by Jackie Bultje | Apr 12, 2017 | Birthday, color theory suite, Framelits, masculine cards, memory keeping, Project Life |
Hello stampers. I’m still super excited about all the new products we got to see and play with this past weekend at OnStage Toronto. One of my favourite suites was the Color Theory Suite that Alison Solven presented. I am sharing her samples here for you to enjoy. My product should be arriving today. That is definitely one of the big benefits of being a demonstrator, whether you do it to build a business, to earn a few extra dollars or just to get your own discount. You get to see and buy product before anyone else. So much fun. Here is the display board that shows you everything that is included in this fabulous suite.
I love that we also now will be offering Memories and More cards that can be used for memory keeping (aka Project Life or scrapbooking) AND for card making since it all coordinates so beautifully. There is a stamp for a sling-back lawn chair, but there is a framelit for a Muskoka (Canadian eh?) or Adirondack (for our American friends) chair. I love those chairs, in fact I will have two red ones arriving at my house soon.
Please do remember that the card samples featured here are to the best of my knowledge all the work of Alison Solven. Click here is a link to her blog. She has posted more of her samples there of course. We were so blessed to have her at OnStage Toronto all the way from New Westminster BC.
The sayings in this set are great and useful for both card making and memory keeping as well as home decor. Can’t wait to play with them. If you are a Stampin’Up! customer and need a little nudge to get your own discount all the time, this is it! You can get all this product as well as the Birthday Memories suite in your starter kit and on pre-orders beginning May 1, so take a moment and think about that awesome opportunity. I love sharing it since it so wonderfully changed my life is so many, many ways.
This emboss-resist technique works great with the snowflake images on this card. Did you know that glossy white cardstock is coming back to the annual catalog?
The following sample I am sharing uses the “paint chip” inspired paper included in the suite. Now we don’t have to go to the paint store any more to liberate paint chips.
One last sample…I guess I really do love snow flakes as most of the photos I took were from Alison’s snowflake cards!!
The last photo is not a very good one as it was taken in a dark room of the screen from the live feed from Amsterdam, but it does show a great scrapbook page. When purchasing product, you will save money and time by focusing on suites. Just like buying clothes, it makes sense to buy coordinating products because they work together so well. This makes it easy to make beautiful things and takes the work out of it. Just spread it all out on your work surface and the creativity will flow. Try it. You will be amazed.
Don’t forget to check out the retiring list, there are lots of great deals on there- anywhere from 15% to 50% off including items from the Occasions catalog. Click here to see your options, remember there are three categories to go through, there is a LOT of stuff. If you order online, please remember to use the current host code: S4M6VSZZ
Alison kindly sent me her pictures of her samples which are much nicer and also have her watermark on them. A lot of work goes into making the samples for OnStage because you have to come up with every idea totally on your own! If you pinned any of my pictures earlier that had my watermark on them, please delete them and repin these ones instead. Thanks for understanding. I am learning as I go!!
Thanks for checking out my blog. Happy stamping!!
Jackie
by Jackie Bultje | Apr 10, 2017 | Big Shot, Birthday, Birthday Memories Suite, Framelits, notecards and envelopes |
Hello stampers! You are a very lucky bunch indeed, because you get a fabulous sneak peek at a brand new suite from the upcoming 2017-2018 annual catalog. It is called Birthday Memories Suite and it is unlike anything Stampin’Up! has ever offered before. What makes it unique is that the framelits in the bundle also cut out the beautiful images from the paper. I can’t share the pictures for the paper, the stamp set or the framelits yet, but I can show you the projects that I made!
I just love the honeycomb embellishments that go with this suite. The colours there match perfectly with the patterned paper. Here is a close-up:
Do you see the girl in the inside of this card? It is a stamp and there is a matching framelit. There is also a girl on the patterned paper that faces the front and it also fits into the framelit.
The patterned paper in this suite that you can make the easiest cards ever just by using a square of it and putting it on the front of the card. I love the nostalgic feel of it and that it works for both boys and girls. Doesn’t it remind you of the beautiful story books that you read as a child?
This is a great card for a dog lover and it simply uses a piece of patterned paper from the Birthday Memories Suite. Here is the inside of the card and it uses the stamp set Here for You.
