Apr 5, 2007 | rubber stamping
This is one of the cards we did in the spring class. Using Doodle This with stazon jet black ink, watercoloured with aqua painters & reinker. One drop of pink passion reinker did 6 cards (and probably could have done at least 6 more?!)! Hey – I could use this as a Frugal Friday tip! LOL. The reinker means that even with the watercolouring technique, you can still get quite vibrant colours if you wish. I am veering towards this colour combo a lot lately it seems. I really like the bright pink & green together (Can you tell I’m a child of the 80’s with these preppy colours?!), and brilliant blue is one of my favourite colours anyway. This card was scanned, but I’m going to try photographing cards soon, as I find the scans don’t seem to do the cards justice.
OK off to watch my PVR’d Survivor!
Apr 4, 2007 | rubber stamping
I’ve finished uploading a few more swaps into the spring mini photo album. Burlington spring card class was this evening, tomorrow is Hamilton & I’ll post our class cards soon thereafter….don’t want to spoil the surprise for the class attendees. So until then!
Apr 1, 2007 | Announcements
It’s April – and this is no joke – there are some great specials! The first 2 are offered by Stampin’ Up! Share What You Love When you purchase your starter kit in April, you’ll also get two of the new hostess sets from the new catalogue! One of these sets is a new "bundle" that includes 2 jumbo wheels PLUS a stamp set – so…2 wheels, 2 stamp sets PLUS all the other fantastic items in the starter kit! The other special is Say It With Stamps – six sentiment sets (say that six times quickly!) for 20% off regular price! Also, a heads up on the retirement list – 2 of these sets are retiring, to be gone forever at the end of June, so grab them while you can!
I am personally offering an April special to celebrate my 5 years with Stampin’ Up! During April, I will double your free hostess merchandise benefits. For example, If your workshop or class sales (before shipping & tax) total $450, you normally earn $50 in free merchandise of your choice. For April, I will make that a total of $100 in free merchandise! This is one way for me to say thank you. The other way I am saying "thanks" will be an ongoing one – I am launching my customer rewards program. Each order you place will get you one point for each dollar (not including tax/shipping costs). Five hundred points gets you $20 free merchandise. Contact me for details….I’m starting the tracking now!!
Mar 31, 2007 | Uncategorized
I thought that I would add a link to this site right now, since you can pay by Paypal, which will allow non-US residents to make a donation. Ali Edwards is a fantastic scrapbook artist/designer, and she created this 6 Degree badge to raise funds for Autism Speaks, a cause she supports – her son has been diagnosed with Autism. The 6 Degree competition is on until tonight. The top 10 badges (most donations, not highest amounts) will receive matching donations up to $10,000 from actor Kevin Bacon, so consider contributing. Minimum contribution is $10 USD. Every little bit helps!
Mar 30, 2007 | Information
I regularly use the stampin’ mist on the stampin’ scrub pads to get my stamps clean. The best buy is to get the large refill size bottle and refill your some sprayer bottle with it. You can also slightly dilute it with a bit of water to stretch it even further!
Mar 28, 2007 | rubber stamping
This is my other card for the spring swap using the doodle alphabet & doodle number set. With this card, I also used one of the doodle flourishes from the Doodle This set. This is an envelope card, using a medium whisper white envelope. With the flap of the envelope open, I folded the 2 sides of the envelope to the centre, then brought the flap down. This creates a pocket that is perfect for holding gift cards! I adhered this to brilliant blue cardstock. Rose grosgrain ribbon and a double spiral clip from the hodgepodge hardware keep the flap closed. The doodles are on gable green cardstock & then mounted onto a brilliant blue piece of cardstock that is 4.25" x 5.5" Since the envelope flaps open, you don’t have to make a regular folded card! (although you could if you wanted…might be a bit bulky for mailing, though!). Little by little, I am adding in other swap cards to the spring mini photo album (link is also at the top right) so be sure to take a peek! In the meantime, I’ll be prepping for my spring card class and getting my next email newsletter done – please be sure to sign up for the newsletter if you’re not already receiving one (link is at top left). Looking forward to seeing you soon!
Mar 25, 2007 | rubber stamping
the impact of a handmade card!! I’ve had a busy but fun weekend, went to a group meeting on Saturday of fellow SU demonstrators, where we made some WOW make & takes (I will try to post pics later). It’s always great to catch up with friends and feed off of others’ enthusiasm. I also was "enabled" by my friend Karen, so did a bit of shopping at a craft superstore en route. (Yes, it’s true, I actually do have some crafty things in my house that aren’t Stampin’ Up!). Anyway, thought I would share this beautiful card! Created by the tag team of my 6 year old and his grandmother….Dylan decorated the pieces of the double slider (leftovers from my movers & shakers class prep) plus managed to "wheel" the outside of the card as well. Grandma did the construction work.
