-06:00

I was so excited to learn from my upline, Alecia Connelly, that I was awarded one of 15 "Rising Star" awards at the Stampin' Up convention last week! It was completely unexpected, and I was a bit shocked (for a day or two) because I had no idea I was even a contender for such an award! What REALLY blows my mind, is that I'll be heading to St. George, UT to "The Founders Circle" retreat in September to hob-nob with Shelli and the top demos in the company... yikes! I am so nervous! LOL

But, I guess if one thing needs to be said, it's this... "To my husband, my upline (Alecia), my customers and my downline.... THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART!!!" I certainly could not have gotten this award without you!!!

((((HUGS)))))!

Recent Card Swaps

2010-07-26T22:20:00.005-06:00

In addition to the card we used in this month's club projects, here are two more cards I submitted for a swap with some of my fellow demonstrators!

This card uses the Level 2 hostess set, "Cute by the Inch" as well as the lovely hummingbird in the "Elements of Style" set. There's also a bit of Greenhouse Gala DSP on there!

This next card uses the "Friends Never Fade" set from the new IBC and features several of the new (and retuning) colors: Melon Mambo, Tangerine Tango, Daffodil Delight, Wild Wasabi and Pacific Point. The sentiment was so fun to do! I used my sponge daubers to create a blend of all my colors then stamped the image on top in Basic Black. This is a great image to use this technique on!

July Club Projects

2010-07-26T22:03:00.004-06:00

Sorry I've been so scarce on the blog lately! I've had a heavy work schedule to contend with lately and am finally getting around to catching my breath!

Here are the club projects we completed this month!

First, we altered this giant clothespin by covering it with the Newsprint DSP and distressing the edges with Crumb Cake and Soft Suede ink:

The tags were all made from the "Artistic Etchings" stamp set in the new IBC. We used the corner rounder punch to round the corners and set eyelets in each one with the Crop-a-dile. We threaded all of them on some 1/8" Basic Black taffeta ribbon and tied it through the inside of the clothespin. It makes a very lovely note or photo holder!

Our second project was a card we made using the "Because I Care" Level 1 hostess set. I also submitted this same card design in a recent swap I participated in:
The card featured two of the new in-colors: Blushing Bride and Pear Pizazz. We used the exclusive Stampin' Up embossing folder: Elegant Bouquet and ran a piece of vellum card stock through the Big Shot. Then, we stamped the hydrangea and it's loose blooms in the un-embossed area. After giving it a few minutes to dry, we turned the vellum over and used markers and blender pens to color in the flowers and stem. We stamped a background on the Blushing Bride card stock before adhering the vellum on top of it. We used the new Smooch Illuminate Top Coat Accent Ink on the raised portion of the embossed image to finish off the card front.

It's a new year...

2010-07-01T09:17:00.005-06:00

How exciting! Today marks the begining of a new Stampin' Up! year with the debut of the brand new, gorgeous 2010-2011 Idea Book and Catalog! I have updated all of my catalog links on the sidebar of my blog to include all new catalog editions. Be sure to check them all out!

Christmas in July "Stamp a Stack"!

2010-06-28T20:02:00.003-06:00

Get a jump start on your Christmas card making this year!

By the time you leave this class, you will have 10 different Christmas cards (pictured above) in your hands and will have learned the secrets of the "One Sheet Wonder" technique!

Date: Thursday, July 29
Time: 6:00 – 9:00 PM
Place: My Home

Cost is $20 per person* and will include all supplies (including envelopes) and the tutorial to duplicate the One Sheet Wonder technique on your own!

Use this same technique to whip up quick Birthday Cards, Thank You Cards, or any other card set… right on the spot!

Space is limited, so contact me today if you would like to attend!

Payment is required in advance to guarantee a spot in the class and is non-refundable. Payment can be mailed or dropped off in the form of cash or a check. I will also accept paypal.

* Registration fee discounts are available to anyone placing an order. See me for more details.

June Club Projects

2010-06-24T22:58:00.003-06:00

I'm finally back from vacation so I can post the projects we made in club this month!

