Stampin' in Vancouver

Retiring Items

2009-06-02T09:33:00.000-07:00

The Last-Chance List is out. This is a list of all the stamp sets that are retiring at the end of the month. They are sold on a first come first serve basis so if you like any of them you had better get them quick.

There is also a retiring list for the Decor Elements as well that you should check out, these are being sold at a 25% discount to boot. Definitely worth a look!

More Flowers, yah!

2009-06-01T10:16:00.000-07:00

Here is the other watercolouring card that we did at the May Technique Club. I chose this card because I wanted to use multiple stamps from one set. So that must mean that this gorgeous flower is also from the Bloomin' Beautiful set. This set has some great detailed flowers, perfect for watercolouring because you can really work with the details to get beautiful results.

This card is done with the watercolour paper instead of the regular cardstock. This paper is better because you can really layer colours and add water without the paper curling and bending. This is good for an amateur like me because it is harder to mess up.

Like I said before I'm not a creative genius but I like the way this card turned out. I added highlights to the flower with the same Summer Sun that I coloured the center with. In later versions of this card I did figure out how to better shade with just the Real Red. It just takes some practice I think. The green of the leaves and stem is Garden Green and then I added some Chocolate Chip to the stem, see shading can be easy.

To finish off the flower I roughed up the edges of the watercolour paper with scissors and then ran the edge along the Real Read stamp pad to get some colour. This adds nice definition against the Apricot Appeal DSP layer underneath.

Spring Flowers

2009-05-27T16:51:00.000-07:00

Here is a card I made and I can't believe I didn't show everyone earlier! We made this card at the April Technique Class, just in time for Mother's Day. I meant to post these before Mother's Day but apparently the time got away from me. What I did learn from my mother is that I should have included instructions with this one. Instead of opening like a regular card the flowers pop out to reveal the message. It is really cute but apparently also mildly confusing.

The paper that I used is the sale-a-bration DSP and I used matching cs for the rim - So Saffron or Certainly Celery. The ribbon is Pretty in Pink and it matches the light flowers, the dark ones are Rose Red. Now about the flowers... on the yellow card are brighter because they are covered with clear embossing powder whereas the flowers on the green card are just plain. I added some bling to the center of the flowers with dazzling diamonds glitter, but in order to get it to stick to the embossed flowers I had to use Crystal Effects. It was a learning experience to figure out how to get the glitter to stick, you definitly don't use the two-way glue!

May Technique Club/Class

2009-05-26T12:37:00.000-07:00

For the May technique I chose to put the focus on watercolouring with the classic inks. This is a great technique because if you have any artistic flair at all you can really get the creativity going. You will notice that I don't have much in the way of artistic flair but I can still pull off a pretty sweet card, if I do say so myself.

I have 2 pictures posted so you can see the differences that you can get in watercolouring just based on how much water you use. The flowers are both coloured with the Elegant Eggplant ink but one is much darker than the other. This allows you to add shadows and shading with only 1 ink pad, so really, anyone can do it!!

The other item to note is that Stampin' Up! has the Aquapainter which is a really great tool for watercolouring and I totally recommend it. But if you don't have one you can just use a good quality paint brush. The ones with the plastic bristles don't work so you really do need a good quality one.

The rest of the supplies for this card are Old Olive, So Saffron ink (for the flower centers) and Chocolate Chip and Really Rust mixed for the flower pot. The paper matches the inks and I used Kiwi Kiss satin ribbon and DSP as well.

Scrapbook Page #4

2009-05-12T11:55:00.000-07:00

I know I haven't been as good with posting lately as I normally am. I apologize for this and hope to have some more posts coming up. The last couple of weeks have been a little stressful as my husband and I have just bought our first house. This is way more stressful that I had anticipated especially since it was a bit of a spur of the moment decision! In my house-buying frenzy I realized that I posted my scrapbook page #5 before #4 so here is page #4.

This page is of my daughter with her first degree. We have been going to UBC and doing studies for the infant development and cognitive development labs and this was her first one (she is a post-doc now according to her degrees).

For the background I found a retired SU! paper with numbers on it, they colours are pretty close to Kiwi Kiss and Baja Breeze so that is what I used. The stars are made with the new star punches, I love that there are 2 that you can layer. Something to keep in mind too is that you can run the cardstock through the printer for your journaling, that is what I did with the Kiwi Kiss piece at the top. I'm not a fan of my handwriting so I'm always looking for new ways to journal without actually having to write anything.

Scrapbook Page #5

2009-05-05T08:48:00.000-07:00

In honour of National Scrapbooking Month I have a new page done of my daughter. This photo was taken last summer by my mom and it is one of her favourite, with good reason I think!

Because I want each scrapbook page to be different from the others I am having to get pretty creative, at least I think I am. For this one I took a sheet of Kiwi Kiss textured cs and added strips of Bella Rose DSP which I think totally matches her little hat. The photo is matted with Pink Pirouette and Riding Hood Red (lifted both colours from the Bella Rose).

To add a little interest I wove the organza ribbon through the strips, but there has to be a better way than how I did that, it looks nice but was a lot more work than I thought!

Finally I added some journaling that I did on the computer and made the font print in RHR. To carry the strip look through I cut the journaling into pieces and stuck them on.

My goal was met, this page does look different from my other ones so I am satisfied.

Calling all Scrapbookers!

2009-05-04T10:57:00.000-07:00

Stampin' Up! is running a new promotion in honour of National Scrapbooking Month. I think this is pretty cool since I didn't even know there was a scrapbooking month, and now I find out we get our own month-not a day but a whole month-how great is that! But back to the promotion. There are 3 parts to this new deal.

First if you buy 3 packs of any designer 12x12 paper (this includes textured, and specialty paper) you get a 4th for FREE.

Secondly you can sign up to become a demonstrator for just $99 with the new scrapbooking starter kit

Thirdly you can buy the Jumble Alphabet set from the new 2009/2010 catty at 20% off.

You can click the link or send me a message if you want more information on any part of this promotion.

Spring is Sprung

2009-04-29T08:58:00.000-07:00

May Technique Club and Class will be held May 17th at 1pm AND as a special bonus on May 24th at 1pm as well. Let me know if you want to attend.

Is spring finally here at last? It is in my cards that's for sure. We made this card for the April Technique Club using the set that I got at the regional convention. Since this class was the day after I thought it was appropriate to use the set. I found this card on Splitcoast, my favourite inspiration site. I changed the colours but other than that I thought the card was fantastic. I realized though that most of my cards are pink so I will endeavor to change that for some of my upcoming cards because I have been informed that not everyone loves pink.

The colours on this card are Really Rust, Pretty ink Pink, Orchid Opulence and Summer Sun. You may be asking yourself "How did she get the Orchid Opulence ribbon, SU! doesn't make that?" The answer my friend is to make it yourself. You use the white ribbon and drag it through the ink pad or stampin spot, both work, with even pressure and speed. It is a fantastic way to make your supplies go further. One this worth mentioning is to make sure your ribbon is super dry, it wans't on this card and you can see a little of the purple bled onto the yellow where the ribbon is wrapped around.

Make 'n' Takes from Seattle

2009-04-27T09:21:00.000-07:00

I finally got the photos taken and found the time to show them to you. Here at long last are some of the projects we made at the regional convention in Seattle last weekend. We made more than just cards, the first is a little wallet that holds 3 mini cards with envelopes. It uses the stamp set we got for free (Best Wishes and More) for going! It also uses the metal edge tags with a punch of paper inside for some colour. This is such a great idea, it is subtle yet very cool.

The second picture is a super simple card using a new set (Soft Summer) from the mini catalogue which I have heard will be in the new catalogue that comes out in July. The set has solid images and line images and for this card the solid image is coloured directly on the stamp with watercolour crayons and then misted with water (mine had too much water on it) and then stamped over the line image and it gives a really nice soft look.

The last picture is of a cute basket that you can make with the Big Shot. I particularly love the tag. It is made with the flower

from the Best Wishes and More stamp set

and then the center is punched out in various sizes. It is super simple and super cute.

Swap for Regional

2009-04-23T08:50:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Stampin' Up! had a regional convention in Seattle and I was lucky enough to get a ticket. Maybe lucky isn't the right word to use since I was up at 6am the day tickets went on sale to get one, maybe I got one because I'm a keener.

The regional convention was soooo cool though. Everyone who attended got a free stamp set, 6 make n' takes, and lots of presentations. There were also lots of sample cards and other things as well to get new ideas for projects as well as swaps with other convention goers.

This is the card I made for my swap and it seemed to go over really well. I made this while I was still in birthday mode, in fact I did make this card for a few birthdays! This is actually a birthday card, my swaps were with Kiwi Kiss instead of Pretty in Pink but I didn't take a picture of the green cards. Since birthday mode involved the Zoofari stamps so does this card. I chose to go with the filmstip style because it's really cool. Do make the film strip you just need the spiral punch, that's it, super easy.

