Stamping In My Neighborhood

A Perfect Summer Card

I demonstrated this card at a workshop last Friday.  It was sooooo easy.  The colors are Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive and Whisper White.  I used the Fresh Cuts stamp set to stamp "thank you" on the butterfly and the card.

The Big Shot (Butterflies Die) and SU Backgrounds Texturz Plates gave me the interest and that yummy new polka dot ribbon in Rich Razzleberry tied everything together. 

The center of the butterfly  is a clear rhinestone brad.  Did you know that Stampin' Up!'s Deal of the Week is a package of the Square Fire Rhinestone brads?  Regularly $10.95, they are on special for $6.99 until Monday, July 20th at 11:50 AM, Maine time.  Contact me today if you'd like to order some and save on some s&h charges by piggy-backing your order with others.  I have an order going in on Friday.

Cute little boxes...little effort

I just love my Matchbox Die for my Big Shot!  Here are two matchboxes I did at a workshop last night.  The first one is just one I demo'd, showing how to use the Thick Window Sheets (they are thick!) to create a see-through cover.  The box itself is made from Rich Razzleberry cardstock, which is one of the new In Colors.  The tag is from the Matchbox Messages stamp set.

The second box shows a stamped cover.  I stamped it with Fifth Avenue Florals.  At the workshop we actually used Embrace Life because I thought I left my FAF set at home.  Turns out I had moved it to a different bag during my set-up.  I found it when I was cleaning up.  Embrace Life worked well, but nothing beats Fifth Avenue Florals!  The colors are Certainly Celery and Tempting Turquoise.  It really is much cuter in person.  The boldness of the Turquoise and the softness of the Celery didn't translate too well in the photo.  Actually, I guess you get that impression, but you don't get a true sense of the lovely combination.

Hostess Twist Box

Stampin' Up! put out some new training videos the other day and one of them was how to created this cute little twist box.  I think I'm going to have to do a video tutorial on it sometime.  I know for sure I'm making these as hostess gifts for my July workshops.  I think I'm going to demonstrate them in August and/or September workshops.  Wouldn't these make nice Halloween treat boxes for the special goblins in your life?  I wouldn't make them for every kid that drops by (well, I might since I get a max of one child), but definitely for my kids and some special adults.  And they'd look great done in a Thanksgiving theme.  Ooooh, I just purchased the Autumn Days stamp set.  That pheasant would look great on there!  Maybe that one will be my video.

For this box, I used Perfect Plum, Apricot Appeal and Whisper White cardstock.  I used the Oval All stamp set and the Scalloped Oval punch as well as some Apricot ribbon.  The dots on the Perfect Plum cardstock came from using Itty Bitty Backgrounds in Apricot Appeal Craft ink.  I watercolored the StazOn'd image using Apricot Appeal and Pale Plum.

Would you like me to show you and your friends how to create this box?  Contact me today to set something up!

A New Catalog Year is Upon Us

Did you miss me?  I was on vacation.  A lot has happened since my last post...namely that a new Stampin' Up! Idea Book & Catalog was unveiled!  It's fabulous.  Lots of great new stamp sets.  Lots of great new stamp sets and very attractive price points!

And, of course, there are new In Colors.  This year's colors are Soft Suede, Dusty Durango, Crushed Curry, Melon Mambo, Rich Razzleberry and Bermuda Bay.

Also, Stampin' Up! has announced they'll be having Deals of the Week throughout July.  Today they unveiled the one that runs until 11:50 AM (Eastern time) next Monday...the Doctor's Bag that goes with the Big Shot.  It's on sale for $20 off!  If you would like to order this bag, click on the Shop Now button in the upper left column of this blog.  That'll take you to my online store.  If you've been eyeing this fabulous bag, NOW is the time to get it!

If you would like to schedule a workshop to get a copy of the Idea Book & Catalog for free, or to see the new In Colors in person, or if you want to place an order personally rather than online, please contact me today!

