Aug 27, 2017 | cards, Stampin' Up!
I’m here! I’m here! Here’s a clean and simple Tranquil Tulips Greeting Card to apologize for my absence… I have been packing in a bunch of things before the end of summer! I made a whirlwind trip to the Ottawa Valley last weekend to visit with some long time friends – we all celebrated a significant birthday this year, so gathered to mark the occasion (or commiserate, take your pick haha). This past weekend, plans for a second road trip fell through, so I took advantage of a couple of days off in a row to….clean. My poor stamp room has been a disaster zone for a very long time, so I spent a fair bit of time sorting, recycling and organizing things in there. It’s nice to be able to see some floor space again. My downfall is partially sorting things into old Stampin’ Up! cardboard boxes…and then ending up with a bunch of boxes with half sorted items all over the place. I vow to be a bit more on top of things now!
Between the Wedding Magazines presentation and August Christmas Card Class, I realized I had nothing but winter type cards to share! Luckily, this clean and simple tulips greeting card comes to the rescue. One of the things that drew me to Stampin’ Up!’s products over 15 years ago was two step stamping, and watercolour type images. Combine the two of those and I’m in heaven! This Tranquil Tulips set is available for purchase with Stampin’ Rewards – which you earn by hosting a class/workshop/online party or by placing a single order of $200 or more. Two step stamping simple means that it takes more than one stamping to create a full image. In this case, the stems (stamped in Pear Pizzazz) are a separate stamp from the flower heads, and the flower heads themselves are two stamps. The flowers are stamped in Sweet Sugarplum, and no special technique is needed. You simply stamp the larger portion of the flower first, then stamp the smaller “front” portion of the flower in the same colour on top of the original image. This won’t work as well with really deep colours, since you’ll lose some of the detail, but with medium or lighter shades – it’s fantastic!
The ribbon accent is done in two steps as well. The Gold Metallic Edged Ribbon is one of my latest favourites! The horizontal ribbon is simply attached in behind the cardstock with tape, and the knot portion is a second piece of ribbon that is tied onto the first. I find this an easier way to do my ribbon knots or bows – in part because I can move the knot/bow around as needed (by sliding it along the horizontal ribbon), and in part because I’m really bad at judging how much ribbon I will need if I do it all in one (plus it’s never as taut as I want it to be if I do it that way). If you are mailing this tulips greeting card, you can simply omit the knot portion of the ribbon to make the envelope less bulky.
Around here we are enjoying the last bit of summer, and getting ready for back to school after Labour Day. I hope that you are able to celebrate the last few days of summer before getting back to the busy school time schedules! Don’t forget that YOU can get back to classes as well – registration closes shortly for the September Christmas Card Class. Basic+ registrations will include a package of the gorgeous metallic washi tape from the Holiday Catalogue! Check the YamStamps events Page for more information, or contact me if you have any questions or are ready to register. Hope to see you in class soon!
Aug 18, 2017 | cards, Christmas, Stampin' Up!
Yes…I know…snowflakes and August don’t necessarily come to mind together…but I have a reason for this card! It’s been a little quiet in the YamStamps online world, you may have noticed. I was busy behind the scenes creating winter wedding ideas and getting ready for yesterday’s Christmas Card Class! So while it’s been humid and warm outside, (and occasionally inside since our air conditioner was needing repair, but that’s another story)….I was trying to find winter inspiration.
I was asked to prepare some winter wedding ideas for a Stampin’ Up! presentation to Wedding Bells magazine. Most of the ideas I shared were using products from the upcoming Holiday catalogue (which is arriving in various mailboxes across the country as I write this….), but this is one that uses Annual Catalogue supplies – so you can make it right away! Snowflakes and winter are synonymous – at least where I live…so I used that as a basic jumping off point for most of my ideas. This card is Pool Party, as is the background hatching image – which is from You’ve Got This (avaialble in clear mount or wood mount). The large snowflake is from Flurry of Wishes, and is heat embossed in Silver. The silver metallic-edged ribbon adds an elegant touch, and is flat enough not to bulk up the card too much when mailing. For the wedding idea, the insert was the wedding invitation, with additional ribbon on the corners (I put the insert ribbon on the opposite corners to even out the bulk). For a holiday card, you can just stamp an appropriate greeting!