This suite is great, not only for cards, but also for cute gifts.
This is a petite cafe bag. Did you know that they are poly-lined so that they are safe for treats. Perfect for Easter. I also like to put hazelnut vanilla coffee beans in there. Looks great and smells great too! The next gift is a white treat box that has a clear sleeve around it that has been embellished with a wide banner and a big bow.
If you look closely you can see the clear acetate sleeve around the box. That means the whole embellished beautiful topper comes off so that the gift can be opened and nothing destroyed.
On this baby card I pulled the ribbon apart and it suits the card perfectly. It also combines very well with the That’s The Tag bundle. Here is close up of the fox:
Another image that is from the patterned paper is the cake and it cuts out with a coordinating framelit. Such fun to play with!!
Here is one more cake card and then I am going to save the rest of the projects for another day. This post is getting super long and I am getting super tired!!
This last card uses one of the neutral sheets from the designer series paper in the Birthday Memories Suite. The cake is an image from the paper and the chef is a stamp. Both are cut using framelits, so no fussy cutting. How awesome is that?!
Stay tuned for more amazing projects using this fabulous suite.
by Jackie Bultje | Mar 31, 2017 | Big Shot, Birthday, Framelits |
Hello stampers! Do you know which is the cheapest bundle in the Occasions catalog? It is definitely a hidden gem. You can find it on page 11 and it is only $44 for a seven piece stamp set and three framelits. It is called Birthday Blast Bundle and you can see it here. I recently used this set to make congratulations cards for my team members who were celebrating “Stampin’Up!” anniversaries. I was amazed at how quick and easy it was to make a very striking card, especially when you step it up and use our sparkling glimmer paper.
One of the things I like the most about Stampin’Up! is the way their products coordinate to make you look very professional. It takes all the guess work out of card making. The paper matches the card stock which matches the ribbon which matches the ink and voila! A beautiful card with no mental anguish. This stamp set also has nice big sentiments which fill up the page so that with three stamps, a framelit and a piece of ribbon you are done. Anyone would be thrilled to get this card in the mail. It is also good to note that there is no bow tying which makes these great to mail.
Birthday Blast is a great set not only for birthday, but for celebrating all kinds of occasions, or no occasion at all, just the fact that the person you love is in your life! You could also use this as a present topper, as pictured in the catalog, or as a Disney crown for your little one. It would make a great craft to do with the kids at a birthday party, they could all make their own crown.
See the little silver stars around the Happy Birthday? They are left over when you run the star blast edgelit through the Big Shot. It does help to have the Big Shot die brush to get the little bits out very quickly and easily. The stamp set also comes with two different sized stars to add detail.
Here you can see the framelit used as a present topper if you want to be an ultimate gift giver or party planner:
Don’t forget that today is the last day to take advantage of the biggest sale of the year: sale-a-bration. With every $60 purchase you get a free item. Some new items have been added to the available selections:
It is also the last day that you can get the starter kit for an amazing deal plus two free stamp sets. I would love to have you get your own discount (20% every day!) and join my team. If you are interested, simply click here to get the process started. Today only you will get two free extra stamp sets in addition to the $165 worth of product that you can choose and pay only $135 with no tax and no shipping. Almost too good to be true. Also, to celebrate the last day of this great sale, anyone who orders today will be put into a draw for hostess benefits. If you order, comment below what you would like for $20.
by Jackie Bultje | Feb 23, 2017 | Big Shot, Birthday, Framelits |
Hello stampers. What is your favourite tool in your stamp room? The one tool you could not do without? For me it is the BIg Shot. Of course you do need a paper trimmer, and I will talk about that one another day. The Big Shot is the tool that totally floored me when I first fell in love with card making. How a machine could turn plain paper into a beautifully textured work of art was just amazing to me. Of course, it not only embosses (which, if you are a brand new stamper is the word for turning a flat, plain piece of cardstock into a textured, patterned work of art) it also cuts and scores things.
You can also use the Big Shot to cut things using metal shapes called framelits or thinlets and they are either plain shapes such as ovals, squares, circles, hearts, stars, etc. Stampin’Up also carries Stitched Framelits which are my favourite because they add such classic detail with ease. They are also very hard to find since they are not in any of our catalogs yet, but if you click here you will have it at your fingertips. Use the host code on the side bar and you can have these beauties delivered to your door in no time at all!
