Tag Archives: All Holidays

Just some birds and bees

Posted on by
Reply

It’s been another busy day.  As much as I love to travel, and as much as I love to come home, the first week back always seems so frantic.  It feels like a combination of herding cats and trying to stick Jello to the wall.

The new Stampin’ Up! catalog is just a few hours away from its public debut, and that’s part of the reason my week has been so intense.  There’s a lot of tension between the things I NEED to do and the things I WANT to do!  I already have my Sneak Peak order in house – matter of fact, I had my Sneak Peak copy of the new Idea Book and Catalog shipped to the log cabin we stayed at in South Dakota.  I’ve been through it cover to cover, left, right and forward, but I’m still struggling with what to order when the whole catalog is available.  I’m sure I’ll make good choices when the time comes 🙂

In the meantime, I have a few cards to share with you.  These are all retiring sets, so I’m not going to give you the itemized supply list.  If you desperately need to know something, leave a comment and I promise I’ll respond.

Last Chance for Always

This is the Always stamp set in Pear Pizazz and Marina Mist.

Last Chance for Just Buzzin By

Oh, the sweet bees from Just Buzzin’ By!  I am going to miss these sassy little buzz-bombs.

Last Chance for Cheep Talk

And my silly Cheep Talk birdies are retiring too! I’ve done so many things with this stamp set.  I know it’s time to move on, and there just isn’t room in my studio for heaps of retired stamp sets, but I’ll be sorry to see Cheep Talk go.

Last Chance for Eastern Blooms and All Holidays

Eastern Blooms is yet another set I’ll miss, but there are so many gorgeous new floral sets that I’ll surely find a new favorite.  All Holidays may be another story.  Stampin’ Up! hasn’t created a sentiment anything like “My Dear Kind & Wonderful Friend” at least not one that I’ve seen.  Correct me if I’m wrong!  I may hang onto All Holidays for a while.

It’s a bittersweet time of year, but the longer I’m a demonstrator the more I come to look forward to the change.  I do keep a few retired sets, but I find after a year or so I’m ready to let go of most of them.  Some people enjoy going back to old favorites, but I guess I just have a short attention span.  I love seeing new, fresh ideas!  Check back early in the morning for a link to the new catalog, and sweet dreams.

Feliz Dia de la Madre

Posted on by
Reply

Sara sent a Mother’s Day card from Spain.  She wrote a lovely note that made me miss her all the more, and included an apology for the card.   ” …card giving isn’t really a ‘thing’ in Sevilla.  It was either this or one that said ‘I ❤ Mami’ on the front”:

Feliz Dia de la Madre

I had to laugh, because as soon as I saw this card I thought “PUNCHES!”

Happy Birthday Dia de la Madre

  • All Holidays stamp set
  • Very Vanilla, Rose Red, Pear Pizazz, Old Olive and Pink Pirouette card stock
  • Springtime Vintage DSP from the Occasions Mini catalog
  • Rose Red classic ink pad
  • Pear Pizazz seam binding – still available!
  • 1 and 1 1/4 inch circle punches; Triple heart punch
  • Big Shot and Beautiful Wings embosslit

Pretty amazing, wouldn’t you say? And she promises to hand-deliver my gift when next we meet.

From the other side of the world I received a box with awesome spices (cardamom, garam masala and cardamom), Tim Tams (perhaps the most amazing cookies in the world) and (drum roll please) TWO Chocolate Wombats.  Yep, you read that right.   Since rabbits are something of a pest in Australia the government implored chocolate companies not to glorify them.  I have to admit that Chocolate Wombats are Pretty Darn Cute.

Closer to home, my son glazed a pair of plates for me that his eldest sister threw on the wheel but never finished.   What a team!   We had a wonderful brunch at Longhi’s (I had the fritatta, a Mimosa, and a French Press of Maui Mokka) and then he studied for AP exams.   Oh, these are good days.

