Jul 31, 2014 | cards, rubber stamping, Stampin' Up!
Now I know that Stampin’ Up!’s great Designer Series Papers are on sale right now (Buy 3 Get 1 Free) but there’s always another option when you have stamps, ink and cardstock! Create your own patterned paper with these essential tools. Here’s another card using the Flower Patch stamp set and Flower Fair framelits. I used the smaller stamps in the set to create the patterned paper featured in the left hand panel. One of the secrets to getting good placement with random stamping is roughly creating a visual triangle with one image/colour, and for me, making sure I don’t crowd the images too closely together. You can kind of see that in the panel?! The great thing about this stamp set is that it’s photopolymer – so you can see through to exactly where you’re stamping. They stick to the clear blocks like nobody’s business as well! The slight drawback? Make sure your pad is clean (no fuzzies etc on it) – because the stamps will pick that up. That, and I find them slightly stinky when brand new (of course, that doesn’t last too long!) For this card, I used oval framelits to cut out the main sentiment and added more flowers for colour and accent.
Jul 29, 2014 | specials, Stampin' Up!
Is it just me, or is this summer flying by? We’ve already received school information for September (eek!) and then there’s this small matter of moving a household (albeit not too far away) that needs to happen in the next few weeks… The August Card Class will be in my usual location in Burlington, but if all goes according to plan, August Stampers Club will be in our new locale up the street. All this is subject to change, of course!!
In the meantime – here are this week’s deals. I love the Gift Bow Bigz die (and it’s great for the holiday season – speaking of time flying by LOL) and Gold Washi Tape. Happy shopping – the link beside each item will show you it in the YamStamps Online Stampin’ Up! Canada store (or see all the Weekly Deals via this link) – if you need assistance placing your order, please feel free to contact me.
Jul 22, 2014 | specials, Stampin' Up!
Here’s this week’s deals from Stampin’ Up! My favourite item in this batch is the Curly Label Punch – it’s great for images or sentiments, and of course, coordinates with other Stampin’ Up! product – like the Four Frames set. Click on each item name to see it in the YamStamps Stampin’ Up! Canada online store, or click here to see all the items at once. If you need assistance placing your order, please contact me!
Jul 21, 2014 | 3D samples, cards, Stampin' Up!
So last week was busy visiting with friends and picking up some fun tips and tricks for my Stampin’ Up! business at the Stampin’ Up! 2014 Convention Inspire, Create, Share. I will post more photos in the next while as I’m able. I thought I was so good, uploading photos to my site that I could then whip up a blog post while on the road. HOWEVER…I have learned that I should have just done the whole blog post ahead of time, as the display on my laptop died while I was in Salt Lake City – mid post! I’m taking it to the computer doctor later to see if anything can be done. SO – now I’m home again, and can finish this post for you!
This is a card in a box that I created as a potential project for the Scrapbook & Cards Today blog – featuring the Flower Patch photopolymer set and Flower Fair Framelits (also available as a bundle). This one also uses the Lullaby Designer Series Paper, which is included in this month’s Buy 3 Get 1 Free deal! This project took a little more time than some of my other usual projects – I like quick and easy but impressive…but in truth, this actually wasn’t too awful – because of the coordinating stamp set and framelits. This card comes folded flat and fits in a regular A4 envelope for mailing, but once the recipient opens the envelope, they can turn it into this 3D version!! The construction of this card is not as complicated as it might seem – let me know if you’re interested in instructions or a class and I can see what I can do. In the meantime, I’m off to finish prep for tonight’s Stampers Club. Oh, and unpack my suitcase. Oh, and start some laundry. Oh……LOL!!
(PS And part two of “Why does technology hate me?” means that my internet connection was lost just as I went to publish this post. Never mind, it’s back now, and here’s the post!!)
Jul 15, 2014 | specials, Stampin' Up!
Here are this week’s deals. I’m most excited about the metallic clothespins – they’re so cute! Please click on each item to see it in the online store, or go here to see all the deals at once. If you need any assistance placing your order, please feel free to contact me!
Jul 13, 2014 | cards, Stampin' Up!
