Fun stuff coming up in April! We’ve been told there will be a free gift in April’s edition of Paper Pumpkin – and it will also be a kit designed by the CEO of the company, Sara Douglass! Paper Pumpkin is Stampin’ Up!’s subscription crafting kit. Each kit comes with everything you will need to create that month’s project. In the past, there has been a mini scrapbook, a frameable piece of art, cards, packaging…. Each kit features an exclusive project and stamp set! It’s also a way to build up a stash of Stampin’ Spots – little ink pad cubes that are perfect for travel.
Paper Pumpkin is available in a variety of ways – you can subscribe month to month, you can prepay for a subscription of one month, three months, six months or twelve months. There is a price discount for the six and twelve month prepaid subscriptions, and the three month kit is currently on special. If you subscribe now and prepay for 3 months or more, you’ll qualify for Sale-a-Bration freebies, save some money, AND get the free gift in April with the exclusively designed kit!
I have been asked to be a participant for a fundraiser in Waterdown for Providence Christian School at the end of the month (March 31!), and a couple of the auction items I will be bringing along are past Paper Pumpkin kits. You’ll be able to see them if you stop by my table before the fun starts – and if you want more information about the event, you can contact me! (I have a few tickets!). I thought they’d be perfect prizes – because everything is there in the box! Don’t forget that if you would like to get the exclusive kit and free gift in April, you’ll need to subscribe to Paper Pumpkin by April 10th. (and no, they haven’t even told demonstrators what the gift is….) Don’t miss out!
Are you on the YamStamps list? Be sure to be registered to receive monthly paper crafting project ideas, information on events and Stampin’ Up! specials, plus more on a regular basis. We’ve had to discontinue the YamStamps App, so if you used that, you will want to be sure to check the mobile friendly YamStamps website, www.yamstamps.com and be on the YamStamps mailing list so you won’t miss anything!
Happy International Women’s Day! Thought I’d share this quick Super Hero card with you to celebrate the occasion. This is not just an International Women’s Day Card, it could be a mother’s day card, a “yay for you” card, an encouragement or congratulations card…. It features Stampin’ Up!’s Everyday Hero set. All the character pieces are mix and match – the body, the head (there’s a woman and a man) and the cape, and the set is photopolymer, so you can see through the stamps to line up your images easily.
I chose to use Very Vanilla cardstock for this card, along with Archival Basic Black ink. I coloured the images with the Watercolour Pencils, along with a little use of the Blender Pen. For these images, I chose to colour with them traditionally, and then used the blender pen to smooth out the coloured areas. I was a little impatient so had a bit of bleed because I ran over some stamped areas before they were totally dry…but as I always say….if the person who receives your handmade card criticizes it, they don’t deserve it!! hahaha. Besides, it’s an International Women’s Day Card, what’s not to like?!
I’m looking forward to getting together with some of my favourite women in the next while. There’s my demonstrator group called the “Eh” Team; we’ll be having an online and in person get together in March, and a group of us will be going to the Stampin’ Up! event in Toronto in April. There’s my Stampers Club peeps, who regularly get together the third Monday (usually…those stat holiday Mondays can mess that up at times!), and there’s the Monthly Card Class people who mix and match up each month. A craft night is a great way to get together with other women (and men, though my group right now is mainly women). Do you have a regular group of friends that get together to do things? Why not have a craft night one time? Contact me – there’s lots of variations and options on a crafting event. We can make a superhero card just like this International Women’s Day Card!
To whom would YOU send an International Women’s Day Card? Let me know! I have a few candidates for mine – high on the list – my grandmother and my mother (both teachers, did the grammatical form of the first sentence give it away?)! Guess I’d better make a few more cards…LOL. My mission is also to send more cards – I’m planning on sending a lot of my blog sample cards on to good homes to be reused – hence my encouragement to have people comment here on the YamStamps blog!
This quick negative die cut card features Stampin’ Up! Canada’s Special Reason Bundle (available with wood mount or clear mount stamps) – available in the Occasions Catalogue. When you use a negative image, you can highlight some of the patterned paper you may have in your stash! In this case, it’s the Blooms & Bliss Designer Series Paper. The tough part is picking which side of the paper to show! Keeping the paper and image as the focal points, there’s just a touch of colour on the edge of the Whisper White cardstock – you can achieve this look by running the side of the brush tip of a Stampin’ Write marker along the edge of the cardstock, or a sponge dauber with the coordinating ink. In this case, the colour is Rich Razzleberry.
