What 2 Stamp

Branching Out

 

This stamp set has been calling my name ever since I got it. "Come play with me," Branch Out has been whispering in my craft room. And so I have. This is another one of those sets I love because of the versatile looks you can create. No two cards have to be alike, because you can create your own scene with the little accent stamps that are in the set.

When you first stamp the tree, it looks a little like it is "floating" on the card. So, I decided to "ground" it by sponging a little Old Olive ink on the bottom, for grass, and a little Baja Breeze at the top, for sky.

Stamping Sponges, on page 190 of the catalog, are one of the best values in the book. They are $3.50 for 3 sponges, and each sponge can be cut into fourths, or even sixths. That way, you can devote one triangle sponge to each color you would use, like red, blue, green. And, they last seemingly forever. I'm still using the first ones I ever bought, 7 years ago.

Grab your ink and sponges, and start Branching Out!

Re-work Wednesday

 

A while back, I took a card from the big catalog and made my own version of it, using different stamps and different papers. I did this to prove to my customers that you can use the book for inspiration, even if you don't have exactly the stamps that are used in every sample.

That post was a hit (people still mention it to me!), so I've decided to introduce Re-Work Wednesdays. Each Wednesday, I will choose a card or project from the big catalog or the mini catalog, and I will reproduce it, using whatever stamps and paper I have on hand. Sometimes, the card may be a close replica, as is this one, based on the sample shown on page 93 of the big catalog. Other times, you will need to know the page number to even guess that I CASE'd the idea.

Today's card uses the Petal Pizazz stamp set, as well as the butterfly from Garden Whimsy. The original uses the set Pretty Amazing, which I really like, but don't happen to own.

My point, again, is that the Stampin' Up! catalog is called the Idea Book & Catalog for a reason. It is there as a resource for you, when you need inspiration for a card-making session, or when you just need to get a card done at 10 p.m. and don't want to think about it! You just need to learn to view the samples with your own stamps in mind. I hope this idea helps. And, if you have a favorite sample you'd like to see replicated, email me and I'll see what I can do with what I've got!

Have Your Cake and Eat it, Too

 

OK, you can't really eat this cake, but it looks good enough to! The new pop-up cake die for the Big Shot die cutter is one of the products that will be featured at my next Sizzix Camp, on Monday, May 4, 6:30-8:00 p.m. I have made up 2 color schemes, the one shown above and another below, that would be good for a guy's birthday. Just let me know which one you would like to make, so that I can cut the materials. Please RSVP by Sunday, May 3, by emailing me. The cost of the camp is $12 and includes all materials; you bring your adhesive of choice. This is a really fun project that is easier than it looks, so I hope to see you at camp!

When searching for a card idea, I frequently look no further than whatever happens to be in front of me. In the case of this card, I had a scrap of Pink Flamingo DSP sitting on my worktable, left over from yesterday's post. So, I picked it up and went to work. I had set a 15-minute time limit on myself for this one, so I also grabbed a pre-folded card out of a basket I keep handy. This is a great tip for you, as well. Any time you end up with a half sheet of paper, fold it into a standard card size and keep it in a basket, ready for embellishment.

I already had a pre-folded card, and a pre-cut piece of DSP. Now, all I needed was a stamp and a little embellishment! I stamped the Celebrate You image from Party Hearty, using Regal Rose, Rose Red and and Tempting Turquoise markers, then punched it with our Scallop Circle punch. I punched another Scallop Circle from Rose Red, and mounted it behind the white stamped image. A square ice rhinestone brad adds a bit of bling. Finally, because the DSP hangs over the trimmed-off edge just a bit, I put a piece of Rose Red Grosgrain Ribbon through that little piece. It acts as a "handle" to open the card.

I not only met my goal of finishing in 15 minutes, I beat it by a lot--I finished in 10 minutes, thanks to some pre-cut and pre-folded materials at my ready. Now, if I can only shave 5 minutes off my daily run time!

Scallops and Circles, Oh My!

 

This is a fun and fast card produced with my Big Shot die cutter. I folded a piece of Pink Pirouette, then placed the fold just a little ways down on the large scallop circle, so that the fold would remain intact, and the rest of the card would cut in the scallop circle shape.

 

To add some interest to the card front, I cut a piece of Pink Flamingo DSP with the same large scallop circle, then trimmed it off at about the halfway point and adhered it to my card, aligning the scallops. The "hi" stamp is from Say it with Scallops, our Ronald McDonald set this year. It is punched out with the Scallop Square punch and mounted on a square of Basic Black. Again, this card was designed to be quick, easy and interesting, and you can get all three with the Big Shot! To learn more about my monthly Sizzix Camp, where we focus on the Big Shot die cutter, contact me.

Stamping for a Car Payment

Time is running out for Stampin' Up's opportunity to start your business with 3 easy payments. Your chance to purchase your Starter Kit in 3 separate payments ends on April 30, but we really need to get paperwork in the mail by Monday, so this weekend is your final chance to take advantage of this opportunity. To read more details of the payment plan, click here.

How much money can you make with Stampin' Up? Well, that certainly varies by demonstrator, but I usually tell new demos that they can pretty easily earn the equivalent of a car payment. And in today's economy of layoffs and furloughs, earning a car payment through stamping can come in pretty handy. Contact me for more details.

Have You Gotten Your FREE Catalog?

When you place an online order in April, by clicking the red button at the top of this page, you will receive a free Idea Book & Catalog. Online ordering is easy and fun, as you can shop whenever it's convenient for you--I won't even know if you're still in your pajamas! This offer ends April 30, so hurry!

Watercolors and Ovals, Oh My!

 

When demonstrating a card at a workshop this week, I wanted to show just how easy it could be. And what could be easier than copying from the catalog? The basis of this card is shown on page 9 of the Occasions Mini Catalog. I have changed the details, but the concept is the same.

The focal point image is stamped on Watercolor paper, then punched with the Large Oval and colored with an Aqua Painter and Watercolor Crayons. The surrounding image is punched with the Scallop Oval punch, from a scrap of Rose Red cardstock. This card couldn't be any easier, and yet, it teaches you how to watercolor using our special paper.

An unhurried sense of time...

 

This stamp set, Scene in a Garden, is just made for watercoloring. Here, I stamped the images in Stazon black, then watercolored using our Watercolor Crayons and an Aquapainter. I used the quote from the Sense of Time set. Both sets are in the new Occasions Mini catalog. Now through April, when you purchase $40 in product from the mini, you can choose a free item from the "Under $10" page in the big book, on page 208.

Going in Circles

 

Need a quickie card? Well, it doesn't get any easier than this one. I simply cut a 4.5" circle of Pink Flamingo DSP, using the Circle Scissor Plus, then attached it so that the right edge hung off the Tangerine Tango card, then trimmed off the excess. I love circles on cards and scrapbook pages, and I really love circles that go off the page. It's like they're just a little "off." Hmmm, sounds like someone I know.

To give this card its bling, and fulfill my promise to STOP hoarding my glitter, I added a flower from the Sticky Cuts Sweet line and then applied two colors of Supernova glitter. Of course I chose orange and blue glitter, cause as a Florida alum, those colors just make me happy!