Jun 26, 2013 | cards, rubber stamping
Stampin’ Up!’s Grab Your Greetings Special is on until the end of this month – just a few more days to get 25% off 3 different greeting sets! If you’re looking to get more bang for your buck, a multiple occasion greeting set is the way to go – you can use it with a variety of images to get the appropriate card for the occasion. In this case, I used the Creative Elements set for the background flourish, and used the Petite Pairs set to make it a sympathy card. You could use a different sentiment and turn it into an elegant birthday, thinking of you or wedding card! The Petite Pairs features pairs (I know, duh…LOL) of sentiments that can be used on the outside and inside of cards – in this case, the inside sentiment is “to heal your heart”
We created this card at the last Stampers Club get together. This month’s hostess needed a sympathy card so I was sure to include that in the mix. We are a growing group – we welcomed two new members this month! If you would like to budget out your crafting dollars and have fun while doing so, Stampers Club is the way to go! Each member has a 6 month (consecutive) commitment to the group, but you can start in whichever month suits you. In this case, one member started because her work/life schedule opens up a bit at this time of year, and another member just found us! We usually get together on the 3rd Monday of each month, but in July we’ll be getting together on the 22nd (the 4th Monday) instead. Please contact me if you’re interested in joining us.
Jan 27, 2013 | Big Shot, cards, rubber stamping, Sale-A-Bration
Today is my Super Sunday for January – I have back to back in home classes scheduled! Fingers crossed I remember everything and that we stay on schedule 🙂 Both hostesses today were silent auction winners. I often donate baskets of stamping supplies and certificates for free classes to local organizations – in this case, my church and my son's school. It's a great way to help raise funds and to expose more people to the fun of Stampin' Up! parties!
In the meantime, I thought I'd share this card that we did at Stampers Club. Simple but fun folds always make cards more interesting, in my opinion. I love how the Cloudy Day Embossing Folder ties in with this boot and sentiment from Bootiful Occasions…and I will truly miss all things Pool Party when that colour retires at the end of May this year (it's one of the 2011 – 2013 In Colours).
We created the "sun" from Daffodil Delight cardstock and roughed up the edges with the Stampin' Distress Tool. A bit of the Sale-a-Bration Sycamore Street Ribbon (ribbon & bundle pack can be selected for free with each $60 merchandise order!) adds a final touch.
Whatever you are doing today, I hope that you have a Super Sunday today too!!
Jan 23, 2013 | Announcements, Big Shot, cards, rubber stamping, Sale-A-Bration
This is a fun card within a card that we did at Stampers Club the other evening that features some of the yummy new Sale-a-Bration free product.
The background is Rich Razzleberry cardstock embossed with the Tulip Frame Folder in the Big Shot.
We created our own mini envelope with the Sycamore Street Designer Series Paper (SAB) and the Diagonal Scoring Plate (SAB) in the Simply Scored Scoring Tool. It perfectly fits the 3" x 3" card with the birthday image from Patterned Occasions (SAB) and I chose to top the candle with a rhinestone. The mini card could be used on its own, or as in the example above, adhered to a card-sized piece of cardstock.
If you would like to see more examples using Sale-a-Bration product, please sign up for my newsletters! (click on the link or visit www.yamstamps.com if you're reading this in a reader or on the yamstamps app and sign up there!) The first Sale-a-Bration project newesletter will be going out TODAY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23rd at 1pm Eastern Time so please sign up before then to ensure you get all of the Sale-a-Bration project emails! Much like my 12 Weeks of Christmas mailings featured Christmas projects, the Sale-a-Bration emails will feature Sale-a-Bration projects! Of course, I'll also have more ideas here, but the Sale-A-Bration email projects will be exclusive to my subscribers. Don't miss out!!