If you’d like to see more of what was shared, I will share other pictures on the blog here, but check out Instagram in the meantime. The YamStamps instagram feed has a couple of shots (including a behind the scenes shot of how I create chaos in my wake LOL), and the Wedding Bells Instagram feed has a picture – but check out their Instagram story while you can (you have a few hours left before it disappears) to see embossing & die cutting featuring Holiday catalogue items!
This weekend, I’m planning on enjoying the warm weather and will NOT think about snowflakes! At some point I’ll have to be finishing planning for the September Christmas card class – which will feature cards using the new metallic washi tape from the Holiday catalogue (you can get a glimpse of it on Instagram). If you’re interested in attending, please register ASAP! Basic+ Fee is $30 and includes the washi tape set. Basic Fee of $20 does not include additional product – just the necessary class supplies. Check the YamStamps Events Page for other upcoming class dates! Hope to see you soon!
Aug 11, 2017 | Paper Pumpkin, specials
Stampin’ Up! is running a limited time crafting subscription kit sale! Paper Pumpkin is 50% off for new subscribers until September 10th with the code HALFOFF0917 . Paper Pumpkin is delivered directly to your door, and is a complete mini crafting kit to create that month’s project. In the past, kits have featured cards, 3D items such as a frame or mini wreath, tags and cute packaging ideas. Each kit contains stamps, paper products, accessories, ink spots or colouring tools and usually glue dots or some adhesive. All you need to supply is a few moments of your time! (oh, and since your first kit is coming in September, with the children going back to school you may have a chance at a couple of minutes to yourself?!)
I love these kits for traveling, and know that some subscribers have used them with younger family members. It’s a fun way to craft together, and not worry about protecting your crafting supplies, since it’s an all in one. I created an info page here.
So if you’ve haven’t tried Paper Pumpkin yet, now is a great time – this crafting subscription kit is on sale! Click here to start.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
Aug 7, 2017 | Stampin' Up!, Tutorial, TV/Video/Web/Tech
A quick video on setting up the Love Today Planner Kit (with an actual appearance from me….at a funny angle….because I couldn’t be bothered to change the location of my tripod so I just kind of turned the camera and leaned into the frame…and because it’s a holiday Monday and that’s about the most effort I could make today….hahaha!)
The video shows you the completed set up for a month – I suggest you 1) Unpackage your pages 2) Sort like with like pages: Labeled Month pages, blank Month pages, Weekly Sheets, Weekly Sheets with Lined Backing 3) Assemble like in the video! 
EDITED TO ADD – sorry, I know when I said quick, I didn’t mention that I was speaking quickly as well!! If you like, you can visit the video on the YamStamps YouTube Channel and turn on the captions….
Hope that helps, please feel free to contact me if you have any questions!
Aug 3, 2017 | cards, Stampin' Up!
I’ve shared this navy & copper card in a couple of classes lately – I love this combination. I laughed when I uploaded this just now….do you remember this navy & gold card? Obviously I like this look…and honestly didn’t remember that I had created one quite similar in the recent past…ah well. Still like it. This card pairs Night of Navy with Copper Foil sheets and copper embossing powder.
The image is from the Stampin’ Up! Canada set, Artistically Asian, which is available in clear mount or wood mount. Both options feature the red rubber with foam padding, but different adhesive backings. The clear mount stamps are used with the clear blocks, and stored separately. It’s a good option if you have limited space, since the cases are thinner (like a DVD case). There’s a little more flexibility because you can cut a stamp apart (for example, cut the sentiment off the image), and then have the option to use the pieces separately or together, depending on how you place them on your clear block. You need to purchase the clear blocks separately. Don’t confuse these stamps with photopolymer stamps, which are the clear stamps without any padding. Stampin’ Up! also offers a certain number of stamp sets in photopolymer, which is often a favourite due to the thin storage case and the ability to actually see through the stamps to your crafting surface (well, depending on how much ink you have on your stamp….haha). Wood mount stamps are red rubber with foam padding, and the price includes wood blocks to which you adhere your stamps. These are the “traditional” stamps that many know. The case is more the thickness of a VHS case (if you remember those….am I dating myself?!). These are good options if you just want to grab and get crafting (no searching for the right block to stick it onto), or craft without much of a set plan or with friends. Since I run classes, I often find myself having to ensure I have enough of the right sized blocks – my classes are set up in card stations, with each card having all the supplies out & ready, and people rotating to them when there’s an opening. I have this stamp set in wood mount, so when we made this navy & copper card in class, I didn’t have to worry about how many clear blocks I needed to have handy.