I'm going to leave you with a card I did using the new In Color, Soft Suede.  The actual Soft Suede color is somewhere between the one you see as the base of the card and the color you see on the far right in the first image of my In Color cardstock packages. 

Mix-n-Match Card 3

Here's the third base card that was designed for the Mix-n-Match Note Card Gift Set.  This one features a 3"x5" layer of black-embossed cherries.  And the paper, from Rockabilly Specialty DSP, came embossed!  That's what sets the Specialty DSPs apart form the regular DSPs...texture!  Some are embossed, some are textured in grain,...fun stuff.

A quick pop of color added with a sentiment and layer and the card is ready to be given.  What a nice summer card to give to a special friend.

Mix-n-Match 6

Here's the last card that I designed for Summer STAMPede's Mix-n-Match Boxed Note Card Set.  Again, a very simple base.  The person finishing the card just needs to select a sentiment, a layer for that sentiment and then determine the placement of those items on the card.  The Mix-n-Match set contains 6 cards and envelopes, but 12 sentiments and 12 scalloped oval layers for those sentiments, so even on the last card, the owner of the set has choices.  And then, best of all,  there are still extra sentiments that can be used elsewhere!

The polka dot paper is from the Rockabilly Specialty DSP and measures 1.5"x3.5".  It's layered onto a piece of Basic Black cardstock that measures 1.75"x3.5". 

If you were not able to participate in Summer STAMPede but would like to learn how to make this wonderful gift set, contact me today.  The directions are free with supply purchase or when you schedule a class for yourself and four others.

Mix-n-Match 4

What a simple card, but the color blocking adds so much interest!  Two squares of Old Olive and two squares of Riding Hood Red were punched using the 1 1/4" square punch and mounted as shown.

Adding a sentiment and black scallop layer completes the card.  Remember, this is one possibility.  Another possibility would have been to add the sentiment/layer in the white portion under the blocks (where my watermark is).

These basic card layouts that I've been sharing with you work with any paper and color combinations.  And they translate to cards of all sizes, not to mention scrapbook layouts.  So give one a try!

Mix-n-Match 5

We're coming to the end of of Mix-n-Match card bases.  This one was my favorite...I think.  It features a 1.5"x5" strip of the black cherry paper from Rockabilly Specialty DSP and a 0.5"x5" strip of Riding Hood Red cardstock.  One of the finished possibilities is the card shown at the right.

Tomorrow I'll share the last of the six note cards I designed for the Mix-n-Match set.  And then...yes, on to new products.  I'm looking forward to playing with the new In Colors and my new Autumn Days stamp set that I got in over a week ago.  I just had to get STAMPede out of the way first.

The new catalog is fantastic.  If you'd like to reserve a copy, contact me today.  They are $5 and come with a $5 coupon toward your order of $25 or more.  Or, you can get one for free by scheduling a workshop.

Mix-n-Match Card 1

For the cards that go inside the box I showed you yesterday, I wanted to keep the designs very clean and simple.  This makes it fast and easy to reproduce, doesn't overwhelm the recipient and gives many options as to layout.

All the cards start with a Whisper White note card base (#107311, set of 20 note cards and envelopes, $5.95).  I then added a strip of the black striped paper from the Rockabilly Specialty DSP.  It measured 1.5" x 4.75".

 And this is a sample of what the finished card might look like once the sender has chosen a sentiment and layer.  Wouldn't this make a simple but beautiful wedding card? 

Remember, this is just one of MANY possibilities with this base card.

Mix-n-Match Card 2

Another simple design to go in the Mix-n-Match Note Card set from STAMPede.  I used a Basic Black base layer that measured 2.75" x 4.25" and a cherry layer from Rockabilly Specialty DSP that measured 2.5" square.

An example of a finished note card is on the right.  I simply added an Old Olive scallop layer to the "thank you" sentiment that had been stamped in Old Olive.  Remember, the oval sentiment and the scallop oval layer both have Stampin' Dimensionals on the back so putting the card together is a matter of "peel and stick" for the person with this Mix-n-Match note card set.