Oct 30, 2014 | cards, Seasonal Catalogue, Stampin' Up!
Well, yes, I know it’s been fall for a while, but today is a bright colourful day in our neck of the woods and I’m going to enjoy it while I can….because there’s a nasty rumour floating around that we can expect SNOW tomorrow (that’s right, in time for the Trick or Treaters). I do recall the days of making sure that the Hallowe’en costume could fit over warm clothing…
For this autumn card, I used the “For All Things” stamp set from the Holiday Catalogue and did a “stamping only” card. I stamped a strip randomly with the oak leaf, then attached it onto the border of the card, and wrapped it around the fold so there’s a bit on the back as well. Used the same colours for the main image and sentiment and a quick card is done!
This “fall” card is also a reminder that we “Fall Back” this weekend (yay!) – turn back your clocks on Saturday night! I for one am thrilled to be deceiving myself that I am getting an extra hour of rest. Never mind the fact that we give it back in the spring. Whatever. You’ll also want to check back on Saturday to see what I have to share that day….(oh the suspense…)
Oct 28, 2014 | specials, Stampin' Up!
The latest group of Stampin’ Up! Canada deals is here! My fave this week is definitely the word bubbles framelits which coordinate with the Just Sayin’ stamp set. I love when things coordinate and I don’t have to think too hard!! I also think I am one of the few people who doesn’t yet own the dotted scallop ribbon border punch, so may have to add that into my order this week…
A heads up as well – Stampin’ Up! has let us know that there’s a dock workers strike on the west coast affecting the supply of some holiday framelit favourites – the wreath framelit, curvy keepsakes box and tree punch. These are on backorder right now (since they can’t get to their supply…) so hopefully this gets resolved soon!
Oct 26, 2014 | cards, Stampin' Up!
Often during my classes, people will ask me where I get the ideas for the cards we make. Usually, I enjoy coming up with card ideas on my own, but they can also be copies or versions of cards I’ve received or seen! In this case, we did this fun card at club earlier in the month. It uses the Stampin’ Up! sets Work of Art for the sentiment, and Gorgeous Grunge for the splatter. I love how the bright colours in the splatter make it less grungy and more artistic…
and the original is this card that I received from my friend, Lydia Fiedler. She is such a fantastic, creative person and really has the whole white space thing down.
In all honesty, I would have done the card even more like hers….but I felt that I stamped the splatter too low on the Whisper White cardstock for the layout I had planned (with the extra layer of Tempting Turquoise behind the main image portion). OK there you go, you thought there was some science to it, but no. This is me, remember?!!
If you’d like to pick up some card inspiration that you can use as a jumping off point for your own cards, please consider classes with me! You can attend my monthly classes (first Wednesday of each month) (register via email), host one of your own with friends, or take an online class!
Oct 24, 2014 | cards, Seasonal Catalogue, Stampin' Up!
I’m sharing this elegant shaker card that we made during our Stampin’ Up! Canada Fall Conference a couple of weekends ago. Never mind that the stamping may not be perfect…but as we say during Card Class – it’s my prototype, and now I know how to do this card and I can recreate it easily in future. (I’m also realizing that I will have to switch my photo locations in the next while I guess, since the weather continues to get cooler, wetter and will soon be quite white – as the card indicates…) This is the Happy Winter stamp from the Holiday Catalogue, and we were all thrilled to receive it at the event! We also used the Lucky Stars Embossing Folder to add texture to the front piece . The shaker portion of the card is made using a cellophane bag and some of the Frosted Sequins.
While we’re thinking ahead – did you know that I offer gift certificates? You can purchase them in whatever denomination you like – perfect for gift giving options at the holidays or at any time of year! These certificates can be used for product purchases OR class fees – and I offer classes in person or online! If you’d like more information, please be sure to contact me. And last but not least, don’t forget that registration for November’s Card Class will be closing shortly – so if you want to come and make some fun cards, please register ASAP!
Oct 23, 2014 | cards, Seasonal Catalogue, Stampin' Up!
I thought this was an especially appropriate card to share with you today, given the pretty horrible week we’ve experienced so far in Canada – with two of our armed forces personnel fatally wounded in our own country in two different incidents. For myself, it’s been a sad and sobering reminder that I need to not take things for granted, and that we do need to let those we care about know that we are thinking of them and appreciate them, not just at happy or sad occasions.
One of the fun things we do as demonstrators is swap cards. Often, this is done in person at Stampin’ Up! events, but recently a group of friends and I have started doing this by mail. This was last month’s card from Liz Holloway. She used the Four Feathers stamp set and framelits (available as a bundle) from the Holiday catalogue. I love the soft colours in this one! The framelits make it easy to cut out your stamped images, even on vellum, as shown here. I look forward to sharing more swap cards with you here in the next while!
A reminder that my next monthly card class is in 2 weeks – Wednesday November 5th. We will be making four different cards using a variety of techniques – please register in advance by contacting me!
Oct 21, 2014 | Seasonal Catalogue, specials, Stampin' Up!
Mailing list members, watch for an email today to see the new Stampin’ Up! Holiday Supplement (you can check out the items in the online store HERE). A few new holiday themed items in plenty of time for your creations. As well, you’ll be able to see the Hello December Project Life by Stampin’ Up! Cards and Accessory Pack that you can select as part of your Project Life kit for class on Wednesday, November 5th – but you must register by TOMORROW to avoid additional fees!