First, we made a card featuring the Watercolor Trio set from the summer mini, as well as the beautiful color combination of Chocolate Chip, So Saffron, Pretty in Pink and Certainly Celery. And what's that I spy??? *gasp!* It's a preview item from the next IBC!!! ;o)

The neat-o thing about THIS card is it has a tear-out bookmark in it! How cool is that?!? What a perfect card to give along with a book! :o)

You can find the tutorial for the bookmark card on SCS here!

Secondly, we made a Fourth of July Acetate Box using the Red, White and Blue jumbo wheel - also from the summer mini. An acetate box tutorial can be found on SCS here. I differed our version slightly by making it a bit taller and adding a "wrap-around" piece. For that piece, we rolled the jumbo wheel (using Real red ink) twice - once on Real Red Cardstock and again on whisper white. We used the Real red piece to wrap around the box, and then cut out phrases from the Whisper white piece and placed them over their matching phrases on the Real Red CS using stampin' dimensionals.

What a fun treat box! What would YOU fill it with for your 4th of July gathering? :o)

I love when an idea catches on!

2010-05-27T22:09:00.002-06:00

Last month, we made some very neat flowers using the scallop circle punch, and I was so happy to see some of my club members take this idea to a whole new level!

Shanna made this adorable flower arrangement for her mom, Lillie, using the larger scallop circle dies as well as the Beautiful Butterflies! Isn't it lovely!

Michelle made this gorgeous necklace and used the scallop flower as an accent. I love this idea!

Thanks so much ladies for sharing your ideas with us!!!

Dude Cards

2010-05-26T22:06:00.002-06:00

I think one of the toughest things (when it comes to card making) is coming up with ideas for the guys. So, for my last club I created some of these masculine themed cards to spark some ideas!

This one is a CASE from Split Coast Stampers:

Stamps used: Woodgrain background stamp, Totally Tool

I followed this tutorial on SCS to get this next card, then added a little Vanilla Shimmer Smooch Spritz on top:

Stamps Used: Lovely as a Tree, Define Your Life

This next one is another one using the brayer technique. I used black cardstock for the ground and stamped the sentiment in White Craft ink then sponged some chalks on top for the gradient effect:

Stamps Used: Pocket Silhouettes, Wanted, Heard from the Heart

I used this last one in a Swap with the Sun City Stampers. Of course, more Smooch Spritz (Have I mentioned I LOVE that stuff?), and the square lattice embossing folder makes another appearance! I think it's a great masculine texture!

Stamps Used: Motorcycle, Teeny Tiny Wishes

May Club Projets

2010-05-26T22:04:00.002-06:00

Here's the projects from the May club!

We did a Father's Day card using the "King of the Grill" stamp set from the Summer Mini, as well as a great Emboss-resist technique with the Big Shot Square Lattice Embossing folder. (Thanks to my upline, Alecia Connelly, for teaching me this awesome technique!)

Click Here to download full supply list and instructions.

Next, for National Scrapbooking month, we did a mini album made with envelopes and pull-out journaling cards! It featured the gorgeous "Elements of Style" stamp set. I added my photos and the punched sentiments (using "In a Word" stamp set) to show how the album can look completed and with additional embellishments.

Here you can see how the journaling cards pull out from behind each photo:

Click Here to download the complete supply list and instructions.

Magic Birthday Card

2010-05-25T22:03:00.000-06:00

Just a quick post of a birthday card I made for my niece using "A Little Bit of Magic" stamp set and of course, lots of Smooch Spritz.:o)

One creative family!

2010-05-25T22:02:00.000-06:00

I don't think I've ever heard of such a creative family, lol! I often post the amazing work by my favorite mother/daughter team, Lillie & Shanna, and last month I even posted a card Lillie's son (Jeremy) made. Well, now they've gone and done it again... the whole family dove in for Jeremy's birthday - even Dad!