One tip I can share is that as my plastic cutting pads get older, they tend to curl or bow a bit more – so sometimes running the die and cardstock through the Big Shot a few times ensures that all the little pieces are completely cut through – and the Big Shot Die Brush helps ensure they all come out easily. Another option is to use the Precision Base Plate, which has no “give” and will ensure good contact the entire time. That will ensure that your quick die cut card is truly that!
If you’re interested in learning other techniques, you can attend a card making class in person or online! We created this card during classes in the past week, but I love this quick die cut cardeffect, so it may make another appearance in the future, in some incarnation! Do you have a favourite set of dies that you like to use for a negative image effect? (future class attendees will appreciate if you share your faves, so they don’t keep seeing a version of this card repeatedly – haha just kidding – but just about the card – I do want to hear if you have a fave!). Feel free to leave a comment below – and don’t panic if it doesn’t show up right away – comments are moderated to avoid spam! In the meantime – be positive about negative die cuts (sorry, couldn’t resist), and contact me if you have any questions.
Sometimes you need an extra special or “WOW” card, and you don’t feel like making it from scratch. (If you do feel like making it from scratch, may I suggest the Clever Cards Online Class ?! You’ll get five different WOW card designs!) Here’s an easy pop up birthday card made using Stampin’ Up!’s Balloon Adventures set and Balloon Pop-Up Thinlits Dies. They’re available together in a discounted bundle…which I recommend because I love easy coordination (and who doesn’t like saving a bit of money?!). Real Red, Island Indigo and Crushed Curry combine to make a bright, fun card that’s sure to impress.
The interior pop up portion is made using a die! You score your cardstock, align the die along the score line and run it through your Big Shot. Fold along the score lines and you’re ready to complete your card! (I told you it was an easy pop up birthday card!) I like to use Tear & Tape to adhere the pop up insert securely in place (just don’t adhere the middle, otherwise the pop up won’t work!). Originally, I had stamped “Happy Birthday” directly onto the banner, but truth be told, I messed it up….so I cut another banner from a scrap of Crushed Curry Cardstock, restamped the sentiment and adhered it over top of the messed up one. It looks good either way. Well, maybe not with a messed up sentiment, but with a white banner rather than a yellow one. I added two additional die cut balloons that were adhered in place on the pop up portion, and the middle balloon is simply stamped in Real Red. The set is photopolymer, so you can re-stamp the balloon image on top again if you need more ink coverage – sometimes the score line doesn’t take the ink very well. (ask me how I know this…).
This card does take a little longer than a non-3D or non-moving part card might take to construct, but it’s just more steps, not that much more difficulty, really! A bit more time to construct a still quite easy pop up birthday card, thanks to coordinating stamps and dies, but the smile on the recipient’s face is sure to be worth it in the end! This is the kind of card that can be a gift in itself. We actually tackled this card in Stampers Club and the March Card Class! I liked this card so much I included it in both classes! If you’re needing an outing during the day or evening, consider joining us next time! See the YamStamps Events Page for upcoming events, or contact me to register for the April Card Class or to find out more about Stampers Club. Hope to see you in class soon!
Do you prefer Glimmer Paper or Glitter? While I love glitter, I don’t always love the mess it leaves – which is why I really love Stampin’ Up!’s Glimmer Paper. It’s an easy way to add all the glitter and shine with less fuss and mess.
This project showcases an easy way to use Glimmer Paper. Glimmer Paper is perfect for adding shine to your paper crafting with less mess than loose glitter. While you will still likely find some stray glitter here & there after you use it, it’s not nearly as invasive! The paper is a little heavier than regular cardstock and has a slightly waxy backing on it, so I like to use Tear & Tape to adhere it in place. If you’re more patient than me, you may choose to use the Multipurpose Liquid Glue. I’m more of a get it done and get going type of crafter, not to mention somewhat messy, so dry adhesives tend to work better in my crafting corner.
This fun card features two of the second release Sale-a-Bration products. Reverse Words has two negative image words, and the 12 pack of 6″ x 6″ Glimmer Paper is perfect for cardmaking or scrapbook page accents. Some other samples were seen in this post. I used the sample from the Second Release Sale-a-Bration flyer as a jumping off point for this card. If you’re attending one of my events this week, you’ll get a chance to make this card as well! The image is stamped in Bermuda Bay, and then strips of the Glimmer Paper are woven at the edge of the card as an accent. Not only is this an easy way to use glimmer paper, it’s an easy way to build up your card stash! You could make a stack of these cards with different main images for a variety of occasions.
