by Jackie Bultje | Oct 16, 2018 | Brusho |
Hello stampers. Ever since I first opened my pack of Brusho paint crystals I have loved it. The trouble is that once you start creating with it, it is very hard to stop! I pulled it out last week because the colours were starting to change with the seasons and I felt it was time to make a fall card at my coffee and a card class. Since then I have made quite a few more and you will see that you can do far more than just create fall cards with it. Today I will share some of my favourites with you. The first card is made using a technique called emboss resist. I stamped the leaves from Colorful Seasons in versamark on watercolour paper. I then clear embossed them with the heat gun and clear embossing powder. When it was dry I spritzed it will water and sprinkled on Brusho in three colours, red, yellow and gamboge. Do you see the sentiment and that little line of dots? They are hot off the press, just arrived in my October Paper Pumpkin today!! If you love Christmas cards you will want to subscribe before November 11 to get them.
Here is a close up so that you can see how beautiful the Brusho crystals are. What I love most about this product is that it truly makes me feel like an artist. That is the reason I first fell in love with Stampin’Up! You wouldn’t believe how many people come up to me and say, “I’m not creative. I’m not artistic.”. Then I tell them that neither was I!! The beautiful artwork from Stampin’Up! made it easy to be artistic, and Brusho just takes it to a whole new level. All you really need to do is spritz your watercolour paper or your shimmer white cardstock with some water and then sprinkle on the crystals. After that you can determine whether or not to add more water or leave it just as it is. With watercolour paper you can even go in afterwards and add more water and more crystals if you are not pleased with your original results. Do you see the speckles on the chair? When my card was finished I spritzed the entire thing with a mixture of rubbing alcohol and champagne shimmer paint to add a glittery finish.
Here is a look at what the Paper Pumpkin box for November will look like. You just know it is going to be beautiful Christmas cards and an exclusive stamp set. Perfect for yourself or as a gift for a teacher or crafty friend. Here is a handy link so you can subscribe.
The next card uses watercolour paper again with fall colours of red and yellow. I then added some die cut maple leaves from the Colorful Seasons bundle. It is a clean and simple design. The sentiment is also from Colorful Seasons and is stamped in Memento black using the Stamparatus. Stamping on watercolour paper is challenging because of its rough texture so the Stamparatus is perfect so that you can stamp it multiple times to get it black enough.
The look of this watercolour is softer because I used more water so that the colours “bled” together a little more. The leaves were cut from crushed curry, cherry cobbler and old olive. The next card is stepped up a notch. I decided to use some leftover scraps of shimmer white and I treated it with Brusho in fall colours. Then I die cut leaves from it so that they looked more like the real thing. What do you think? I also added a copper leaf for added interest.
On the little leaf I used a sponge dauber and some gold shimmer paint to add a little interest and I also sketched in some “veins” using the Project Life journaling pen. The sentiment is from the stamp set Kindness & Compassion. The newsprint paper in the background is part of the Dashing Along pack of paper that was a giveaway for hosts in September with a $300 or more workshop. If you place an online order with me this month you will get a sample pack of this paper mailed to you!
For the card above I used Prussian Blue and Yellow Brusho to create the illusion of dappled sunlight. The stamped images are from one of my favourite stamp sets, Enjoy Life. This is a great masculine card but could really be for anyone. The last card is another fall card. It might be my favourite season. I love the crisp fall air, the beautiful sunlight and of course the changing colours. I love sweaters and campfires and reading in a cozy chair and of course comfort food. Soups and stews simmering on the stove with a cobbler baking in the oven. Yum!!!
I really love the background of this card with the white space and the watercolour look of it all. The one leaf has a solid copper foil leaf in behind it for added interest. The white panel is embossed with the Pinewood Planks embossing folder. The watercolour paper is 3′ by 4″ on all of the cards.
In closing, I just want to share with you that October is my 13th anniversary as a Stampin’Up! demonstrator so I am offering a chance at a half price item if you place a minimum $25 order either with me in person or online. If you choose to order online you need to use the host code K47RYHQZ. This offer ends tomorrow night!! So strike while the iron is hot. If you click on any of the images below it will take you straight to my online store
Here is a video I did showing Brusho in action. I hope you find it helpful. Thanks for stopping by, I hope you have a super day.
http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oNgdIQFFdc&t=4s
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by Jackie Bultje | Oct 13, 2018 | Frosted Floral Suite |
Hello stampers! I am going to post a disclaimer right now. If you don’t want to buy another stamp set or bundle, please don’t read any further!! I am totally in love with this gorgeous suite of products. Stampin’Up! has really knocked it out of the park with this Frosted Floral Suite. It is what I would call a “cross-over” product. It is perfect for Christmas, especially if you like a softer, non-traditional look, but it is also great for other seasons and other occasions. It is also just the right time to talk about this suite since we are getting very close to our first frost here in southern Ontario. Why do I like this suite so much?
