Stamp Journey

Happy St. Patrick's Day, Y'all!

With a name like Kathleen Shannon I couldn't let St. Patrick's Day slip by without posting a project!

 

Although this card was created in My Digital Studio, you could easily construct it in the traditional manner with Stampin' Up! supplies.

Stamps
Best Wishes & More, #111602
Holiday Blitz, #115364
Simple Friendship, #113397

Paper
Textured Basic Black card stock, #108693
Glorious Green card stock, #101697
Certainly Celery card stock, #105125
Apricot Appeal card stock, #105124 111602

Ink
Basic Black
Glorious Green
Certainly Celery
Apricot Appeal

Accessories
Full Heart punch, #113693
Small Oval punch, #107304
Large Oval punch, #107305
Modern Label punch, 116630
Black brads from Vintage collection, #109109
Dimensionals (or Drop Shadow effect), #104430

One of the real "tricks" in using My Digital Studio is drop shadows. Shadows give elements dimension, lifting them off the page...a digital substitute for Stampin' Dimensionals.

See the shadow under the shamrock? And the oval label...even the words!

Want to learn more tips for digital crafting? Sign up for my FREE newsletter at the top left of this page. You'll enjoy techniques, samples, tutorials and more in the Stamp Journey newsletter, delivered right to your emailbox.

Éirinn go brách!

Punchy Over Punches

Stammpin' Up!'s new line of punches are easy to store, easy to transport and make borders a snap. Bonnie Thurber demonstrates the new corner and border punches in this video.

Valentine: {Heart} Times Three

Here's another card from Jini Merck.

Stamps
With All My Heart, item #118134 Wood-mount; #118623 Clear-mount
I {Heart} Hearts, item #117010 Wood-mount; #118571 Clear-mount

Paper
Whisper White card stock
Melon Mambo card stock
Regal Rose card stock

Accessories
Pinking Hearts Border punch, item #117649
White ribbon
Clear embossing powder
Heat gun

Jini is a demonstrator in our Simply INKspertional group. It's wonderful to have the support, advice and friendship of other demonstrators, whether you're brand new or an old hand. We gather once a month to discuss business, swap projects and share ideas.

Our next meeting is February 20th at 10 a.m. in Duluth, GA. Want to see what it's all about? Come as my guest to the meeting and see firsthand the joy we share. Give me a call at 678-467-1330 for specifics.

Technique: Emerging Color

I love the Emerging Colors technique on this card because it combines two of my favorite things -- the Medallion stamp and embossing.

Stamps
Medallion, item #115223

Paper
Bella Bleu Designer Series paper, item #113974
Brocade Blue card stock
Soft Suede card stock
Naturals Cream card stock

Ink
Versamark stamp pad
Soft Suede Classic stamp pad
Brocade Blue Classic stamp pad
Brocade Blue Stampin' Write marker
Soft Suede Stampin' Write marker

Accessories
Clear Embossing Powder
Heat Gun
Scallop Oval punch
Oval punch
Brocade Blue ribbon
Half pearl from Pretties Kit
Tombow Multi-purpose glue
Stampin' Dimensionals

Start by stamping the Medallion image in Versamark ink on a piece of Bella Bleu paper. Immediately cover with Clear embossing powder. Heat using a heat gun just until the image is raised.

Brayer over the entire piece of embossed Bella Bleu paper using Soft Suede ink. Repeat until the background color is even and the intensity you like. Use a tissue to wipe away the ink from the embossed portion, revealing the paper color below. It's like magic!

Finish constructing the card as you wish. In this sample, I used markers to ink up a greeting stamp from the Well Scripted stamp set in two colors. I stamped it onto the Naturals Cream paper and punched out with the Oval punch, then punched out a scallop oval to go behind it.

The card is finished off with ribbon and a half pearl. The Tombow Multi-purpose glue works great to securely attach the half pearl, or you could use Crystal Effects.

To learn more techniques to use in your scrapbooking and cardmaking projects, join my Techniques Club. Details of club membership are here. Make your own mini scrapbook of super techniques and build your supplies on a budget. This month, the Technique Club meets on Thursday, February 18th from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Call or email me to reserve your spot.

Hope to see YOU there!

Got Yours?

Ooohhh, there are so many fun things going on with Stampin' Up! right now that it's hard to keep up.

If you're on my catalog mailing list, you should have received the new Occasions mini catalog and a Sale-A-Bration brochure in the mail last week. Please let me know if you have not received it yet -- you do not want to miss the excitement!

If you're not currently on my catalog mailing list, just drop me an email with your full name, phone number and address and I'll be happy to add you.

The Occasions mini features two particular products that are creating lots of buzz.

If you love rubber stamps as I do but you've just run out of space to store them, we've got you covered...with the new Clear Mount stamps.

The same deeply-etched rubber that we love ensures crisp, detailed images but in a format that allows you to store them in thin plastic cases about the size of a CD. These are "unmounted" rubber stamps you temporarily mount onto acrylic blocks...so now you have a choice...wood-mounted or unmounted. Too cool!

And then there's the punches in a new style that's again easy to store without giving up the quality Stampin' Up! is known for. One punch in particular is flying off the shelves. It's a two-step punch called Extra Large Two-Step Bird -- catchy, huh? LOL!