The Sale-a-Bration Glimmer Paper comes in a package of 12 sheets of 6″ x 6″ in 3 colours – Bermuda Bay, Mint Macaron and Sweet Sugarplum, and is available as a free choice with each $60 product order until March 31. Stampin’ Up! also offers packages of two 12″ x 12″ sheets in Dazzling Diamonds, Real Red, Blushing Bride, Gold, and Silver. With so many options, and so many easy ways to use Glimmer Paper, there’s no excuse not to add a little glitter to your projects! If you need to build up your supply of shiny objects, head to the YamStamps Online Stampin’ Up! Canada store to stock up!
So what’s your preference – glimmer paper or glitter?(HINT – I’m going to be randomly rewarding people for “class participation”….aka commenting on the YamStamps Blog Posts….).
Happy Sale-a-Bration Second Release Day! Stampin’ Up! has some new freebies for you until the end of March with each $60 merchandise order! You can download the flyer here. My personal favourites are seen in the samples above from the flyer. I love the Reverse Words stamp set (item 143316 wood or 143319 clear), and of course, the Glimmer Paper (item 143831)! You get 12 sheets – 4 of 3 different colours, in 6″ x 6″ sheets. Bermuda Bay, Mint Macaron and Sweet Sugarplum – they coordinate with a number of suites (coordinating products) from the Occasions Catalogue (Cupcakes & Carousels, Falling in Love and Succulent Garden) – but for me, they also scream “SPRING” and “EASTER”.
Don’t you agree? I need to build up my stash of these…and I’m sure they’re going to be very popular! Don’t forget that Sale-a-Bration only runs until March 31st, so now is the time to grab your freebies while you can. Purchase the starter kit (more info here), and on top of everything ($165 product of your choice for $135, business supplies and a Paper Pumpkin kit) – you get an additional TWO stamp sets of your choice for free! Just FYI…when you go to the YamStamps Online Stampin’ Up! Canada store, did you know that you can select “Stamps” and the format of your choice (wood mount, clear mount or photopolymer), and then sort by “> price” ? That way….you can get the most bang for your buck!!
So far, the most popular item during Sale-a-Bration has been the “Hey Chick” set (item 143328 wood or 143331 clear). I used that for my Year of The Rooster card…I kind of cheated I think, and turned a chicken into a rooster by adding the little red “beard”. (Can you tell I don’t own chickens? Unlike some of my friends who proudly show off their egg hauls!). The original Sale-a-Bration catalogue is here.
There is still some space in the March Monthly Card Class if you want to get out to do some crafting and grab a free Sale-a-Bration item with your $60 product order (that’s multi-tasking that I can handle!). Please contact me to register, or if you have any questions. Otherwise – see you in class soon!
If you’re in Ontario – Happy Family Day! If you’re not – Happy Monday! On this Family Day, I find myself reflecting on family….and trying to keep a work – life balance (if there is such a thing!).
That’s me and my son in 2002 – when we were living in British Columbia. This is about the time when I started with Stampin’ Up! Canada as a demonstrator. The company was expanding into Canada from the US and I jumped on board. Crafting gave me a creative outlet and helped me carve out some me time to get some life balance. At the time, I lived in an area where I had to take a ferry to get to Vancouver (and area), and we had no craft store locally. It wasn’t unusual for me to spend a day to travel into the city, drive to a stamp store or craft store (plus hit the big box stores and maybe a mall LOL), then turn around and head home again (usually with toddler in tow, so it wasn’t always the most efficient trip either haha). This would happen maybe once a month at the most? (My memory grows foggy). Anyway. I realized that signing up to be a demonstrator would be the easy way to get my own paper crafting supplies delivered right to my door! The other bonus was that it gave me an opportunity to socialize with other adults. While I did enjoy being the parent of a young child, there’s only so much conversation you can have with a toddler…so this definitely came at the right point in my life! I often do card classes with moms who are enjoying a chance to get together with their friends and have some “me” time, so I know I was not an anomaly!
Fast forward a few years….LOL. I continued with my Stampin’ Up! business, which survived a cross country move (back to Ontario to be closer to my extended family), and managed to grow my business while keeping a “regular day job” in health care as well. Around 2014 I was getting burned out with my day job, though. My job was flexible, but I was finding that the flexible component often had to be me! Demands were growing higher, as was my caseload, despite my efforts to set limits. This, on top of parenting was a lot to manage, and life balance was definitely out of whack! So I made the decision to reduce my day job hours – officially becoming a part time employee. This allowed me to continue with client care, but gave me the opportunity to enforce some boundaries so that I would not get so burned out again. My Stampin’ Up! business was able to fill some of the income gap, while continuing to give me a much needed creative outlet and socialization (at this time, I was the parent of a young teenager, and once again, conversation with a teen boy can be limited…)!
