Spring Yet? Some Samples for You...

Here are some of my favorite Spring samples from Leadership.  Just photos today :)

Happy Stampin'

Lotus Blossom - My Favorite Sale-a-Bration Stamp Set...So Far

I'm back to a semi-regular schedule after the holidays.  I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday with family and friends!

This is one of my club cards using the amazing Lotus Blossom set in the Sale-a-Bration catalog.

Colors: Perfect Plum, Elegant Eggplant, Lost Lagoon, Whisper White

It's a 3 step stamp, so you need 3 shades to keep all the detail of each stamp.  Experiment on scraps to make sure your color choices make the flower you envisioned.

For this one, I used:
Step 1 - Elegant Eggplant full strength
Step 2 - Elegant Eggplant stamped off once
Step 3 - Perfect Plum stamped off once

Stamp each image with the arrow included on the stamp in roughly the same direction to help you line it up as you look through the photopolymer.

Lost Lagoon 3/8" Satin Stitched Ribbon

$8.95

Painted Blooms Designer Series Paper

$10.95

1-3/4" Circle Punch

$16.95

Label Bracket Punch

$15.95

Lotus Blossom Photopolymer Stamp Set

$0.00

The Lotus Blossom set is FREE with a $50 purchase during Sale.a.Bration.

Happy Stampin'

Just Because...Another Way to Color in Line Art

You can never have enough ways to color in your line art stamps.  I used sponge daubers for this technique.  Just dab on the edge of the dauber when coloring in the smaller areas and don't be afraid to color outside the lines, because that gives it the soft look you want on this one.

I used this design for my 2nd April Stamp Night card and also as my Cruise SWAP (of course I realized I forgot to bring the Wisteria Wonder ink to the airport where I finished sponging them, so the SWAPs used Elegant Eggplant instead which was just a little darker). 

Stamps:

• A Dozen Thoughts
• So Very Grateful

Colors:

• Elegant Eggplant
• Old Olive
• Basic Black
• Wisteria Wonder
• Very Vanilla

Tools / Extras:

• Sponge Daubers
• Modern Medley Designer Series Paper
• Scallop Trim Border Punch
• Rhinestone Basic Jewels & Purple Sharpie
• Dimensionals

Since I was going for a softer look, I stamped the images in Elegant Eggplant instead of black.  If you use black, I recommend using the Staz-On Jet Black since it is stamped on Very Vanilla card stock.

Happy Stampin'

Make a Wish Card

This one was inspired by a card from one of our Australian demos, Vicki Hodgman. I changed the colors, and the butterfly.  Plus I just had to pop up the "a" in "Make a Wish" from the Perfect Pennants stamp set.

Stamp Sets:

• Hardwood
• Perfect Pennants
• Petite Petals
• Best of Butterflies
• Summer Silouettes

Colors:

• Crumb Cake
• Bermuda Bay
• Early Espresso
• Whisper White

Extras / Tools:

• Basic Jewels -Rhinestones (colored with a Sharpie)
• Angled Tag Topper Punch
• Petite Petals Punch
• Elegant Butterfly Punch
• 1/2" Circle Punch
• Linen Thread
• Kaleidoscope Designer Series Paper
• Dimensionals

By the way, I ordered all the Project Life pre-order items.  I'll share photos after I get my box.  Everyone can order them starting May 1st.  I can't wait to see the full line of our Project Life products that coordinate with Stampin' Up! on Monday when us demos get our copy of the new catalog at our movie theater launch party.  Woo Hoo!  We get swag bags too!

Happy Stampin'

Petite Petals Window Lattice Card

I saw a card on our demo site by Linda Creech that inspired my card below.  This is a Big Shot intense card...just sayin'!  Practically every piece runs through the Big Shot so I pre-cut a few of the pieces for my Stamp Night gals.  I look forward to Spring every year so I can start using purples and greens together.  That combination just says Spring to me.

Stamps:

• You're Lovely (Sale-a-Bration)
• Petite Petals

 Colors:

• Wisteria Wonder
• Old Olive
• Whisper White

Tools / Extras:

• Big Shot
• Lattice Bigz Die
• Perfect Polka-Dots embossing folder
• Little Leaves Sizzlits
• Deco Labels Framelits
• Window Frames Framelits
• Petite Petals Punch
• 1 3/4" Circle Punch
• Basic Jewels Pearls
• 2-Way Glue Pen
• Dimensionals

Tips:  Use the 2-Way Glue Pen in the corners of the Lattice to glue behind your window before running through the Big Shot Perfect Polka-Dots folder.  Also, you can use the tape or dimensionals on your flowers to hold your leaves in place.  I put dimensionals behind the card front window to create a shadow on the card base, and you can cut a tiny dimensional to place in the center of the Lattice if you don't like it dipping in toward the middle.

This would make a great Mother's Day card...just use a Happy Mother's Day stamp inside!

