MyPaperPumpkin May Sneak Peek

By | May 16, 2016
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MyPaperPumpkin Has Arrived!

It’s time to celebrate your favorite brother, grandpa, dad, friend, son, and uncle! The Many Manly Occasions kit from MyPaperPumpkin is perfect for Father’s Day, birthdays, or every day occasions.

Have a look at the May PaperPumpkin Kit by clicking below.

It’s one of the highlights of the month. About this time every month, MyPaperPumpkin arrives in my snail mailbox and I’m always eager to see what’s in the box. It’s exciting because the contents seem to get better and better. This month’s kit is perfect for the manly cards I’ll need in June.

If you haven’t heard the details, MyPaperPumpkin is Creativity in a Box. Each month a complete project arrives in the easy-to-spot box. Inside are stamps, ink and paper–everything you need to create. You can choose to subscribe month-to-month for just 19.95 per month (shipping is already included). Or you can purchase a prepaid subscription for 1 to 12 months–you save when you commit to 6 or 12 months.

Add PaperPumpkin to Your Monthly Calendar

MyPaperPumpkin is a great way to de-stress and knock out some special hand-made greetings. Make a plan to schedule some fun and easy crafting for every month. Click HERE if you’d like to join the fun.

 

Father’s Day Thank You Card

By | May 15, 2016
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Fathers Day Thank You

Huge Thanks for Dad with Another Thank You

Father’s Day is June 19. It’s not too soon to start thinking about a hand-made card.

Dads deserve the most humongous “thank you” you can get your hands on. For me, that “thank you” comes from the retiring Stampin’ Up! set called Another Thank You. Those magic words pretty much sum up the sentiment needed for a simply, no-frills Father’s Day card.

Like the colored stripes? They were created with the new In Color named Dapper Denim. I love it! I loved it before it was an In Color because I’ve had my eye on this color shopping in the dress and shoes departments of my favorite stores. It’s a beautiful, casual blue that pairs awesomely with loads of colors.

I paired it with Cherry Cobbler, Kraft and a hint of gold.

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Just Stamp Tips

  • To create the background, I layered 5/8″ x 5 1/4″ strips of Dapper Denim and Very Vanilla on a
    4 x 5″ piece of Very Vanilla. Once the Very Vanilla base was covered in stripes, I trimmed it down to 3 7/8″ x 5 1/8″. Although it may seem redundant to add the Very Vanilla strips, the huge Thank You stamp needs a smooth, flat surface for a well-inked image.
  • VersaMark and Cherry Cobbler embossing powder were combined to create the raised, bold and shiny sentiment that is the focus of this design.
  • The striped art was layered on a piece of 4″ x 5 1/4″ Very Vanilla card stock.
  • The “DAD” banner was created with Little Letter Thinlits (retiring) and Corrugated Kraft paper, my favorite textured paper.
  • More texture was added by wrapping fibers pulled from White 1 1/4″ Jute ribbon.
  • Stars were cut using the Stars Framelits and a retired Star punch.

Here are the links to retiring stamps and everything else. Many items are still available, and many items are even on sale. Don’t miss out!

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Stamping Away with Retiring Stamps and Tools

By | May 11, 2016
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Apple Thank You

 

It’s such a shame Apple of My Eye, with all the sweets of summer, is retiring. I love the fresh and fruity 16-piece set. It’s perfect for this first grade teacher needing loads of thank you cards for the volunteers that made life a little less hectic this year. When this beauty retires, there will be a new fruity set in the 2016-17 catalog, but it’s not the SAME.

Retiring Items Still Available; Some Not

The stamp set isn’t the only favorite of mine counting down its final days to the end of the month; the versatile Typeset Specialty designer paper that’s the perfect weight for layering is also retiring. There’s more! The sweet lil 7/8″ Scallop Circle punch taking a bite out of the fruit is on the chopping block too. Good news, though. These items are still available in the Stampin’ Up! store. The bad news: the Greetings Thinlits that’s the sentiment on this notecard is no longer available.