I coloured the animals with blender pens and inks, then punched them with the 1-1/4 in square. I sponged the edges of the pink with matching ink and stamped the happy birthday (Big Bold Birthday) on the bottom in the same ink again. This is a super easy card that is really cute too. The part that took the longest is the sponging but really, how hard is that?

Happy Earth Day

2009-04-22T14:33:00.000-07:00

In honor of Earth Day I have copied a post from my upline Kari that is all about Stampin' Up! and their contribution to the environment. Not only do they make awesome paper and stamps but they are eco-conscious as well, how much better can it get!

Rubber
Rather than dumping their excess rubber in a landfill, they donate it to Courage Reins, a nonprofit organization that provides horseback riding therapy for physically or mentally challenged children. They take the ground rubber and sell it to groups and individuals for use in playgrounds and horse stables. The money that they receive from those sales goes to fund their programs. You can find out more about Courage Reins.

Wood Blocks
The wood blocks in the stampsets are not only created from a renewable resource, but they also engage in a sustainable practice to get them! They work with a tree farm in which the maple trees are grown specifically for the purpose of harvesting wood.

Card Stock and Paper
I bet you already figured out that the paper used for shipping is 100% recycled. But did you know that the card stock included recycled material as well? It's true! SU! cardstock includes recycled paper that's left over from other paper runs, which would otherwise end up in a landfill. The darker the colour of the cardstock, the more recycled material is inside it (who would have thought that Basic Black was their greenest colour?!)

In addition, they work with a paper broker who ensures that the mills used for the Designer Paper and Cardstock engage in environmentally friendly practices. The broker is even certified through the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) and the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Program for the Endorsement of Forestry Certification (PEFC). These certifications help them know that their paper comes from sustainably managed forests and mills that are taking steps to lessen their carbot footprint. One of their mills even generates its own power!Stampin' Up!'s Buildings. You should see the facilities that Stampin' Up! has, that help them to reduce their environmental impact! First, systems in both the Riverton and Kenab buildings filter any pollutants that may result from stamp production. Second, their buildings were designed with energy conservation in mind. Both buildings have geothermal wells, which help maintain building temperature, cutting down on the use of heating oil or natural gas. In additional, all lights are on sensors and timers, so they don't waste electricity when employees are away from the office. In fact, the buildings were built with MASSIVE amounts of skylights to allow natural light to light the spaces as much as possible - you should feel how airy they are!!

In the desert climate of Utah, it's also extremely important that they watch their water usage. So, they incorporated native, water-wise plants in their landscaping. In fact, in the home office they have wildflowers growing in front of their building instead of grass!! Their sprinkler system is timed to minimize evaporation, which helps reduce the amount of water used to maintain the landscape. Indoors, artifical plants mingle in with the live ones in the area around their atrium water feature. That allows a lush garden while minimizing the amount of water used.

Carbon Footprint
Stampin' Up! strives to reduce their carbon footprint as much as possible. They try to engage in shipping practices that will requires fewer greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide to be released into the atmosphere. First, UPS picks up shipments from the Distribution Center each day during nonpeak traffic hours. This cuts down on gas UPS needs to get orders out the door. You can learn more about what UPS is doing to make their practices moreeco-friendly here.
For stamp shipments from Kenab to Riverton, they 'carpool' with companies who are sending shipments from the Salt Lake City area to Kenab. For example, Sysco delivers food to Kenab and surrounding towns and, normally, their trucks would return empty to Salt Lake City. Instead of driving back without cargo, their trucks return with stamps!

As you know, one of Stampin' Up!'s guiding principles is Change, and with that principle in mind, they are always looking for ways to improve business pactices to do what's right for their demonstrators, employees, community and environment. Aren't you glad that you do business with this awesome company?!

Holly's First Birthday Card

2009-04-21T08:10:00.000-07:00

Finally spring feels like it has arrived. The sun is out and the air is warm - this is the weather that I love. This time last year was not nearly as nice (it snowed on the 18th) and I remember this very clearly since my daughter was born this time last year. I thought I would share the birthday card I made for her with all of you. My husband requested that I make a card that he hadn't seen before. He is my behind the scenes "creative assistant" so he sees everything before it is deemed acceptable for use. And since Holly is only 1 and really won't care for the card any further than determining if it is tasty it really is a card for my hubby so I made a new one.

This card, like most of my others, is off Splitcoast. I love that it uses Zoofari and Define your Life. I coloured in the birds with pastels and blender pens, but I wanted the colour to be brigher than the pastels are (I didn't have the colours I wanted in inks) so I used Crystal Effects over the birds after they were coloured. This also adds a bit of shine that you can't see in the photo. The colours of the birds match the brads which are from the Rich Regals.

The ribbon it dyed to match too, I love this technique - using a white ribbon you press it on the ink pad and drag it through with even speed and just like magic you have coordinating ribbon! Easy peasy. To finish the card off I used some pink paper from a previous pattern pack and mounted it all on Kraft cardstock.

Little Bunny

2009-04-08T09:52:00.000-07:00

This is the last project that we made at the Technique Club/Class last week. I found the bunnies here on Splitcoast and they were so perfect that I didn't make any changes at all. By the way the next Technique Club/Class will be Sunday April 19th at 1pm. If you are interested in coming there is still room so let me know.

I was saving this little guy since it is also going to make an appearance at my daughter's first birthday party but I couldn't wait. This super cute little bunny holds a peppermint patty inside so it is perfect as a little favour at a party or on place settings for a holiday dinner. I can think up so many uses but I just don't host enough events.

This little guy was made using the scallop punch for the body and the ears were cut out after stamping the Pick a Petal and colouring in the center with Pretty in Pink. The face was drawn on with the Basic Black marker and the nose again is Pretty in Pink.

Second Card from March Technique Club

2009-04-03T12:40:00.000-07:00

This is the second card we did at Technique Club last Sunday. We were using the VersaMark pad and with this card we coloured the clear image in with pastels. This is super easy to do because it is a tacky ink when wet so the pastel powder sticks to it. The pastels are my favourite because they are so versatile since you get all 48 of SU! colours so you can totally match any paper that you have.

I have been using pink so much lately that I wanted to branch out so I tried the purples. I liked the soft look of the pastels, I think it works well with the elegant script in the message and I added a double torn edge to the bottom for interest.

Get Connected

2009-04-02T14:21:00.000-07:00

From now until April 30 the Get Connected Campaign is underway. Basically if you get $50 of stuff from the new Occasions Mini Catalogue you can pick an "Under $12" item from the very end of the Spring/Summer Catalogue.

Alternatively you can also host a workshop with sales over $200+ and pick an item from that page as well. There are some great stamps and packages too on this page so it totally worth a look.

Is spring finally here?

2009-03-31T09:40:00.000-07:00

I finally have time to post some of my most recent cards. I've been so busy lately - that is the professional way to say I've been hopelessly addicted to the lastest book that I picked up. So addicted so that I had to send my husband out while my club ladies came over so he could pick me up the second book in the series and then when he returned, book in hand, I basically ignored him for the rest of the night so I could read.

But enough about that, here is one of the cards that we made at the club on Sunday. This is using the Pick A Petal set which is amazingly versatile. I love the combination of the Summer Sun, Chocolate Chip and Kraft. I think it is uber springy. Since this class was all about the VersaMark I had to show how it make awesome backgrounds so the little flower from the same set was used. For this club I had a request to use a button at this class to it made total sense to make it the flower center and since I had the Button Latte it totally makes it look like a sunflower. I finished it off with the Sincere Salutations greeting and some paper piercing to add interest to the lower right corner.

Sweet Stems in pots

2009-03-23T08:57:00.000-07:00

Here is a nice spring themed card to make us all believe it really is coming. I originally saw a card similar to this at my uplines place but she used the Pocket Sillouhettes set and it makes a more sophisitcated looking card because of the style of the stamp. I don't have that set and I'm all for making it work with what you have and if you go on Splitcoast this style of card is all over so I just looked around and made it work.

I did this card at a few workshops that I've had recently and it went over really well. Not only is it quick and easy but it would work for a variety of occasions from mother's day to birthday to sympathy.

To make this card I used the Sweet Stems stamp set and stamped the flowers in basic black ink. Then I coloured in the flowers with Kiwi Kiss, Pretty in Pink and Rose Red and blender pens. The blue is sponged with Baja Breeze and I put a sticky note over the top portion of the card to make the line. The flower pots are probably my favourite part of this card, I used scrap 1in strips of Rose Red, Pretty in Pink and Old Olive (again making it work with what I have) cardstock and my 1-1/4in circle punch. This makes a flat bottom and top to give the flower pot look. Then I clipped the corners with my ticket corner punch and mounted it on the Baja Breeze card.

