Sneak Peek: Simply Stars

As promised, here is another Sneak Peek look at a new stamp set that is in the 2013-2014 Catalog that begins on May 31. 

Colors: Island Indigo, Summer Starfruit, Coastal Cabana and Whisper White.  Stamps: Simply Stars and Really Good Greetings.  Accessories: Island Indigo Baker's Twine.

This was a quick and simple card I whipped up last evening in between making dinner and a wedding reception we needed to go to for our neighbor's daughter.  I didn't even use my Big Shot.  *GASP* I have been working on some stepped up cards the past few days so it was nice to get back to a quick and easy card.  Now that I look at it, it could have used some texture. 

Stars are one of my favorite shapes.  Stampin' Up! hasn't had a set devoted to stars in a couple of years so I was thrilled when we received this set at the Salt Lake Regionals. I will let you in on a little secret, the larger star shapes fit the old Star Punch that retired last year (or was it the year before?).  So if you held on to that punch, you will be excited to not have to hand cut those stars. 

Just two weeks until the new catalog goes live.  That also means that there are only 2 weeks to get the retiring products you want.  Don't miss out!  Click over to my online store and get those stamps before they are gone for good!

Two Tags Box and Matching Card

The project from the Blog Hop that had the most comments was the Two Tags Box and today I am sharing the details of it with you.

Colors: Certainly Celery, Marina Mist, So So Saffron and Whisper White. Stamps: Just Believe.  Big  Shot: Two Tags Die.  Punches: Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch.  Accessories: So Saffron Taffeta Ribbon, Many Marvelous Markers.

I know I said it during the hop, but I am really sad that this die is going away.  It was one of the first ones I bought that I use all the time.  If you don't have it, get it before it's gone!

I also mentioned on the hop that I used markers to color directly on the stamp to make the frame then cut the image out and stamped a greeting inside.  The So Saffron Taffeta ribbon is also retiring.  I picked up a couple extra rolls of this already because I love So Saffron and I will miss this beautiful ribbon.

This box is made the same way as the Valentines Two Tag Basket I shared back in February.  I linked to a tutorial in that post, but basically you need 2 of the wider tags from the Two Tags Die (for the front and back of the box) and a piece of card stock that is 2-3/4" x 6-3/4" for the sidewalls and "frame" of the box.

• Place the card stock on your score board horizontally and score at 2" and 4-3/4"
• Flip the card stock vertically on your board and score at 1/2" and 2-1/4" 
• Snip along the shorter score lines into the 1/2" score line in all four places and fold along the score lines
• Place Sticky Strip along the tabs and adhere the frame together
• Fold the tags along their score line and place Sticky Strip on the lower portion (this is the time to stamp them now if that is what you want to do)
• Place the back tag on first with the bottom portion adhered to the bottom of the frame then repeat with the front tag
• Decorate your box as desired

There aren't a lot of details to share on the matching card, but in case you wanted the recipe, I've included it:

Colors: Certainly Celery, Marina Mist, Whisper White and Early Espresso.  Stamps: Just Believe.  Punches Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch. 

One of the things I will miss about this set is how easy it is to make quick cards with it.  The images are detailed enough add interest on their own without a lot of help. 

On Friday, I hope to have another sneak peek to share with you so come back then!

Punch Art Santa

Wasn't this weekend's blog hop fabulous?  It has me reconsidering some stamps sets I've overlooked before, even if I won't be able to use them in my business.  If you missed the hop, it is not too late.  The blogs are all deep linked together so you can still follow along, just start here on my blog: Just Believe.

I promised the details on my Punch Art Santa card.  I feel a little silly sharing a Christmas card in May, but this greeting won't be around later in the year when it is time to start sharing Christmas Cards again:

Colors: Cherry Cobbler, Gumball Green, Basic Black, and Very Vanilla.  Stamps: Just believe. Big Shot: Fancy Fan Textured Impressions Embossing Folder.  Punches:  XL Oval (hat), Circle from Itty Bitty Punch Pack (pom pom on hat), Scallop Oval, Large Oval, Cupcake Builder (Eyes), Owl Builder (nose),  Elegant Butterfly (mustache), Ornament (beard), Decorative, Curly and Modern Label. Accessories: Be of Good Cheer Designer Series Paper, Metallic Brads, White Gel Pen.