While I love using the metal foil sheets as a mat layer for images, it does make me sad to cover up so much of the beautiful cardstock! In this navy & copper card, you only see a bit of the copper sheet. You know me, though, I love my thrifty trick of die cutting from the mat layer, so I figured out how to work that into this card. In class, we die cut a dragonfly from the foil to use on a different card, and then used the remainder as the mat layer for this card. Frugal crafting for the win!
One tip for heat embossing with the Copper Embossing Powder. I found that the copper powder, especially when brand new, tends to leave a reddish sheen on the cardstock after coating the image and sliding off the excess powder. It is helpful to use the Embossing Buddy before stamping – that light powdery dusting tends to reduce the remnants of embossing powder. I also found using a soft microfiber type cloth after heat setting the powder can help to redust the embossing “dust” that may coat the cardstock.
I am looking forward to trying out some of the Holiday Catalogue stamp sets with the Copper Embossing Powder….just waiting for my shipment to arrive! Demonstrators are able to order from the Holiday Catalogue NOW so it’s been fun seeing what everyone’s picking. If you are keen to get your hands on holiday product, if you order the starter kit during August, you can actually select Holiday Catalogue product in your starter kit! Contact me for more details, or get more information about joining my group of demonstrators here. In the meantime, I will sit on my porch and wait for the UPS truck to bring my holiday goodies…..
Aug 1, 2017 | cards, Christmas, Seasonal Catalogue, specials, Stampin' Up!
Last month, you could get the Carols of Christmas set (clear or wood) for free as part of a bonus kit of product with your starter kit. Now available for purchase, you can also get it as part of the Carols of Christmas Bundle with a great set of dies called Card Front Builders. Bundle is available with clear or wood options. There’s also a clear mount french version of the set, available as part of a bundle as well. The cardfront builders framelits will be useful year round – not just for holiday cards!
I think you can count on seeing this bundle being used for one of the cards in this month’s Christmas card class, which happens on Thursday, August 17th at 7pm. The featured product for the August class is ribbon – specificially the gold and silver edged ribbons. If you register for the Basic+ option, you’ll receive 1/2 roll of each of these ribbons at class. See the YamStamps Events page for other upcoming classes and more information.
The YamStamps August Paper Crafting Project Newsletter goes out later today to subscribers, and features a couple of projects using the Daisy Delight Bundle. The Daisy Punch has been SO popular that it’s ended up on backorder a couple of times already – but it’s available for purchase today – so grab it while you can! Don’t forget to use your coupon code from July’s Bonus Days to get $6 off! Please contact me if you have any questions or need assistance placing your order.
Jul 26, 2017 | cards, Christmas, specials, Stampin' Up!
Believe it or not, I’ve already held two Handmade Christmas Card classes already this summer – this is a card we made at the last class. Clean and simple design, blinged up with the Wink of Stella Glitter Brush (which apparently is hard for me to photograph…). Navy and white is a classic colour combination, and goes well with a clean layout, I think. Stampin’ Up!’s Carols of Christmas is the featured stamp set, and if you purchase a starter kit in July you will receive this set for FREE in the bonus Essentials Kit that includes some great tools for papercrafting (all in all a $94 value). This is on top of the value already packed into your choice of $165 worth of product for $135 and necessary business supplies to get you started! More information here. Start selecting your product here.
Your other option is to wait until August, and this set will be available for purchase in either wood mount or clear mount, or in a bundle with the coordinating Card Front Builder Dies. I’ll be posting a link to those items in my online store in August. If you purchased $60 in product in July, you’ll also have that coupon code to use in August – so it’s a great time to get your supplies for YOUR handmade Christmas card!
A hint on this card – when I made this prototype, I ended up lining up the first set of ornaments a little too far to the left, so when I stamped the second set, I ended up with a gap at the right side of the words (under the S…) – so everyone in the class was advised to start their ornaments a bit further towards the centre. I saved this handmade Christmas card by cleaning the stamp, then colouring in just one of the ornaments with the brush end of a Night of Navy Stampin’ Write marker. This way, I was able to stamp a single ornament at the right side so I didn’t have a funny gap.