Lastly the greeting is with the hostess set which I love, it has something for every occasion. I highly recommend it if you have a workshop.

My first swap

2009-03-19T10:32:00.001-07:00

Making my first swat was a nerve wracking experience for absolutely no reason. Participating in a swap is a great thing actually, you get lots of ideas for cards, in fact you get cards, in exchange for cards that you have made yourself. The main rule is that the card needs to be an original design. This is what made me self consious since almost all of my cards have been heavily inspired by things I have seen on Splitcoast. This one I can truly say is my own. Ya me!

I used the Eastern Blooms set and inked the branch in Regal Rose then coloured the stem in with a Basic Grey marker. On this card I used a Versamark pen to colour the flowers in as well then embossed with clear embossing powder. I realized that this was more work than I wanted to do so for the other cards I used Crystal Effects on the flowers afterwards (see second picture). I think I like it better with the crystal effects, it adds a little bit more shine and shine is good, almost as good as bling. The patterened paper is Regal Rose from the hostess pack and I paired it with Rose Red and Basic Grey cardstock. I love the new organza ribbon, it adds a touch of class to whatever you add it to. Love it!

Another Purse

2009-03-18T09:02:00.000-07:00

I love making purses out of paper. I don't even love them this much in real life but there is something adorable about them when they are made of paper. This is one I made at the Sea to Sky Stampers group that I am a part of. At our meetings we always get to make something super cute to take home and this was what we did this time.

This purse is made with the Big Shot and some coordinating papers. I made mine with the Pacific Point and the Good Morning Sunshine designer paper but had some problems getting the birds going the right way. Next time I'm going to choose something without a direction, like just about any other paper :) On the back I got the birds going the right way and I had intended to make that the front, but then I forgot. I love the motto that you can't make mistakes in crafting you only leave room for embellishment, but I'm having a hard time framing the sideways birds as a sort of embellishment...

As for size it is a little on the smaller side, so you wouldn't want to swap out your regular purse for it :) But it would be perfect for a gift card or a small gift for a birthday or mother's day. Also if you book a workshop with me you may see one of these show up as a hostess gift, you never know.

Now easier than ever!

2009-03-16T10:40:00.000-07:00

I know I posted previously how the starter kit was on sale until the end of March and that you get a free stamp set when you sign up until the end of March (full details here) and now you can get all this for a limited time on a payment plan! I almost wish I had waited for this promotion, but if I had I couldn't be telling you about it now so I'm glad I didn't wait.

Here are the details:
the Starter Kit for $209 instead of the regular $249 ($435 in merchandise)
Free shipping
Free stamp set (up to $56.95 in value)
and now you are able to make three payments of :
$66.68 (+taxes ) First monthly payment
$69.66 Second Monthly Payment
$69.66 Third Monthly Payment

It is important to note that this payment option is only available for mailed in applications so if you want to sign up then contact me as soon as possible (applications need to be at Stampin' Up! no later than March 13). The payment plan option (at regular price) is scheduled to end on April 30 so it won't be around forever.

History of the Greeting Card

2009-03-10T15:58:00.000-07:00

Card from Stampin Up! website, information from the Postcard and Greeting Card Museum (also from Kari's blog).

Sending greeting cards to friends and family is a tradition that goes back about 200 years. They were mostly sent by the elite and wealthy in the early to mid 1800's. Most of the early greeting cards were hand delivered and many were quite expensive, but they soon gained mass popularity with the introduction of the world's first postage stamp issued in 1840 and a few ambitious printer's and manufacturer's perfecting printing methods, hiring artists and designed both elaborate expensive cards as well as simple affordable ones by the 1850's.

As you visit our galleries you will see that cards of the past were fine pieces of art. Manufacturer's used quality artists and many of the large manufacturer's held "art" competitions to generate interest and to get new ideas for cards. Some of these competitions awarded as much as $1,000.00 to the winner!

The oldest known greeting card in existence is a Valentine made in the 1400's and is in the British Museum. New Year's cards can be dated back to this period as well, but the New Year greeting didn't gain popularity until the late 1700's. The Valentine and Christmas Card were the most popular cards, with Valentine's offering us the most "mechanical", "pop-up" and filigree cards, followed by Christmas, St. Patrick's Day, Easter, Halloween and Thanksgiving. Cards gained their highest popularity in the late 1800's and early 1900's offering us cards with some of the most unusual art. The Victorian age give us the most prolific cards.

Valentine greetings were popular as far back as the Middle Ages, when lovers said or sang their Valentines. Written Valentines began to appear after 1400. Paper Valentines were exchanged in Europe where they were given in place of Valentine gifts. Handmade paper Valentines were especially popular in England. In the mid to early 1800's, Valentines began to be assembled in factories. Early manufactured Valentines were black and white pictures painted by workers in a factory. Esther Howland (see below) known as the Mother of the Valentine made fancy Valentines with real lace, ribbons and colorful pictures known as "scrap". She introduced the Paper Lace Valentine in the mid 1800's. By the end of the 1800's, Valentines were being made entirely by machine.

Christmas cards were introduced and popularized by John Calcott Horsley, the artist of what is known as the world's first Christmas Card and Louis Prang, known as the Father of the American Christmas Card.

The rest is History. With the exchange of New Year's, Valentine's, Easter, St. Patrick's Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Birthday Cards, just to name a few, there is probably no occasion that doesn't have its own greeting card!

Scrapbook Page #3

2009-03-09T13:16:00.000-07:00

I thought with putting the scrapbooking tips up I should show everyone my next page. This is the page I made for Holly's baby shower. I am most proud of this page because I made the background paper out of wrapping paper from some of her presents. How did I do this you may be asking? I covered the white sheets that come in the scrapbook with tombow glue (a glue stick would probably work better though) and then layed on my pre-cut pieces of wrapping paper. I used strips of matching cardstock to cover the seams and them just added matted pictures and my journaling block. Super easy and it really means something to me. I think it is pretty too.

Stamping scrapbook titles

2009-03-06T13:13:00.000-08:00

Here is another scrapbook page that I liked from Scrapbooks etc., this one is page 10 of the 15 examples. This idea is from their newsletter again but this time tells tips for stamping titles. On this page the happily is stickers but they stamped over the white stickers to give a little more interest. I love this idea and it could totally be done with the chipboard letters if you are like me and are too lazy to cover them with designer paper. You could cover them with craft ink or paint and then stamp them to give them some pizazz.

I am getting so many ideas from just putting up these posts, I think my scrapbook obsession is really coming to light now....

Stamping and Scrapbooking combined

2009-03-05T10:01:00.000-08:00

I got this in my inbox since I am a subscriber to Scrapbooks etc. They have a weekly newsletter that comees out with lots of neat scrapbooking tips. I thought this week was especially relevant since it pertained to stamping and scrapbooking. I thought I'd share some of the links in the email so everyone can see how versatile and easy it is to incorporate stamps in your scrapbook. This tip is how to create custom backgrounds for your scrapbook pages with stamps. I liked this one because you don't need patterened paper, even though there are tonnes of great ones out there, sometimes you don't have exactly what you need. I also liked it because it gives you ideas how to use any stamp, not just those specifically designed for backgrounds. There are 15 examples of beautiful pages so there really is something for everyone.

This page was my favourite and it could totally be done with any large flower set. It also uses strips of designer paper that coordinates with the pink in the little girls shirt. I think that is what I like so much about this page, they pulled the colours out of the photo to make the page. I must try that next.

Spring mini-catalogue sneak-peek

2009-03-03T11:45:00.000-08:00

The new mini catalogue is out! Yaaa, but technically it doesn't start until April 1. So why I am telling you this you may be asking? Because since Easter is so early in April SU! decided to help you guys out and offer a selection of sets in March so you can get your Easter cards done in time. How fabulous is that. You can see the selection offered here or click on the picture.

Keep in mind that if you order over $60 worth of stamps you can also qualify for the sale-a-bration freebies (see flyer on left). So you can get sneak-peek sets and free sets, how great is that! If you want one for freebie then if you order online for over $25 you get a free catalogue. I'm not sure the pot can get any sweeter, but all this sweetness is only until March 31 so make sure you don't miss out.

Purse Card

2009-03-02T09:41:00.000-08:00

Here is one of my favourite cards to make. It is really easy and really cute too. I found it on splitcoast here and modified it slightly. It uses the set Eastern Blooms but could use any solid image stamp. The first picture is of all the supplies that you will need to make this card. If you'll notice there really aren't that many!

To start this card you use the Pretty in Pink cs and fold it like a regular card, then I took 1/4" off the top and cut the sides on an angle to make the base. From there you just stamp in PIP ink with the big flower all over. I added some faux stitching with my white gel pen to the sides. The base is now done, how easy was that?

