Tag Archives: Stampin' Up!

Somebody missed me…

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Since I’ve been home from the East Coast, I’ve had an orange shadow.  The kids were home while we were away, but this goofball cat thinks I’m his mother.  In a way, it’s true – when he comes home after losing yet another argument with the neighborhood cats, I’m the one who patches him up, not to mention feeding, brushing and general babying.  While I was gone, he didn’t get his usual in-the-door, out-the-door service and I think he missed being able to plant himself in the exact spot where my feet need to be on the kitchen floor.

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I was deep into a number of projects and he kept coming into my tiny craft space, talking to me and demanding my attention.  Apparently I wasn’t responding with enough enthusiasm, because he managed to get up onto the counter and plant his orangeness where he couldn’t be missed.  Fortunately, he has a sufficiently dopey expression to be endearing, and he purrs at the drop of a hat.

Now to get the cat hair out of the Snail and Sticky Strip.

Super Simple Halloween Treats

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This is a quick and easy treatment for some simple Halloween goodies…the stamped image is 3″ square, the mat is 3 1/4″ square, and the packaging is 3 1/2″ wide x 8 1/2″ long.  Punch holes in the center of everything and double punch some Only Orange cardstock to create a ring and you’re almost done.  It doesn’t show in the photo, but I used the absolutely magical Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint to give it all some sparkle – a couple of drops in a small spray bottle with some rubbing alcohol and you are ready to sparkle…and it doesn’t come off the project!

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  • Sweet Centers Stamp Set
  • Only Orange, Basic Black and Whisper White card stock
  • Old Olive Classic Stampin’ Ink
  • 1 3/4″ and 1 3/8″ circle punches
  • White Gel pen, Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint, Crop-a-dile, Sticky Strip and small cello bag
  • Pumpkin Pie and Old Olive 1/4″ grosgrain; non-SU 1/8″ black grosgrain

These would be easy to make in quantity!  Trick or treat!

Whale season

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It’s a little early…but I’ve seen the first Humpback…

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  • Animals Stories and Family Phrases stamp sets
  • So Saffron Classic Ink pad and Whisper White Craft Ink pad;  Chocolate Chip Stampin’ Write marker
  • Chocolate Chip, So Saffron, and Very Vanilla cardstock; Tall Tales Designer Series Paper
  • So Saffron 5/8″ grosgrain; Chocolate Chip 1/4″ grosgrain

OK, so it’s not a Humpback, and we hardly ever see them until at least the end of October.  But I am really looking forward to seeing them out there in the Pacific again.  There’s something so amazing about seeing just a little sliver of shining black skin break the surface of the water, knowing that beyond that sliver is a school-bus sized whale that can propel it’s entire body out of the water.  It never ceases to astonish me, and during whale season I love to sit on the beach and just watch for a spout, flipper slap, or distinctive tail sighting.  And maybe, just maybe, a breach.

Check out the National Marine Sanctuary and the Hawaii Whale Research Foundation for more information.

I’ll be sure to let you know when they arrive.

Deal of the Week, Week 3

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What a great deal this week!  Oh, and Boy Howdy, am I glad to be home.  When we moved to Maui almost 20 years ago I quickly realized this was where I was meant to be.  I am a tropical flower with a temperature comfort zone of about 6 degrees – 77 to 83.  The fall colors are gorgeous, but you sure have to wear a lot of stuff to get out and see them.

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This week’s deal is well timed to allow you – and me – to stock up on embellishments before the holidays.  When your card needs that extra oomph, these are the goodies to reach for.  But hurry – these little gems are only Deals until Monday, October 26 at 9:50am Mountain Time – that’s 5:50 am HST!

To shop, click HERE

Starting to think about Christmas

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I generally object to any kind of Christmas marketing before about the middle of November, but when it comes to crafting I have to make an exception.  Cards, tags and decorations take time and planning.  Leave it too late and they just don’t get done.  I go through a lot of paper, ink and accessories in the process of choosing our annual family card, and I need time to let the ideas and examples simmer before I make my final selection.

This won’t make the cut – literally – with those hand-cut pines.  Sure are cute, though!

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  • Patterned Pines and Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set
  • Handsome Hunter and Real Red Classic Stamp pad; Champagne Mist Shimmer paint
  • Kraft, Handsome Hunter, Whisper White and Glossy White cardstock; Riding Hood Red Designer Series Paper (retired)
  • Kraft Taffeta ribbon
  • Modern Label punch, Stampin’ Sponges, Sponge Daubers
  • Metallic eyelets and Crop-a-dile

This concept actually began as the embellishment on the top of a box for A-2 cards.  The tutorial is HERE and don’t miss it – the first box is two pieces, base and lid.  Scroll down to the bottom and look for the dimensions for the pizza box.  That’s what I made.

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Cute, isn’t it?  And easy as can be.  But please don’t ask me about that evergreen garland.  It’s a retired wheel.  Use Soft Holly (112968) instead.  It’s better.  Really.

And no Christmas Carols in the stores until after Thanksgiving, OK??

The message comes later

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Nope, this isn’t some weird puzzle.  It’s how I make my cards most of the time.

I usually make a card for the creative satisfaction and don’t add the sentiment until I’m ready to send the card.   That way it’s easier for me to choose the right card for the right person.  Once in a while I make a card that insists on a particular message – red and green cards with pine trees are a good example – but that’s the exception.  When it’s time to send the card, I pull out the message I want, ink it up, and add it to the front…or in the case of this card, I’ll put it on a word window and attach that to the striped paper.

