What 2 Stamp

Last Day to Start Your Business for Only $85!

Today is the last day to become a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator for only $85! This kit is aimed at stampers who already have a fair number of SU products. The kit includes all of your necessary business supplies, as well as these items:

Item Code	Page #*	Description	Retail Value**
115360	118	For All You Do stamp set	$28.95
115658	155	Rich Razzleberry Classic Stampin' Pad	$5.95
115656	155	Melon Mambo Classic Stampin' Pad	$5.95
115659	155	Crushed Curry Classic Stampin' Pad	$5.95
115654	155	Dusty Durango Classic Stampin' Pad	$5.95
115655	155	Bermuda Bay Classic Stampin' Pad	$5.95
115657	155	Soft Suede Classic Stampin' Pad	$5.95
100730	155	Whisper White card stock (8-1/2" x 11")	$7.50
115315	155	In Color assorted card stock (8-1/2" x 11")	$7.95

Even though today is the last day, we still can get you signed up because it is an online process. So email me today with any questions.

Fun Bookmark

 

I was cleaning out some items from my craft room this weekend, and I came across this pretty bookmark I made at Stampin' Up's convention last year. I know it shows one of last year's In Color products, but I thought it was worthing posting, just for the idea.

To make it, you just ink up some chipboard and attach some Designer Series Paper of your choice and a cut-out stamped image. Then, attach a thick strip of ribbon and thread on a Filigree Designer Series Brad to act as a weight for the bookmark (as well as a pretty decoration!). These bookmarks are quick and easy to make, and would make great presents--I'm already thinking about Christmas!

Using the Stamp-A-Ma-Jig

 

This is a quick and easy card using the Trendy Trees stamp set. What makes it super quick is that the tools are doing all the work here: I cut a large circle using the Circle Scissor Plus tool, and punched cardstock using the Scalloped Circle Punch and the Large Tag Punch.

To line up the tree and the tree trunk perfectly, I used the Stamp-A-Ma-Jig, a must for this particular stamp set. To view a video tutorial on how to use the Stamp-A-Ma-Jig, click on the video below.

Re-Work Wednesday: Page 51

 

Today's Re-Work Wednesday card is a re-do of one of the cards on page 51 of the Idea Book & Catalog. For my version, I used the One of a Kind stamp set and the Boho Blossoms punch. Rather than stamp stems, I just used the fine-tip point of an Old Olive marker to make some dotted stems--much like the original! The original card is shown below, in the middle:

 

Rather than use Textured Cardstock, as the designer used on the original, I decided to crimp a small piece of Tempting Turquoise cardstock.

A little tip for working with crimped paper: After you have crimped it, apply adhesive to the surface you will be gluing the crimped paper TO, not to the crimped paper itself. This is completely opposite of what I normally recommend, but if you drag an adhesive applicator along a piece of crimped paper, you will flatten out the crimp lines, which defeats the purpose!

Close as a Memory

 

Let's face it: There are some cards we love to make, and there are some cards we have to make. A dear friend of ours recently lost her brother--the second brother she has lost in recent years and these siblings are in their 40s. It is hard to take, no doubt.

So, I made this card for her and thought about her family the whole time. I ached for a wife and daughter left alone, for a family that has grieved so much in so short a time. I counted my own blessings and hoped my friend would know that I cared. And I know she will. Because that is the power of a card.

A Flower for All Seasons

 

I haven't spent nearly enough time with my Circle Scissors Plus lately, and it has been calling my name. I just love using circles as elements on cards and scrapbook pages and this tool makes it so easy.

For this card, I cut the Rose Red portion of the Thoroughly Modern Designer Series Paper into a 2" circle and a 2.5" circle, then mounted those to the corners of the card and trimmed off the excess. I cut the large circle in the middle to 3", then added a strip of white across it and trimmed off the excess.

I stamped one of the images from A Flower for All Seasons and colored in with Watercolor Crayons and an Aquapainter. To add a little more dimension, I stamped the image again and colored only the flowers, then trimmed those out and adhered them over the first image, using Stampin' Dimensionals. Because you only need a teeny-tiny bit of Dimensional for each flower, this is a great chance to cut into the edge of a sheet of Dimensionals and use up those leftovers!

 

Working with the tiny pieces is a bit more work, but worth the effort.

Flowers Galore

 

Today's post is a wonderfully quick card made with the Big Shot Flowers w/Leaf Die. I used the Cottage Wall Designer Series Paper for 2 of the flowers, and made a textured background with the Backgrounds 1 Texturz Plate.

There's nothing like the Big Shot when you need to get a card out fast!

Re-Work Wednesday: Page 105

 

For this week's Re-Work Wednesday card, I really did a re-work--I made a scrapbook page into a card! I love the scrapbook page shown on page 105 of the Idea Book & Catalog, but I didn't have any photos that lent themselves to that layout. So, I re-sized everything down to a 5.25" square card, which will fit perfectly in a Stampin' Up! 5.5" square envelope. The original page is shown below:

 

My design uses Playful Petals, which is on the Dormant List. Did you know about the Dormant List? Every year, SU must make room in the new catalog for lots of new goodies, so many sets are retired, but some are kept on the Dormant List, which means they are not shown in the catalog, but they can still be ordered. To view this year's list, click here.

I watercolored the flowers, using one of my favorite techniques (see video below). I stamped the flower on the left 3 times, then cut it apart and put it back together using Stampin' Dimensionals, to create a medallion-style flower.

Now you can watch my video showing how to do this fun watercoloring technique. Forgive the slightly rough cut at the end--my son came knocking on my door just as I was about to finish!

Color Choices

 

I personally love to play with all the possibilities Stampin' Up's colors have to offer. When I start a new project, I always pull out a few pieces of paper and play around until I find a combination that makes me happy. I realized today that I spend so much effort trying to find just the right card color, that I often forget the obvious choice--white!

For this card, I knew I wanted to use Dusty Durango and Summer Sun for my flowers, cut with the Flower Burst Embosslit Die. I also wanted to use strips cut from the Kaleidoscope Designer Series Paper for the stems. With all that color and pattern going on, I knew I wanted the base card to be simple and clean. It took me a minute, but I finally realized that Whisper White was the perfect choice.

So, the lesson of the day is don't be afraid to use a white card--it's a great "non-color" color!

Such a Deal!

Hostesses who have a Stampin' Up! party already receive some great benefits: a free catalog, a free Exclusive Hostess-Only stamp set and a free shopping spree in the catalog. But that list of benefits just got bigger for the next 3 months!

In September through November, hostesses who have a party reaching at least $250 in sales will get to choose an item from the Holiday Mini Catalog for only $10 (the new My Digital Studio product is excluded from this offer). This means you can gain a huge savings on several products, including a $36.95 stamp set or 3 different Big Shot dies that normally cost $42.95 (one of them is a 3-D pop-up Christmas tree that you must have)! The mini catalog starts on Sept. 1 and will be available to view on the blog on that date.

This offer makes the upcoming months a great time to have a party. I can show you and your friends some fun Christmas projects, in plenty of time for you to make enough for everyone on your gift list. To book a party, email me or call me at (727) 576-1249.