Jun 6, 2018 | cards, Stampin' Up!
Looking for a card to mark a special occasion? Check out this customized Celebration Card! The colours can be changed out to suite the recipient’s colour scheme – whether it be school colours, wedding colours or favourite colours! The main image in this card is from the new Stampin’ Up! set Big Wishes (available in wood mount or clear mount). I used some new In Colours – Pineapple Punch and Lovely Lipstick – because they’re bright and celebratory! The background cardstock is embossed with the Scattered Sequins Embossing Folder, and I added a few paper spirals to tie in with the ticker tape image. (Obviously this card might be better just sitting on top of a gift or being handed to the recipient rather than travelling a distance through the postal system…).
To get the multicoloured look, I inked a portion of a Stampin’ Sponge with the Pineapple Punch ink, and then dabbed it directly onto the rubber of the stamp, randomly. I then used a sponge inked with Lovely Lipstick and dabbed it randomly onto the rubber stamp as well. Once the rubber was coated, I stamped onto the Whisper White cardstock. Easy peasy! Just be sure that if you’re doing multiples of this card, you clean the stamp in between each use. You can use the Stampin’ Scrub with some Stampin’ Mist, or the new kid on the block, the Simply Shammy with some water. That’s how easy it is to make a customized celebration card!
I confess that I also used these colours because they’re pretty close to my son’s high school colours! (see that title, customized celebration card…it’s customized for him!) We are in the final days of his high school years – I can’t believe it! It’s been final concerts, banquets, prom…and now we’re into final projects and exams. Add in the process of completing the university acceptance (picking a residence, creating shopping lists, starting to cough up the money…LOL) and it’s been a bit of a whirlwind! Thank goodness that I am able to escape into the craft room every once in a while, and I have lots of new things to play with from the new catalogue!
Unlike my son and his friends, however, I will still be having classes over the summer! Monthly card classes will continue in July and August, though please note that the July class will be the SECOND Wednesday of the month, not the first Wednesday. Stampers Club will also continue on the 3rd Monday of each month, and new members are welcome to start at any time. You can find other dates on the YamStamps Events Page. I’m thinking I may have more time on my schedule to have a few more classes come autumn, when my son is away at university?!! (Contact me to book dates so I don’t get too socially isolated come the fall….please….LOL).
May 25, 2018 | cards, Stampin' Up!
During May, Stampin’ Up! is offering three special bundles featuring the new Share What You Love Product Suite. This card uses the “Gotta Have it All” Bundle – which contains (amongst other products) the fantastic Share What You Love Specialty Designer Series Paper. The cardstock is the returning favourite, Mint Macaron – one of the colours in the Share What You Love Cardstock pack, in coordinating colours with the Designer Series Paper. The ends of the Designer Series Paper strips are shaped with the Banner Triple Punch, and the sentiment (from the Love What You Do stamp set) is mounted onto the larger tag from the Share What You Love Embellishment Kit.
These products will be available individually as of June 1st, but the bundles (with bonus items included) will only be available until the end of May. Also ending at the end of the month – the 2017-2018 Annual Catalogue! June 1st means a new catalogue year! Don’t forget that Saturday June 2nd is the YamStamps New Catalogue Open House and Retired Product Sale, so if you’re looking to get a new catalogue, grab some deals and join some upcoming classes, RSVP to get directions and reserve your catalogue!
If you purchase the Gotta Have It All Bundle through me, you’ll automatically receive free access to the Scrapbook in a Box Online Class, which is launching shortly. I’m also offering Class By Mail kits – so watch for that post in the next little while! In the meantime, if you need assistance placing an order, or have any questions, feel free to contact me!
May 16, 2018 | cards, Stampin' Up!
No Layer Notecard for the win! When you need a quick card, go for the clean and simple style. This one features the Love What You Do photopolymer stamp set, coming in the 2018-2019 Stampin’ Up! Annual Catalogue – and currently available in all three of the Share What You Love Bundle options, available exclusively during May.
This stamp set has a great combination of outline images, sentiments and watercolour wash effects. For this card, the smaller wash shape was used to fill in the colour for the outline flowers. This notecard also features one of the new In Colours, Grapefruit Grove. I think that the clean and simple no layer notecard is perfect for a thank you card – because it’s good to get those cards done and mailed! (I say this in part to coach myself….because I always feel a little behind in the thank you card department!!).