As you can see from the supply list, I used a plethora of punches to make this card between the Santa and the greeting.  Did you notice the mustache made with the butterfly punch?  I just cut the top of it off to make it. From this list of punches, the only one that isn't carrying over to the next catalog is the ornament punch so if you like the look of the beard on this, get that punch before it's too late.  The Be of Good Cheer Designer Series Paper is also retiring.  I have really enjoyed this paper and will miss it.  I'm already crossing my fingers for an equally awesome holiday Designer Series Paper in the Holiday Catalog.

I personally believe in the magic of Christmas so I love how well this greeting works for a Christmas card.  So don't miss out on this set before it's gone for good.  On Wednesday, I'll be sharing the details of the the box and 3x3 card. I'll see you then!

Stampin' Addicts Blog Hop: Good Bye Just Believe

 

It's Stampin' Addicts Blog Hop time once again!  I love hopping with this group of talented stampers.  This time we are all featuring stamp sets from the retirement list.  If you are hoping in order, than you've arrived here from Tanya's Tinkering in Ink and her fabulous tribute to Dig It. I know I will be missing that stamp set for little boy cards.  If you are starting here, all the blogs are linked together in a circle so you won't miss anything. If you get lost along the way, you can head over to Stampin' Addicts for a complete list of hop stops or just to chat it up.

With such a large retirement list, I had several stamp sets from which to pick.  But I went with Just Believe because it is an old favorite that is simple to use and really quite versatile.  

For my first project, I actually CASEd a card I made a couple of years back with this set.  I switched up the colors to feature (read "use up") retiring Baja Breeze card stock and ribbon and the First Edition Specialty Designer Series Paper.  This is my favorite image from this stamp set because it is so pretty just stamped as a silhouette but could also be colored for a beautiful floral scene. 

For my second project, I wanted to show how easy it is to use this stamp set for some clean and simple cards.  This is a little 3x3 card with a matching envelope featuring another retiring color: Certainly Celery.  I made this card to match the next project:

Another thing on the retirement list that has me heartbroken is the Two Tags Die.  Here I used it to make a little treat box filled with chocolate squares.  I used one of the label stamps from Just Believe and colored it directly with my markers to put a little tag on the front of it.  I added some So Saffron taffeta ribbon to the top (also on the retirement list) of the Certainly Celery and Marina Mist box. I'll be sharing more details on the box and the matching card here on my blog on Wednesday.

My last project is a little more out of the box, although not my original idea.  When this stamp set first came out, this greeting kind of puzzled me: "Some things have to be believed to be seen."  I wasn't sure when I could give a card to a friend that said that.  Then another friend paired it with a Santa stamp and I thought it was just perfect.  Instead of a Santa stamp, (which I don't even own) I've paired it with a punch art Santa and some retiring Designer Series Paper.  Come back on Monday to see all the details of this creation.

Have I convinced you yet that you really should own this stamp set if you don't already?  Then I have done my job. Don't forget to check back her next week to see more details about these projects. Next stop on the hop is Katherine's My Magical Inkery Tour and her tribute to another great stamp set: Kindness Matters.  Happy Hopping.

New Simply Pressed Clay

One of the fun new things coming out in the next catalog is the Simply Pressed Clay and Molds.  I understand that there are other products on the market that are similar but I was not familiar with them so this is the first time I've had a chance to play with it.

The clay is silicon so it is light weight and spongy compared to Play Dough or modeling clay.  It can be died using our Ink Refills so it will match any of our current colors.  Last night, I decided to try it out and make some Coastal Cabana buttons and flowers and this morning I turned the flower into a project:

Colors: Bermuda Bay, Coastal Cabana, Calypso Coral.  Stamps: Flowering Flourishes and Amazing Family.  Big Shot: Large Scallop Edgelit.  Accessories: Simply Pressed Clay and Molds, Whisper White Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon, Essentials Paper Piercing Pack.

I'm going to send this card to my mom for Mother's Day.  Notice the new and returning colors here on my card: Bermuda Bay (old In Color returning), Coastal Cabana (new In Color) and Calypso Coral (current In Color that is staying with us).  These two stamp sets are also carrying over into the new catalog. 


