Flashback Friday

With another snow storm looming on the horizon I am in the mood for spring and all the color and new life that comes with it. So I went searching for projects from the past that fit the bill. Here is a post about our May 2011 Stamp Club projects (remember, some items may now be retired):

First, our 3-D project is a little box (which could be a basket if you added a handle) made from the Petal Cone die which has been carried over from the Occasions Mini catalog. I am in *love* with this die! There are so many thing you can make using it! I love the combination of Melon Mambo and Pumpkin Pie, so in celebration of warmer weather and bright and sunny days, I decided to use this fun duo. And, what a sweet little box to put a little gift, some candy, or even a cupcake inside for that friend who might need a little reminder of just how special she is.

Our card project was a little different this month. I have seen "shutter cards" for a while and have wanted to make one, so I decided we would try! I found it easy to search "shutter card" and find many tutorials on-line. They look quite complicated, but are really quite simple, starting with a card base of 12" x 5.5". The card stock is then scored at 2", 4", 8" and 10" and a slit is cut 1.5" in from each long edge from the 2" score line to the 10" score line. Then you just fold accordingly and add coordinating paper and embellishments. Here, we used the Designer Series Paper Beyond the Garden from the Summer Mini Catalog and the Beautiful Wings embosslits die with the Big Shot.

Terrific Tips Tuesday

Happy Tuesday to you! Stampin' Up! offers great quality stamps and I'm often asked whether I prefer the clear mounted or wood mounted stamps. Honestly, they both have great benefits and it depends on what I'm doing. Clear mount stamps are, clearly, (<- See what I did there?) great for alphabet sets and getting titles or words just how you want them. Wood mount stamps are my favorite when I'm in a hurry since there's no searching for the right block to fit the stamps. I often have cards on hand with no sentiments inside so I can add just the right one when the occasion arises. Consequently, I've found I prefer to buy my sentiments in wood mount.

But what do you do when you've made a mistake and mounted the rubber crooked on the wood block? Well, never fear! There's a fix! And that's today's tip. If you mount your stamps and realize something is amiss (I have many times mounted letters backwards - so frustrating!), just pop the stamp in the microwave for 5-10 seconds. Take it out, but be careful. The wood block will be very hot. But, the adhesive will have loosened up enough for you to quickly pull the rubber off and re-position the image. I hope this helps!

Flashback Friday

The first Stamp Camp at our new home is tonight. I'm looking forward to seeing many of my regulars again and some who haven't been able to make it in a while. It's been a while since I've explained Stamp Camp and while I was looking at old posts for Flashback Friday I found one that explains Stamp Camp quite well:

Are you ready for another sneak peak? Maybe you are asking, "What in the world is Stamp Camp, anyhow?" Well, at my Stamp Camps, you can make 20 cards, 5 each of 4 designs, for $25. All you need to bring is scissors and adhesive. You get to be creative, but you don't have to start from square one since I have all the stamps and paper and ink all ready for you!

Well, with this card I am trying something a little different! I am giving everyone the chance to choose which card they want to make. You can even make some of each. What I wanted to accomplish was 2 things: 1. Allow people to make a beautiful Mother's Day card. However, I know that not everyone needs 5 Mother's Day cards, so 2. I also wanted people to see how easy it can be to change up a card's design! Imagine if we also changed the colors of this card - the possibilities would be endless!


Basic Supplies:

Stamp Sets:Artistic Etchings
Mother of Mine

Paper:River Rock Card Stock (CS)
Bravo Burgundy CS
Baja Breeze CS

Ink:Early Espresso
Bravo Burgundy
Baja Breeze

Accessories:Sponge, used with Early Espresso to give the card an aged look
Paper Piercer and Mat Pack
Dimensionals
Oval and 1 3/4" Circle Punches
Scallop Trim Border Punch
Rhinestone Jewels

Terrific Tips Tuesday

Hello again! Here's a quick but handy tip: You probably already know that the Stampin' Write Markers have two tips - a fin tip for writing and journaling and a more flexible brush tip that is great for, among other things, creating a watercolor look on your projects, inking part or all of a stamp and coloring in larger areas. That is handy enough on it's own, but when you are in a hurry you don't want to guess which end is which. And you don't have to! As you can see from the picture below, the brush tip end has a wider band around it (so you can see it from any side of the marker) and the fine tip has a more narrow band around it. So simple, but so useful!!

