Friday, June 28, 2013

Last Chance for the Grab Your Greeting Promotion

June is rapidly coming to an end.  And that means the end of the Grab Your Greeting Promotion.  Three of the most popular greeting stamp sets are 25% off through June 30.  Here is a quick card featuring the Sassy Salutations set:

Colors: Whisper White, Coastal Cabana, So Saffron and Crisp Cantaloupe.  Stamps: Sassy Salutations.  Big Shot: Blossom Party Originals, Oval Framelit Collection, and Polka Dot Textured Impressions Embossing Folder. Accessories: Note Cards, Large Rhinestone Jewels, Occasions Paper Piercing Pack.
This card features two of our new In Colors: Coastal Cabana and Crisp Cantaloupe.  These colors make such a fresh combination, but they always make me want ice cream. I also used the Note Cards that Stampin' Up! sells as a base for this card.  Did you know that Stampin' Up! revamped these for the new catalog and they now feature a thicker card stock for layering and embellishing?  Still a great value at $5.95 for 20 cards and envelopes.

But remember, only 2 more days to take advantage of the Grab Your Greeting promotion.  Click the Shop Now icon and get yours before it's two late!

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Gorgeous Grunge Birthday Card

Quick post today to show you another card from my All You Can Stamp Buffet last week.  This time featuring the new stamp set Gorgeous Grunge:

Colors: Crumb Cake, Pool Party, Gumball Green and Basic Gray.  Stamps: Gorgeous Grunge and Sassy Salutations.  Big Shot: Deco Label and Ovals Framelits Collections.  Accessories: Pool Party Core'dinations Card Stock, Sanding Block, Epic Day Designer Series Paper and Subtles Candy Dots.
Gorgeous Grunge is such a fun set for adding spatters and other fun accents to a card. It's great for scrapbooking too.  This is another card that I modified to turn into a swap but you will have to wait to see that one after convention.

This is also a great time to point out that Sassy Salutations is one of three greeting sets available for 25% off just until the end June as part of the Grab Your Greeting Promotion.  Only a few days left so don't miss out!

Monday, June 24, 2013

Something Pink with Sprinkles

Sorry the blog is going to be a bit sporadic the next few weeks.  We have family reunions and company coming besides the excuse I gave last week (working on swaps). So bare with me please.  I do have something to show you today.  We were given the Remembering Your Birthday stamp set at the Salt Lake Regionals in April.  And it didn't take a rocket scientist to match this greeting with the cupcake punch:

Colors: Bermuda Bay, Baked Brown Sugar, Blushing Bride, and Whisper White.  Stamps: Remembering Your Birthday and Create a Cupcake.  Big Shot: Deco Label and Circles Framelit collections.  Punch: Cupcake Builder. Accessories: Baked Brown Sugar Ruffle Stretch Trim, Subtles Designer Series Paper Pack Stack, Essentials Paper Piercing Pack and Rhinestone Jewels.
See?  Had to pair them up.  And I'm sure I am not the first and I won't be the last.  There are a lot of details to love on this card.  My favorite thing is probably the ruffle stretch trim around just the circle part of the Deco Label Framelit piece.  It doesn't take a lot of this beautiful trim to do that, but it adds so much to the card. It's a little difficult to tell, but I also added a line of scallop paper piercing to the side of the card as well as around the Bermuda Bay circle. 

We made this card at my All-You-Can-Stamp buffet last week and I decided to make a stepped up version of it for the Over the Top swap for convention. (Thus, the reason I am sharing it today).   Stay tuned to see that version sometime in late July or early August. But I am also sending this card to my goddaughter Brynn for her 11th birthday this week.  Doesn't it seem like the perfect card for an 11 year old girl? 

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

You Make Me Happy!

This is kind of a hard time for me to stay up on my blog.  I just finished all my display stamper samples and I can't share any of those on my blog until after Convention.  Now I'm working hard on swaps for convention and I don't want to show those here until after the recipients have received them.  So what's a blogger to do?