Lillie's mom made this awesome card!:

Here's Lillie's gorgeous creation!:

Shanna's card is just absolutely stunning!:

And I just died when I saw the one from their dad... I guess a little background is in order. Jeremy and his dad are big gamers, so he took some screen shots of their characters playing their favorite zombie killer game and he came up with this:

That's just hilarious! :o)

AWF & Summer Mini Card Swap

2010-05-21T22:01:00.000-06:00

Here are some card swaps I did a while back using the Awash with Flowers set and products from the summer mini:

Stamps Used: Awash with Flowers, Wonderful Favorites; Color Scheme: Melon Mambo, Wild Wasabi. Tempting Turquoise, Tangerine Tango

Stamps Used: Tropical Party, Rough Type; DSP: Island Oasis; Color Scheme: Chocolate Chip, Kraft, Tempting Turquoise, Pumpkin Pie, So Saffron, Rose Red, Old Olive; Big Shot Square Lattice Embossing Folder

Stamps Used: A Little Bit of Magic; DSP: Cottage Wall; Color Scheme: Rich Razzleberry, Orchid Opulence, Old Olive, Confetti White; Smooch Spritz in Vanilla Shimmer

I absolutely love Love LOVE using the smooch spritz! :o)

Some serious kiddo creativity!

2010-05-10T20:31:00.002-06:00

After my clubs last month, I still had several of my supplies out and when my nieces and their friends came over I just let them go at it with the supplies I had out. Their ages ranged from 6 to 12 and I loved seeing all the neat little creative things they came up with. :o)

National Scrapbooking Month Promo!

2010-05-01T08:36:00.003-06:00

Promotion Dates: May 1-31, 2010

Promotion Details:

May is National Scrapbooking Month -- what better way to celebrate than with a fabulous promotion!

For the month of May: purchase a qualifying scrapbooking stamp set or the My Digital Studio software and receive a FREE package of Designer brads--choose from four designs!

Qualifying products and Designer brads are listed below:

Stamp sets

Page	Description	Wood-Mount Item	Wood-Mount Price	Clear-Mount Item	Clear-Mount Price
81	Extreme Elements	115181	$26.95	---	---
119	Framed with Love**	114389	$27.95	---	---
128	Certified**	113706	$27.95	---	---
129	Circle Circus	115778	$28.95	---	---
12*	Elements of Style	118611	$27.95	120045	$19.95
13*	Mementos	119910	$27.95	120105	$19.95
13*	Elements de style	119900	$27.95	120099	$19.95
14*	Rough Type	118659	$26.95	120072	$18.95
22*	Sentimental Journey	118513	$23.95	120075	$17.95
25*	First Day	118521	$23.95	120051	$17.95
25*	Camino a la Escuela	120152	$23.95	120154	$17.95

*From Summer Mini Catalog

**Last Chance stamp set! **Last Chance stamp set!

My Digital Studio software

Page	Description	Item	Price
32*	My Digital Studio	118108	$79.95

*From Summer Mini Catalog

Designer brads

Page	Description	Item	Retail Price	Price with Qualifying Purchase
179	Flower Designer brads	112579	$5.95	FREE
179	Filigree Designer brads	112577	$5.95	FREE
179	Circle Designer brads	112571	$5.95	FREE
179	Star Designer brads	112572	$5.95	FREE

April Club Projects

2010-04-30T08:30:00.006-06:00

Here are the April Club project we completed for Mother's Day!

A simple, but beautiful card using the Awash with Flowers Stamp set:

And some very fun flower pins which I learned to make from my upline, Alecia Connelly!

The technique is super simple... punch your desired colors out of card stock using the scallop circle punch, spray the pieces with water and crumple them up, then open them up and put them on a brad. Finally, arrange each layer and let dry!

Personally, I have made several of these and I love to wear them on headbands! :o)

Elements of Style

2010-04-30T08:30:00.005-06:00

I love the Elements of Style stamp set in the new summer mini, as well as the Lattice embossing folder! Needless to say, they were the first two things I played with after receiving my mini pre-order in the mail!

Color Renovation Activity Board

2010-04-16T11:13:00.003-06:00

This is the idea I came up with for introducing the new color collections to my club members - A Color Renovation Activity Board! It features the 4 new color families and the retiring colors. Once the new in-colors are announced and I receive them, I will make a new section with butterflies to replace the section with the retiring colors.