Stamp Camp Sneak Peak #4

Here is the final card for this month's Stamp Camp. It's just the sweetest thing, don't you think? It's perfect for my niece's birthday, reminding a friend I'm thinking of her, and it would be adorable for a new baby! I used some brand new products to make this card and I've fallen in love with them. First, I used the Scalloped Tag Topper Punch to make the Strawberry Slush tag. Adorable! And all you need is a piece of paper two inches wide to fit in the punch. It can be any length you wish to create the perfect tag, journaling box or even bookmark! This punch is one of the most versatile punches I have seen in a while.

I also used several items from the Sale-A-Bration catalog. I love the Decorative Dots Embossing Folder. It adds a bit of whimsy to this card so it doesn't take itself too seriously. ;) It would also be great for fun birthday cards and anything created with a kid in mind. I love the randomness and texture of the dots. I also used the coordinating Banner Blast stamp set and Banner Punch. Adorable!

Supplies Used:

Stamp Set:

Banner Blast

Paper:

Pistachio Pudding

Pool Party

Strawberry Slush

Whisper White

Ink:

Pool Party

Strawberry Slush

Accessories:

Glue Dots

Dimensionals

Banner Punch

Scallop Tag Topper Punch

Corner Rounder Punch

Decorative Dots Embossing Folder

Big Shot

Pool Party 1/2" Seam Binding Ribbon

Lace Doilies

Flashback Friday

Here's is a special Valentine's Day Flashback. We made this card at the February 2012 Stamp Camp. Here is my original post from two years ago:

I'm so excited to once again be posting sneak peaks for Stamp Camp! Since this camp is the weekend before Valentine's Day I wanted to make some cards with a more romantic feel. I believe I accomplished this while still allowing these cards to be used for other occasions if that is your need or desire. Let's start off with what I think is the most romantic card of this group:

This card uses a few new items from the Occasions Mini Catalog, which I love. First, you can see that I used the Labels Collection from the new Framelits Dies. These are great for using as labels on a card or a project like a jar or a paint can. I have already used them for journaling in my scrapbooks and you can even layer the dies together to make frames. I love my new "toy"! I also used the Apothecary Art stamp set that coordinates with the Labels Collection dies. Is it not beautiful?? And, don't miss the new Twitterpated DSP. The colors are striking in their combination and yet subtle, too. You will be disappointed if you miss out on these beautiful papers!

Here are the "ingredients" I used to make this card:

Stamp Sets:
Apothecary Art
Something to Celebrate (retired)

Paper:
Twitterpated DSP
Blushing Bride
Basic Gray
Whisper White

Ink:
Basic Gray
Pear Pizzazz

Accessories:
Blender Pen
Pink Pirouette Marker
Basic Pearls
Scallop Trim Border Punch
Dimensionals
Framelits Labels dies & Big Shot

Stamp Camp Sneak Peak #3

Today's card was so much fun to make. And believe it or not, it was easy, too! I used the Label Cards Thinlits Die and the card was practically done. Add a few stamps and just a couple of easy layers and you're good to go! The dies used all come in a set, so you have what you need right at your fingertips. The get the contrasting color for the word "hi" I was able to use the Large Oval Punch with a piece of DSP and it fit perfectly. Add a flower from the Boho punch for the dot on the i, with a rhinestone for some added pizzazz and you've just taken things up a notch. Anyone would be happy to find this card waiting for them in the mailbox!

Supplies Used:

Stamp Sets:

Label Love

My Friend

Paper:

Crumb Cake

Very Vanilla

Primrose Petals

2012-14 DSP In Color Patterns Stack

Ink:

Primrose Petals

Crumb Cake

Accessories:

Big Shot

Label Card Thinlits Dies

Extra Large Oval Punch

Artisan Label Punch

Curly Label Punch

Boho Blossoms Punch

Jewel Basic Rhinestones

2-Way Glue Pen

Stamp Camp Sneak Peak #2

I think this next card is just stunning. As soon as I saw the Happy Watercolor stamp set in the new Occasions Catalog I knew I had to have it. The options with this set are practically limitless. You saw a hint HERE last week when I shared the Tuesday Tip. I had such a great time looking up ideas on Pinterest. I ended up going with the idea in THIS video for it's beauty and simplicity (this seems to be a theme for this Stamp Camp, doesn't it?). This card would be beautiful in any number of the amazing colors from Stampin' Up!. I hope you love it as much as I did! 