Look at all the images you get with just this one punch and do you see how the new punches stand up on their ends? Easy-peasey storage.

 

Can you tell I'm excited?

Let me share the excitement with you. Email or call me to receive your own copy of the Occasions mini catalog and Sale-A-Bration brochure. Can't wait? Go to my catalog page to download the Occasions mini now.

Friday the 13th List

Andrea became a fan of the Stamp-a-ma-jig at last weekend's workshop and asked me to name my favorite paper-crafting tools. It was easy for me!

My Top 13 Stampin' Tools

1. Stamp-a-ma-jig
2. Big Shot Die Machine
3. Daubers
4. Table-Top Paper Cutter
5. My Digital Studio software
6. Dimensionals
7. Spritzer Tool
8. Craft & Paper Scissors
9. Scallop Circle punch
10. Top Note die
11. Aqua painter
12. Crystal Effects
13. Heat gun

What are your favorite Stampin' Up! tools? Why?

Nominate your favs by leaving a comment on this post.

Just For You

Here's a cute card using one of Stampin' Up!'s new Big Shot dies, the Lattice Bigz die (item #115958).

 

This next card also uses the Big Shot, but only for the textured background. The snowflakes are punchouts from our new Jumbo Snowflake punch. (Item #116628)

 

And here's another creative use of dies and punches...the Top Note die, Scallop Circle and Boho Blossoms punches.

 

As the owl above says, "You've got a friend in me!" I'd like to be your upline friend, too.

Stampin' Up! is running a signup special for new demonstrators this month and I'd love to chat with you about it. If you'd like to receive a small packet of information about working for yourself in a job you love, email or call me. Join my team!

Hopping Cute

Yes, I know I promised a tutorial for the mini pizza box, but I'm still working on it. I'll have that tutorial up soon (no, really!).

Here's another sample to keep you going till then. :-)

Punches
Small and large ovals (ears)
1 3/4" circle (face)
3/4" circle (cheeks)
Heart to Heart punch (nose)
1/2" circle punch (eyes & feet)
1/4" circle punch (pupils & feet)
Scallop edge punch (front edge)
Corner rounder

Cardstock
Whisper White
Pirouette Pink
Bashful Blue

 

 

Also Used
Black Hemp Twine (whiskers)
So Saffron Ribbon (a Sale-A-Bration free selection)
Designer paper for sides (another Sale-A-Bration freebie)
Dimensionals (under cheeks)
Mini glue dots
SNAIL adhesive

This is a quick and easy project. Start with half a sheet of card stock measuring 4 1/4" x 11"…cut it down the middle in portrait position.

Score at 3" and 5" and round the top corners. Use the scallop edge punch on the other short end and crease score lines.

Cut two pieces of designer paper or card stock 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" and score 1/4" from the edge on two opposing edges. Put sticky strip or adhesive on these narrow ends and attach to box.

Don't forget the fluffy tail on the back – it gets a laugh every time someone turns the box around!

And don't forget that Sale-A-Bration ends mere days from now. Call or email me to get your order in before Tuesday and earn those Sale-A-Bration freebies!

Who Isn't Irish Today?

Whether your family tree sprouts from the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland -- or it's merely wishful thinking on this most Irish of days -- there's a bit of the blarney in all of us.

Did you wear a shamrock today? Or tacky green beads? Or a green shirt? If you did, there were millions of people keeping you company today.

Along with my 100%-genuine-sold-only-in-Ireland shamrock (really!), I sported a distinctly Irish package of TicTacs.

This was made with Stampin' Up! punches and a bit of ribbon. Aye, tis too much fun!

Punches used:
1 3/8 inch circle, 1/2 inch circle, 3/4 inch circle, scallop punch (the orange hair), word window punch (for the hat brim and the ears), 5-petal flower (used two of the petals for the moustache), key tag (hat), 1/4 inch square (retired) and 1/4 inch circle (retired).

The eyes were highlighted with Stampin' Up!'s white gel pen – which is the only gel pen that has never gotten "plugged up" on me! I used 1/4 inch grosgrain ribbon on the hat.

The Irish gent is attached to the wrapper with dimensionals. Here's my wee lad undressed, as it were…

You can find these wonderful punches on page 184 and 185 of the Spring/Summer catalog. Pick out a few for your collection – click here to go to my website to order now.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Sweet, Baby!

These so-called "Onesie" cards are so easy.

What a cute shower invitation it would make!

This card is all about punches. I used the following punches:

• Scallop punch
• 1 - 3/8" circle punch
• 1/4" circle punch

The trim paper is Rose Red Prints, from Stampin' Up!'s beautiful Prints Designer series papers. These double-sided prints come in sixteen standard SU colors.

The moon is highlighted with silver micro beads. I used our new Multipurpose glue for the beads -- worked great! The micro beads are the tiny ones in the Silver Duo double-pack.

The only stamping on this card is the center image from the So Many Scallops stamp set in Rose Red. This is a limited-edition Sale-A-Bration stamp set you can only get with a qualifying order...and that special offer expires tomorrow -- March 17.

I'll include an illustrated direction sheet for the Onesie card with every order. Call or email me by 9:00 p.m. EDT to beat the deadline!