Spring is Sprung

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.