When cutting out detailed shapes you will get amazing results with the Precision Base Plate. This is a very solid steel plate that has no give, so it works very well to cut in all those tiny spots. Combined with the die brush you will be so happy with the improved results. Worth every penny. The recipe is the Big Shot platform and thin die adaptor, then the precision base plate with the black side up, then your cardstock and your thinlet or framelit then ONE clear cutting plate. Here are the instructions in case you lost yours or have a hard time finding exactly where to look:
I am including a video at the end of this post of what to do if you order a Big Shot. It can be a bit overwhelming when the box arrives and you realize that there is “some assembly required”. Don’t let it scare you. All you have to do is attach the handle, but you can laugh along with me as I do it, or try to do it, without reading the instructions. Here are the instructions so I can encourage you to do it the better way! In Canada we call the “hex wrench” an Allen Key if that makes it more clear.
Here is a card made by one of my customers, Jane. I recreated it last night using the Happy Birthday from Rose Wonder, but I forgot to take a picture, so I am just going to use Jane’s. She did a beautiful job. You will recognize the copper foil leaves on here from the Botanical Builder Framelits that I showed above.
Finally, here is the video I made with Jeff showing how to put the BIg Shot together and how to use it properly. Remember, if you don’t have a Big Shot yet, the best way to buy it is to include it in your starter kit. That way you pay no shipping or tax plus you a few extra embossing folders as a bonus. Why? How? Because the kit is only $135 but you get to choose $165 in product, so that could include the BIg Shot for $136, a woodland embossing folder for $11.25, a brick wall embossing folder for $11.25 plus stampin’ mist cleaner for $6. You will only pay $135!! That is LESS than the price of the Big Shot in the catalog. PLUS you then get to pick out any two free stamp sets out of the Occasions or Annual catalogs. Stampin’Up also includes a past Paper Pumpkin kit in your starter kit as well as 8 annual catalogs, 8 Occasions catalogs, 8 sale-a-bration flyers and 50 order forms. You then get 20% off all your own orders and 20% instant income if you sell anything to your people. If you choose not to sell to anyone or not to buy another thing ever (really??) you will still have the great deal on your kit. Click here to join and get the starter kit.
Well, I wish you all the best with your Big Shot, if you have any questions or comments, please leave them here, I do love to hear from you. Next in this series will be the Stampin’ Trimmer.
by Jackie Bultje | Feb 16, 2017 | Birthday, project kit, tags |
Hello stampers. Project Kits are a wonderful form of “almost instant” gratification. They also come in a very nice package that is nice to give away as a gift complete with the finished cards or tags, or it makes a useful and pretty place to store crafting supplies in your stamp room. You also have the choice of buying your own stamp set to go with the kit, or just coming to my place and using my stamp set and saving some money. I also like them because they are very portable. So if you are going to the cottage or to visit your in-laws, or have to wait a while in a hospital waiting room you can take it with you to pass the time pleasantly. Here is a nice shot of one of each of the completed items.
Sometimes it is fun to stamp alone, but it is also great fun to get together with a group of friends or fellow crafters to stamp together. There is always so much laughter and sharing in my stamp room. Good food is also a great addition. That is why I like to offer kits as potluck parties. Everyone brings a dish to share and that way you may even go home with a new recipe! There is no extra cost for coming for the day or evening, just the cost of the kit. This kit, Birthday Bright Project Kit is very reasonable at only $37. You will make 12 cards and 12 gift tags. The date for this Potluck Party is Thursday March 30 at either 10am or 6:30pm. Deadline for registration is March 10.
This card has some adorable banners going across it. It is a little fiddly but not too bad at all. I think it is worth it for getting such an unusual card, but if this is not your thing we can find an alternative for it for sure. The card bases are all terrific, in fact they are so nice it is a shame to cover most of it up!
The last card in this kit has a recessed birthday cake. There is also a birthday cake shape that pops out of the card base which you can use on a different project. Bonus! The card also has some great colourful enamel shapes on it which give it some lovely detail. Whoever gets this card will be feeling the love.