The handle is Chocolate Chip taffeta ribbon that is fed through the top and taped to the back. I tried knots but then the card was too bulky and wouldn't close nicely. The flower is stamped in Chocolate Chip and then cut out, I popped it up on a dimension too. To close the card I used a bit of sticky velcro, so it really is a closing purse.

For a bit of extra bling I used shimmery white paper for the top and put some crystal effects in the center of the brown flower.

Here is another example of the same card but I used bleach instead of PIP ink. Also my faux stitching here is done with the help of my mat pack. I added a greeting to this card to with the hostess set, Sweet Little Sentiments. Does it really get any cuter than this card?

Classic ink vs. Craft ink?

2009-02-27T10:33:00.001-08:00

I felt it was time for a little Q&A session with 'Dear Jodie, the Stampin' Lady'. Not because I've gotten a lot of questions but because this was something that confused me for sometime when I first became a stamper and to make myself feel better I thought that maybe others were confused by this too. So the question I'm going to answer today is "What is the difference between classic and craft inks?"

Here is the low down straight from the souce (Stampin' Up! product guide for demonstrators)

Classic Ink - good for day to day stamping and the only ink most stampers will need (note: this is my comment).
■ Water-based dye ink
■ Basic Black and Basic Brown are made with waterproof dye ink and will not bleed on Stampin’ Up!’s card stock
■ Slightly raised fabric pad
■ Cannot be used on vellum or plastics

Craft Ink - takes longer to dry so more patience is needed. Craft ink does have its place but you will probably only ever need to get the stampin' spots to fulfill your needs (note: this is my comment).
■ Pigment ink
■ Slightly raised foam pad
■ For use in scrapbooks as well as on wood, fabric (see below), and other craft items (ie, plastics, vellum)
■ Opaque look on coloured card stocks
■ Great for embossing

This ink is thicker than our dye-based ink (classic ink), so you use more each time you stamp; we recommend keeping an ink refill handy so you can re-ink the pads.

Let Craft ink dry for a bit or heat set before adding photos or other embellishments.

You’ll get better results on fabric if the pad is well inked. Be sure to hold the inked stamp on the fabric for at least 30 seconds. For best results when stamping on fabric, use a tightly woven or smooth finished fabric and heat set. Line dry stamped fabrics to avoid fading. Always pretest the ink on a small swatch of fabric, as fabric finishes vary greatly. Be sure to prewash all of your fabrics before stamping.

The following colours do not work well on fabrics: Only Orange, Really Rust, More Mustard, and Whisper White.

We do not recommend Craft ink for stamping on walls; we recommend that you use acrylic paint.

Painting with Bleach

2009-02-24T09:17:00.000-08:00

This is another card that uses the bleach technique but not one we did at club night. I thought that not pre-warning people about this card may be a bad idea. It is not that messy to do but there is the potential for disaster. To get the petals of the flower (from Doodle This) bleached you need a paint brush and some bleach in a bowl then you just paint the petal with bleach. To make this a little easier I embossed the petals with black embossing powder to make raised lines to paint inside, I was never very good at staying inside the lines so I thought I should give myself a little help. I finished the card off with some Twill Tape that I stamped the birthday greeting on with black craft ink. The craft ink takes awhile to dry so keep that in mind - I ended up with Birthday Celebrations on my hand by not waiting long enough.

We have decided on the next club date as well as a technique - Sunday March 29 at 1pm. There is still some room available so if anyone new wants to come out just let me know.

No better time to join!

2009-02-23T09:44:00.001-08:00

If you had ever been thinking of signing up with Stampin' Up! there is no better time than now. They have a great promotion on the starter kit (which is a good deal anyways). You can get the kit for 15% off AND you get a free stamp set of your choice. That is basically a $100 value.

In the starter kit you get 5 classic ink pads (you can choose your colours) and a VersaMark pad, 4 stamp sets and the bonus free one (there is some choice in which stamps too), 3 packs of cardstock, stampin pastels, blender pens, stampin scrub and a variety of other goodies. It really is over a $400 value and until March 31 you can get it for $209. Check out the Stampin' Up! website for more details on this promotion or you can sign up using my recruiting password "Stampin' away".

If you want more information about this excellent opportunity just let me know.

Scrapbook Page #2

2009-02-21T18:00:00.000-08:00

Here is my next scrapbook page. On this page I had more than just pictures to incorporate, I had 3 hospital bracelets and the tape measure that they used when she was born. I decided to split the page in two and put pictures on half of it and the bracelets on the other half. It was a bit of a challenge to get the tape measure on there with the little tears visible but I managed in the end. I love that this page has both yellow and pink, my two favourite colours. That makes it extra special :)

Inquisitive minds...

2009-02-20T08:52:00.000-08:00

I had to show everyone this picture. My daughter has just perfected the art of pulling herself up to standing and will do it whenever the opportunity presents itself. She has recently realized that if she pulls herself up on my crafty bag there are goodies inside with which she can play. In this shot she got my Sweet Stems set and sat down to examine it. She has, on other occasions, found that if she throws a stamp pad on the floor it will open and also that the bag of sponges is a great thing to chew. I just thought this was the cutest and that everyone should see it.

Define Your Life

2009-02-19T09:54:00.000-08:00

I got the Define your Life stamp set when I signed up to be a demonstrator because of the promotion at the time where you got a free set (same promotion on now too). I had coveted this set for some time but because of the price had never gotten it. But now that I have it I have yet to really use it. So sad really.

I decided to get some inspiration from my favourite source. I found this card and loved the simplicity of it, and the fact that it used embossing too. The flower and definition are embossed and then I used my blender pen and Pretty in Pink and Rose Red inks along with a little Kiwi Kiss to colour in the flower. I finished it off with a little Kiwi Kiss satin ribbon and a scallop edge. I absolutely love the way it turned out.

Upsy Daisy

2009-02-18T08:58:00.000-08:00

I was playing around with the Upsy Daisy stamp set and I made this card. I found the inspiration from Splitcoast (surprised?) and changed the colours a bit. I used Chocolate chip and Bordering Blue.

The bordering blue gives it a bit of a sophisticated look since it isn't a bright as some of the other blues. I didn't have any wide ribbon so I used a strip of Bella Rose DSP and the dots are actually Pirouette Pink, but they are so light that you can't tell. As for the flowers I stamped them in Whisper White and embossed in clear.

I have just recently gotten my heat gun and I love it. It is so much easier than trying to emboss large areas on the stove or with an iron. It is one of my best purchases so far. You will be seeing a lot of embossing in the cards to come as I play with it.

February Club/Class card

2009-02-17T14:04:00.000-08:00

The last club meeting went really well, there were a few more ladies there this time and we had a blast again. Aside from the fact I can't make coffee everything went really well. Here is one of the cards we made using this months technique - bleaching.

It really isn't a messy technique at all and the bleach doesn't get everywhere. To do it just get a folded up paper towel on a plastic lid or paper plate and carefully pour some bleach on it and you've made your own bleach pad. Just like with stamping in general make sure your fingers are clean, if there is bleach OR ink on them your project won't turn out quite like you had hoped :)

I would love to be able to take credit for coming up with the idea for this card but I can't, I found it on the demonstrator portion of the SU! website then tweaked it a little and thought it would be perfect for this months club. We used the Upsy Daisy set and stamped first in Chocolate Chip ink on the Baja Breeze cardstock. Then we stamped in bleach overtop of the image. There is no need to line the images up because you want them to be off a little to get a shadow effect. This one ended up a bit sploched but the ladies cards were more bleached, the way I had intended. The difference was that I didn't have as much bleach on my papertowel as they did. We finished the card off with a strip of So Saffron cs, Chocolate Chip grosgrain ribbon and a ticket corner punch for the top corners.

Scrapbook page #1

2009-02-10T09:49:00.000-08:00

I have jumped on the scrapbook bandwagon with both feet now. I have completed my first page and I am quite happy with the results. This page is what really sparked my scrapbooking desire. We got these cute ultrasound pictures and I knew I needed to keep them forever but couldn't think of anything else to do with them than scrapbook them.

I matted them with red and blue paper that matched the flowers in the paper I found. Then I added some scallop circles and the title. For interests sake the scallop border around the title I did with my scallop edge punch, a little tricky but I had all sorts of time to perfect it.

I think I may be an addict now but oh well. I can't wait to get the next page done!

Baby Card and onesie

2009-02-06T12:54:00.000-08:00

Here is a Welcome baby card that I just love making and giving. I have a friend who had a baby a few weeks ago so I made this card with a matching onesie and wrapping paper to boot.

I found a onesie card awhile back on Splitcoast and couldn't resist making one myself. The template that I used can be found here but there are lots to choose from if you do a little searching. I have made a few of these cards in the past but this time I decided to take it one step further and make the whole emsemble.