Supplies Used

Stamp Sets:

Happy Watercolor

Paper:

Bermuda Bay

Whisper White

Silver Glimmer Paper

Ink:

Bermuda Bay

Staz On Black

Accessories:

Glue Dots

Bitty Butterfly Punch

Terrific Tips Tuesday

Today's tip is another one for those of you looking to get your supplies organized this year. If you're like me, you love your Big Shot and the versatility that the framelits dies can add to your projects. If you're like me, you also get annoyed trying to find a certain set of framelits in the envelopes they come in. Don't get me wrong - those sturdy plastic envelopes are great, so don't toss them! But I have come to find that I much prefer the storage method I'm sharing with you today. 

I use the Bulk Clear Mount Stamp Cases (4 for $5.95) to store my framelits and I keep them from sliding around by using magnetic strips or sheets that you can buy at places like Hobby Lobby, Office Max, Staples, etc. I prefer the sheets because you can cut and trim them to fit each set of dies (or any other project you might use them on!). Give this tip a try and start getting organized today!

Stamp Camp Sneak Peak #1

I am so excited about this month's Stamp Camp! This Stamp Camp will be the first one at our new home. I have been able to spend some time in my new craft room in the last week now that we finally got it put together and I am loving it! Having my things all organized makes me so happy and I'm looking forward to enjoying this next Stamp Camp and sharing my space with some great people.

But, it's not just about my craft room - it's about the cards! And I just love this first card. I got the idea from a fellow demonstrater, HERE. It's so simple to put together, but it is beautiful in its simplicity. And the colors lend themselves well to allowing this card to be a great birthday card for the guys in your life as well as the ladies. I'm always searching for a good masculine birthday card.

Supplies Used:

Stamp Sets:

Gorgeous Grunge

Perfectly Penned

Paper:

Smokey Slate

Whisper White

Inks:

Gumball Green

Basic Gray

Coastal Cabana

Accessories:

Dimensionals

Whisper White Baker's Twine

Flashback Friday

Today's flashback doesn't go back too far. This was our 2013 Christmas card I created in My Digital Studio. I have loved using the MDS program, a digital program by Stamin' Up! that you can use to create cards, scrapbook pages, memory books and almost any other paper and print project you can think of. With this card I was able to use a new shape that Stampin' Up! had recently introduced, the Artisan Shaped Postcard. It doesn't save in that shape when I save the project as a file on my computer, but it was such an easy addition to the project and really stepped the card up to another level.

With MDS you can use templates already loaded in the software or you can create a project from nothing. Here, I started from nothing, adding all the layers, shadows, filling the letters with digital patterned paper, controlling the look of the shadows behind the ribbon, picture, stitching and letters and adding some embellishments. I have such a fun time doing this! But, when I'm behind on scrapbooking there is nothing easier than finding a template and dropping my photos right in. MDS helped me so much while we were building our house. I didn't have the time or space to be working on all of my scrapbooks, but I was able to stay on top of things by creating pages digitally.

 Since I created this as a postcard, I simply added our Christmas greetings on the "back", or page 2 in the project, and it was ready to order!

Check out the MDS software HERE. You can give a try today by downloading the FREE 30 day trial!

Sans and Stripes - who doesn't love a good alphabet stamp set?!

Stampin' Up! has introduce another photopolymer stamp set. This one is exciting because nothing goes together better than an the alphabet and clear stamps! It's like peanut butter and jelly, ketchup and mustard, shampoo and conditioner - they make a great team! You can easily place the letters together to spell works, make a title, add a tag, or anything else the job calls for! Check it out today!

Terrific Tips Tuesday

Today's tip is so simple but it will add just the right detail to your cards - and it's not even part of the card: Add a stamped image to the envelope. It gives the recipient a clue that something pretty special might be inside. I've had many people tell me they knew a handmade card from me was inside when they saw the stamp on the envelope. I usually try to use a stamp and colors that match the card inside. It's the perfect finishing touch.

This envelope is also a clue to a card we'll be making in stamp camp using my new favorite stamp set, Happy Watercolor. But, you'll just have to stay tuned to find out more...

Happy Watercolor

(W) $29.95 133188 (C) $21.95 133191