Today's card may end up a swap for convention too, but with a few modifications so I am going to show it today anyway.  It was one of the cards offered at my All-You-Can-Stamp Buffet last weekend (and will be offered again on Friday).  It features a couple of new stamp sets:
Colors: Coral Calypso, Gumball Green, and Whisper White.  Stamps: Dictionary and Hello, Lovely.  Punches: Elegant Butterfly.  Accessories: Simply Pressed Clay, Buttons & Blossoms Simply Pressed Clay Molds, Baker's Twine.
You might notice two things about this card.  First, it is a CASE of a card in the catalog on page 3 of the catalog.  I did change up quite a bit but that was the inspiration for it.  Second, I used a tiny bit of retired Baker's Twine on the card.  But I still have a lot of Coral Calypso Baker's Twine left so I went ahead and did it anyway.  I just love the Dictionary Stamp.  It's so fun!  Here I stamped it on the card base and then again on the white layer.

It isn't too late to RSVP for this Friday's All-You-Can-Stamp Buffet.  Last weekends class was a big hit and I'd love to share the class with a few more.  Just let me know by tomorrow if you want to come.

Friday, June 14, 2013

Chevron Box


Today I promised more details on this box I shared on the Stampin' Addict New Color Blog Hop on Monday


Colors: Strawberry Slush, Smoky Slate and Whisper White.  Stamps: Chalk Talk.  Big Shot: Chalk Talk Framelits and Chevron Textured Embossing Folder.  Accessories: Simply Scored, Smoky Slate Chevron Ribbon, Cellophane Bag, Rhinestone Jewels.
To make the box: Start with a piece of 8-1/2" x 5-1/2" piece of card stock.  Put it on your Simply Scored the long way and score at 1-1/4", 4", 5-1/4", & 8".  Turn the card stock the other way and score at 1-1/4".  Cut a tab away from the bottom corner (where the 8" vertical line and the 1-1/4" horizontal line intersect) and then notch the top of that same section about 1/2" inch.  Fold along all the score lines.  Next take your Chevron Embossing folder an line it up with the 1-1/4" score horizontal line (so that the bottom of the box isn't embossed) and with the 5-1/4" vertical line.  Run it through the Big Shot to emboss the box.  Now turn the card stock and line up the embossing folder with the edge of where you embossed before, getting the patterns to match up as closely as you can, and run it through to emboss the other side.  Finally, cut along the top edge of the box following the chevron patter to make a large "pinked" pattern on the top of the box.  Here is what it looks without the bag and tag with it:
For the Tag:  The new Chalk Talk Bundle makes the tag so easy.  I just stamped the largest image in Smoky Slate and then ran it through with the matching framelit.  Then I stamped it again in Strawberry Slush and cut out the word "something" and used a dimensional to pop it up over the same banner on the original image.  I also added the rhinestones to the corners to add just a touch of sparkle to it.

We will be making a simplified version of this at my All-You-Can-Stamp-Buffet tomorrow and next Friday.  If you would like to come next Friday, please let me know by next Wednesday!

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Smoky Slate and the Eastern Elegance Suite

Wasn't the Stampin' Addict New Color Blog Hop fabulous?  So many fun new things to go along with the wonderful new colors.  If you missed it, the hop stops should all be deep linked together so you can still follow it along and see it all.

I promised today to share details on  one of my cards and also show you a bonus Smoky Slate project.  Both of these cards are from the Eastern Elegance Suite which includes among other things, the Eastern Elegance Designer Series Paper, the Beautifully Baroque Bundle and the Coastal Cabana 3/8" Ruffle Stretch Trim.

Colors: Whisper White, Crushed Curry, Smoky Slate.  Stamps: Lovely Label.  Big Shot: Beautifully Baroque Embossing Folder.  Punches: Elegant Butterfly, Bitty Butterfly, Modern Label, Artisan Label.  Accessories: Smoky Slate Embossing Powder, Rhinestone Jewels, and Eastern Elegance Designer Series Paper.
 For the background layer on this card, I ran the Smoky Slate Card Stock through my Big Shot with the Beautifully Baroque Embossing Folder.  Then I took a sponge and went over it with Smoky Slate Ink to make the texture really pop.  I also inked the edges of the Crushed Curry Card Base and the butterfly and the Modern Label punchy. A couple of Rhinestones round out the elegant feeling on this card.