For the card I used retired soft sky paper and then sponged the edges with Baja Breeze and added faux stitching with the white gel pen. I stamped the birds in black and coloured them with regular markers (I don't have the SU! ones yet). I found a few white buttons in my stash of stuff and glued them to the bottom of the onesie and called it done. If I had textured cardstock I would have used that for a more cloth-like look, but you have to use what you have, right?

The wrapping paper is just the stuffing paper SU! uses in their packages and coloured with regular markers.

The onesie took a bit if research on how to do. I first washed and dried the onesie, then stamped in black craft ink which takes awhile to dry. I then heat set the ink with my iron but I read you can also do it with the heat tool. Next I coloured the birds in with fabric markers and then I think I had to heat set it again, whatever the markers said to do is what I did. Then I washed it and dried it again, so it is super clean now.

I think it is super cute and can't wait for another friend to have a baby so I can make another set. Did you hear that guys, get on it!

Scrapbooking

2009-02-05T09:31:00.000-08:00

So I've finally decided to venture into the world of scrapbooking. It is something I said I'd never do because I thought you needed lots of supplies and I just wasn't into spending that much. I changed my mind when my daughter was born and I had all these hospital bracelets that were just asking to be scrapbooked. I now know that you don't need to spend a lot to make a nice scrapbook, you just need to have pictures and treasures that mean a lot to you and a scrapbook will just come together.

I have started a lot of pages started but none are quite finished yet. It turns out I really like to start them which involves picking out colours and embellies but not finishing them which involves cutting the pictures. I don't know why I have a problem with this, they only cost 29 cents at the store and I can always get another printed but still, it makes me hesitate.

I wanted to share where I've been getting most of my inspiration for my pages that I am starting (but not finishing yet). I have been checking out a friends blog for ideas. Sandra has the best scrapbook pages and I love how simple they are, these are the kinds of pages that make me think that I can do that too! I will be posting some of my finished pages just as soon as I manage to finish them. I have given myself a goal of at least 1 per month so keep your eyes open for February's :)

My Best Valentine's card

2009-01-30T14:02:00.001-08:00

So I was going to wait until closer to Valentine's day to show this card but I'm just so excited I couldn't wait. This is the card I'm going to give to my husband and I'm pretty proud of it. Like I said in an earlier post I won't be in the dog house this year.

I used the new Sweet Stems set and coloured them with Pretty in Pink, Rose Red and Kiwi Kiss inks with blender pens. I added antique brads to the center of the flowers for a bit of glitz. I had to use some ribbon because I'm a ribbon junkie but I didn't do a bow or anything because that's not manly. But somehow I've convinced myself this amount of pink is OK though.... The other colours I used are Cameo Coral cs, Whisper White cs and Raspberry Tart DSP.

February Club Date

2009-01-29T10:14:00.000-08:00

It seems as though I have forgotten to post the date of the next class. We decided at the last meeting that Feb 15th at 1pm works best. I know this may cause some problems being the day after Valentine's day and some ladies having full romantic weekend plans. But for some of us it seems fine (I wonder what that means???).

Just so you know I have some a cute project planned already but if anyone has a suggestion for another project, like an occasion they need something for, I can incorporate it.

Sale-A-Bration is almost here

2009-01-28T10:18:00.000-08:00

This is the biggest sale of the year for Stampin' Up! and it runs from Feb 1-Mar 31 and is full of FREE stuff. Let me say that again, FREE stuff. It is based around a gift with purchase strategy. For every $60 you spend from the new catalogue you can choose 1 item from the sale-a-bration flyer for FREE. But wait, there's more. If you hostess a workshop and your sales total $350 or more you get to choose one item as well as your regular hostess benefits. This couldn't be a better time to plan your workshop.

Feel free to browse the sale-a-bration flyer now and pick out your favourites.

Class Project #2

2009-01-27T09:34:00.001-08:00

Here is the second project we made the other night. I decided to step outside the card realm and do a 3D project. I got the idea for this when I went over to my upline (stampin boss') house to pick up some brochures and asked her for some ideas. She must have had this on the brain because she quickly pulled out a template for this little heart box and let me copy it.

I decided to decorate it simply with the Bella Rose DSP and a tag using the Define Your Life set. Of course the finishing touch was the bag of candy inside. It turns out candy is really heavy so if you make this be careful not to fill your bag like I originally did :(

Here is the template for the box, I hope this works for you.

To use this cut the solid lines, score and fold along the dotted lines and then fold all the pieces in one direction and voila, you will have a box!

Class Project #1

2009-01-26T09:52:00.000-08:00

I had my first club/class yesterday and it went great. I had a small group come and we had a blast, lots of snacking and chatting. Here is one of the projects that we made. I don't have a lot, or to be honest, any, Valentine's day sets so I had to get a little more creative with what I do have. This card uses the Echos of Kindness hostess set from the NEW CATALOGUE and the cherish from the Baroque Motifs set.

So here is the quick and dirty explanation of how to make the flowers stand out on this card:

Stamp your image in either Craft ink (takes 2 hours to dry) or Stazon (takes minutes to dry) onto vellum CARDSTOCK
When dry turn your paper over into a foam mat (like that come in the mat pack or a mouse pad would probably work too) and using the embossing stylus rub in a circular motion over the parts that you want white - you may need to use quite a bit of pressure
Flip the paper over and attach to your card!

The rest of the supplies for this card are the Raspberry Tart DSP, Pretty in Pink, Rose Red and Whisper White CS and Rose Red and Whisper White grosgrain ribbon, silver brads and Rose Red ink.

Class update

2009-01-24T10:47:00.000-08:00

So I have been crafting up a storm to get all my project for my class ready for tomorrow. In the midst of all my crafting I came up with the perfect card for my husband for Valentine's day! I won't be in the dog house (or the wife equivalent) this year! Now I just have to see about getting a Valentine's day appropriate gift - challenge #2. I will post a picture of the card in a few days, after I make sure he doesn't check here.

On another note there is still room to come by tomorrow if you want to see what it is all about. If you don't want to commit to the club you can still come by and see what it is all about, I would love to have you here. Like I said I've been crafting up a storm and have come up with some really cute projects. I will post them here next week as well so everyone can see what we made.

More Dry Embossing

2009-01-22T10:17:00.001-08:00

Here is another Valentine's day card that I came up with. I did the same dry embossing with vellum cardstock that I did on the last card but this time I wanted to see if I could add some colour to the flowers by painting the backside of the vellum with the ink. It kinda worked but I think I should have used a darker colour, I used Regal Rose but I think Rose Red would have worked better.

On this one I used clear embossing powder on the background which is really cool. I love the way it looks, all glossy and shiny. I'm going to have to use this on more cards,since it's super easy and really pretty.

New Spring Summer Catalogue

2009-01-20T09:15:00.001-08:00

The new catalogue is here! The new spring summer catalogue went live yesterday and I love it. I have to admit that I've had the catalogue for sometime now but I didn't want to make everyone jealous be letting them know :) There are some great new stamp sets (I've already ordered a few of them) and textured papers in it, along with all the new ideas for cards, scrapbook pages and other projects. It definitely worth a look.

Just so everyone knows if you want to get a free catalogue you can get one by joining my club, hosting a workshop or placing an order with me for over $35. Lots of ways to get a catalogue other than the $11.95 option actually in the catalogue.

Class Teaser Card

2009-01-19T10:24:00.000-08:00

The first class for my technique club is this coming Sunday and is still room available for more people to join. I thought I would post a teaser card for everyone to see the technique we are going to be doing. It will be similar to this one but we will be using a set from the new catalogue. I have to keep something a surprise for Sunday.

I was playing around last night to come up with some ideas and get the Valentine's day juices flowing. I made a few cards and I'll post some of the other ones later in the week. My husband was a little less than impressed when I showed him my cards and asked him which one he wanted for Valentine's day. I think I need to work on my romance skills a little.

Valentine's Card #2

2009-01-16T08:28:00.000-08:00

I wish I could say that this card was my design but, alas, I cannot. I made this card at a Stampin' Up! meeting where they show off the new stamps and demonstrate new techniques and stuff like that. There are so many perks to being a demo! This card was made using the Love You Much bundle and the Big Shot.

For those of you that don't know the Big Shot is a die cutting machine and SU! has some exclusive dies that are, of course, super cute. It was only introduced during the last catalogue but there are already a tonne of dies, and lots of new ones in this catalogue.

To make this card you fold a piece of Riding Hood Red cs and put it through the Big Shot to make the scalloped card base, then you stamp the hearts all over the background in the matching ink. Slots get punched in the card and Kiwi Kiss satin ribbon gets fed through. Then all the rest of the stuff gets attached to the card. This one is finished off with a piece of Bella Rose DSP on the inside so it could be a gift card holder if you only glue down the edges.

