Introducing the New Stampin' Up! 2016-17 Annual Catalog and Hearth and Home Framelits Card

Before I share my comments on May's club card, I just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone for their support over the last year. It has been my pleasure to help you with your paper crafting and stamping projects. I am honored that you trust me. The new Stampin' Up! catalog release was yesterday (June 1) and I cannot wait to show everyone at our next workshop. It is full of great products and inspiration! To the right is a link to a pdf of the catalog for your quick reference throughout the next year. Happy stamping!

Now, this past month's club card featured the Happy Home stamp set from the 2016 Occasions catalog that retired Tuesday, May 31, but the alternate card used the stamp with the three small flowers and the coordinating Hearth and Home Framelits. Since the club card was a CASE of the card sample in the catalog, let's talk about the alternate card, and how to "fix" it with current catalog product.

Indoors: The flowers in the window are placed in the first vase from the Vivid Vases stamp (retired May 31 -- I recommend using the Flower Patch Stamp Set to replace the flowers and vase/use the small end of the large leaf/upside down). I colored the vase using the Daffodil Delight Stampin' Write marker and the stems are hand drawn with an Old Olive Stampin' Write marker. The lace curtains are Venetian Crochet Trim (retired May 31 -- I recommend Very Vanilla 1/2" Lace Trim/adorable!).

Outdoors: The window box is full of flowers created with the Petite Petals punch (Perfect Plum, Calypso Coral) and the centers of the flowers (Daffodil Delight) from the Itty Bitty Punch Pack (retired May 31 -- I recommend the small flower from the Blossom Bunch Punch). The flower centers are various Regals candy dots (retired May 31 -- I recommend the new Enamel Shapes). The leaves are the tops of the branch from the Bird Builder punch (retired May 31 -- I recommend the leaf from the Flower Fair Framelits).

House: The color choice for this traditional Florida beach house is Blushing Bride card stock run through the Big Shot with the Brick Wall TIEF and a window trim of Mint Macaron. (Tip: Be sure to cut out the "window" from the Blushing Bride layer first.)

Until I wrote out my blog I had not realized just how many retired product went into this card, but the recommended replacements will make this card a winner for sure. I would love to see pictures of cards you create from my example. Please share them with me on Facebook or Pinterest.

Just a little business yet. I wanted to tell you about the promotion during the month of June. For each workshop (or order) of $350 USD/$400 CAD or more in sales, the hostess will receive $35 USD/$40 CAD in Extra Stampin’ Rewards. This is an excellent opportunity to start adding to your collection from the new catalog. Remember, Stampin’ Rewards can also be used on Starter Kits, which are even better this month!

Stamp on!

Sandy

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Honeycomb Happiness and Crazy About You Stamp Sets

Things were very busy in February and blogging was the first thing at the bottom of my to do list! Blogging is such a mental exercise for me so it is one of the easiest things to skip. Don't you feel that way?

This is the last month for the Sale-A-Bration catalog. I am really going to miss showing off these stamp sets, paper, glitter tape, Project Life (TM), and glitter tape. Oh, did I mention Metallic Glitter tape? Place your order before the end of the month and receive one of these free Stampin' Up! products with every $50 purchase. Click the link on the right for the catalog.

I must admit this first club card was a little easy since I took advantage of a sample in the SAB catalog using another image from the Honycomb Happiness stamp set. I made my own Designer Series Paper too! It is hard to tell from the photo (terrible lighting) but I used the paper piecing method for this cheeky chick. First, I stamped the chick with Basic Black Archival Ink on Whisper White cardstock for placement and his feet. I colored the feet with Tangelo Twist Stampin' Write Marker. I stamped the chick a second time on Daffodil Delight and fussy cut the main body not quite removing all of the outline. The easter tag is from the Crazy About You stamp set.

Hopefully, I will complete the second card yet this weekend and can add a short follow-up post and pictures.

Stamp on!

Bloomin Love Stamp Set and Bloomin Heart Thinlits Dies Bundle Card

Hearts are "IN" right now. You guessed it -- it is time to make valentine cards. This month's stamp club focused on preparing for our February 14 card giving. Stampin' Up! just released the 2016 Occasions Catalog and pages 16-17 displays the gorgeous Love Blossoms collection.

These cards feature the new Bloomin' Heart Thinlits Dies -- an intricate die that combines flowers and foliage in the shape of a heart. It makes a beautiful card. Bloomin' Love stamp set, 16 pc (available in photopolymer only), item #140643, $17; Bloomin' Heart Thinlits Dies, 3 pc, item #140621 is $25; and save 15% buying as a bundle, item #140818, $35.50.