1. The gorgeous water-colour look to the stamps. They belong to the DistInkive line of stamps that create an ombre effect.
2. The framelits are well thought out. They are not fussy for poking out as they release from the dies quite easily with the exception of vellum in the detailed die, but that is to be expected. There are also two thistle framelits and two small rose framelits which really saves on “cranking time” with the Big Shot. Remember, you will get far superior results with our detailed dies if you use the Precision Plate with your Big Shot.
3. The designer series paper, Frosted Floral Specialty paper is scrumptious. It has a pearlized finish and has the most beautiful artwork and colours. It has been handpainted by the artist and you can really see that. It has a subtle Christmas feel to it with sprigs of greenery but not so much that you can’t use it for any other occasion.
4. It has a coordinating cardstock pack so that you get eight sheets of three matching colours: grey granite, tranquil tide and blackberry bliss. This saves you money as you don’t have to buy three complete packs of cardstock. How thoughtful!!
5. The frosted and clear epoxy droplets are so beautiful. The catalog images really can’t capture how well the fit in this suite and how they add just the perfect touch to your creations.
6. The tranquil tide velvet ribbon is so sumptuous it doesn’t need to be tied into bows, just lay a piece flat on your card and it won’t unravel.
7. Lastly, the iridescent boxwood wreath embellishments can be used as is, or you can unwind them and cut them into the length that you need and add them to your floral bouquets on your cards or scrapbook pages.
Let’s take a look at what I made with all this and how I did it. When I start creating I like to lay out all the items from the suite on the table so that I can be inspired by the colours and textures. Then I use my #loveitchopit mentality and cut up the designer series paper into pieces that I can layer on my card fronts. I cut up some mats from coordinating cardstock, stamp all the images in a few different colours and then die cut them out. Then I have all the raw materials ready to combine into a card.
For these elements I used some of the colours listed in the Holiday catalog for this suite: soft sea foam, pear pizzazz, tranquil tide, blushing bride, powder pink, blackberry bliss, merry merlot and grey granite. I also used sparkle glimmer paper and vellum cardstock. You can find a complete list of coordinating colours under the description of the Frosted Floral specialty designer series paper in the Holiday catalog. How’s that for a mouthful?!
For my Sweet Suite Saturday class I cased the following demonstrators (clockwise from top left: Kim Williams, Zahra Premji, Brian King and Anna Krol). The only stamp not from the suite is the “simply thankful” which is part of a stamp from Country Home. After I had made these cards my own creative juices started flowing…I first had to chop my paper and lay it out! This is what I came up with:
Do you notice any similarities in these cards? The backgrounds are all the same. The same measurements I mean. The cardstock mat in either tranquil tide or blackberry bliss is 3 7/8″ by 5 1/8″ and the Frosted Floral designer series paper is 3 3/4′ by 5″. This leaves a wider white border around the edge of the card and only a narrow border of the contrasting cardstock. Four four of the cards I “gathered a bouquet” of elements to embellish the sentiment. This is what that looks like.
Basically I added fast fuse to the back of my die cut rose and then I added the other elements, holding it all in my hand facing me and placing them behind the rose. When it was all just as I wanted it to be, I laid it on the silicone mat and added dimensionals to help stabilize it and give some dimension to the card.
I decided to go with two alternatives for my mats, tranquil tide and blackberry bliss. The different colours give a different mood or feel to the cards. When you put them side by side you can really notice it. I find that the tranquil tide mat makes the card feel bigger. What do you think?
It is just so lovely to see the elements and the colours all combine so nicely in this bouquet with the pretty frame. There are two rectangular framelits the nest in each other to either create two mats for the sentiment or can create a narrow edged frame like this one. Brilliant!! Do you see how beautiful the Frosted Floral paper is? It looks like art and the pearlized finish makes it extra special. You will love creating with it and people will love receiving your lovely creations.