Stampin’ Up! notecards are available in Whisper White, and will be available in Very Vanilla in the new catalogue (orderable in June). During May, though, they are available exclusively as part of the Just Getting Started or Gotta Have it All Bundles. You have a couple more weeks to take advantage of these specials!
One last note about the notecards…they are slightly smaller than the usual half sheet card, but they ARE within Canada Post mailing standards, so you don’t have to worry that way. Plus, a no layer notecard will not have extra bulk or weight, so you know you won’t have to pay extra postage to get the card to its destination.
I’m busy travelling in and out of Toronto this week, cheering on my son as he plays for the last time in the Nelson High School bands at MusicFest Nationals. It’s always great to see how well everyone rises to the occasion at these adjudicated performances. Hard to believe, though, that these will be his last few performances since he will be graduating in a month’s time! Where does the time go? Guess I’d better start working on a grad card….
If you need to build up your stash of cards, (grad or otherwise…) consider attending one of the Monthly Card Classes, or join Stampers Club….or if you can’t make those set dates, get a group of friends together and have a private card class! Check the YamStamps Events Page or contact me for more information/to book a date! And yes, there’s Summer School for Stampers – we run 12 months a year!!
May 9, 2018 | cards, Stampin' Up!
Handmade Cards Made Easy! There is nothing better than getting a handmade card – this one is from Sara Douglass, the CEO of Stampin’ Up! She sent this card to me (and other Events Council Members) to thank us for our work. Honestly, it was hardly like work – it was so much fun being part of the Stampin’ Up! Events Council, giving input and feedback on Demonstrator Events, and being able to present to fellow demonstrators at those events. This card reminded me how nice it is to receive something handmade in the mail. I shared this card on social media last week (I think), but realized I didn’t post it here. What I also realized, as I was tidying up my Craft Room (a never ending task, it seems….), is that this is a previous Paper Pumpkin kit card!
Paper Pumpkin is the monthly subscription crafting kit from Stampin’ Up! Each month subscribers receive a box that contains a photopolymer stamp set, an ink spot (or something to make a mark – there’s also been kits with watercolour pencils or Stampin’ Write markers), and all the supplies required to create that month’s projects. They are great for taking with you – if you’re going on a getaway, heading to the cottage – you’ve got everything there, and there’s usually enough supplies that you can share the experience with a friend! You get the fun of creating something without having to work too hard…perfect for summertime, downtime or….anytime?!
If you’re interested in trying it out, it’s your last chance to get 50% off your first two months! Click on this link and enter the code SAVEFIFTY0418 – by May 10th. Offer is good for new subscribers who purchase a month-by-month subscription. Paper Pumpkin subscribers can also purchase previous kits/refills if they are available, so if you missed a previous kit, or really loved a past kit, you may have the opportunity to grab more supplies! If you’d like more information about Paper Pumpkin, I have an information/FAQ page here.
Another way to have handmade cards made easy is to attend a class with me! Each month, I have a Card Class where you make four different cards using a variety of stamps, tools and supplies. Your class fee covers ALL the needed supplies (including adhesive) and you will walk away with four completed cards plus envelopes to mail them in. It’s great to have a card on hand to send to a friend, or give on a special occasion.You can see upcoming dates on the YamStamps Events Page. If you can’t make a date, get a group of friends or family together, and contact me to organize a private card class! Hope to see you in a class very soon.
May 3, 2018 | birthday, cards, Retired List, Stampin' Up!
Isn’t this a fun card? This is one of the cards you can make with the Perennial Birthday Project Kit and the Perennial Birthday Stamp Set (available in wood mount or clear mount). The kit will be retiring at the end of the month (or when supplies are exhausted), but the stamp set will be around for another year. This kit makes 4 each of 4 different cards quickly and easily! The most time consuming thing on this card? Might be a tie – poking out the little die cut slats on the background piece….or tying the bow around the strings! haha
This is what the kit itself looks like – the box that holds all the project items then doubles as a card box with dividers so that you can be prepared for upcoming birthdays! If you’re interested in grabbing this kit, you’ll want to place your order sooner rather than later. If you want to complete the cards exactly as shown in the kit, you’ll also want the Dapper Denim, Flirty Flamingo and Old Olive ink pads and the stamp set, though you could easily substitute other ink colours or greeting sets.
Stampin’ Up! is going to do a Colour Revamp with the new catalogue – so we’ll say goodbye to some colours that have been in the catalogue, and make room for some new ones! Plus, there’s a new design to the ink pads – and they’re stackable!