 

Apple of My Eye Bite

Just Stamp Tips

  • The base of the card is cut from Whisper White Thick Card Stock. The black and white Typeset Specialty DSP is cut to 5 1/4″ x 4″. The Whisper White card stock layered above it is cut to 4 3/4″ x 3 1/2″, allowing for a generous contrasting border.
  • The apples were inked first in VersaMark, then in Real Red so they could be heat embossed with clear EP. The technique creates a textured, wet-looking image.
  • The Fine-Tip Glue Pen is the perfect adhesive for the Greetings thinlit.
  • Both apples were hand-snipped, as were the leaves. Since the images are simple shapes, no whining was needed. It was a quick and easy chore.

Shopping List

Click on any image to shop.

Embellishing with Ribbon and Candy Dots

By | May 8, 2016
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Botanical Blooms

From Simple to Stepped Up

Stepping up a simple card to the next level is sometimes just a matter of embellishing with ribbon and candy dots. These are two basic accessories that won’t add excessive dimension to a card, which can sometimes call for extra postage.

Today’s card features a cheerful sentiment from the Tin of Cards stamp set of 20. I paired it with a favorite floral set that made its debut in the Occasions Catalog, Botanical Blooms. The card is cheery, simple and required little time to design and create thanks to tools and basic embellishments.

Embellishments

To take this simple card to the next step, I chose one of my favorite ribbons, 1 1/4″ Burlap Ribbon and Candy Dots. Both are on The Retirement List, but the ribbon also happens to be discounted by 30%.

 

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Just Stamp Tips

  • One of the things I love about the burlap ribbon is its width. It’s a generous 1 1/4″ wide. I also love fraying the ends to achieve a natural style. Just snip the seams off and pull off one row of thread until you like the results. I save the frays to add whimsy around the pretty blooms.
  • Candy Dots come with adhesive on the back, making it so simple to use a tool to lift one dot off the sheet and transfer to a project. Each collection of dots include 100 pieces in 10 different colors.
  • To pop the sentiment, I stamped with VersaMark and added white embossing powder.
  • A pretty cards deserves the finishing accessory: a coordinating, lined envelope. Be warned: the Envelope Liner Framelits are on The List.

Botanical Blooms Project

Bundle and Save

The Botanical Blooms stamp set has helped me create loads of cards this season The good news is this set will continue to be available after the Occasions Catalog expires on May 31. However, there is bad news. If you love bundles and saving 15%, now is the time to purchase the Botanical Blooms suite that includes not only the stamp set and framelits, but also the Botanical Gardens Designer Series Paper. Once this Occasions Catalog ends, the bundle will no longer be available at its special pricing. Two of the components of the bundle, however, will still available. Buy now to save.

Supply List

Click on any image below to skip over to the Stampin’ Up! store.

 

 

 

 

Birthday Celebrations with Balloons, Banners and Cake

By | May 2, 2016
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BalloonCelebrations


And Ice Cream, Too!

All the decorations and treats that a birthday celebration demands are laid out neatly in today’s Mojo Monday sketch 446. The icing on the cake is the use of tasty colors like Mint Macaron and Watermelon Wonder. The color scheme leaps straight out of the Birthday Bouquet DSP.

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It’s a great sketch suitable for showcasing sentiments, shapes and details.

Just Stamp Tips

  • The Happy Birthday sentiment stacked like a two layer cake is one of the two thinlets in the Party Pop Up Dies. As the product name implies, the thinlets are designed to pop up at the recipient when the standard card is opened, but the images make fun elements on the card exterior, too.
  • To add realism and color, I cut the Happy Birthday cake in three colors: Soft Suede, Watermelon Wonder and Whisper White. I hand-colored the Whisper White candle flames using Crushed Curry and Pumpkin Pie. Each Whisper white candle and flame was adhered to the Soft Suede cake. After snipping the flame, I adhered the Watermelon candles as the topmost layer.
  • Balloons were two-step stamped using Pool Party and Mint Macaron. To complete in a snap, the Balloon Bouquet punch makes perfect balloons in two sizes.
  • Multi-colored banners were punched with the retiring Banner punch. A delicate Doily touch is layerd over the scrummy colors.
  • The geometric bow was cut using the Cutie Pie Thinlet Dies. Slits in the bow make assembly easy. I put the bone folder to work to stretch the card stock before forming the bow loops.
  • Three medium-sized jewels add the bling to finish.