Some class attendees already have EIGHT handmade Christmas cards in their stash….no pressure or anything….haha! If you’re not quite ready for Christmas cards, consider attending the Monthly Card Class instead. We do 4 different cards, for various occasions, and all required supplies are included in your $20 class fee. First Wednesday of each month – check the YamStamps Events page for upcoming dates. If you DO want to make a handmade Christmas card….or 4….the next Christmas card class is August 17th, a Thursday evening at 7pm. You have the option of the Basic Class Fee – $20 for all supplies to create that evening’s cards, or the Basic+ Class Fee, which includes all the supplies PLUS the featured product for that class. The July class featured the Wink of Stella Glitter Brush on all the projects. The August class will feature the new Silver and Gold Edged Ribbon – participants who choose the Basic+ option will receive half a roll of each product that evening, in addition to the class supplies required. You can contact me to register.
In other news….not sure if you saw it on my Instagram feed or the YamStamps Facebook page, but I road tripped to St Thomas this past weekend! I did a class for Jenny and her friends, which was a lot of fun, and Jenny decided to take advantage of the July special and purchase the starter kit as well – so she’s now part of my demonstrator group known as the “Eh” Team! So fun! More fun on the way home – I drove across town to check out the Jumbo statue, as advised by everyone at the class! St Thomas is the city of trains – in fact, the last time I was in the area was for the Day Out with Thomas (as in Thomas the Tank Engine) a number of years ago with my son (who is now 17….so you can imagine it’s been a while). Anyway. The life sized Jumbo statue is in place to memorialize the real life Jumbo the elephant from the P.T. Barnum circus, who was sadly struck & killled by a train while in St Thomas. He really was a huge elephant! It was a little detour before I headed safely home again. I realize I need to work on my selfie skills a little more….but here’s the proof, as I squinted into the sun to get the shot…
I was also hurrying to get the photo before the other visitors were in my shot! I don’t often travel this far to do a class, but I do enjoy getting out to meet new people at events like this if time and schedule permit. That is definitely one of the best perks of this “job”. I’m looking forward to more travel – to Stampin’ Up!’s On Stage event in Salt Lake City for one, where I’ll be joined by quite a few of my “Eh” Team members this fall! If I play my (greeting?!) cards right, I will be able to earn a gift card for travel as well! In the meantime, I’m off to come up with some creations for August’s class. Hope to see you there!
Jul 24, 2017 | cards, Information, Stampin' Up!
This is a swap card I created using the Daisy Bundle – Stampin’ Up!’s Daisy Delight stamp set and Daisy Punch. Angled lines on a card helpto give a bit of interest, as well as the added bling of a Gold Faceted Gem. I love the images and coordinating punch, and the good news is that it’s also available as a discounted bundle. The bad news? YOU CAN’T ORDER THE BUNDLE RIGHT NOW! Waaaaah! The punch has been SO popular that it’s sold out a couple of times already! Punch sales are way beyond projected, so for the time being, Stampin’ Up! has turned off the ability to order the punch and the bundle. It’s estimated that the next shipment will be in around August 1st. The stamp set is currently available to order, but the punch (and therefore the discounted bundle) are not.
HERE’S WHAT TO DO. You have a couple of options
- Order the stamp set now, along with other craft supplies, and be sure that the total product adds up to $60. All July orders that have $60 in product earn you a $6 coupon code that you can use in August to purchase the punch once it’s available again.
- Wait for the bundle to be order-able once again in August and place an order once it’s available.
HOW I CAN HELP
1. If you would like, I can contact you to let you know when the punch is available once again. Please enter your information here and I can put you on my notification list. This list will only be used to let you know when the punch is available. You can then go online to my online store and place your order.
2. I can place an order for you once the punch is available – PLEASE CONTACT ME. I will get your information (including payment choice) and then place the order for you. Payment will be processed when the order is placed. It can be shipped directly to your door, or if you’re close to Burlington ON, I can have it shipped to my place and we can make arrangements to make a hand off!
If you have any questions, please contact me. In the meantime, stay tuned for other cards and creative ideas that will keep you occupied while we await the return of the punch….
Jul 18, 2017 | Announcements, cards, online class, Stampin' Up!