For the card on the right, I used the new Blushing Bride Glimmer Paper, OC p. 17, item #140550, $5. It is just gorgeous! The wood veneer hearts, the pearl trim and sequins (flower centers) are from the Love Blossoms Embellishment Kit, item #140551, $12.

Although the cards are fairly basic, if you need detailed instructions and measurements, I would be happy to respond to your email with specifics.

Sale-A-Bration Reminder: For every $50 product purchased from Jan. 5 thru March 31, 2016, you earn a free Sale-A-Bration product. Check out the catalog links.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Stamp on.

Sandy

sandee904@yahoo.com
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Happy Birthday Everyone Trifold Card

Special request by the Joyner group of ladies…Trifold card challenge!

Now I have never made a trifold card before so I went to Pinterest and Facebook for ideas and nothing really seemed, well, do-able. My personal challenge was to use only supplies on hand, which included only using 8 1/2" by 11” card stock, and not use flowers. Here’s my card.

Finishing touches. What sets the card apart from others is the Cherry on Top Designer Washi Tape and the Dazzling Details (glitter) on the stars.

Difficulty level: Medium skill level

I think it was a big hit. It is versatile too as you can use any large font sentiment for the front of this card. I created a card recipe that I will send you for free with your product purchase totaling $50 or more (excluding shipping/handling/taxes) from my online storesandee904.stampinup.net. My personal offer to send you the card recipe will end on November 30, 2015. Please be sure to check the box that I am allowed to contact you when you place your order, otherwise, I will not have your address to mail your goodies out to you.

Love to see your samples. Send me an email.

Stamp on!

Sandy

sandee904@yahoo.com

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Halloween Greetings with If the Broom Fits paired with Sheltering Tree stamp sets

I am off schedule a bit for posting this month’s feature card. No excuse for that except it has been a busy month.

This month’s club featured fall and Halloween cards. Today we will shine the spotlight on the adult humor of Stampin’ Up stamp set, If the Broom Fits.  I loved the sentiment, “If the broom fits, ride it” but I was having difficulty with taking this up a level from just stamping the image, framing it on DSP and adding a ribbon. I found a cute card on YouTube by SU demonstrator Janet Wakeland, which we cased with some small variations. You can see her card and video here.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhYXTqNJDYk  This is our interpretation.

Then this weekend while I was catching up on the blogs I follow, I found inspiration from SU demonstrator Brian King and recent card created with the Sheltering Tree stamp set – which is my favorite stamp set! For my card, start with stamping the tree image in Early Espresso Classic. Create the foliage with stamping the reverse of the leaves image in Hello Honey Classic Ink and then the leaves in Cajun Craze Classic Ink. Next mask off and stamp one (1) broom (hard to pick just one) in Early Expresso above the tree and color with Stampin’ Write Markers (I used Pumpkin Pie and Crumb Cake). Before the next step, stamp in 2015-17 Mossy Meadow Classic Ink the ground effects image multiple times. (I tried Early Espresso on my first draft, however, IMHO it made the card look too, too drab.)

I have really started to get the hang of creating sky backgrounds. The next step is very important, using a clear wax crayon (you know, the kind you get in an dye kit) carefully trace along the outside edges of the tree, leaves and ground and cover the broom entirely. This way, when you sponge the sky, you can get closer to these images without altering the color. I used Pacific Point Classic Ink first to completely cover all the white remaining on the card front, followed by a small amount of Night of Navy Classic Ink towards the top of the card. If it "bugs" you, use the heat gun for a bit to remove any remnants of the wax crayon.

The moon is a circle (#4 from the center of the CirclesCollection dies) in Hello Honey after masking and stamping the first part of the sentiment. Be sure to leave some room for a small bit of the broom to give the illusion that a witch is racing across the sky in front of the moon. Line up the broom on the moon with the broom on the card and pop up with Stampin’ Dimensionals. (If you are certain of your placement, you could inlay the moon, but I liked the dimension added effect.) Stamp the rest of the sentiment, “ride it,” on a Whisper White and short punch with the Word Window Punch. Place it on the broom stick.

Finishing touches. The house is cut free hand from a scrap (about 1” by 3”) of Basic Black, and some strategically placed bats using Stampin’ Write Marker in Basic Black.

Love to see your samples. Send me an email.

Stamp on!

Sandy
sandee904@yahoo.com

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Stampin’ Up! 2015 Holiday Catalog – Homemade for the Holidays

Yesterday was the release of the Stampin’ Up! 2015 Holiday Catalog. Already a hit in my book. I know, I know – fall holidays are the theme and the most important aspect of the catalog, but there are three very important product releases in the Holiday Catalog that are crafting gold to my crafting friends. Definitely must haves.