Colors: Whisper White, Coastal Cabana, Smoky Slate and Basic Gray.  Stamps: Beautifully Baroque, Dictionary Background, Mosaic Madness and Sweet Essentials. Accessories: Coastal Cabana 3/8" Ruffle Stretch Trim, Basic Jewel Rhinestone
Here is another wedding card featuring Smoky Slate and the Eastern Elegance Suite.  But I have also included the new Dictionary Background Stamp. I love this stamp.  It's just perfect for adding a little interest to your card.  If you were a fan of the First Edition Designer Series Paper we used to have, then you will love this stamp too.  Then I stamped the Beautifully Baroque stamp over that in Coastal Cabana, one of our new In Colors.  I added a border from the Mosaic Madness stamp in Basic Gray to it as well.  Notice the new ruffle stretch trim on the side?  This stuff is so yummy!  I love it!

On Friday, I will be sharing the details of the box I made for the blog hop.  I will see you then!


Monday, June 10, 2013

Stampin' Addicts New Color Blog Hop: Smoky Slate


Welcome to the Stampin' Addicts New Colors Blog Hop!  I feel so lucky to be hopping with these talented ladies again.  If you are hopping in order, then you've arrived here from Cindy Elam's Hearts Delight Cards Blog and her fabulous look at Bermuda Bay.  She is one talented gal!  If this is your first stop on the hop, no worries.  The blogs are linked in a loop so you won't miss a thing. If you do get lost, head on over to Stampin' Addicts to see a complete list of participating blogs or to chat it up.

Today I get to share with you one of my new favorite colors: Smoky Slate.  A few years ago, I was sad when Stampin' Up! dropped Going Gray so I was very excited to have a new lighter gray to use.  It is the perfect neutral color to go with all the brights that are so popular right now but also with the subtles like my first card:

My first card features Smoky Slate with So Saffron, Crisp Cantaloupe, Pool Party and Pear Pizzazz.  Hexagons are hot right now and the Six-Sided Sampler bundle is perfect for making fun and trendy cards.  Here I paired it with the Honeycomb Textured Impressions Embossing Folder too.

On my second card, I again paired it with Crisp Cantaloupe, but this time I added another new In Color: Pistachio Pudding.  I love that not only did Stampin' Up! give us this great new color, they gave us accessories to go with it.  Here I used the new Smoky Slate Embossing powder on the elephant to give him a little shine and texture.

Now for some brighter tones. This one features the Eastern Elegance Designer Series Paper which has Smoky Slate paired with Crushed Curry.  I have another card I made with this paper and Smoky Gray that I will share on Wednesday (as well as the details on this one) so come back then! 

If you are a regular on the Stampin' Addicts Hops, you know I always try to throw a 3D item into the mix.  Again, I paired it with a bright: the new Strawberry Slush.  I am in love with the new Chalk Talk stamps and framelits and here I've put the largest tag on a gift bag and then put that inside a box.  Notice the new Smoky Slate Chevron Ribbon?  It's very yummy and the perfect accent for so many projects.  I will share the details of this project on Friday this week.

I hope I've convinced you to add some Smoky Slate to your Stampin' Up! color arsenal.  Come back on Wednesday and Friday to learn more about some of these projects and to see the one that didn't make the hop.  Next stop is Sara's Lily's Ink Pad to see her wonderful creations with Soft Sky. 




Friday, June 7, 2013

Chalk Talk Bundle

Every time I think I have a new favorite picked from the catalog, I stubble on something else that I just love.  And of course, this time it's another bundle: Chalk Talk.  This was the first card I made with it:

Colors: Island Indigo, Pumpkin Pie and Whisper White.  Stamps: Chalk Talk.  Big Shot: Modern Mosaic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, and Chalk Talk Framelits Collection.  Punch: XL Oval.  Accessories: Quatrefancy Specialty Designer Series Paper, 1/8" Pumpkin Pie Taffeta Ribbon.
I think the greeting on this card might be my new favorite of all time: "I'm so grateful there's you in the world."  This wonderful sentiment works for thank you, birthday, anniversary, friendship, thinking of you and really just about any occasion.  I can think of many people that deserve this card because I am truly blessed by the wonderful people I know that make my life better just because they are part of it.