Can you see the sprigs of greenery in behind the sentiment? They were inspired by the greenery on the Frosted Floral paper and they come from the Pretty Pines framelits in the annual catalog. My last card, one that we will also be making at coffee and a card class on Tuesday is a sympathy card. The soft colours and pretty florals are perfectly suited to sympathy cards.
I am going to end this post with a very informal video that I made showing a behind the scenes look at my creative process. I hope it helps you! As always, if you live in Canada and don’t already have a demonstrator, I would be thrilled to have you shop with me. Simply click on the images below of the products I have used and you will be taken straight to my online store. I would be even happier if you would use the current host code as that enables me to combine orders to get free host products that I can then use in my classes to keep costs down. The current code is K47RYHQZ. If your order is more than $200 then you qualify for your own host rewards, so do not use the host code in that instance. Thanks so much and have a super day!
http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTU-tQ0roNY&t=4s
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by Jackie Bultje | Oct 4, 2018 | Buffalo Check, Christmas |
Hello stampers! The cooler weather is here and this Canadian girl is happy about that. I really am mad about plaid. I have plaid shirts, plaid blankets and a plethora of plaid scarves!! Did I mention cozy plaid throws? So when I saw the Buffalo Check background stamp, I knew I had to have it. It is simply fabulous when you use it with the Stamparatus since you get a perfect plaid every time. You can also step it up a notch by adding some stripes with your Stampin’ Write Markers and a ruler. Now this was not my original idea. The first time I saw this idea it was from Teresa Mitchell. My card was inspired by Lori Heiling. Here it is:
Here is a close up so that you can see the beautiful Festive Farmhouse Twine and the striped burlap ribbon. I sprayed it all with a mixture of rubbing alcohol and champagne shimmer paint. The pretty framelit is from the Stitched Labels framelits.
I slightly altered the truck from Farmhouse Christmas. I cut off the tree that is part of the truck image and used a tree from Rooted in Nature to put in the back and give it some dimension. The truck was coloured with Blends. The other details include a crumb cake layer put through the Corrugated embossing folder, some mossy meadow Sprig punches. The second card I made using the Buffalo Check background stamp also involves the Winter Woods stamp set as well as Dashing Deer. The plaid piece is the one I created in my video and I used very vanilla cardstock, soft suede ink and a cherry cobbler marker.
Once again I used the soft and luscious Festive Farmhouse Twine as a lovely accent to this card. It ties easily and lies quite flat so it won’t be too bulky for mailing. The vanilla piece is 3″ by 4″, soft suede is 3 1/8″ by 4 1/8″ and the mossy meadow is 3 1/4″ by 4 1/4″. The plaid piece in the background is 4 1/8″ by 5 3/8″. The trees from Winter Woods were stamped once full strength in Mossy Meadow and then moved slightly and stamped again without reinking. I sprayed the entire card with my alcohol and champagne shimmer paint mixture for a lovely sparkle that is hard to capture in a picture. Here is a closeup.
I couldn’t get a sentiment on the front of the card without covering too much of that pretty plaid, so I put it in the inside of the card instead. I just love the saying. It is from the Dashing Deer set.
I realize that I didn’t show you any cards using the Buffalo Check background stamp in a “normal” way without adding the marker stripe, so maybe I should quickly make another card to add to this blog post while my video uploads to YouTube. Somehow I can’t seem to make a blog post with just one card and one picture! I also keep thinking that there are so many amazing things in this current Holiday catalog that you are going to want that you should just remember the great deal on the starter kit. Whenever your order is more than $120, the cheaper and way better option is to get the starter kit. Get your own discount! I happily take your money, but why not be your own best customers and find yourself a few stamping buddies. I can tell you that I highly recommend it.
Good news! I didn’t have to make a card after all. I just went to my swap basket and found this lovely card by Lorraine Pye. She used the Buffalo Check with crumb cake in the background and Wishing You Well stamp set for the focal point. So pretty!
In the next picture you can see the detail of this lovely background stamp up close. Wishing You Well is also a beauty, and it is a DistINKtive stamp which means that the stamp itself gives different opacities for realistic depth and intensity. Put simply, it looks amazing. Distictive.