The board itself is a tri-fold project board that I set up to sit up at an angle to make it easier to play with. I placed eyelets and cord through the edges of the outer flaps to help the board stay in this position:

I created print outs for each color family (links provided below) and then stamped each color (except for the new colors - which I do not have ink for yet) using the Flight of the Butterfly Stamp set. Then I punched each color of card stock using the butterfly punch and added a bit of re-positionable adhesive to the center back of each butterfly to place over the stamped images:

Here are some close-up of how the 4 color family sections turned out:

And here's the retiring color section. It only consists of stamped images using the small butterfly. I also included the 3 retiring in-colors at the bottom:

Now, here's the fun part! I created a blank page so that you can remove each of the butterflies (remember, they have re-positionable adhesive on the backs) and create different color combinations using the new color palette:

Here's a few examples (from left to right): (1) Baja Breeze, Crumb Cake and Wild Wasabi; (2) Rose Red, Marina Mist and Early Espresso; and (3) Cherry Cobbler, Pacific Point and Daffodil Delight:

When a butterfly is removed, you can see the stamped image remains to help with re-placement:

Also, on the back of each butterfly, I wrote the color name and family it belongs to - to also help with re-placement:

Overall, I think this is a really neat way to get familiar and excited about the new colors coming out in July. I've already had lots of fun playing around with it! :o)

For any of the demos out there who would like to download the files I created to make your own Color Renovation Board, here they are!

Brights | Subtles | Regals | Naturals | Retiring Colors

You can also use these files to just simply create color-chart handouts and stamp/punch whatever images you like!

Note: The only thing I would have done differently (and I may re-do it this way) is to laminate the sections. But sheesh... that means I have to go dig out my laminator from the attic! yikes!

It's a Color Renovation!!!

2010-04-06T21:11:00.009-06:00

I am so darn excited!!! Stampin' Up! just announced that starting with the new IBC in July, we will have a brand new, super trendy, and amazingly fresh color palette to work with! This is BIG news!!! And here they are:

(Click Here to view PDF)

In summary, there are now only 4 main color groups made up of 10 colors each: Brights, Neutrals, Regals and Subtles.

TEN current and previous in-colors are making a permanent come-back! They are: Pink Pirouette, Melon Mambo, Rich Razzleberry, Pacific Point, Baja Breeze, Wild Wasabi, River Rock, Tangerine Tango, Riding Hood Red and Soft Suede!

There are SIX(ish) brand-new colors: Marina Mist, Daffodil Delight, Cajun Craze, Cherry Cobbler, Early Espresso and Crumb Cake (formerly Kraft)!

We will still have in-colors in sets of 5 which will now stick around for 2 years instead of just one! BUT a new set will be introduced EVERY year... so this means when the 2011-2012 IBC gets introduced next year there will be 10 in-colors to play with!

With this exciting news, of course, comes the sad news that 30 colors are retiring. So.... if one or two of these colors happens to be YOUR favorite, make sure you stock up on those color supplies before July!

Also, there will be some really amazing package deals available in July allowing you to grab the new colors to complete the new color families with your existing supplies (i.e. watercolor crayons, marker sets, pastels, etc.). So stay tuned!!!

I can't wait to play with these beautiful new colors! Way to go SU!!! :o)

Mother's Day/Easter Swap

2010-04-06T19:48:00.002-06:00

Last month I participated in a swap with some of my fellow demos... sorry I'm just getting around to posting these... but I just had to share! :o) I love them all!!!

Big Shot/Felt Gift Bags

2010-04-04T11:28:00.002-06:00

I recently made these cute felt bags for a Mother's Day swap with some fellow SU demos using the Baskets & Blooms XL Die. I trimmed off the extra "tab" and sewed them together on my machine using a gradiated thread. I used the extra large flower punch for the tag after stamping a background with the French Filigree background stamp and the "Wonderful Mother" stamp from the Well Scripted stamp set.

These little bags are perfect for holding small gifts (like jewelry & gift cards) and they were super-fast and super-fun to make!

Butterfly Birthday Card

2010-04-04T11:24:00.000-06:00

Here's a quick birthday card I made recently using the Birthday Bliss and Butterfly Accent stamps. I used watercolor paper as my base, and I love how it turned out! :o)

Colors used: Elegant Eggplant, Bermuda Bay, Green Galore, Only Orange & Melon Mambo.

So Proud (again!) :o)

2010-04-04T11:23:00.001-06:00

More beautiful work to brag about from my clubbie, Lillie... and her son!

She made this beautiful card for her daughter!