Stampin’ Up!’s set This Little Piggy (available in wood mount or clear mount) is such a fun set. I used it to create some fun swap cards a while back. When Pigs Fly….we should celebrate! I love this sentiment in particular. The image itself is watercoloured, using the aquapainter and refills. Marina Mist is the sky, and Blushing Bride (if I recall correctly….) was used for the pig. I watercoloured on Shimmery White cardstock, and the clouds are cut from the same cardstock. It has a beautiful, subtle shimmery sparkle to it. To boost the shimmer a bit more, I used the Clear Wink of Stella Glitter Brush on the wings.
I love that watercolouring doesn’t have to be all smooth and washed out if you don’t want it to be! I filmed a tutorial on how to get the variegated wash background, and I’ll be sharing it in the Online Watercolouring Class (yes, I know, it’s still in final stages of production…life keeps getting in the way! LOL). (I know, sometimes it feels like this online class will be live when pigs fly….if you want to be notified when the class is available for registration, click here to join the list)
The clouds are die cut using the Up & Away Thinlit dies. A cheater trick of mine is to put the sentiment on a die cut or punch out, so if you mess it up, you only have to redo one portion, not the entire card….or if you happen to mess up stamping on the card itself, a die cut or punch out can cover that up! Trust me, after decades of paper crafting, I know how to cover up mistakes….LOL. What’s that sentiment? A mistake is just an opportunity for an embellishment?! When pigs fly…I will design a card without making a “forced creative detour”….hahaha!
I’ll be pulling out the Wink of Stella Brush Pens next week for the Christmas Card Class. Nothing like a little shimmer and shine to make your Christmas cards more special! You can still register to come to class and make 4 different Christmas cards. You’ll get to use the Wink of Stella Brush to try it out…and if you like it, you can always order one for yourself! Don’t forget that if you place a $60 order you’ll receive a coupon code for $6 to spend in August! Plus….if you made a purchase at my Open House / Retired Product Sale in June, you’ll have received the email with a coupon amount to use exclusively with me this summer!
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or need to register for an upcoming class.
Jul 12, 2017 | cards, Christmas
Wow time flies when you’re busy….and look, it’s already time for a handmade Christmas card! OK, well, maybe not quite…. However, there is nothing like getting a jump on your holiday cards, especially if you’re hoping to create your own! Some smart YamStamps customers have already started by attending last month’s Christmas Card Class! This is one of the cards we created using the Be Merry Designer Series Paper that is available in the Stampin’ Up! Annual Catalogue.
There’s a few thrifty tricks on this card – the backing layer for the sentiment is die cut with one of the Lots of Labels framelits dies from the backing cardstock, and the strip of complimentary designed paper is actually the flip side of the mittens designed paper. Stampin’ Up!’s Designer Series Papers have coordinating colours and patterns so it’s easy to mix and match without having to think too hard! Perfect for summer crafting. Or anytime crafting for me, really.
If you are looking to increase your stash of handmade Christmas cards, you can register to attend the next class! July 25th is the next installment, and each project will also use the Clear Wink of Stella Glitter Brush in the design. For the Christmas Card Classes, you’ll have the option of the “BASIC” Class Fee, which will cover all supplies required for the 4 cards, or the “BASIC+” Class Fee, which will also include the featured product for that class. For example, July is the Wink of Stella brush, August is going to be the Gold & Silver Edged Metallic Ribbons. September onwards will be announced once we get a look at the upcoming Holiday Catalogue! Check out the upcoming dates and other events on the YamStamps Events Page.
Don’t forget that every purchase of $60 or more in product during July will earn you a $6 coupon to spend in August! (See this post for all the details on the July promotions), You can shop anytime in the YamStamps Online Stampin’ Up! Canada store and have your product delivered to your door. If you live in Quebec, or need assistance placing your order, please contact me and I will place the order for you (and still have it delivered to your door). If you purchase a starter kit in July, you’ll get a new Christmas stamp set, which will really help you to create your own handmade Christmas Card! Get the Carols of Christmas set as part of your Essentials bonus kit (again, see this post for details as well as the stamp set images). You can find out more about being part of my demonstrator team here, or start picking your starter kit products here!
See? Really NO excuse for not getting started! Ho Ho Ho!