I'm not suppose to show you pictures of products before the new catalog comes out, so I'll just explain what I did instead of show you.  First I put on a neoprene glove to keep my fingers from getting inky.  (I'm allergic to latex, but for those of you who aren't, that would work too).  Then I added a few drops of the Coastal Cabana Ink Refill and massaged it into the clay.  Next, I pressed it into the mold and put it in the freezer.  The freezer helps the clay firm up makes it easier to remove from the mold. The flower only took about 15 minutes.  I needed to leave the buttons in a little longer to make them easier to remove, closer to 30. When you take them out of the mold, they are still really soft and need to dry for several hours. Overnight worked well and they were ready for me to use this morning.

Today, I've featured something new here on my blog.  On Friday, it's time for a Stampin' Addicts blog hop to celebrate all the fabulous stamp sets that aren't carrying over to the new catalog.  Be sure to check back then.

MDS Monday: Save 25% until June 15

Time for another random MDS Monday.  In case you missed the news a few weeks back, Stampin' Up! significantly dropped the price of MDS.  It is now only $19.95 and it includes a boat load of downloads for that low, low price.  And to make MDS even sweeter, from now until June 15, Stampin' Up! is offering 25% off select downloads and print products.  I am hoping I can take advantage of this sale to get a few things printed.  Everyone cross your fingers for me. :)

One of the albums I am working on right now celebrates my "Year of a Dozen Dreams."  Last year, I hit a certain milestone birthday and my fabulous family (well, mostly my wonderful husband) indulged me all year long with several special trips, experiences and gifts -- a dozen dreams.  This year my husband hits the same milestone and so far, I haven't been nearly as good about indulging him, but I have a few months to make it up to him.

For this album, I am using the Convention 2012 Photobook Template which is just one of the many templates that are on sale right now.  I love the chalkboard look of this template.

Convention 2012 Photobook Template for My Digital Studio

I have significantly altered it, since I am documenting a year of indulgence instead of convention but that is one of the great things about these templates, you can change them to suit your needs.  Here is one of the spreads I've completed:

All elements from the Convention 2012 Photobook Template. 

I will also be teaching a class on the basics of My Digital Studio on Saturday, May 25 at 10 a.m. at my house in Farmington if anyone is interested.  The class is free for anyone who has purchased My Digital Studio from me or $20 in downloads.  If you just want to come see what it's all about, it's $5.  Bring your laptop for some hands on experience. 

Don't forget there is also a free trial version of My Digital Studio for you to try for 30 days.  Even if you have downloaded the trial for the old version, you can get another trial for the new version. 

Spring Means Graduation Time

When I was putting together my Spring Fling Buffet, I knew I needed to offer a graduation card.  After all, this can be the biggest spring occasion if you happen to have a loved one finishing high school or college.  But I have to admit, this one had me stumped.  I kept trying different things and nothing was panning out.  Then I had an A-HA moment (love it when inspiration hits at just the right time):

Colors: Summer Starfruit, Basic Black, and Very Vanilla.  Stamps: Blue Ribbon and Great Sport. Big Shot: Apothecary Labels Framelits, 3-1/2" Circle.  Punches: 1-1/4 and 1-3/8" Circle Punches.  Accessories: Gold Brads, 2012-2014 In Color Designer Prints Pack.

The flourish background came from the Great Sport Stamp Set and the Congrats Grad from the Blue Ribbon Stamp set fit perfectly inside of it (where the ball would go).  I only have the Great Sport set because I let my kids pick one stamp set out when we had the stamp sell back in October and this was it.  But it seems like these two were meant to go together.

I always worry about what colors to make graduation cards. Ideally, it would be the colors of the school they are graduating from, but since my customers come from all over, there isn't any way for me to plan for that. Here I stuck with Summer Starfruit because it is almost gold and I figured that was a good color for any kind of celebration.

I'm off for a few days spending some time with my best friends from California.  I hope you are doing something equally as fun this weekend.  Watch for more sneak peeks coming next week!

Mosaic Madness Sneak Peek

As a perk for being a Senior Supervisor, every time a new preorder comes around, I get to purchase a select bundle of products at 40% off.  This time it was select products from the new Quatre Fancy Suite. I finally took some time yesterday to play with it and this is what I made:

Colors: Strawberry Slush, Island Indigo, Daffodil Delight and Whisper White.  Stamps: Mosaic Madness, Really Good Greetings.  Big Shot: Modern Mosaic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Windows Collection Framelits. Punch: 2-1/2" Circle Punch.  Accessories: Quatrefancy Specialty Designer Series Paper, Rhinestone Jewels, Festive Paper Piercing Template, Versamark. 