AND her son made this awesome card!:

(I think we need to sign him up for club!) :o)

March Club Projects

2010-03-28T11:20:00.005-06:00

So sorry these are coming along so late! I haven't been feeling too well!

Here's an Easter card we made highlighting our punches and a really neat-o effect I learned from fellow SU demo, Gretchen Barron! It's an emboss-resist technique using the Bride specialty paper!

Click Here for the full list of supplies and instructions!

We also used the Big shot and the Top Note & Milk Carton Dies to make a very cute easter treat! The idea was inspired by Kari Metzger! We stamped it using the Hostess Level 2 set in the Occasions Mini (Picnic Parade). This is a great clear mount set to demonstrate the ability to use multiple images on one block!

Click Here for a full set of instructions and supplies used!

Acetate Milk Cartons & Holder

2010-03-21T11:21:00.002-06:00

I had so much fun making this Easter gift using the milk carton die with some acetate! I purchased a very handy tutorial for this from fellow SU Demo, Becky Roberts! She does really great work in her easy-to-follow tutorials!

Main Supplies used: Eggcoutrements stamp set (Occasions Mini); Thick Acetate Sheets; Big Shot; Mini Milk Carton Die

So Proud! :o)

2010-03-01T14:24:00.003-07:00

I love showing off the work that my club ladies do! Here are some beautiful creations by Lillie & Erin!

February Club Projects

2010-02-26T08:24:00.008-07:00

I am definitely a little late posting this, but I had to jet out of town the day after club and had a very very busy week in Tampa! I am sitting at the airport right now ready to head home and figured I better get crackin'! Things can always get a little crazy for a few days at home after returning from a long trip!

We had a lot of fun this month and made this very beautiful easel card using the Vintage Vogue stamp set from the Occasions mini:

We used the baby wipe technique on the "F" as well as some distressing techniques to add to the vintage look.

Supplies used: Vintage Vogue & En Francais stamp sets; Ink: Bermuda Bay, Elegant Eggplant, Melon Mambo, Sahara Sand, Soft Suede; Scallop Trim Border punch

My idea for our second project came from my upline, Alecia Connelly. We did this super cute (and easy) project at our demo meeting!

This project was just tooooooooooo easy! We took a piece of Glorious Green CS cut with the Scalloped Square Big Shot die and scored it as such:

After folding your score lines, the little bugger practically folds itself! Add some punched holes, at each corner, a little ribbon, a stamped tag, and some kisses and you're done! :o)

Supplies used: Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set; Glorious Green Card Stock & Ink; Modern Label Punch; Big Shot/Scalloped Square die

January Club Projects

2010-01-21T02:02:00.002-07:00

Here are the projects we did at this month's clubs! I CASE'ed both ideas from Joanne Travis at SleepyInSeatle.net!

A very cute n' quick V-Day treat using the Big Shot pillow box die and the new polka dots impressions folder:

Click Here for a PDF of the full supply list and deets!

I love using things like glitter with our treat cups!

On the inside, we got to use the "Love U" stencil set from the new Definitely Decorative mini!

Click Here for the full supply list and deets!

V-Day Treats

2010-01-21T02:01:00.001-07:00

Just a few Valentine's Day goodies I put together and the last few weeks. Enjoy! :o)

Supplies: Sweetheart and Something Sweet stamp sets; CS - Melon Mambo (textured) and Whisper White; Ink - Melon Mambo and Frosted Shimmer Paint; Melon Mambo Grosgrain Ribbon; Square Rhinestone Brads (Fire); Full Heart Punch

Supplies: Sweetheart Stamp Set; Heart Treat Cups; CS - Whisper White, Real Red, and Pretty in Pink; Ink - Real Red; 1" Double Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon - Real Red; Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Folder

Supplies: Sweetheart, I {Heart} Hearts and Tiny Tags Stamp Sets; CS - Ruby Red, Cameo Coral, Kraft & Whisper White; Ink - Ruby Red, Chocolate Chip, Garden Green; Cameo Coral; Full Heart and Heart to Heart Punches; Chocolate Chip Corduroy Buttons; Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Folder

I CASE'ed this next card's layout from someone, somewhere... but I honestly cannot remember who! If you recognize this creation, please let me know so I can link up some credit!