These days, I enjoy that I can change my schedule to choose to spend time with my teen, as I am realizing that he’s not going to be in the family home for much longer! (selfie photo is from a family trip to England a few years ago). My Stampin’ Up! job is flexible, but I’m the boss, so I’m in control of the schedule and workload!
I am going to spend this Family Day enjoying a little down time and hanging out with my teen (well, as much as he’ll let me haha!). Maybe I’ll also get a little crafting in there as well….we’ll see what the boss says….!
I love Stampin’ Up! Canada’s Lift Me Up stamp set & the coordinating Up & Away Thinlits Dies for easy handmade cards! The set is available in clear mount or wood mount, as well as a clear mount bundle or wood mount bundle with the dies at a discounted price. Hot air balloons are great images for all purpose cards, masculine cards, and all age ranges. The coordination of the stamp set and die always makes it easy to produce great images for the cardfront. I particularly love the irregular long cloud and the intricate hot air balloon dies in this set. For this card, the background is simply sponged with Marina Mist ink, and then the die cut balloons and clouds are adhered in place. During Sale-a-Bration (until March 31) there’s a coordinating Designer Series Paper availble for free with each $60 merchandise order as well – lots of coordinating images to go with the hot air balloon theme! (talk about making handmade cards even easier!). I did use this bundle and the Carried Away free Designer Series Paper (item 143608) for one of the projects in the Clever Cards Online Class. I couldn’t resist! When you spend a bit more time on the construction of the card itself, anything you can do to make the rest faster is always good, in my books.
It’s Family Day weekend in Ontario, so I hope that you are able to enjoy some time with your family – whether they be relations by genetics or by choice! I have a teenaged boy at home, so here’s hoping we get a few moments together at some point or another….LOL. It’s unusually warm out there too, which was a nice change when I was out for my early morning run today – not quite as many layer required (and not as much mental convincing to get out the door, to be truthful too!).
In any case, I’m also going to take advantage of a little extra down time to get caught up on some handmade cards! I’m owing a few thank you for your order cards….so if you’ve placed an order with me in the last while, you can definitely count on some “happy mail” in the next while. If you are needing to build up your stash of cards on hand, and are close to Burlington ON, join the Monthly Card Class – next one is Wednesday, March 1 at 1pm or 7pm. Cost is $20 and includes all supplies required to create 4 different cards using a variety of supplies and techniques Registration and payment required in advance. Can’t make that time? Get a group of friends together, and I’ll come to you! (well, within driving distance of Burlington…LOL). Not local to Burlington? Grab an Online Class and do some crafting when you have the time! No excuses not to get a little crafty soon!
Happy Valentine’s Day! I hope that you are able to spend time with those you love, and/or spend time doing something you love! My gift to you is a video of Valentine’s Day crafts! I thought I’d share one of the videos from my appearance on Halton Insider last week. I was fortunate to be invited to TV Cogeco to film some segments to air! I managed to load a few of the appearances on the YamStamps YouTube channel, so you can catch them there, but I thought I’d share one here on the YamStamps blog as well. (If you can’t see the video below, click on the link to go to YouTube to see them).
In this segment, I show a couple of really quick and easy paper crafting decorations you can make – fun for adults or children! You don’t need fancy equipment to make these decorations (though it does make it more fun…haha). You could whip up a few of these right now and still have lots of time to enjoy them!
So you’ll need something to cut the paper with, something to attach the paper with (tape, stapler) and something to hang the decoration – ribbon, string, twine….. You could make them fancier by using different papers, by decorating the papers – stamp on them, colour them, draw on them, emboss them…. I love that you can totally customise these Valentine’s Day crafts to your taste!
(Warning, shameless plug coming up) The same concept goes for the projects in the Clever Cards Online Class! You will learn the concepts of how to make some tricky looking cards (which actually aren’t all that tricky to make once you know how!) and then you can decorate them to your personal taste (or the taste of the recipient) once you have the basics. You may be able to pick up that I tend to go for the more clean and simple look, but you can definitely make more complex and complicated looks if that’s what you’re going for!
Thanks again for reading the YamStamps blog. I feel quite lucky that I am able to spend time doing something I love, and being able to share it with others! Happy Valentine’s Day! Now go make some “love”ly cards and decorations!