Jan 19, 2013 | cards, rubber stamping
I don't know about you, but sometimes I get overwhelmed thinking about all the things on my "to do" list. These past few days have been like that, but I'm slowly getting myself organized and knocking things off that long list of tasks. As unorganized as I feel sometimes, I have to admit that I'm a bit of an organizing how-to junkie…I love watching all those organizing/decluttering shows, reading the books and checking out the magazine articles (the last two don't always help me in my quest to declutter…but I digress).
Anyway – love this hostess set from Stampin' Up! I tend to prefer wood mount stamps because in my world, I often misplace clear mount stamps. (see complaint about disorganization above). I will find I need a clear mount block, rip off the clear mount stamp, put it down "somewhere safe" and then it gets buried under the mess that I make while creating. HOWEVER I have discovered that clear mount stamps are a joy when you want to combine words into a phrase – like on this card. If you have this set, you will know that the "Keep Calm and" is one stamp, and then you have various options for the final portion of the phrase (plus the little image at the top). The focal image on this card is actually 3 stamps. If you have the set in clear mount, you can grab the extra large block (ripping off whatever clear mount stamp you previously had on it, and putting it aside somewhere safe…ahem…), and then mount the ENTIRE phrase on one block. Love love love this.
In the meantime, I am dedicating a good portion of this weekend to get my office sorted out. I always feel better once I have a bit of control over the chaos, even if just for a short while…This will help me get ready to tackle Sale-a-Bration!! I will also be prepping for my special Sale-a-Bration newsletters! If you are on my email newsletter list, you will be receiving weekly emails featuring projects that use Sale-a-Bration items, similar to my 12 Weeks of Christmas mailings, starting this Wednesday! OK back to clearing the decks….
Jan 17, 2013 | Announcements, cards, rubber stamping
As part of Stampin' Up!'s 25-year anniversary celebration, they're releasing 12 special sets – 1 per month, over the upcoming year. These sets will feature some favourite stamp images from the last quarter century plus each set will have a never-before-seen image!
All sets will be available until March 31, 2014. Starting in February there will be a collector’s card and 25-year proof of purchase sticker with every Best of set. Collect six stickers, and send it in to redeem a FREE set of your choice valued up to $17.95! Free sets must be redeemed no later than April 30, 2014.
January's "Best of" set has a birthday theme – what a great way to get organized for your birthday card needs this year! Click here to see the flyer.
The card above was shared with us at Stampin' Up!'s recent Leadership Conference. The swirl in the background is from the Everything Eleanor set. More pictures to share from Leadership as I get sorted through everything!! (oh, plus, did I mention I ran a marathon while I was there?!)
Jan 7, 2013 | cards, rubber stamping, Sale-A-Bration
I love the Noah's Ark theme of this stamp, appropriately named Two by Two. I think a single stamp like this is a great option – I don't need "baby" stamps as often as I used to these days, so I don't feel the need to invest in a whole baby-themed set. A single stamp like this will do me for a number of baby type events…and I can use just the image and not the word as suits me if I just avoid inking up the "congratulations".
This also gave me a chance to sit down and colour a bit! I wanted a bit of control over the colour in this image, so chose to use my Stampin' Write markers and blender pen on watercolour paper. Since the blender pen will blend the ink but not flood the paper, the colour is a bit more precise. I also then have the option of using the markers directly onto the paper, as I did for the portholes.
I did a different fold on the card to add more interest and added some (retired) Designer Series Paper – this is a piece from the Welcome Neighbour package that was available a few Sale-a-Brations ago (for FREE! LOL).It was too cute not to use here!
If you missed out on the Welcome Neighbor Designer Series Paper, don't worry, there's more fun Designer Series Paper coming up this year for Sale-a-Bration! If you didn't already get your copy of the flyer, let me know & I can get one to you so you can plot your course of action – you get one free Sale-a-Bration item for each $60 merchandise order (before shipping/taxes), starting January 22nd. I'm working on some samples for that, and of course, the new Spring Catalogue items….busy busy busy…