In the meantime, here’s a fresh batch of Weekly Deals for you! How cute is the Little Buddies set?! It might end up on my purchase list…I know that the Soft Sky ribbon will for sure; and I know a few sailors that will be jumping on the Setting Sail set! Please click on the name of each item to see it in the online store, or see the entire batch of weekly deals at once here. If you need assistance placing an order or have questions, please feel free to contact me. **I do have an order going in today/tomorrow if you’re in the Burlington area and want to take advantage of 10% shipping costs contact me ASAP!!!** You’ll need to be able to pick up your items but you’ll probably save a little bit on the shipping costs (shipping is normally 10% or $9.95 whichever is higher, so the workshop/party/class orders qualify for 10% because they’re all submitted at the same time). Happy Shopping!
Oct 16, 2014 | cards, Seasonal Catalogue, Stampin' Up!
I love how fast and easy this card was! It uses Stampin’ Up!’s Motley Monsters Designer Series Paper (once again), combined with the Ghoulish Greetings stamp set. I did add a couple of bats from the Freaky Friends set that coordinates with the DSP but thought I’d let the images on the paper be the main focus. Why work harder than you need to??!! Adding some Basic Black ink around the edges of the paper and cardstock gives a less pristine look to the card. I don’t usually send out a lot of Hallowe’en cards, but using the DSP makes it easy to come up with a few creations…and as I showed you the other day, there are “non-Hallowe’en” uses for this DSP as well!! (I guess that should have been a Frugal Friday tip??)
Tonight is the scheduled night for the Hallowe’en Wreath Class. If you didn’t register in time for this class, but still want to make a wreath, I have a couple of extra kits, so please contact me if you’d like to purchase one! Stampin’ Up! demonstrators don’t do cash & carry (we don’t carry stock) but we can for certain items – adhesives and kits most notably, so the wreath falls into this category! So if you need a wreath kit NOW (in time to make it for Hallowe’en) – contact me 🙂
Oct 14, 2014 | specials, Stampin' Up!
but I’ll shave it for later… Bwahahaha! One thing on my list this week? The fun mustache die! I can see it being used to create a photo prop, not to mention how it coordinates with some fun stamp sets like Santa Stache and Well Worded. I think it’s up higher on my list because I’ve already got the Perfect Print and Floral Frames dies!!
As always, see all the deals at once in the YamStamps Stampin’ Up! Canada online store, shop 24/7 and have your order shipped directly to you! If you need assistance, have questions, or are local to Burlington and able to pick up your order once it arrives, you can contact me. Happy Shopping!
Oct 12, 2014 | cards, Seasonal Catalogue, Stampin' Up!
Happy Thanksgiving! It’s a gorgeous autumn day here and I started the day by going for a short run with friends, now I’m home ready to get cooking and baking for tonight’s dinner…and tomorrow I’m heading to Kitchener at the “crack of cranky” – bright and early to chaperone for the Burlington Teen Tour Band as they march in the Oktoberfest Parade. So a busy weekend – but popping in to share this card with you all.
The Designer Series Paper strip is actually from Motley Monsters, which has a Hallowe’en theme. This page has a cute parade of monsters across the bottom…but I trimmed them off to save for another use, and used the gradient of falling leaves on this card. The sentiment is from Stampin’ Up!’s For All Things set, the background textured paper is from the Watercolour Wonder Simply Created Card kit, and the wooden heart is from the Wooden Embellishments package. So this gratitude card is an amalgamation of bits and pieces from all over the Stampin’ Up! product world! I pulled the colours in the card directly from the DSP – thankfully, Stampin’ Up! is now printing all the colours used on the backing cardstock in the package, so I don’t have to look it up in the catalogue each time. In this case, I used Tangerine Tango and Sahara Sand.
I am grateful for the many blessings in my life – hope that you have a chance to reflect upon your gratitudes (even if you’re not celebrating Thanksgiving today!). I am thankful that you stop by my corner of cyberspace to see what’s up!
Oct 9, 2014 | cards, Stampin' Up!
My taste in cards tends to run toward the clean and simple end of things – at least when I’m MAKING them! LOL I do appreciate the over the top works of artistry, but for me, I often end up at the other end of the spectrum. Here’s a perfect example…
This was a sample for the Blendabilities Class I held a while back – I wanted the image and colouring to be the focus of the card – hence a simple backdrop without a lot of distractions. I love how the Blendabilities…blend! No streaky lines, lots of colour coordination… Don’t get me wrong, I also love my Copics – but Stampin’ Up! Blendabilities come in sets of 3 – light, medium and dark tones of the same colour, so I don’t have to think about what markers might blend together well. *phew* This Vivid Vases image did take a little longer to colour because of the number of vases and flowers…but colouring can be very zen and relaxing. I did a bit of a “cheat” on these images – the highlight on the vase (you can see this quite well on the second vase from the left) was created after the fact by using the Colour Lifter, which just pushes some of the colour out of the way to create that little highlight.
If you missed out on the first Blendabilities Class, have no fear – I am going to offer more classes! The next one is scheduled for November 12th – and this time I will be specifying which markers will be included in the class price. If you already have these markers, you can substitute other colours on your wish list, and then just bring the specific Blendabilities with you to class that night. There’s always more to learn and practice time is important!! Sign ups will start end of the week, and I’ll post more information at that time.
LAST but not least – there’s still a couple of spots available for both the Hallowe’en Wreath Class AND the FREE Paper Pumpkin Introduction Class October 16th – so contact me to register ASAP!!