To make this card, first I took a piece of Island Indigo Card Stock and ran it through the Big Shot with the new Mosaic Madness Textured Impressions Embossing Folder.  But I wanted to add a little more depth to the paper so I grabbed my Versamark Stamp Pad and rubbed it over the top of the texture to make it pop out more.   Then I went back with the Mosaic Madness stamp set and stamped in the "middle" (well almost he middle in some cases) of the larger openings. 

There is a coordinating punch that goes with this suite, but I was a little disappointed that it doesn't fit inside the embossing folder impressions.  But it is still nice to have a suite of products that beautifully coordinate together.  It has to be my favorite thing about Stampin' Up!

I also used a new greeting set called Really Good Greetings here.  It's a great set with lots of fun greetings, some of them a little more sassy than this one.  But I love this sentiment because it is something I truly believe: everything will be OK even if we can't see what OK is yet.

Finally, the card needed some embellishments so I added the rhinestones.  I wanted to use a button or something but I didn't have any new ones and I haven't had time to play with the new clay that is coming out soon and make one to match.  Hopefully next week.  That will give you something to anticipate.

All Dressed Up for Mother's Day

I love cardigan sweaters.  I have purchased six of them in the past two months.  Once I went shopping for pants and instead come home with a cute blue one.  Another time I accidentally bought one when I was buying milk at one of my favorite big box stores. I just love them. Especially this time of year when you want to be wearing your fun spring tops, but it just isn't quite warm enough in Utah for short sleeves (although I do have one or two short-sleeve versions.)  And they are perfect in the summer when you are going to be inside an overly-air conditioned building.  Pretty sure I'll be wearing one every week to church this summer for that reason. 

So where am I going with this? When the Spring Catalog first came out, I was not at all interested in the All Dressed Up Bundle and the pop up cards seemed like a lot of work.  And I didn't think it was my style.   Then I saw on Pinterest that someone had turned the top of one of the dresses into A CARDIGAN SWEATER. So I used the hostess benefits on my next order to get them for myself and made this:

Colors: Raspberry Ripple, Primrose Petal, Crumb Cake, and Very Vanilla.  Stamps: Teeny Tiny Wishes.  Big Shot: All Dressed Up Framelits, Polka Dot Embossing Folder.  Punches Itty Bitty Punch Pack, Modern Label and Word Window.  Accessories: Print Poetry Designer Print Pack, Core'dinations Card Stock, Basic Pearls Jewels, Very Vanilla Taffeta Ribbon.

We made this card at my Spring Fling Buffet last week and it was a big hit. I know I will be using this set to make more dresses and cardigans in the near future.  It pairs perfectly with the Print Poetry Designer Paper Pack too.  And don't the pearls just add the perfect touch to it?  With those and the dress form, it reminds me of my grandmother's sewing room.

My sneak peek order from the new catalog has arrived and I am hoping to have some time in the next few days to show you some sneak peeks with the fabulous new Mosaic Madness Bundle.  Be sure to check back!

Sent with Love: Time is Running Out!

The Sent with Love promotion ends next Tuesday and I have not done nearly enough with this fun little bundle.  But I did manage to make a card for my class this weekend with it:

Colors: Calypso Coral, Island Indigo, and Whisper White.  Stamps: Sent with Love.  Big Shot: Cloudy Day Texture Impressions Embossing Folder.  Punches: Large Oval and Postage Stamp.  Accessories: Sent with Love Designer Series Paper and Whisper White Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon.

My friend Yapha Mason is going to recognize this card since I cased it from one that she made several weeks back and posted to her blog.  The layout is basically the same, but I changed up the stamps and the ribbon.  Thanks Yapha for the idea!

If you haven't had a chance to get this yet, don't miss out.  I was holding out a small bit of hope that it would be in the new catalog, but it is not.  So once the promotion is over on Tuesday, you will miss out on your chance to get this stamp set and paper.  Bundle them together with a package of Calypso Coral Baker's Twine and you'll save 15%.  You can see all the details on this flyer: (click on it to open up the PDF)

So what are you waiting for?  Click the shop now button and get it for yourself before it's too late.  And all orders that are placed by Saturday, April 27 by 5 p.m. MDT and use the hostess code ADTNXHXQ will be entered to win the Button Buddies set and an assortment of buttons from all the color families.