#1 – Stampin’ Up! Basic Black Archival Ink Pad, page 19 (Item #140931, $7). There are 51 pages of absolutely marvelous products, stamp bundles, and holiday project ideas. Tucked in the bottom left corner of page 19 – there it is. Stampin’ Up! has developed a permanent black ink. Perfect for watercoloring, which seems like a fad that is going to last for quite a while.

#2 – Precision Base Plate, page 14 (Item #139684, $25). With all the intricately detailed thinlits, this is a must have. This is a steel plate for use with your Big Shot™ that will improve the cuts of the more detailed dies. The “sandwich” recipe: Multipurpose Platform, Precision Base Plate, single sheet of cardstock, die, and Standard Cutting Pad. Not recommended for use with the “open” or border dies as the rigid plate may cause those dies to warp. Check out the video Stampin’ Up! released on YouTube for more detailed instructions, tips and tricks.

#3 – Fine-Tip Glue Pen, page 43 (Item #138309, $7). This is exactly what was needed for adhering small embellishments, like sequins or the images created with the intricate word die cuts, the butterflies, etc. The cap has a needle-like center that inserts into the tip of glue bottle that will prevent clogging.. Check out the video Stampin’ Up! release about using the Fine-Tip Glue Pen and properly capping the bottle.

Over the next several weeks, I will showcase here some of the stamp sets and oodles of bundles to help create any of your papercrafting holiday projects. Our first project will be the tags using the Oh, What Fun Stamp Set (Item #140386, $21) and Oh What Fun Tag Project Kit (Item #139602, $21) on page 5. See you at club this month! I cannot wait.

Stamp on!

Sandy

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All About Sugar Stamp Set and Fry Box Bundle Treat Bags

Today we will be making these cute treat bags. 

On page 61 of the new 2015-16 Annual Catalog, Stampin’ Up! offers the All About Sugar Stamp Set in photopolymer and the Fry Box Bigz L Die (p. 175) at a 15% discount if you bundle these fantastic 2 products. Incredible savings to make this super cute treat bag in the shape of a fry box – just like the ones your favorite fast food comes in.

There is absolutely not much work involved in putting together this project. Run a half sheet of card stock through your Big Shot™ using the Fry Box Bigz L Die. On my project, I used a piece of Tangerine Tango card stock for the fry box and stamped the images on Whisper White card stock – fussy cutting the images with a very, very slight border of the Whisper White. It would have been awesome to have a punch or die cut for these smaller images, but the fry box was the way to go.

I wish I could give credit to the demonstrator’s video I saw many weeks ago – I am sorry, I do not remember her name any more – where she folded the card stock in half instead of laying the half sheet across the whole die in order to allow identical dimensions for the front and back of the box. This change allows you to punch the “handle” using the Large Oval punch as you can see in the photo of my project. I also used the Extra Large Oval punch by accident on one of the fry boxes. I am not so sure I like it as well as the Large Oval punch. But that is the beauty of paper crafting – you get to make your own choices.

Most importantly, please be sure to use a strong adhesive, like the new Tear and Tape Adhesive (p. 156, $7.00) to secure the sides of the fry box. Then you will be assured that your treat bag will not fall apart on your recipient!

I challenge you to make one of these adorable Fry Box treat bags yourself. In fact, if you purchase:

1. One (1) All About Sugar Stamp Set and Fry Box BigzL Die Bundle (p. 61, Item #140221, $42.50);
2. One (1) Tangerine Tango Classic Stamp Pad (p. 138, Item #126946, $6.50); and 
3. One (1) bag of the Mini Clothespins (p. 160, Item #133764, $4.00)

from my online store at sandee904.stampinup.net only, I will send you via regular U.S. mail one (1) half sheet of Tangerine Tango Card Stock, one (1) half sheet of Whisper White Card Stock, and the 2 pieces of ribbon (both ribbon shown are retired now so this will be while supplies last or through expiration of this offer) which will be enough to make one of these cuties yourself.

Now hurry, because you must place your order at my online stone before the end of the day on August 31, 2015 when this offer will expire. Please be sure to check the box that I am allowed to contact you, otherwise, I will not have your address to mail your goodies out to you.

And, if you already have the All About Sugar stamp set or the Fry Box Bigz L die cut, I will still honor my offer as long as you place an order through my online store at sandee904.stampinup.net for any product totaling $50 or more (excluding shipping, handling, taxes).

Difficulty Level: Easy  (I finished both fry boxes last night in about 45 minutes. I have no doubt that you can do the same.)

Stamp on!

Sandy

sandee904@yahoo.com

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Sheltering Tree Stamp Set by Guest Designer

Yesterday was Andrea’s stamping party. It was really a card buffet, but I think I have some new stamping addicts! It was a fun time with a great group of people. I was amazed at the talent of the three (3) young stampers – Andrea’s niece and her third (we think) cousins. I had several cards designed for the adults and youngsters and a couple of cards designed specifically for the youngsters for father’s day. They did a marvelous job with the cards and made them their own.