Club Update

2009-01-15T10:09:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to let everyone know that there are a few spots left in my Technique and Marker club. They are running together and the first meeting will be on Sunday January 25th at 1pm. If you are interested but don't know if you can commit to the entire length of the club come anyway, I'm sure we can work something out.

I have some really cute projects planned with some of the stamp sets from the new catalogue which goes live this Monday! I have to say there are some super cute new sets in the catalogue and I love the new Designer Paper.

I hope to see you there :)

Pseudo Valentine's Day card

2009-01-14T10:13:00.000-08:00

With Valentine's Day fast approaching I thought I should get into the groove and not forget about it this year like last year. Oops! I decided to start stretching my romantic muscles, they don't get used too much and do need stretching. The problem is that I ask my husband a lot of questions when I'm crafting such as "how does this look" and "do you think these colours look good together" so it is going to take me some time to make a card worthy of him without him knowing about it. So this is one of my warm-up cards.

For this card I borrowed the Eastern Influences set from a friend and then coloured in the flower with blender pens and Real Red ink along with Kiwi Kiss, Old Olive and Chocolate Chip. I stamped the background in Belle Toile (also borrowed) in Rose Red. I matted the flower and greeting (from the Best Yet hostess set - retiring soon) on Rose Red as well and black. I finally used my scallop border punch for the edge and put it all on Rose Red. The brads are vintage gold I believe and they are from a craft store.

I love the way I coloured in Real Red but it looks find with the Rose Red paper. I am finding it really easy to fake having the matching colours and since there are, like, 6 shades of pink and red it is satisfying knowing I don't need to have then all to make some pretty cards.

Inventory Blowout Sale!

2009-01-08T12:30:00.000-08:00

So Stampin' Up! is having a huge sale with up to 50% off. If you like the last In Colours then you'll love that you can still get the ink pads (no paper though). You can also pick up the new In Colour textured cardstock for a deal. You can see the complete list here.

This is only available until January 18th and only while supplies last so if you see something you just have to have then pick it up now while you still can. You can go to my SU! website and click the shop now link to order online and you can give me a call and I can order it for you.

Pretty Peony

2009-01-07T10:33:00.000-08:00

Here is a card that I made for my Mother-in-Law for her birthday. I always have a hard time deciding on what to get her since her birthday is right after Christmas but for the past few years I have been making her a selection of cards and it seems to be going over well. At least that is what she tells me :)

I made this card using the Pretty Peony set that will be retiring (see the retiring sets here). This set uses the two step stamping technique to get the layered look. I don't concern myself too much with lining the stamps up, I figure it gives it more of an artistic look if they don't match up. For the greeting I used my Sincere Salutations, my absolute favourite greeting set. It has something for every ocassion and the font goes really well with flower stamps.

For the peony flowers I used Regal Rose and Rose Red since they both come in the Rich Regal stampin spots set. For the leaves I used Old Olive and Kiwi Kiss (one of my favourite combinations). For the ribbon I only had white but didn't want to use it white so I ran it across my Rose Red ink pad (or Regal Rose) to give it a bit of colour. To finish it off I added some faux stitching with the black marker. All this was done on Kraft cs and mounted to a Chocolate Chip card.

This has to be one of my favourite cards, so simple yet really easy to make. I hope you like it too.

Late Christmas Cards

2009-01-06T10:06:00.001-08:00

Since I just love Christmas so much I am having a hard time letting it go. I got some great Christmas cards and probably should have showed them before Christmas but since I didn't I'm going to post them now. The first one is from the well-seasoned Stampin' Up! demo Ann Driscoll. I just love how she made the poinsettias with the 5-Petal punch and the Spotlight on Christmas stamp set. The other stamp set used is Christmas Classics which she embossed in gold. This card is quite simple to make but is really great. Beware if you are on my Christmas list you may be seeing a card like this one in your mailbox next year.

The other card is one my husband got from my cousin Sheila (she drew his name in the swap). I love this card because it is a little different, it is not a traditional card because it doesn't open but it does stand on it's own. What is really cool is the santa is stamped and coloured in and then placed on the back piece of cardstock behind a window that is on the front piece of cardstock. It is hard to see but on the window the greeting is stamped. I think I will be modifing this design for another occasion. The santa is from the Jolliest Time of the Year set and the snowflakes are the Bold Snowflakes wheel I believe.

Both of these cards, like most cards, would be great for any occasion if you just change the stamps and sentiment. I think I will be taking ideas from both for birthday and may be mother's day cards.

Valentine's Day is Next!

2009-01-05T10:46:00.001-08:00

Phew, the holidays are finally over and now I have time to think again. I had a blast seeing all the family but with the travelling and all the snow I have to say I'm glad to be home. Now that all the Christmas presents are put away and some of the pre-existing clutter is cleared away I can finally sit down and craft a little. Well, I haven't yet but I should be able to now if I want to.

I wanted to let everyone know that there is a Valentine's promotion bundle out - the Love You Much bundle - and the best part is it is 20% off until January 31. It is super cute and comes with Candy Cane Lane DSP, the Heart to Heart punch and the Love You Much stamp set. All these items are exclusive to the bundle so if you want them this is the way to get them.

I will be posting some more in the coming days to show you some of my projects, some of my favourite handmade Christmas and birthday cards that I received (my birthday is a little before Christmas) and to keep you posted on the goings-on at Stampin' Up! Remember the retiring stamp set list is out the but the stamps will only be here for a few short weeks more.

Festive treat tins

2008-12-14T19:38:00.000-08:00

Here is a great idea for holiday treats. It may be a little too late to get these for this Christmas but I thought this is a great idea for house warming or hostess gifts. And the free shipping promotion is still on so if you are interested you should pick up some of these tins!

The list of supplies for this particular project are listed here but you can jazz up this tin with anything. What you need to know really is that there is a strip of cardstock wrapping around the tin (here Night of Navy) with some silver elastic cord around it and a rub-on (p. 178-179 of catalogue) on the tin itself. If you vary the colours and sayings you can have a tin for any occasion.

Because I thought this was such a fantastic idea I decided to share my newest favourite cookie recipe - Chocolate Mint Truffle Cookies!

You need:
4 oz unsweetened chocolate
3 oz semisweet chocolate
3/4 cup butter
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
1/2 tsp mint extract
1-1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 mini chocolate chips
1/3 cup crushed candy canes

Melt chocolate and butter in pot over low heat. Stir in sugar and extract. Add eggs one at a time, making sure each one is incorporated before adding the next. Add baking powder and flour. Stir in chocolate chips.

Cover and chill for 2 hours. Roll dough by heaping teaspoons into balls. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 350°F until slightly firm to the touch. Remove from oven and sprinkle with candy cane pieces.

Apparently the recipe makes about 9 dozen but I only ever get 4 dozen and I've made this a lot this season!

Decor Elements

2008-12-13T19:33:00.000-08:00

So at the last Colourful Impressions meeting, a meeting for demos, I won a set of the Park Avenue Decor Elements. I was pretty excited about this because I hadn't tried the Decor Elements before but had wanted to. Please ignore the yellow wall we are renting and that is what colour our place came.

For those of you that don't know the Decor Elements are a new product line that SU! is now offering - click here for more information. They are vinyl wall decorations that are removable so if you are like and have a small place they are perfect for adding some holiday flair without taking up valuble floor/shelf space.

The Decor Elements are really easy to put up and do seem pretty forgiving. This set came with extender lines to make the ornaments look like they are hanging from the ceiling if you wanted - and I wanted that look. I had to reposition the bottom half a few times before actually getting the strings lined up and they seem fine although the instructions say not to do that. I even ripped one of the ornaments because I wasn't being careful enough and you can't even tell on the close-up photo.

I think I'm going to be getting some of these every holiday season. I love the look of them and they add some holiday touches to areas that ordinarily don't get decorated.

Retired list AND free shipping

2008-12-12T14:05:00.000-08:00

So it had been about a week since I've even had time to think about posting anything. With the holidays in full swing I'm busier than ever but SU! announced a promotion that I just had to tell everyone about.

First of all they announced their retired list and there are some favourites retiring so make sure you take a peek to make sure that set you had your eye on isn't on the list. As an added bonus SU! had announced that until Dec 23 you can order the reitred sets at 10% off. Yah!

As another added bonus if you put in an order over $100 you can also get free shipping, again 10% off. So if you fill up your order with retired sets you get 20% off, that is huge.

If you want to place an order but not to the full $100 amount then let me know and I can combine orders to make sure everyone gets their discount.

This is only until Dec 23rd though so make sure you get your order in before then if you want to take advantage of these savings.

Tasty Treats

2008-12-02T20:35:00.000-08:00

Here is my latest little project that I am making. I am pretty much obsessed with these little guys, and they are so easy to make. What they are is little sandwiches with a peppermint patty in between two scallop circles. These ones are mostly done with the Deer Friends hostess set but the snowflake is from Season of Joy. Really anything that fits into the 1-1/4 inch circle punch will work. You can layer it with the 1-3/8 inch circle and then assemble the whole thing.