Supplies: Vintage Labels SAB Stamp Set; CS - So Saffron, Certainly Celery, Whisper White; Ink - Chocolate Chip, Certainly Celery, Pretty in Pink (marker); Scallop Circle Punch; Pearl Accent - Pretties Kit; Shades of Spring DSP; Beautiful Wings Embosslits Die; Little Leaves Sizzlits Die

Sweet Pea Birthday Card

2010-01-21T02:00:00.003-07:00

Here's a little birthday card I did for my BFF. I Love our new DSP stack and the matching felties! :o)

Supplies: Well Scripted and Dot Dot Dot stamps; Sweet Pea DSP; CS: So Saffron, Rose Red, Whisper White; Ink: Old Olive, Pretty in Pink; Sweet Pea Stitched Felt; Chocolate Chip Satin Ribbon; Wide Oval Punch

SAB and Occassions Mini Card Swaps

2010-01-05T20:10:00.003-07:00

I participated in a card swap last month featuring new products from the Occasions Mini and Sale-a-Bration catalogs! (For the background on all the pics, I used the new DSP paper stack from the Occasions Mini - I love this paper!!!)

These were a lot of fun to do - and I look forward to swapping again in the future! (Ingredients in Bold are new items used from the SAB and OM catalogs)

Ingredients: “I {Heart} Hearts” Stamp Set; Cardstock (Bermuda Bay, Pretty in Pink, Whisper White); Classic Ink (Melon Mambo); Polka Dot Grosgrain Ribbon (Crushed Curry); Welcome Neighbor DSP; Heart to Heart Punch; Full Heart Punch

Ingredients: “Well Scripted” Stamp Set; Cardstock (Certainly Celery, Chocolate Chip, Kraft, Cameo Coral, Naturals White); Classic Ink (Chocolate Chip); Linen Thread; Corduroy Buttons (Chocolate Chip); Scalloped Heart of Hearts Embosslits Die; Scallop Trim Border Punch

Ingredients: “Vintage Labels” Stamp Set; Cardstock (Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive, Kraft); Classic Ink (Crushed Curry, Pumpkin Pie); ¼” Grosgrain Ribbon (Pumpkin Pie); Welcome Neighbor DSP; Big Shot Movers & Shapers XL Die w/ Curly Label accessory; SU! Perfect Details Texturz Plate (Pattern #2); Curly Label Punch; Scallop Trim Border Punch

Ingredients: “I {Love} Love” Stampin’ Wheel & “Short & Sweet” Stamp Set; Cardstock (Pretty in Pink, Real Red, Orchid Opulence & Whisper White); Watercolor Paper; Watercolor Pencils; Classic Ink (Orchid Opulence); Versamark Ink; White Embossing Powder; Pretty in Pink Satin Ribbon; Full Heart Punch; Big Shot Movers & Shapers XL Die w/ Heart accessory

Ingredients: “Vintage Labels” Stamp Set; Cardstock (Whisper White, Melon Mambo, Old Olive); Classic Ink (Old Olive, Melon Mambo); Welcome Neighbor DSP; 5/8” Grosgrain Ribbon (Old Olive); Clear Rhinestone Brads; Wide Oval Punch; Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Folder; Beautiful Wings Embosslits Die

Ingredients: “Something Sweet” & “Priceless” Stamp Sets; Cardstock (Certainly Celery, So Saffron, Orchid Opulence & Whisper White); “Shades of Spring" DSP; Classic Ink (Orchid Opulence, Pretty in Pink, So Saffron, Certainly Celery); Pretty in Pink Satin Ribbon; 1-3/4” Circle Punch; SU! Beautiful Wings Embosslits Die; Sweet Treats Cups; Corner Rounder Punch; Circle Fire Rhinestone Brads (Pink); Crystal Iris Glitter

But Wait! There's More!

2010-01-05T20:04:00.001-07:00

Just when you thought it couldn't get any better... there's also a new mini catalog available for the Decor Elements product line!

Click Here to view the catalog addition in PDF format to see these gorgeous new products for your home!

Heart Treat Cups

2010-01-05T20:00:00.002-07:00

I'm so excited about the new heart treat cups and the matching stamp set! Hmmm.... I think I'll have to break these out for club this month! :o)

Click Here to view the Heart Treat Cups flyer!