As you can see – there’s some old favourites coming back as core colours – many demonstrators were excited to see Mint Macaron and Blackberry Bliss on the list! And Flirty Flamingo leaves as an In Colour, but comes right back as a Core Colour. There’s also a new “Basics” Group that consists of Basic Black, Very Vanilla and Whisper White.
Last but not least….the In Colours
So while we are sad to see some of our favourites leave, there’s lots to look forward to in the new catalogue! Demonstrators are able to order selected items from the upcoming catalogue this month so we can be prepared to share all sorts of new projects and ideas right away come June 1st! If you can’t wait for June 1st, you can join my demonstrator team NOW and select some of the new catalogue product in your starter kit! Details on being part of my demonstrator group here – or contact me for more information and the new catalogue preorder list! Otherwise – if yu’re local to Burlington ON, June 2nd is my New Catalogue Open House – rsvp to make sure there’s a copy of the catalogue waiting for you!
Apr 25, 2018 | cards, Retired List, Stampin' Up!
This is a quick ombré thank you card – and it’s easy to recreate! The graded shading (ombré) look is created by using a sponge brayer. For this card, the quick part is that the background patterned paper is the Stampin’ Up! Petal Passion Designer Series Paper (“DSP”) – which is a set of black and white patterned papers. I brayered two retiring colours onto this paper – Wisteria Wonder and Pink Pirouette. I started with just the Wisteria Wonder, inking up my brayer by rolling it on the ink pad repeatedly in one direction – roll across the ink pad, lift, then roll again across the ink pad, continuing in the same direction. Inking by rolling back & forth will give you a hard line of colour on your brayer, which will transfer to your project. Then I rolled the brayer on the paper. For this, you can roll back & forth, but you’ll want to change directions when you’re off the paper itself. So, working on scrap paper, start off the paper, roll across right off the other side, then come back across the paper off onto your scrap paper again before changing directions. Hmm. Maybe I’ll post a quick video on the YamStamps Facebook page later today LOL!! Anyway, I rolled the Wisteria Wonder starting at the top of my DSP, continuing down. The colour naturally fades out, and then I reinked my brayer and did the same thing again, starting at the top. When I finished, I wanted the difference in shading to stand out a bit more, so I added some Pirouette Pink, brayering from the bottom upwards. I used a new brayer roller for this to make the colour lighter and more pure (otherwise it would still look mostly purple).
The sentiment from Petal Palette (available in Clear Mount or Wood Mount) is stamped in Tuxedo Black Memento Ink, and I just used the Circle Punches – 1-3/4″, 2″ and 2-1/4″ – because sometimes I don’t feel like hauling out my Big Shot and dies. (Shocking, I know, but true). (OK well, slight exaggeration, since my Big Shot is always out anyway…haha!) Thought I’d add a bit more “wow” by adding some Rhinestone Basic Jewels. Might have gone a bit overboard….I blame the grey, wet day today – I needed some flash to compensate for the dull weather! So – tada – my quick ombré thank you card. Honestly, I think it took more time to write this blog post than it did to actually make this card! I’m still doing a bit of catch up on Thank You cards – so I think this might be my Thank You for March orders….if you ordered from me during March, you’ll have to find out if this is the design I end up using or not!!
If you want to recreate this quick ombré thank you card yourself, you’ll want to place your order for supplies sooner rather than later, since some of the items are on the retiring list. While retiring stamp sets have guaranteed availability until May 25th, individual ink pads and refills are only guaranteed until May 7th. Ink Pad Collections and everything else are “while supplies last” only. You can shop online 24/7 in the YamStamps Stampin’ Up! Canada store, which is the recommended way to go during the Retiring LIst season – you can enter it when you’re ready and you’ll know right away if everything you want is still available or not. If you live in Quebec or would like assistance placing your order, you can always email me directly. I’ll do my best to help you as quickly as I can – though extra steps always mean a bit of time, and a bigger risk that items will be sold out if you’re waiting until the last minute to grab retiring product.
Last reminders – if you’d like a copy of the upcoming Stampin’ Up! Canada Annual Catalogue, please complete this form and I’ll be in touch to organize getting you one. Tomorrow brings the last North American Events Council Member Blog Hop, sharing our class project ideas using the upcoming Share What You Love Product suite, so please come back to the YamStamps Blog to check it out!