These would be super cute as little treats for a holiday dinner, you could even print a name in the center instead and have them as place holders.

Voila, another Christmas card

2008-11-30T21:41:00.000-08:00

Here is the last card that I've got so far using the Lovely as a Tree stamp set. This time I've coupled it with the skaters from Winter Post. I found this card on Splitcoast and figured how hard could it be. There are no layers on this card but that doesn't make it any simpler. I had to make a little skater mask so I could stamp the trees in the background and I'm not the most patient person to do the careful cutting for a mask . My husband thinks I should make a little skating pond for them to be on to ground the image, he thinks they look like they are floating. I think they look fine but maybe I'll humour him next time.

For the images I used Basic Black and for the sponging I used Baja Breeze and Night of Navy for the sky and Bordering Blue for the ground. I coloured the skaters in with pastels and a blender pen (love all the soft look with this technique). I added a bit of texture to the bottom of the card by tearing it (hard to see in the picture) and finished it off with a Night of Navy grosgrain ribbon and voila, another winter themed christmas card.

Holiday Extravaganza Sale!

2008-11-26T08:59:00.000-08:00

Wow, this sale really is a Holiday Extravaganza! These bundles are 20% to 50% off the regular price so this is perfect for doing some holiday shopping.

Some things you need to know is:

that the sale is only for 6 days, it ends on Dec 1.
quantities are limited so when they run out that is it!
you can order online or if your order is less than $100 you can order it through me to save on shipping (but then it will come to me so if you are on the island give me a call and we can work out how to get it to you).

Click here to check out the specials

Latest Christmas Card

2008-11-24T13:06:00.000-08:00

Here is another Christmas card that I made not using the Christmas stamp sets. I used Lovely as a Tree and Loads of Love for this card. The Loads of Love set is really neat because it comes with lots of different things you can put in the back of the truck so it works for any holiday. And if that isn't enough you can get the LOL Accessory stamp set and it has more things to put in the back and little people you can stamp in the window!

I stamped the truck in black and tree Kiwi Kiss and then cut them out and attached them to the piece with the other trees in Chocolate Chip and the sky in various blues sponged on. The truck is coloured in with blender pens Real Red classic ink and Black craft ink. It turns out that the Black classic ink is no good for watercolouring because it is permanent, but the craft ink isn't so ti works better. That was news to me when I read that.

The happy christmas is in Night of Navy and from a hostess stamp set. I added some brads in the corners and then attached that to the Holiday Treasures DSP. All that is on a Night of Navy card.

Holiday Sale!

2008-11-21T10:41:00.000-08:00

So I heard through the grapvine that there will be a Holiday Extravaganza sale from Nov 26 - Dec 1. The catch with this sale is no one knows what is going to be on sale. A little surpise for everyone one on Wednesday morning, it will be like Christmas coming early!

If anyone wants to place an order I will hold off submitting all orders until Dec 1 so I can get the best shipping rate for you. And remember if the order is a gift I can wrap it if it is over $50 so I can be your one-stop holiday shop.

Lovely as a Sparkling Glittery Tree

2008-11-20T12:33:00.000-08:00

Here are a few of my favourite Christmas cards to make and teach. For any of you that have been to my Christmas card classes you will recognize a version of this card. It is so simple and elegant and not overly Christmasy. This set really is Lovely as a Tree - it isn't even a Christmas set but it is one of my favourites for Christmas cards. Like the Baroque Motifs you can use it as a background in other cards with other sets (example to come...).

These cards use almost the same supplies - Dazzling Diamonds glitter and 2-way glue, Whisper White and Not Quite Navy CS and NQN ink. The card with the oval was also sponged with Baja Breeze ink. The other card has a piece of NQN grosgrain ribbon which I couldn't manage to fit onto the other card and have it look like it was supposed to be there. For the sentiment I used the Sincere Salutations set which is a great set, if you changed it you could have a great Christmas party invitation or a winter thank-you card.

Christmas ornament card

2008-11-18T10:48:00.000-08:00

I was playing around with some stamp sets this morning (while the little one was napping) and created this card. The inspiration came from the SU! catalogue actually (p 30) and I changed it to reflect the goodies that I have. This is the Season of Joy stamp set again. I wanted to use different stamps in it from last time and I sorta succeeded :)

I used Very Vanilla CS for the ornament along with Baja Breeze CS and ink along with Real Red ink. The ribbon is the Riding Hood Red taffeta but it is so close the Real Red that with the texture difference you can't even tell it's different. The DSP on the bottom of the card is either Ski Slope of Holiday Treasures, I can never remeber what I'm using but I like the swirly pattern on it, and you could use this sheet for non-Christmas things too. Oh, and I used the white gel pen to draw on the string.

I read somewhere that there are 37 days until Christmas, I hope everyone is starting to get ready, yah!

Gift Tags

2008-11-14T10:18:00.000-08:00

A few days ago I had some friends over to play with all my SU! goodies. We had a great time creating some cards and figuring out new cards to make with the supplies we had out. The girls were having so much fun and I totally caught their enthusiam (not that I'm not usually excited but this was the new stamper kind of excitement). When one of my friends mentioned that she was going to need a gift tag for a present she was giving an idea jumped to mind.

I had seen these gift tags before but had not made any but did want to try. I happened to have lots of little "off cuts" of designer paper handy so these were uber easy to make. We used the Winter Post stamp set and the holiday DSP (ski slope or holiday treasures - not sure exactly which one, maybe both) and punched it out with the tag punches. To finish them off we just punched a hole with the 1/16 punch and looped the silver cord through it.

These are so easy, yet to pretty - a holiday must for sure!

Tins for the Holidays

2008-11-13T08:23:00.000-08:00

Stampin' Up! has announced that while supplies last, they will be selling off some of their tins for us to use for Christmas gifts!

"Two of our tins are available for purchase. Our turquoise Punch Box tins are perfect for holiday treats and our silver skinny Accents & Elements tins make great CD or gift card holders. Each tin is sold individually so you can buy the exact number you need. These items are only available while supplies last, so place your order today!

114673 Turquoise Tin $4.75

108333 Silver Skinny Tin $2.50

Versatile Card

2008-11-12T09:15:00.000-08:00

This has to be one of my favourite cards and stamp sets. It is the Baroque Motifs set and I love the big swirly thing in the set. It is not immediatly or even eventually and obvious Christmas card (actually got the idea at a workshop I attended) bit with the red and green it totally works. And of course the glitter helps! You may have noticed that this is also the background on the Keep Christmas card that I posted.

For this card I used the Garden Green paper and ink and Real Red ink, but switched it up with the Riding Hood Red paper and tafetta ribbon. Sneaky I know. I added some Dazzling Diamonds Glitter to the center of the red flowers but you could add it to lots more places. I had a friend show me that you can stick glitter to the ribbon for a snow kisssed look, very pretty.

For the greeting I used the Sincere Salutations set, another great set because it come with a greeting for almost any occasion and they are all the same size. This means you can premake the cards when you are feeling crafty and leave the greeting spot blank until you need the card.

Rub-On Promotion

2008-11-11T10:06:00.000-08:00

Stampin' Up! has a new promotion starting, yah! Here is the link to the flier.

Details: Nov 10-Nov 30
If you spend $20 you can get a package of rub-ons for 20% off ($10.36 per package, regularly $12.95). Each package comes with 2 sheets, one in Chocolate Chip and one in Whisper White.

Why Rub-Ons: The rub-ons are really neat and you can apply them to more than just paper! You can apply them to glass christmas ornaments, mugs, mirrors, and even ribbon. The possiblities are endless and they would add the perfect tough to a homemade Christmas gift.

Stampbusters

2008-11-09T19:19:00.000-08:00

Here is a neat blog that I got the link to. This stamper has a Mythbusters style blog called Stampbusters where she tests different techniques to combat stamping problems. She has tested a flossing method for getting taped and glued paper off projects, sharpening punches and says she will be testing different blender pen refill recipes. I can't wait to see what she tries next, you never know what information you may need until you see it!

Getting what you want for Christmas

2008-11-07T10:46:00.000-08:00

For any of you ladies who would like to get some Stampin' Up! goodies under the tree this year here are a few ideas on how your hubby (or boyfriend or relative) can ace this Christmas.

1. You can email me your wishlist and give your husband/boyfriend/relative my phone number and we can talk about what you would like. This option is great if you have multiple people buying SU! for you because then there will be no duplicates.

2. You can give your husband/boyfriend/relative your wishlist and my phone number and we can talk about ideas to fill your stocking.

3. You can give your husband/boyfriend/relative your wishlist and direct them to my website and the "SHOP NOW" link for some online shopping.