A very dear, very kind, very wonderful friend

Posted on by
1

I had lunch with a very dear friend today.  It’s her birthday, and she’s one of those people that prefers a quiet celebration, so the two of us went to a little bistro in town.  We talked about our families and our Thanksgiving celebrations and the special dishes that make that holiday unique to each family.  As we walked back to her office, I gave her this card:

Happy Birthday Iris

  • Fast and Fabulous and All Holidays Stamp sets
  • Whisper White, Blush Blossom and Concord Crush card stock
  • Concord Crush Classic ink pad
  • Frost White Shimmer paint; Aquapainter
  • Concord Crush Stitched poly and Whisper White taffeta ribbon
  • Flower Designer brads
  • Big Shot and Vintage Wallpaper Textured Embossing folder

I gathered the Whisper White ribbon with a running stitch along one edge and tied it together to make…hmmm…to make it that round ruffly thing for the brad.  I didn’t expect the Concord Crush ink’s reaction with the Aquapainter.  As the Aquapainter diluted the ink I could see the blue tones more than than red tones in the purple.

That isn’t really making any sense so you are just going to have to get out your own Aquapainter and try it for yourself.   If you can explain it any better than I can, please leave a comment.  And if you don’t have an Aquapainter you’d better tell Santa to leave a couple in your stocking.  I know you’ve been good this year.

 

Kangaroo Boo

Posted on by
1

I have a soft spot in my heart for the Build-a-roo stamp set.  To be honest, that spot encompasses all things Australian since my daughter moved there in February.  She and her boyfriend were with us for almost three glorious weeks recently, and I loved every moment of it.  I’m missing them both:

a Jack-o-roo

  • Build-a-Roo, All Holidays, Vintage Vogue and Sock Monkey Accessories stamp sets
  • Pumpkin Pie, Early Espresso and Very Vanilla card stock
  • Early Espresso, Old Olive and Pumpkin Pie classic ink pads
  • Jumbo brad, Crop-a-dile and Aquapainter
  • 1 1/4 inch Old Olive striped grosgrain ribbon
  • Stamp-a-ma-jig

Kind of a silly card, isn’t it?

Crazy for Cupcakes

Posted on by
Reply

Is it any wonder that cupcakes are so trendy?  They’re just the right size to fit in the palm of your hand and can generally be eaten in just a few bites.  We were in Santa Clara a short time ago celebrating a very special family birthday, and my fabulous Sister-in-Law introduced me to Kara’s Cupcakes at Santana Row.  It’s a good thing I live 2500 miles away – I’m a Weight Watchers® leader, for goodness sake!  I can’t recommend the Coconut cupcakes.   Or the Chocolate Velvet cupcakes.  And whatever you do, avoid the  Peanut Butter Milk Chocolate Ganache cupcakes at all costs.  I warned you.

Phew.  OK.  Let’s get to the card:

CUPCAKES!

  • Crazy for Cupcakes, On a Pedestal and All Holidays stamp sets
  • Wild Wasabi, Tempting Turquoise, and Whisper White card stock
  • Play Date Designer Series Paper
  • Tempting Turquoise and Wild Wasabi Classic ink pads
  • Wild Wasabi and So Saffron Stampin’ Write markers
  • So Saffron 5/8 inch grosgrain ribbon (retired)
  • Scallop Edge punch
  • Big Shot and Perfect Polka Dots Textured Embossing Folder

Clearly I have cupcakes on the brain.  Sara, can you get home this weekend to bake a batch?  (I know, I know, I just need to send you the ticket.  Sigh.)  I pieced the cupcake paper to match the layer behind the focal point.  It’s really simple with this set – just stamp the cupcake on your DSP and trim out the part of the image that you want.

This looks good and contains no calories.  I should be happy.  Yes, I should.

Happy New Year, Stampin’ Up!

Posted on by
Reply

After working with the new Stampin’ Up! Color Families for a few days, I’ve discovered something:  I like them all.  Prior to the Color Renovation, I almost never used any of the Bold Brights colors with the exception of Real Red.   Our new Brights collection has such gorgeous shades that I think it’s my favorite collection now!