As promised, here’s one of the projects that I created using the Flower Patch stamp set and coordinating Flower Fair Framelits Dies. (These items are also available in a bundle to save a bit of money!) You may know that I typically don’t do a lot of fussy cutting – though occasionally I have been known to pull out my paper snips and spend some time doing so. This card does have a bit of cutting, but it’s not too fussy as it’s pretty straight forward….I simply cut along the white border of each “layer” of the large flower. I used Eggplant Envy and Wisteria Wonder, using first and second generation images. First generation is the first image stamped after inking the stamp; second generation is the second image you stamp without re-inking the stamp between. It’s a way to get a lighter tone of the same shade. After stamping a bunch of images, I cut out layers and then used Stampin’ Dimensionals to stack them up, rotating them to add even more dimension. This is a card that you’d hand to someone in person (so you don’t have to pay oodles in extra postage costs, or worry that it’s been squished down in transit). If you were to mail this card, you could simply stack the layers and use SNAIL vs. the dimensionals.
I’ll share other projects that I created with this set over the next while. I’m excited for Stampin’ Up!’s Annual Convention and looking forward to lots of creative inspiration (plus hanging out with friends from across North America and lots of good eats LOL). The first day I’m back to work is July Stamp Club, so you can be sure I’ll have lots of info to share. Check out the YamStamps Events page for other upcoming classes and events. I’m also excited to share that my house sale has been finalized so now I can focus on increasing my in person and online offerings (well, once I finish packing, moving and unpacking….but that shouldn’t take up too much time, right??!!!) (I can hear you laughing from here, you know!)
Jul 8, 2014 | specials, Stampin' Up!
Here are this week’s deals from Stampin’ Up! So hard to pick my fave this week…but I think it might be the metallic ribbon. Think I will stock up on that and the gold vellum…. Click on each item’s name to be taken to it in the YamStamps online Stampin’ Up! Canada store. If you need help placing your order, please contact me…and don’t get distracted by the shiny objects at the beginning of this week’s list! LOL.
Jul 5, 2014 | cards, Stampin' Up!
I was asked to create some projects using the Flower Patch set and Flower Fair Framelits Dies for the Scrapbook & Cards Today Magazine Blog – what an honour (and what pressure! LOL). I did manage to come up with a few things… as did a fellow very creative demonstrator – so check it out! I have some other projects that I can share with you next week, so please come back to YamStamps to see them.
In the meantime…here’s a card based on the design of one of the published cards…
using the Mixed Bunch stamp set and coordinating punch. Fun and easy – and you know I’m all over that concept. I love the bright colours!
Jul 4, 2014 | cards
I love how easy it is to look artistic with the brush stroke images in Stampin’ Up!’s Work of Art stamp set. This Thank You card came together quickly and uses some of the new 2014-2016 In Colours. While I do like Stampin’ Up!’s Clear Mount and love the Photopolymer Stamps, there’s something about a wood mount stamp that I still tend to gravitate towards. Maybe it’s the way I create (messily…LOL) or the fact that I’m a bit of a visual person (I need to see things to figure out how I can use them), but the majority of my stamps are still wood mount. That being said, the Work of Art stamp set is like a tricky puzzle to fit back into the case!!!!! So for your viewing reference, I direct you to my Instagram account, where I’ve posted an image of the set in the case. I like to say it’s for YOUR benefit, but really, it’s all about me. I knew that once I got it in there, I would have to take a photo so I would remember.
Happy Fourth of July to my American family and friends! I love how the first week of July is preoccupied by patriotic holidays here in North America, and of course, in our household, today is more fondly known as my son’s birthday – so HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my _favourite_ son. (I only have one, but I think that’s beside the point). 
This time last year was spent marching in two different parades in the US as part of the Burlington Teen Tour Band – this year, it’s a day of relaxation. Hope you have a good day!!
Jul 1, 2014 | Announcements, specials, Stampin' Up!
Happy Canada Day! I hope that you are able to spend some time with family and friends and enjoy a day off. Fingers crossed that the weather holds here in Burlington so that the waterfront celebrations can be enjoyed by many…looking forward to watching the Burlington Teen Tour Band perform!!
There are many new and upcoming things in the YamStamps and Stampin’ Up! world…and my newsletter will go out TOMORROW rather than today so that it doesn’t get lost in the mix of barbeques and relaxation.
In the meantime, here’s this weeks Stampin’ Up! Weekly Deals
As always, click on the link of each item to see it directly in the YamStamps Stampin’ Up! Canada online store, or contact me if you need assistance placing your order.