On this day, Andrea was on a mission! She was on a mission to create a card using the Sheltering Tree Stamp Set by Stampin’ Up! Her vision was to cover the tree with embossed flowers (using the leaves image) on a sheet of vellum. It turned out beautiful. Tell her how much you LUV it below.

Of course, I couldn’t have a stamping party at Andrea’s without bring her favorite retired Stampin’ Up! stamp set, Because I Care. I didn’t have a card designed though – I left it to Andrea to come up with something herself. I had no doubt that she could handle it. Here’s her card.

I hope you enjoy Andrea’s cards as much as I did. I will post June’s club card next week.

Stamp on!

Sandy

sandee904@yahoo.com

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Sheltering Tree Stamp Set for FMS182

In my last post, I mentioned that we would be using the Sheltering Tree Stamp Set from the Stampin’ Up! 2015 Occasions Catalog and the Scallop Tag Topper Punch for this month’s club card. Well, it has been a busy month for me and by Friday night I still hadn’t gotten my act together for club on Saturday. I needed some inspiration! Once I saw the sketch challenge from Freshly Made Sketches – “EUREKA!” I knew that was it. Try as I might, I was unable to incorporate the Scallop Tag Topper Punch into the sketch. (Never fear, it will return because you know I love cards with tags!!) Now, back to business.

Rita, a member of the design team at Freshly Made Sketches, has come up with a beautiful “clean-lined” design. Here it is…

Now here’s my card...

The Sheltered Tree stamp set I am using is a photopolymer set which allowed for some “reverse image” stamping. What is “reverse image” stamping you say? Well, just that – reverse the image! Adhere the detailed image side of the stamp to the clear block and ink the flat side, or the reverse side of the stamp, which created this wonderfully full-blooming tree effect (affectionately nicknamed the blob effect at club). I used 2013-15 In Color Pistachio Pudding (really going to hate to see this color retire in June!) for the full bloom effect. Clean the stamp and adhere the flat side of the image to a clear block and ink the intended leaf image in Old Olive. Line it up with the “blob” and stamp. Turned out nicely. The color for the tree trunk is 2013-15 In Color Baked Brown Sugar (pause for sadness to fade again). The tree swing and bicycle is stamped in Early Espresso. The bicycle frame is stamped in Night of Navy.

I decided to use the stamp set’s signature sentiment, “Friendship is a sheltering tree.” I love the sentiment, and really love the font! To keep to the design of the sketch challenge, I masked the sentiment and inked in Baked Brown Sugar the word “friendship.” Although it is hard to see, the word is cut out using the smallest banner die cut, some quick sponging of Baked Brown Sugar around the edges, and affixed to the right side of the card just below the swing. The bow is created with 3 loops using the Crisp Cantaloupe Thick Baker’s Twine. In this picture it hides the “flag” portion of the banner. Reversing the banner so that the flag pointed left instead of right would be a better choice.

To finish the card, I layered on slightly larger Pistachio Pudding card stock, layered again on Whisper White card stock (trimmed with a row of circles from the Painted Petals stamp set — my favorite Stampin’ Up! stamp set), and adhered to a Pistachio Pudding card stock base of 51/2 x 4 1/4.

If you would like specific dimensions and instructions to create your own card, please e-mail me and I will be happy to share them with you. And if you don’t already have a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator, it would be my honor if you selected me to help you in your future creations!

Stamp on!

Sandy

sandee904@yahoo.com

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Saturday Punch Art Projects

Today was a busy day. Lots to do, but still not too busy to squeeze in some stamping and crafting with Andrea and Stephen.  No set plan is the best kind of stamping.  I made a couple of birthday cards.  Andrea has been surfing Pinterest and found a couple of a cards that she wanted to try to replicate.  With great results I might add.

The first card was a little tricky. Quick thinking, Andrea used her own flip flop to create a pattern and then cut the pattern down to size to fit a standard 5 1/2  x 4 1/4 card front. Using some scrap DSP, she cut out two flip flops (one in reverse learned the hard way), laced up some ribbon and set it on a stage of pretend sand. Let’s head to the beach!  (And check out the quality of that photo staging!)

The second card was a real treat! Three circles using the scallop circle punch for the ice cream scoops, a half oval for the dish and a half circle for the bottom of the dish. Looks good enough to eat, right?

Check back soon and I will post pictures for this months’ stamp club. The initial plan is to use the new Sheltering Tree Stamp Set introduced in the Occasions Catalog and a project using the Scallop Tag Topper Punch.

Stamp on!

Sandy