Have you fallen in love yet? Here is the video I made…there are a few issues with it. It is sideways and some people think it is cut off a bit, but I think there are a lot of very helpful tips in it and you can see exactly how the background was made as well. Enjoy and thanks for stopping by today. If you need to order anything at all, just click on the products below and it will take you to my online store. Please do use the current host code: K47RYHQZ. Have a super day!
http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czVuA2Jf_Aw
Product List
Cherry Cobbler Stampin’ Write Marker
[119681]
$4.50
by Jackie Bultje | Sep 26, 2018 | framed art sampler |
Hello stampers. I finally started and finished the fall sampler that I promised you I would make. This is the third in a seasonal series of framed art. It is so refreshing to make something that will last longer than a card. This is perfect for your own home or as a gift to someone. I am really pleased with how it turned out, especially since it is totally a “Jackie original”.
It was great to play and it will be interesting to see how many different stamp sets and framelits I ended up using. I did use some retired product, the pumpkins are from last year’s paper and the orange glimmer paper is also from last year, but I know I have enough on hand for a good sized class. The fall sampler is made on a sheet of regular crumb cake cardstock. The mats are cajun craze and the images are stamped on very vanilla. I bought the frame at Michael’s and I use the same frame for each sampler.
Fall Sampler
The Details
A few details. The word Fall was cut using the large letter framelits out of our Wood Textures paper. The milk can is from Country Life. I sponged over it with our bright copper shimmer paint and then when it was dry I accented it with soft suede blends. The tree in the middle is from Winter Woods and the one at the top is from Rooted in Nature. The owl is from Still NIght and the wagon with the pumpkins is from Pleasant Pheasants as is the saying. The house on the top block is from Farmhouse Christmas and the “Happy” is from the Merry Christmas to All bundle.
Here are some more close-ups so that you can see the details in this sampler.
I just sponged some pumpkin pie, crushed curry and cherry cobbler on the tree from Farmhouse Christmas and on one of the trees from Winter Woods I sponged some bright copper shimmer paint. I wanted the illusion of fall colour without lots of leaf cutouts. The trees from Winter Woods are stamped in the background with crumb cake stamped off. Stamping off, also known as generational stamping is when you first stamp your image on scrap paper and then stamp again on your project so that you get a lighter image.
I can’t believe I was doubting whether to get this owl!!! He is the star of my fall sampler. I just love this set so much and I discovered that the branch stamp and the branch framelit don’t match. What I mean is that the framelit doesn’t cut out the stamped image. That is actually awesome. It means you have two different branches!! I coloured the owl with my trusty Blends.
I thought it would be nice to have just a wee bit of the house showing on this rectangle. Originally I had a red truck in there too but it was too busy looking. The magnificent tree is from Rooted in Nature and I also stamped it in crumb cake in the background. The little dots in the background are also from this set. The house is coloured in old olive an crumb cake Blends. Here is the finished project all framed up! Deep breath. I am so happy it is finished and I am also quite pleased with how it looks. If you would like to make this fall sampler yourself, the class date is Thursday October 11 at 10am or 7pm. Cost is $25 but does not include the frame. All you need to bring is your adhesive.
Measurements
base: 8 1/2 by 11 crumb cake
small panels: cajun craze: 2″ by 2 7/8″ very vanilla: 1 7/8″ by 2 3/4″
medium panels: cajun craze: 2″ by 5 3/8″, very vanilla 1 7/8″ by 5 1/4″
large middle panel: cajun craze 2″ by 8 1/2″, very vanilla: 1 7/8″ by 8 3/8
Ordering in Canada
As always, if you liked this project and you do not currently have a demonstrator, it would make me so very happy if you chose to order from me. If you click on any of the supplies below, it will take you straight to my store.Please do use the current host code. It is H6JA44TT. If your order is over $120 you should really consider getting the starter kit. By the time you add taxes and shipping to your order you will be at a price higher than the cost of a starter kit which is only $135. You get to choose $165 worth of products and you get a pile of catalogs to hand out to your friends and neighbours. Who knows where that could take you? Share the love and don’t look back. If you choose that option, just click on this link.
I hope you have a fantastic day. Fall weather is here and I am loving it!!