Here are the tags included with the kit. You can either be an over-the-top gift giver and have a coordinating card and gift tag, or you can double the value of your money and give some people just a cute tag with their gift and no card. Sometimes that is not so bad. Depends on who is getting it right? If you know they are the type who don’t save cards for more than a few days, then a tag is just the thing.
Here is a close-up of the balloon tag that uses a honeycomb embellishment. I love the colour combination and all the little details on this one.
Here are the present tags. A word of caution here. If you look closely you will see that the silver foil on the saffron tag is a little gunky. Yup. Don’t use fast fuse to adhere those parts. I learned my lesson. Even that little adhesive remover tool wouldn’t get it off completely. It just kind of spread the gunk around. So on the watermelon wonder tag I just used a few glue dots. Your fine-tip glue pen will also do a fine job, pardon the pun!
So, if you are wishing that winter would just end, and you need a creative fix, come on out to the potluck party and we will have some fun together. You can also gather up a few friends and come together. What a wonderful day or evening out. Don’t forget about sale-a-bration too. This fabulous sale goes until the end of March and there are two great things about that. One, you get to choose a free item with every $60 purchase before shipping and tax. Two, the starter kit is a super amazing deal. Not only do you get to pick out $165 worth of product from the annual catalog, the Occasions catalog or the clearance rack, you only pay $135, no shipping, no tax. AND you get to choose two free stamps sets out of any catalog as well. You can also come to my team retreat day on Monday February 27. Check it out:
Well, happy stamping. Until next time, warm hugs, Jackie
by Jackie Bultje | Feb 15, 2017 | Birthday, decorated tin, fundraiser |
I am carried away with joy that I can participate in a continent wide fundraiser to help fund autism research and awareness. Pardon the pun. Carried Away is the name of the paper that is used to make these happy and colourful cards. I just love that Stampin’Up has offered sale-a-bration items that coordinate with products in the Occasions catalog. It makes the stamp so much more versatile when there is more designer series paper to coordinate with it. That is the case with Carried Away designer series paper and Lift Me Up stamp set.
Autism is a terrible thing. What’s worse is that there is often not enough funding for the families who have to deal with it, so that makes their situation even more difficult. I am so happy that together we can make a small difference. Won’t you join me in making these beautiful cards and a lovely tin to keep them all in? The date for this fundraiser is Wednesday April 26 at 10am and 7pm. If you do not live in the Chatham area, then you can help by placing an online order of $60 or more and I will donate all my sales commission to the cause. You can also choose the tin as your free sale-a-bration item #143833, or you can place a $120 order and also get the free sale-a-bration paper to make these cards. It is called “Carried Away” and it is item #143608. The host code to use is 2MQZTNWF.
What is so nice about this set of cards is that they are happy and colourful and easy to make. They would make a fabulous gift for someone as everyone loves a matched set of cards that are all ready to use and organized in a pretty tin. The card bases are watermelon wonder, mint macaron, peekaboo peach and smoky slate. They are all cut either “hamburger” or “hotdog” style. Just watch the video below to be sure what that means. What a great description! The patterned paper is all cut to 4″ by 5 1/4″. The white part for stamping on is 3″ by 3 1/2″ adn the white strips for the greeting is 3 3/4″ by 1″. You will need a piece of either navy or white baker’s twine approximately 34″ long to wrap around the card.
Here is a close-up of the tin. It truly is amazing how decorating with a simple banner just makes into a beautiful work of art that you will be happy to display in your home or give as a gift.
Here are a few step by step photos of the card making:
Next we add the banner. This photo shows a little trick of just adhering the patterned paper banner to the white one that has the greeting. Just a few dimensionals do double duty, popping it up and holding the two together!
After the stamped image is popped up on the card and the banner is added, all that you have to do is add some baker’s twine to finish it off. Little details make a big difference. I think I may have added the twine first and then popped up the banners. I got a little ahead of myself. No worries, at the end there will be a video from the home office that is actually very well done.
So here is the video that inspired me to do this as a fundraiser for autism that Lee Conrey has organized for several years now. Autism awareness month is April, so on April 26 you can come and join me and make this great set of cards with the tin for only $60.