Happy Stampin'

Glittered Easter Eggs

Easter is just 2 and half weeks away!  Here's an easy way to add glittered Easter eggs to your scrapbook pages or cards using Silver Glimmer Paper and the XL Oval Punch:

Stamp Sets:

• Delightful Dozen
• Positively Chevron

Colors:

• Crumb Cake
• Very Vanilla
• Strawberry Slush
• Elegant Eggplant
• Bermuda Bay
• Wild Wasabi
• Gumball Green
• Garden Green
• Illuminate Glimmer Watermark Stampin' Pad

Tools / Extras:

• Stampin' Spritzers (link)
• Rubbing Alcohol
• Re-Inkers
• Silver Glimmer Paper (link)
• Fringe Scissors (link)
• Brayer
• Seam Binding ribbon
• XL Oval Punch

Egg Spritzing:  I have an old box with a lid attached on one side that I use to spritz in (practice safe spritzing...lol).  Just fill your spritzers with rubbing alcohol (drys faster than water) and 15 drops of re-inker in each color in each spritzer to spritz strips of Silver Glimmer Paper.  I tried with less drops, but it was not intense enough color on the Silver Glimmer Paper.  Stampin' Up! Glimmer Paper has a special backing that holds up to spritzing.  The color works itself under the glitter and dries in about 15 minutes.  Then, just punch out your eggs with the Extra Large Oval Punch. 

Tip: Once you designate a color to your spritzer, just label it and keep it that color.  They are inexpensive and so washing the color out of the spritzing mechanism isn't worth your time.

I also did an Ombre effect on the background of this card with the Brayer.  Here's my Technique Journal page.

Happy Stampin'

Because of Beautiful People Like You...

I love this People Like You single stamp set.  I did two layers and water-colored just a bit to color it in.

Stamp Set:

• People Like You (link)

Colors:

• Sahara Sand
• Canteloupe Crisp
• Pistachio Pudding
• Whisper White
• Early Espresso

Extras / Tools:

• Designer Label Punch
• Aqua Painters
• Dazzling Diamonds
• Sweet Sorbet (Sale-a-Bration designer paper)
• Dimensionals
• 2-Way Glue Pen

Tips - Just stamp your image twice and cut/punch one image and use the other for your base.  You only have to water-color the part you're cutting out on the top layer piece.  And, it helps you with where to cut if you only water-color that portion.  I used my bone folder to curl some edges on the cut out.  Also, I water-colored the stems with Pistachio Pudding, but used the brush tip of the marker for the label outline.

Of course it's hard to see in the photo, but I did little wisps of glue pen to add Dazzling Diamonds glitter on the flowers.

Happy Stampin'

Scalloped Tag Topper Used as a Card Belly Band

This is another Stamp Night project using great things from the Occasions catalog (Celebrate the Everyday).  I used a strip of card stock that was 11" x 2" before punching with the Scallop Tag Topper punch.  I did one in Cantaloupe Crisp too, but the blues and greens were my favorite.

After punching, just score at 2 5/8"  &  8 1/4" (To make it a little tighter around the card, shift paper slightly so it is really between 8 1/8" and 8 2/8" when u score that second line).  It will fit in the envelope better this way.

TIP:  When cutting your paper for these tag topper punches, cut barely under 2" wide so they slide into the punch easily.  The punch bed is exactly 2" so the paper needs to be slightly under 2".

Stamps:

• So Very Grateful

       {Wow!  I only used one stamp set...call the press!}

Colors:

• Smoky Slate (on belly band)
• Basic Gray (greeting and on top of designer paper)
• Pistachio Pudding
• Pool Party

Tools / Extras:

• Scallop Tag Topper Punch
• Banner Punch
• White Baker's Twine
• Watercolor Wonder Designer Series Paper
• Rhinestone Basic Jewels (colored with Sharpies)
• Small hole punch (you could use the Owl Builder or Cupcake Builder if you don't have a small handheld hole punch)

I love stamping line art images over this kind of designer paper.  It's a way to "color" in the images without any coloring.  I tried using the Basic Gray on the belly band, but it was too dark and distracting.  However, using the tone on tone with the Smoky Slate ink worked out perfectly.

This was inspired by another card I saw using the belly band.  I love that there are so many ideas using this punch.

Happy Stampin'

Burlap and Blooms Wreath Class - Fun with Friends!

I decided I wanted to make the Burlap & Blooms Wreath as soon as I saw it in the Occasions Catalog, but I wasn't sure how I would do the class.  I finally thought, well, I'll just have everyone buy the kit from me with no class fee...we'll just make them together and have fun!

It was so much fun that I'll probably do more like this.  I ordered the kits ahead of the party and everyone just came with hot glue gun loaded and ready...lol.  Anyone could do a get together like this.  Just order 3 kits and invite over a couple of friends for instant fun.

Here's my finished wreath except I haven't put a piece of burlap to hang it by or maybe I'll add a burlap bow.  It came with an extra piece of burlap ribbon for hanging it by.  Some of us also had a good-sized piece of burlap leftover from the spool after wrapping our wreath.

The flowers are easy after you watch Stampin' Up!'s video below of how to make them plus the kit has everything cut, punched, and ready for you to hot glue.  The fringe ones that require sticky strip even already have the sticky strip on them!  Love that!

We gabbed about everything under the sun, and I just interrupted occasionally to teach them how to do the next type of flower that I learned from the video.

I hope you order one of these kits and try it out.  Here's a link to order if you're interested.

Happy Craftin'