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by Jackie Bultje | Sep 21, 2018 | Time for Tea |
Hello stampers. There should always be time for tea! I have great memories of drinking tea with my mother. You see in many typical Dutch households, you start the day with tea and breakfast. Coffee doesn’t happen until 10am. That is official coffee time. Tea also happened again in the evening around 8pm. Tea was also served in pretty tea cups, not clunky mugs as my mom considered them. Even though I am 100% Canadian, with Dutch roots some of these traditions stick. That’s why this time for tea set really appealed to me. Daytripping with girlfriends should also include a charming tea room. There is a great tea room about an hour away from me in Kingsville called Annabelle’s. A day trip there just feels like a vacation. There is something about drinking fragrant tea from a pretty china tea cup that turns the moment into an occasion to be savoured. The cards that I am showcasing in this blog post have by and large been inspired by my fellow demonstrators. I think there is only one “Jackie original” in there and I can’t say that I am totally in love with it. Sometimes it is just so wonderful to be able to use the creativity of other people. Create, inspire, share. That is what it is all about.
The first card that I made was totally cased from Kristi Gray, a talented demonstrator from Washington State. I loved the colours that she used and the layout…actually everything about it is just beautiful. the Spot of Tea framelits that come in this suite are terrific. What’s especially nice is that there are two of the flowers and two of the floral swags so that you can cut out two at a time. That is a real time saver! You can find Kristi’s blog post here.
Here is a closeup of the lovely detail in this card, the ribbon in this suite is exquisite, the metallic edge is just so shimmery, even the picture captures it which is rare!
The next card really captures the feel of a vintage tea room and it was designed by my dear friend Shelly Godby. It uses calypso coral and coastal cabana and more of the lovely coordinating paper called Tea Room Specialty designer series paper as well as the tea room ribbon. It’s so handy that you can purchase a package of coordinating cardstock so that you get 8 each of three matching colours: calypso coral, coastal cabana and thick very vanilla. That saves you from buying three individual packs. Here is the link to Shelly’s blog.
My next card has a really neat fold. I wish I knew whose card I cased to make this but I can’t find it any more. If it is you, please take credit! This card is coastal cabana and crumb cake and has a real mellow vibe.
The next card uses the Tufted embossing folder. Everyone who uses this folder orders it. The effect is just amazing. What do you think?
This card also uses the colour palette of crushed curry and coastal cabana. These colours are also found in the coordinating designer series paper in this suite. The suite makes it so easy to make beautiful cards without having to think too much about it. Once again, this card has been cased from somewhere online!! I coloured the pearls using my daffodil delight Blends. The first four cards shown thus far will be featured in my Time for Tea class on Saturday at 1pm. It is part of a new series of classes called Sweet Suite Saturdays. You can either pay $20 for the class or get it for free if you order the Time for Tea bundle.
Now I’m not sure I like this card. I think the white edge is a bit much, but I thought I would share it anyways so you can see that not everything I make is all that wonderful. I also messed up a bit on the stamping under the butterfly. The butterfly is a sticker that comes in the Tea Room Memories and More card pack. If you rub your embossing buddy over the back of it that removes the stickiness so that you can bend the wings forward to give it a 3D look. I used a copper vinyl sticker along the inside edge of the card for added interest.
This card was also cased from someone, but I changed it up by inking up the polka dot ribbon and by stamping the tea cup on patterned paper before cutting it out with the matching framelit. I love this colour combination! The pearls were coloured with a dark daffodil delight Blends.
I love this monochromatic card. All those lovely flowers are part of the bundle too as well as the copper vinyl sticker on that pretty detailed circle. Are you falling in love with this suite yet? I wish I knew whose card this was! The last thing I want to share is a pretty copper tea tin. And, yes, they are also part of this charming suite. You can get a set of four tins for only $20. They would make such an adorable gift along with a coordinating card.
On this tea tin you can see the other ribbon that comes in the Tea Room ribbon combo pack. You get two spools of ribbon with five yards on each spool for $11. It really has such a beautiful copper edge to it and it ties like a dream!
I hope that this blog post has shown you the versatility of this beautiful suite of products. If you live near Chatham you might want to come to my Saturday afternoon class at 1pm and make some of these great cards. If you decide to come, please do let me know. Online orders are always greatly appreciated! If you order the bundle I will send you the tea room copper vinyl stickers in the mail! Just click on any of the items in the product list below and you will be taken directly to my online store. If possible please use the current host code when you order: H6JA44TT.
As always, if you find that your wish list is long and you want it all, the best deal ever is the starter kit. You get bonus products (you pay only $135 but you get to pick out $165 in product) you pay no shipping and no tax and you get a 20% discount on any subsequent orders. If you want to keep your discount and your demonstrator status you are required to buy or sell $400 in your first full quarter (three months) but if you don’t there are no dire consequences. Give it a try! Click here to take advantage of that offer.
Have a super day and happy stamping!
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