The brand new 2010-2011 Idea Book and Catalog is available in full glory today and I am thrilled with all the goodies that are available.  In addition to all of the new colors we have available, there are great new accessories and stamps.  I’ve had a really tough time choosing what to get first!

As demonstrators we had the option of purchasing (instead of earning) one Level III Hostess set.  Every year, I struggle with this choice.  Delay my gratification and earn the stamps for free, or pay the money and get them now?  Do you know me?  Yeah, I spent the money!

Four Pretty Packages

  • Playful Pieces (Level III Hostess) and All Holidays stamp sets
  • Rich Razzleberry, Tangerine Tango and Whisper White card stock
  • Rich Razzleberry, Tangerine Tango, Melon Mambo and Marina Mist Classic ink pads
  • Whisper White craft ink pad
  • Melon Mambo polka dot grosgrain ribbon (retired)

I hope you’ll forgive me for using that retired Melon Mambo ribbon.  #1, I have at least half a roll of it left over and #2, I don’t have any of the new ribbons – yet – and I NEEDED ribbon!  This hostess set has a little bit of everything and the pieces are designed to be versatile and flexible.  It can be yours for free when your workshop reaches $500 in sales, and trust me, with this catalog that will be an easy thing to accomplish.  Send me an email – I’d love to help you earn these stamps!

Happy Father’s Day, Dad

Posted on by
Reply

I won’t be spending Father’s Day with my dad this year…most years I don’t.  We’re on the road, mid-way between a week of total R&R in Door County, Wisconsin and conference-plus-Big-City-fun in Chicago.  My dad’s on the West Coast, and though I’m not there, I’ll be sending my son to spend a couple of weeks with him and my mom when we leave Chicago.  It’s a fabulous time for everyone – Grandma and Grandpa enjoy my son a great deal, and my son is a big fan of his grandfather’s very specific diet:  Ice cream daily, twice if you can get it.  My dad and my son are a well-matched pair.

Happy Father's Day

  • Sense of Time, Sentimental Journey and All Holidays Stamp sets
  • Very Vanilla, Dusty Durango and Handsome Hunter card stock
  • Dusty Durango and Handsome Hunter Classic ink pads
  • Dusty Durango polka dot ribbon; Stampin’ Dimensionals

This card is simple to make.  I stamped the big clock face image first, then just filled in with the images from Sense of Time and Sentimental Journey.  Some of them I stamped off (ink, stamp once on scrap paper, then stamp on project) and some I used “full strength”.  The “Happy Father’s Day” image is stamped onto a scrap of Very Vanilla and trimmed to fit – trying to stamp that squared image perfectly on a piece of cardstock would make me crazy.  (OK.  Crazier.)  That image is lifted on Stampin’ Dimensionals to help it to clear the ribbon and to add some, well, dimension.

Whenever I make a card base with a deep color like Handsome Hunter, I always cut a panel of light cardstock to insert on the inside.  If my card is 4 1/4″ x 5 1/2″ I cut my panel to 4″ x 5 1/4″ – you get the idea.

Happy Father’s Day to all of you dads out there.

CASE-ing the new catalog

Posted on by
1

There are lots of great samples in the new Idea Book and Catalog coming out July 1, and the other day one caught my eye.  The designer added some Itty Bitty punch flowers to this image from Pocket Silhouettes, and they were a perfect fit.  Here’s my version:

Dotted Silhouettes

  • Pocket Silhouettes and All Holidays stamp sets
  • Almost Amethyst, Pretty in Pink, Whisper White and Lovely Lilac card stock
  • Old Olive and Almost Amethyst Classic ink pads
  • Pretty in Pink, Lovely Lilac and Old Amethyst Stampin’ Write Markers
  • Tombo adhesive, Blender Pen and White Gel pen
  • Itty Bitty punches; Horizontal Slot punch
  • Pretty in Pink striped ribbon; Stampin’ Dimensionals
  • Big Shot and Perfect Polka Dots Impressions Folder

This card falls in the simple and sweet category – an easy card for beginners.  After inking the image with Old Olive, I used a blender pen to remove the Olive color from the buds and replaced it with the Stampin’ Write markers.  I punched the bitty flowers out, attached them with Tombo, and added white centers and coordinating petal lines.  Add a sentiment and a ribbon and you’re done!  The image panel is adhered with Stampin’ Dimensionals to provide a little, well, dimension, and also to leave a little room for those Big Shot Polka Dots and the ribbon.