And this is just one of the fabulous stamps in this set.  And the fact that it has a matching set of framelits that go with it, and you save 15% when you buy them together, just makes it that much better. Watch for more projects with this set coming to my blog soon.  I am sure it will be my favorite for a long time (or at least until the rest of my order gets here.)

Stay tuned: Monday is a Stampin' Addict Blog Hop featuring all the new colors that are in the catalog.  I get to feature Smoky Slate and I'm so excited to show you this fabulous new color.

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Hello Washi Tape

One of the new accessories in the catalog I am really digging on is Washi Tape.  I had heard of Washi Tape before now, but I had never used it.  I have enough Stampin' Up! toys in my arsenal that I seldom stray to other brands.  But when Stampin' Up! introduced Washi Tape, of course I had to have some.  And now I see what all the fuss is about!  Here is a card I made yesterday with it:

Colors: Whisper White, Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight, and Night of Navy.  Stamps: Oh, Hello.  Punches: Heart and Bitty Butterfly.  Accessories: Gingham Garden Designer Washi Tape, Rhinestone Jewels, Whisper White Stitched Grosgrain, Essentials Paper Piercing Pack.
This card was loosely inspired by one I saw on Stampin' Connections by Julie Pitta.  To make it, I took my Gingham Garden Designer Washi Tape and layered on the bottom half of the Whisper White card stock.  To get it straight, I set the base on a piece of our fabulous grid paper.  Then I used my heart punch to make a window in that layer of the card.  You can't see it here, but I just couldn't throw that heart away, so I put it in the inside of my card.

It's a little hard to tell from the picture, but I used my Essentials Paper Piercing Pack to go around the greeting on the stamp just to add a little more interest to the card.  Oh, Hello is not a new stamp set.  It was part of a bundle in the Spring Catalog.  However, I did not get it until very recently and this was the first time I used it. (Let that be a lesson to you: always get the bundle because eventually you will want both parts of it.  I could have saved a little $$). 

We made this card at a private card class for one of my customers.  Just by inviting a few friends over to make 3 cards, she earned $50 in free product.  If you are interested in scheduling a class for you and your friends, let me know!

Monday, June 3, 2013

Mosaic Madness and Lable Love Bundles

I mentioned in my promotions post on Friday that there were seven bundles in the catalog.  I actually missed a few.  There are really ten!  I love that Stampin' Up! offers so many coordinating products, and even better when you can buy a couple of them together and save 15% on the bundled price.

Today's card features two of the bundles: Mosaic Madness and Label Love:

Colors: Whisper White, Island Indigo, Strawberry Slush and Daffodil Delight.  Stamps: Label Love and Mosaic Madness.  Big Shot: Modern Mosaic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder.  Punches: Mosaic, Artisan Label and Scallop Border.  Accessories: Whisper White Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon, Rhinestone Basic Jewels.
This is one of the cards that we made at my Hostess Club last week.  My customers loved the bundles as much as I did and bought a few. 

Here is a complete list of all the bundles in the catalog (and I know that one of my demonstrator friends will correct me if I've missed any more of them):
  • Page 12 - Chalk Talk Bundle: stamps and matching framelits
  • Page 32 - Label Love Bundle: stamps and matching punch (shown above)
  • Page 79 - Backyard Basics Bundle: stamps and matching framelits
  • Page 83 - Wildflower Meadow Bundle: stamp and matching embossing folder
  • Page 95 - Flower Shop Bundle: stamps and matching punch
  • Page 113 - Beautifully Baroque Bundle: stamps and matching embossing folder
  • Page 123 - Mosaic Madness Bundle: stamps and matching punch
  • Page 125 - Six-Sided Sampler Bundle: stamps and matching punch (shown above)
  • Page 159 - Tag a Bag Bundle: gift bags and coordinating tags
  • Page 159 - Tag a Box Bundle: gift boxes and coordinating tags
If you haven't received a copy of the new catalog yet, please let me know.  You can also peruse the selection of new product online by clicking the shop now button.