To make this offer extra special all order over $50 (before s/h and taxes) I'll gift wrap for him. If your man is like the men in my life then this is much needed.

Country Living Holiday Collection Stampin' Kit

2008-11-06T09:53:00.000-08:00

For the holiday season Stampin' Up! has joined forces with Country Living magazine to put together a kit to make ornaments, gift tags and all sorts of other goodies. In their Holiday Collection Stampin' Kit you get oodles of paper, chipboard and even a stamp set! If you are interested in the magazine or more stamps if you subscribe you get a 75% discount AND a holiday mini-stamp kit. For more information click the link on the left or call/email me.

Winter Theme Christmas Card

2008-11-05T09:27:00.000-08:00

Currently I have been going crazy making Christmas cards. I love having the Stamp-a-Stacks coming up because then I get to use my stamps and play. Here is the one I made last night for a winter theme SAS, I found it on Splitocoast (surprise, surprise) by melindawharton.

I like it because if you can make it less Christmasy by just using the snowflake stamp. I also like the vintage feel of it, the Riding Hood Red totally has a vintage feel to it because it isn't as bright as the Real Red. I think when I do this one for the SAS I may do some sponging around the edge of the piece with the stamping on it as well for a little more interest.

First Christmas Stamp-a-Stack of the season!

2008-11-04T19:59:00.001-08:00

So I had my first Christmas Stamp-a-Stack of the season and it couldn't have gone any better. We made 15 cards, 5 each of 3 designs, one of which I showed in an earlier post. Everyone said there was a good mix of cards and they all seemed to really like the selection too. My mom even had a good time and she only came because she felt she should support me. She now wants to come to my next card making event!

Here is another one of the cards that we made. This one took the longest but only because of the colouring (using the pastels and blender pens from my starter kit, yah). The rest of the card is really simple, a little sponging around the edges and the background in Versa Mark with the Baroque Motifs set, but I think it is one of my favourites.

Actually a 'manly' birthday card

2008-10-31T10:55:00.000-07:00

So I got out my creative juices and came up with this card for my brother. I have confirmation from my husband that it is acceptably manly.

I used the retired set In The Wild, well, because I have it. I got the template for the faux postage here but I used regular paper instead of acetate for the stencil (the acetate I've seen is really expensive). I also saved it to my computer and changed the numbers to 52 to reflect current postage :)

I stamped the image in black and then used pastels to colour the squares. I tried stamping in Versa Mark but didn't like the look, the giraffe wasn't bold enough. To finish off the postage I cut it out with pinking shears, it turns out that you can actually get postage sissors but that just seemed a bit excessive to me!

I sponged all over the orange CS with orange ink to add some interest. I'm not sure of the paper colours since they are from a craft store and the brads are from the same store. Needed to use up my old stock of generic stuff.

A 'manly' birthday card?

2008-10-30T09:00:00.000-07:00

So now my mom's birthday is over my brother's is coming up. I found a card this card that I really liked but it wasn't 'manly' my husband informed me, he wouldn't sign it - sheesh after making it and everything. I kinda thought he was right but isn't pink the new hot colour for guys? I thought I would share this card anyway since I really like it.

I cased it from Splitcoast (I love that site) from Kristina Werner (she's so talented). I changed mine to use Old Olive CS and Kiwi Kiss DSP. I have determined that Kiwi Kiss is just a lighter shade of Old Olive so they go really well together.

The cupcake top is Pixie Pink stamped off to get a lighter look that would match with the Pretty in Pink Grosgrain Ribbon. The spots on the cupcake are Chocolate Chip and then I topped it all off with some Iridescent Ice embossing powder. The green ink is all Kiwi Kiss on Very Vanilla CS and the candles are cut out and stuck on. If I had any yellow ink at all I would colour them in like Kristina did, I need to add it to my next order for sure now.

Wish me luck in the task to make a 'manly' birthday card - no ribbon or glitter, Im not sure I can manage the task!

Catalogue Card Reinvention

2008-10-28T13:43:00.000-07:00

I spent last weekend on Vancouver Island visiting my mom for her birthday. It was a very last minute trip since my dad thought at the last minute he would like to have a party for my mom, and it turned out to be a surprise party since it was so last minute that no one had time to spill the beans! It was nice to go over and spend time with them and my brother, our significant others were not able to come due to the spur of the moment nature of it all.

As always my brother did not have a card (he did come up with a tasty present though) so I let him sign my card. This is the one that 'we' gave to my mom. You may recognize it from various places in the catalogue but this one had slight modifications. I really liked the one in the catalogue but I didn't have any textured cardstock so I used regular Kiwi Kiss and Very Vanilla CS. I distressed around some of the edges and used the paper piercing template and a pin (I don't have the authentic pointy thing since it doesn't come in the mat pack) for the other edges. I also didn't have the same ink colours but I do have the Rich Regal Stampin' Spots so I used those for the flowers (Rose Red and Regal Rose) and then cut them out and affixed them. The Rich Regals ribbon colours were too dark I thought to go nicely with the Kiwi Kiss CS so I chose the Pretty in Pink Grosgrain instead. I like that it all goes really well together but it doesn't 'match'. Stampin' Up! does such a nice job of making all their colours work together regardless of colour family.

I think if I make this card again I will put the tree off to the left instead of centered so I can have the greeting all on the very vanilla piece. I think that would make for a more even look, but other than that I am very pleased with how it turned out.

Christmas Stamp-a-Stack Details

2008-10-27T11:34:00.000-07:00

So it occurs to me know that I posted a Christmas card without any of the information about the class itself. I just get so excited that things get away from me...like class details. I think I may have to watch A Christmas Story this afternoon to get my Christmas "fix". I have to do this on the sly while the husband is at work since he doesn't share my early Christmas enthusiasm.

Anyway back to the task at hand - I will be having a Christmas Stamp-a-Stack on Sunday November 16th at 1 - 4 in the afternoon. If weekends aren't best for you then I was planning on having one on Wednesday November 19th at 1-4 as well, if there was enough interest. We will be making 15 Christmas cards (5 each of 3 designs) with matching envelopes for $25. The class would be at my place so seating is limited. If you are interested in coming just let me know and I will save you a seat.

We will totally be getting into the Christmas mood (if you couldn't guess) with tasty treats and carols playing in the background. It will be so much fun, I can't wait!

Christmas Card preview 1

2008-10-21T13:16:00.000-07:00

I love this stamp set, it is Season of Joy, once I saw it I knew I could do something cute with it, it was just a matter of what. There is a really awesome Christmas tree in this set as well, but since I really wanted to use red I went with the poinsettia instead. I cased this from katstamperupper on Splitcoast. It is one of the cards that I was going to do for the Christmas Stamp-a-Stack on Nov 16th. This card has some dry embossing around part of the white and some glitter in the center of the poinsettias. I thought it was elegant but let me know what everyone thinks. Does it need to be spiffed up some, does it seem to simple or is it perfect the way it is? Post your comments to let me know and I can make another preview!

Marker and Technique Clubs

2008-10-12T11:31:00.000-07:00

So I have some clubs starting up with some spots still available. I am starting a Marker Club and a Technique Club in January (or sooner if everyone wants). The way these clubs will work is they will be held at my place and there are 8 spots so they will run for 8 months. These clubs will be held together unless there are lots interested people so if you want to join the marker club but your friend wants to join the technique club then you can still come together :)

Everyone in the Marker Club will get

all the Stampin' Write Markers including the Neutrals (52 markers!)
the Colour Spritzer Tool
a box of Blender Pens
You will also get one month where you are the hostess and then you get a hostess gift and the regular hostess benefits (a free stampset and $20 in merchandise).

At the club night you will learn techniques to use the markers and other new goodies. You will also make a project to take home with you. All you have to do is sign up and supply me with post-dated cheques for $25 (which covers the cost of the products above).

At Technique Club you get a monthly class where you will learn a technique and complete a project with that technique. You also will get a month where you are the hostess and get all the associated perks (free stampset and $20 in merchandise)! All you have to do is sign up and agree to spend at least $25 per class in catalogue merchandise.

Both of these clubs are a great if you are in love with most of the catalogue because you can spread out the cost over 8 months, this keeps the budget happy. Let me know if you are interested in joining, I'd love to show you how to create some great projects.

Finally a demo!

2008-10-11T22:10:00.000-07:00

So I have been stamping for years, almost since Stampin' Up! came to Canada I realized when I was looking through the materials in my starter kit. I never though about becoming a demo until I went on maternity leave and started to crave crafting and adult conversation! And what is it that can combine both of those things...stamping of course! As they say the rest was history.

I've been a demo for a few weeks now and I love it, I am so excited about the upcoming Christmas season and the Christmas Stamp-a-Stacks that I have planned. Stay tuned for some sneak peaks of what I have planned for the classes.