Have you looked at the Last Chance Lists?  Stamps, accessories and Decor Elements are clearing out – some of them very quickly – and some of them at a discount!  Be sure you check my Online Store for all the information.  One of the punches that is retiring is the Horizontal Slot, and I am sorry to see it go – it’s just the thing for ribbon!

A Fond Farewell to Mellow Moss

Posted on by
Reply

Ah, Mellow Moss – there’s a color I’m going to miss.  It’s soft, it’s versatile, and it plays so well with other colors.  But change is good and I am embracing this Color Renovation for all the wonderful new colors and color combinations it promises.

Stampin' Up! Big Shot Mellow Moss Color Renovation

  • All Holidays Stamp Set
  • Mellow Moss, Pale Plum, Perfect Plum and Naturals White card stock
  • Perfect Plum Classic ink pad
  • Big Shot, Little Leaves and Birds and Blooms Sizzlets, and Beautiful Wings Embosslit
  • Perfect Polka Dots impressions folder and Stampin’ Up! Backgrounds 1 Texturz plates
  • Mellow Moss taffeta ribbon, piercing tool and mat and a silver brad

The Birds and Blooms Sizzlets have 3 graduated flowers that are perfect for this layered technique.  I like to scrunch them a little so they have some dimension.  My scrunching technique isn’t very sophisticated – it amounts to twisting and bending the paper until it’s soft enough to work with.  Once I’m satisfied with the flowers, I stack them up on the piercing mat and push the piercing tool through them.  I pick up my brad and then lift the flower stack off the tool and right onto the brad before they can even think about getting disorganized.

This card would be easy to mass produce – the Sizzlets can all go through the Big Shot at one time and you could use at least 3 of the 5 butterflies produced by the Embosslit.  You wouldn’t have to use Mellow Moss.  And after June 30, if you don’t have a stash set aside, you won’t be able to.

Farewell, Mellow Moss.

A Fond Farewell to Cameo Coral

Posted on by
1

If you’ve seen it once today, you’ve seen it a hundred times:  Stampin’ Up! announced a complete Color Collection Renovation yesterday.  30 (yes, thirty) colors from the Color Families are retiring at the end of June, making way for 5 brand new colors and a host of beloved In Color selections.  The Color Renovation will organize Stampin’ Up! colors into four Color Collections, each with 10 beautiful, trendy, inspiring colors.

Some of the colors that are being retired are certainly ready for that honor, but there are some that it will be a little harder to bid farewell.  Today’s card uses the Split Negative technique (a great tutorial is at SplitCoastStampers) and features retiring color Cameo Coral:

Stampin' Up! Cameo Coral Split Negative Season of Friendship

  • Season of Friendship and All Holidays stamp sets
  • Whisper White, Cameo Coral and Basic Black card stock
  • Cameo Coral and Basic Black Classic ink pads; Whisper White Craft ink pad
  • Embossing Buddy, White Embossing Powder and Heat tool
  • Trio Flower punch,  Black Gingham ribbon and Black Stampin’ Write Journaler

I’m running a series of Technique Classes over the next few months – it’s a way to challenge myself to try new things – and this card is for the class on Saturday.

I’m a firm believer in change.  It isn’t always easy, but it always presents new opportunities.  As much as I have enjoyed some of these retiring colors, I am thrilled the Stampin’ Up! is moving forward with a contemporary new face lift and I think you’ll be really pleased when you see the new selections.  That said, if you’re a fan of Cameo Coral, I suggest you head on over to my Online Store and stock up on ink pads, ink refills, and paper (don’t forget the 12×12!).

Aloha, Cameo Coral!