Mar 21, 2007 | rubber stamping
A short while ago, I participated in a swap with my upline’s group. We were to use a particular set from the spring mini. I had volunteered for a particular set, but switched (after a suggestion from my upline, Sue ) to the doodle alpha & doodle number sets, so that we could get better "coverage" of the assortment of (fantastic!) sets in the spring mini and thus more ideas. Can I just say…..when you’re doing cards, sometimes it’s a bit of a challenge to stick to letters & numbers??!!!! So thus was my task. Lucky for me, the doodle number set also includes a couple of….doodles (?!) so I did have some images to work with. The heart with wings became a focal image, and the letters "x" and "o" fulfilled my "alphabet" requirement. *phew*!! LOL. I’ll be posting more of the swap cards into the spring mini photo album as I get the chance. (maybe after I watch tonight’s "Survivor" show which I’m currently taping (well, PVRing)…I hope…I’m such a non-techno type sometimes- why do they move shows around to different nights? Just to confuse me?!)
Mar 18, 2007 | rubber stamping
What’s with the SNOW?! At least it’s sunny today so hopefully it will encourage melting! Should have known that balmy mid-week weather was a little too good to be true….
This is one of the cards we made yesterday. The scrapbook/stamping group at the Church of St. Bride in Mississauga invited me to do a workshop and we had a great time! This card uses the same colour palette as the double slider card I posted earlier, and it’s taken directly from the designer paper – we used a strip of it on this card, so you can see how it all coordinates! Featuring the petals & paisley bundle (are you sick of me raving about this yet?) – we used the petals jumbo wheel in white on the old olive cardstock; the strip of designer paper and the flower from Polka Dots & Paisley. We coloured directly onto the rubber with pretty in pink, tempting turquoise & old olive stampin’ write markers (because I love that look!). The "just a note" comes from All Year Cheer III one of my indispensible sentiments sets. We also used the spiral punch along the edge of the whisper white cardstock to create added interest. I’ll be posting more samples into the spring mini photo album, so check out the link when you get the chance. (and I promise to post cards that use sets OTHER than the petals & paisley bundle!!).
Mar 15, 2007 | Tutorial
Here’s my attempt at a tutorial! Dedicated to the Mississauga gang who went through the first edition of this class!! This is a revised version that I think is easier to manage (you can let me know if you agree or not!!)
Materials: 3"x3" whisper white to be stamped with image of choice *measure width of your cello bag to be sure – I had some that were actually narrower!!
cardstock for frame: 3.5" x 3.5"
small cello bag
micro beads
sticky strip
scotch tape
To make shaker:
1) Stamp & colour image of choice. We used the fishy friends set and the metallic pencil crayons, blended with the blender pen (works well to smooth out the colour).
2) Apply sticky strip to the edges of the back of the image (as close as possible to edges). Leave liner on. This will keep the beads in front of the image.
Apply a strip of adhesive along very top border of front of image. Leave liner on. This will prevent leakage of beads!
3) Cut off bottom seam of cello bag, and vertically along seam of bag to create open sheet with folds.
4) Remove red liner from sticky strip on back of image only & place face down in cello. (first pic: liner left on for picture purposes). Then, re-fold cello and adhere to sticky strip.
Refold along fold lines & adhere cello to sticky strip.
5) Apply scotch tape along back seam to ensure closure. (OK perhaps this is overkill, but I don’t want little beads all over the place when someone goes to shake the card!!)
6) Fold up the bottom of the cello package & seal with scotch tape.
7) Insert about 1 tablespoon of microbeads in cello package. Note that the red liner is still on the front sticky strip.
8) NOW remove the red liner from the front sticky strip, and press cello against it to seal closed.
9) Fold down top of cello package & seal with scotch tape (at backside). TADA! A sealed shaker unit!
Create the frame:
10) Use paper cutter to create frame for image. I used 3.5" x 3.5" square of brocade blue, and then cut 1/2" in from the edges to create frame. I prefer using my paper cutter when possible, vs a hobby blade….call me a klutz….
11) Apply sticky strip to inner edge of frame.
12) Remove liner & attach to shaker unit.
Construct the card
13)Apply pop up glue dots to back of package and then apply to cardfront – you’re done! We did a brocade blue card covered in the hot to dot wheel in brocade blue.
TADA! The finished product. Card is brocade blue, wheeled with the hot to dot wheel in brocade blue ink.
This is one of the cards we did in the spring class. Using Doodle This with stazon jet black ink, watercoloured with aqua painters & reinker. One drop of pink passion reinker did 6 cards (and probably could have done at least 6 more?!)! Hey – I could use this as a Frugal Friday tip! LOL. The reinker means that even with the watercolouring technique, you can still get quite vibrant colours if you wish. I am veering towards this colour combo a lot lately it seems. I really like the bright pink & green together (Can you tell I’m a child of the 80’s with these preppy colours?!), and brilliant blue is one of my favourite colours anyway. This card was scanned, but I’m going to try photographing cards soon, as I find the scans don’t seem to do the cards justice. 