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  • Flight of the Butterfly stamp set
  • Chocolate Chip, Certainly Celery, So Saffron and Bashful Blue Classic ink pads
  • Whisper White and Certainly Celery (the carde base)  cardstock and Sale-a-bration 2009 Designer Series Paper
  • Sale-a-bration Certainly Celery Poly-twill ribbon
  • Stamp-a-ma-jig

This card looks a little empty and off balance now, but when there’s a message nestled into those stripes, it’ll be just right.

Big Shot Daisies

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It took me a while to break down and buy these daisies.  I already had some Big Shot flowers.  Why did I need more?

I kept seeing samples.  Creative people doing beautiful things.  Cards.  Scrapbook pages.  Package toppers.  It went on and on until I couldn’t stand it any more.  Shoot, it only cost $19.95 (114520), and I could use my demo discount, so what was the big deal?

I’m so glad I bought this Bigz Die.  These graduated flowers are such fun.  It took me a while to figure out that they need an itsy bitsy curve in the petals to look their best.  You can do it with the side of a pencil or even your finger – just give a little roll to the edge of the petal and suddenly you have dimension!  Don’t whine, it’s not that much effort, and it looks great…

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  • No stamps!!  No Ink!
  • So Saffron, Bashful Blue, and Kraft cardstock; Sale-a-bration 2009 Designer Series Paper
  • Big Shot, Daisies #2 Bigz die, and Stampin’ Up! backgrounds 1
  • Piercing tool and mat pack; retired colored buttons (substitute Fresh Favorites)

You could easily add a message on an oval punch – this card was for a custom order without sentiments.

Why you should invest in Ink Refills Part II

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Ink refills plus an Aquapainter equals simple watercoloring.  A drop or two in the lid of your stamp pad and you are good to go.  Mix in some Shimmer paint and you won’t be able to stop yourself!  I’m no Monet, but this is really fun.

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  • Sweet Stems stamp set
  • Mellow Moss Classic Stamp pad; Mellow Moss, Pretty in Pink, and Barely Banana re-inkers
  • Barely Banana, Mellow Moss, Very Vanilla and Pink Pirouette (retired) cardstock
  • Scallop Square, Scallop edge and handheld rectangle (retired) punches
  • Very Vanilla narrow grosgrain ribbon
  • Aquapainter and Champagne Mist Shimmer paint

I didn’t think I’d use these stamps much.  Crystal (middle name Give) gave them to me when she realized she had a duplicate  set.   Turns out they’re just the thing for a sweet little card.  She  gave me the layout, too.  I played with it a little – added the scallop on the edge and a little Shimmer to the pink – but it’s her design.  She’s good, no?

Bunches of flowers

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These floral outline stamps make a quick and easy card.  It’s easy to layer them by using a simple mask:  stamp the image on a re-positionable note and cut the image out.  When you’ve stamped your first image, cover it with the mask and stamp an overlapping image.  I keep my masks in the plastic box the stamp sets come with, because a little bit of Dotto will refresh the “stickiness” of the mask for many more uses.  You can use scrap paper and dotto with the same results, but make sure the paper you use for the mask is lighter than cardstock weight or you’ll have gaps around the edges of your mask.

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  • Fifth Avenue Floral stamp set and a retired sentiment
  • Dusty Durango, Pumpkin Pie and Apricot Appeal Classic Ink pads
  • Very Vanilla, Dusty Durango and Apricot Appeal (sorry, it looks kinda yellow) card stock
  • Pumpkin Pie narrow grosgrain ribbon and Scallop Edge punch

The Stampin’ Up! color families make it so easy to design a monochromatic card.  It’s one of the things that sold me on Stampin’ Up! right from the start.  It would be simple to change this color scheme into pinks, reds, golds, lavenders, even blues and greens if your flower favorites run avant garde.

A Medallion Tri-fold

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It’s rare that I see a completed card in my head before I start it but that was the case with this card.  Some of the details came along as I worked, but I saw that Medallion on the front of the tri-fold and knew it would work.

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  • Medallion, Wonderful Favorites, and All Holidays stamp sets
  • Kiwi Kiss and Baja Breeze Classic Ink pads (ret’d); Champagne Mist shimmer paint
  • Kiwi Kiss textured card stock, Baja Breeze and River Rock card stock, andDesigner Series Papers, all sadly retired
  • Vanilla Hodge Podge Hardware; Circle Ice Rhinestone brads; Flower Fusion II (retired)
  • White gel pen; ticket corner punch; Circle Scissors Plus

I free-hand cut around the Medallion, then adhered it to the Baja Breeze Designer Series paper and cut a border.  I know, I know, it’s kind of ridiculous, but it had to be done.  I stamped the center again in Baja Breeze and cut it with the Circle Scissors Plus, then stamped it one more time in Kiwi Kiss, sponged it with Champagne Mist (my go-to product of the moment!) and punched that with the scallop circle.  The rest of the embellishments are fairly simple because I wanted the Medallion to really pop.

I really miss these colors.  I think last year’s In Color collection was the absolute best and if I had to choose colors to bring back, Baja Breeze and Kiwi Kiss would be at the top of the list.  I’ll eventually get over it.  Eventually.