Exciting News in the Occasions Mini!

2010-01-05T18:01:00.013-07:00

The new Occasions mini is definitely one of the best ever--with fabulous new products to suit any crafter!

Two new hostess sets!

Wow! New Level One and Level Two Hostess Sets to Choose from! Aren't they adorable???

Clear-mount stamps!

Now you have a choice! Enjoy the same high-quality rubber and foam you’ve grown to love on our wood-mount stamps in a new clear-mount stamp option!

New to stamping? Need to save on storage space? Want to mix and match your images on any clear block? Our repositionable clear-mount stamps offer you an ideal solution!

New Punch Design!

Starting with the new 2010 Occasions Mini Catalog and continuing with all new punch designs going forward, Stampin' Up! has adopted a new body style for our punches!

A few features of the new punch style:

Low-profile, rectangular punch body allows for easier stacking and storing
Punches lock shut for easier storage and transport
Dual labels on top and end allow for easy identification and selection when stored
Available in three sizes: small, medium, and extra-large
New punches allow for larger punched images and more intricate designs while providing greater ease of use.
Extra -large punch images also allow for two-step designs like the Two-Step Bird punch in the Occasions Mini Catalog
Corner punches allow you to punch a corner design along the inside edges of a page, not just corners
larger, whole-hand handle design provides better leverage for easier use
Available in an exclusive Stampin' Up! color

Sweet Treat Cups are here to stay!

Yay! These versatile accessories were so popular during the Holiday Mini sales period... so not only will they continue to be available, but there's a brand new stamp set available to coordinate with them! Oh, and if that isn't enough, how about double the bonus... a new shape and additional matching stamp set... HEARTS! :o)

Click Here to view the Heart Treat Cups Flyer!

On Board Books!

Give your creativity shape and capture memories with these little books. Decorate with Designer Series paper, photos, ribbons, and more!

Stitched Felt & a 12x12 Designer Series Paper Stack!

Custom-colored felt pieces add a whimsical touch to your creations and enjoy the mix of colors with fond images of spring in a 48-page pack of Designer Series paper to match!

Simply Adorned is now available!

Our Simply Adorned line beautifully combines the best of two worlds: stamping and jewelry! We designed our Simply Adorned charms to hold a creation you design yourself, making your jewelry truly unique.

Country Living Cards à la Carte Stationary Kit

We've partnered with Country Living® magazine to offer an exclusive stationery kit with 24 sheets of uniquely designed 5-1/2" x 8-1/2" printed paper perfect for a rare handwritten letter, a one-of-a-kind menu, or for adding a bit of style to any crafting project!

Click Here to download the flyer!

And that's not all! You'll find all kinds of new Big Shot dies and a whole new addition to the Build-a-bear line, too!

Click Here to view a PDF version of the Occasions Mini or go to my online store to start browsing through all these amazing new products!

Sale-A-Bration is Here!!!

2010-01-05T17:20:00.006-07:00

It's Sale-A-Bration time again at Stampin' Up! and free product is what it's all about!

Every year Stampin' Up! gives customers, hostesses, and new demonstrators the opportunity to earn fantastic, FREE, limited-edition stamp sets they'll enjoy for years to come.

Here's how Sale-A-Bration works:

Customers

When you spend $50 on Stampin' Up! merchandise, you'll receive a free Sale-A-Bration reward. There's no limit-for every $50 you spend, you can select another free Sale-A-Bration reward! Just Click Here to start shopping and earning your rewards now!

Hostesses

When you host a workshop of at least $300 (before tax and shipping), you'll receive a free Sale-A-Bration reward in addition to all of the regular hostess benefits! Click Here to Contact Me to host a workshop!

New Demonstrators

During Sale-A-Bration, anyone who joins as a demonstrator can choose any stamp set--a value of up to $47.95! Plus, new demonstrator recruits get 15 percent off the Demonstrator Starter Kit! Click Here to sign up and join my team during SAB!

The Sale-A-Bration promotion starts today (Jan 5) and runs through March 31, so don't miss your chance to earn free products! Click Here to view a PDF version of the SAB Brochure that includes all the free products you can earn!