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To shop for any stamps, tools and materials, click on any image below. You’ll transport directly to my Stampin’ Up! store.

 

Easy Party Decor with Sweet Stack

By | April 30, 2016
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Sweet Stack Project Kit

It doesn’t get much easier than a kit to create perfect decorations for a party and that’s exactly what Sweet Stack is. The sad news is it’s on The List, the list that includes every stamp, paper, ink, embellishment, tool and kit that will not appear in the new Stampin’ Up! catalog come June.

In spite of that sad news, there’s lots of happy news: Sweet Stack is on sale (it’s a STEAL!), there’s a coordinating stamp set to doll the kit up, and there are coordinating framelits to create more cakes, candles and bows when the kit pieces are gone.

Step-By-Step How To

Here’s a look at how easy it is to create.

It made the perfect favors for Stampo! on Friday night. I filled with treats, embellishments and prizes so every player could go home with a slice. So easy.

Retirement List

Remember, items on The List are only available on a first-come, first-served basis. Don’t delay, many items are already sold out. Click on the images below to check out the lists.

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Sweet Stack Versatility

Sweet Stack makes C-U-T-E party decorations –I’m thinkin’ baby/bridal showers, mother’s day tea–any excuse for a party. With the framelits, you can choose any color, any pattern to coordinate all the decorations.

 

Sweet Stack Celebration Cake

Click any image below to go straight to the Stampin’ Up! store.

 

Watercoloring with Beautiful Ride

By | April 24, 2016
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Beautiful Ride

Go | See | Do

It’s a great sentiment for lots of occasions that come along this time every year. Graduations. Retirements. Vacations. The card features three things close to my heart, too: the canine companion, the Volkswagen Beetle, and travel.

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Once again I took my liberties with a great sketch from MojoMonday, Sketch 444. Three narrow panels and one focal image with two banners work for a quick and easy card.

Warning: Beautiful Ride, Project Life Let’s Get Away, Going Places DSP and Typeset Specialty Paper are all on The List, the retirement list. See the entire list here.

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Just Stamp Tips

  • I love the watercolor technique, but I’m not an artist. Watercolor Paper and Aqua Painters rush to my aide to boost my skills.
  • I stamped the Beetle using Archival Basic Black, watercolored with Mint Macaron and Basic Black, then I hand-snipped. The luggage was stamped and snipped separately.
  • For a small pop of color, I watercolored a pond and river on the street map using Soft Sky.
  • The sentiment was stamped with VersaMark and heat embossed using white powder.
  • To create the banners, I used two punches: the Banner Triple and Banner.

Supply List

Click on any image to hop to the Stampin’ Up! store to get more info or to purchase.

 

 

Heat Embossing with Retiring Cups & Kettle

By | April 21, 2016
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Cups and Kettles KSstyle

A Nice Cuppa and Cups & Kettle Are Retiring

I saw the The Retirement List released by Stampin’ Up! earlier this week. The bad news is A Nice Cuppa and the coordinating framelits dies Cups & Kettle are retiring. The good news is I own it! If you don’t, there’s still time to order.

It’s a versatile set. Some days  I enjoy creating the English cottage look with it; today I was inspired by one of my fav fashion houses, Kate Spade.

 

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Creating on a basic black card base, or any dark color base, calls for lining the interior with Whisper White or Very Vanilla. I chose Very Vanilla to suit the bold black stripes from the Timeless Elegance Designer Series Paper.

 

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Just Stamp Tips

  • To create the glossy tea cup, first ink with Calypso Coral ink. Next, apply VersaMark by pressing the pad directly on the stamped image. Finally sprinkle clear embossing powder and heat set.
  • The Cups & Kettle Framelits Dies includes the knife, fork and spoon cutlery, which are nice accents to the cups, kettle and mug. I coordinated the sentiment, the spoon and the large circle in gold to create an elegant look.
  • A hand-made card deserves a matching lined envelope to make an entrance. Warning: the Envelope Liners Framelits are on The List.

Retirement List

Don’t miss out. The list includes the stamps, papers, inks and tools. Check it carefully — many products are marked down. Check the list here.

Shopping List

Click on any image below to hop to my Stampin’ Up! store and shop.