Hello stampers. I have a fun card for you today that is simply called a Double Point Card. I am using all new supplies from the new catalog to get you all excited for what is coming. That might be a bad idea since it takes your focus off of our Occasions catalog and all the amazing things in our current annual catalog, but we always like sneak peeks don’t we? If your catalog is anything like mine, it is getting a little worn around the edges! I used the Perennial Essence suite for this card. The product that most captured my heart in this suite is definitely the Perennial Essence paper, it is simply stunning!!
Double Point Card
Here you can see what I used to make this card. The picture doesn’t show you the beautiful paper or the coordinating vellum but that will come later! It is really nice that there are two coordinating punches with this stamp set, the new perennial flower punch and our current leaf punch.
Perennial Flower Punch and Leaf Punch
I love the soft colours of this card. The muted tones of the patterned paper are well suited to combining with a vellum flower. Let’s take a look at how I made the points out of the Perennial Essence paper.
Measurements for the Points
The points are just a 3″ by 4″ piece of patterned paper, scored at 1″ along the long side. You then fold the corners down to meet just above the score line. The 1″ by 4″ piece then gets adhered under the 4″ by 5 1/4″ piece of whisper white cardstock (see the video).
These new stitched nested labels are a dream to work with. They pop out of the framelits with ease, absolutely no poking necessary. There are 9 dies in the set.
Floral Centres
Here you can see a closeup of the stitched nested labels. Do you see how pretty the floral essence centers are? (yes, I know I am spelling that word the American way, but if people want to google for them it won’t show up if I spell it the Canadian way)
There are lots of little surprises in this card. You get to lift the stitched nested labels to see this sentiment and then you get to open the actual card to find another one!! Someone will definitely be feeling the love when they get this card from you.
Paper Pumpkin
The sentiment here is from the March Paper Pumpkin that featured the succulents. That kit is totally sold out. Don’t you hate it when you miss out on a fabulous Paper Pumpkin? There is a super easy way to have that not happen. Subscribe and get a monthly delight in the mail. Instant gratification! Just like ordering takeout so that you don’t have to cook and clean up. Next month’s Paper Pumpkin is a very special vintage one designed by Shelli Gardner the cofounder of Stampin’Up! Click here if you are interested.
Clearance Rack
I hope you enjoyed this fun card today. I hope to get the new catalogs in some time in May. Don’t forget to check out the clearance rack for some fabulous deals. Once again, the list of products at the end of my post will be small since most of the products are not yet available. I have to say that one of the things I really enjoy about being a demonstrator is getting my hands on brand new products before anyone else!! At the end of this post is a video showing you how I put the card together. It cuts off at the end because I ran out of space on my phone. There was no way I was going to redo the whole thing and we didn’t miss much at the end.
Hello stampers. Today we are going to do a little exploring of a very fun but easily overlooked product in our Stampin’Up! catalog: Brusho paint crystals. Brusho is the name brand of these gorgeous intensely coloured paint crystals that are activated with water. It is really quite a fine powder. You poke a hole in the lid with a push pin or thumbtack and then tap the powder out where you want it. You then keep the hole sealed with the push pin or thumbtack when you are not using it. Rather than talk about it, I will show you the cards that I made and then explain what I did on each one.
Here is the first card, it was a complete case (copy and share everything) from the catalog. I love the bold colours here. I stamped some images from Beautiful Promenade in versamark on shimmery white cardstock and white embossed with the heat gun. Then I sprinkled on mostly red and gamboge Brusho paint crystals and a little bit of yellow. I then spritzed lightly with water to activate the crystals. You might see a few blue spots, they can appear magically because of some fine powder left on my hands, on the work surface or even in the air!!
The card base is poppy parade, the edge is from Delicate Lace edgelits and the saying was stamped in Poppy Parade on Powder Pink. It comes from Birthday Cheer in the Occasions catalog on page 17. This card is a bit of an odd shape (I think because I messed up!) It is 1/4 inch shorter than normal- 5 1/4″ by 4 1/4″.
This card uses all the Brusho paint crystals. I cased it from the talented Connie Collins. I took a piece of shimmery white cardstock that was 4 1/4″ by 5 1/2″ and I misted it with water. I sprinkled on an angle starting at the top in this order: red, gamboge, yellow, moss green and prussian blue. I then gently misted again just to get the colours to run and blend a little bit. I let it dry naturally (if you use a heat gun that tends to mute the colours a bit) I then cut out the butterflies with the dies from the Beauty Abounds bundle on page 13 of the Occasions catalog. The sentiment is from Well Said and it was embossed in white on basic black cardstock. The butterfly was adhered using glue dots only on the bodies of the biggest butterflies to allow for the feeling of movement.
This Let it Ride card was cased from the internet. I think the original creator was Lynn Dunn but I was not able to find a corresponding blog post. This card is a work in progress. I made this one with shimmery white cardstock but am going to do it again using watercolour paper. I masked the horse using only a mask made with a sticky note which got rather soggy. The blue bled through on his nose making it look like he is wearing a bridle!! The top of the card around the horse was sprinkled with Prussian Blue brusho crystals and then spritzed with water. I used a aqua painter to spread it around close to the horse. The bottom part was simply coloured with Granny Apple Green blends. The sentiment was embossed in white before I applied the Brusho.
This last card is one of my favourite techniques with Brusho. You put a piece of painters tape across your piece of watercolour paper near the top leaving room for your sentiment. You then drop little dabs of Brusho powder along the bottom of the tape. I alternated between Prussian Blue and Yellow. They mingle nicely to add some green in between. You then hold the card at an angle and spritz down, just a little bit so that you still get colour droplets and not a messy trail running all the way down your card. This piece measures 3 3/4″ by 5″. The words are from the Well Said bundle. This is a high ticket item on page 27 of the Occasions catalog- $103.50 for the bundle. I highly recommend that you put it in a starter kit. You save the shipping and taxes which for this bundle alone would be $23.69. You would still have $121.50 that you could choose products with and then pay only $135 for all that amazing stuff!!!
I have done several other posts on Brusho. If you type Brusho into the search box at the top right of the page you will see them all. Here is one to make it easy for you.
Saleabration is winding down, so be sure to get what you want on your wish list so that you can get some freebies as well. A LOT of our beautiful products are selling out, so don’t be disappointed and get what you want in the Occasions catalog today. If your wish list is long, I am telling you once again that the starter kit is THE way to go. No need to feel badly if you think you are only going to be a “kitnapper”. Stampin’Up! is willing to take that chance and I just want you to get the most value for your money. Diva Day is this Saturday from 10am till 4pm and you get to spend a day with me being pampered with food, fun stamping and free products in a goodie bag, but only if you have joined my team during saleabration.
I hope you have a super day! Be sure to pop a card in the mail today and make someone happy, or keep one in your purse to give to someone while you are out and about in your community. It’s little things like that that make the world a better place.
Hello stampers. That is a hashtag I use often: #itsallaboutthetreats. It sometimes really is all about the treats. If you have read my “About Me” section, then you know that I am called The Pampered Stamper because I like pampering my people with good food while they stamp, or more accurately, before or after they stamp. Stamping is always great fun, but gathering together in fellowship over good food, that is priceless. Stamping without treats just seems empty to me. Soulless. In this post you will see how we can combine treats right into the card. How much fun is that? Stampin’Up! has made it possible with their treat tubes. They were first featured in a Paper Pumpkin last year and were such a hit that they made into our catalog. I got the idea for these fabulous cards from my dear friend BJ Peters.
I used the September Paper Pumpkin stamps to make this paper myself. I just stamped in versamark and white embossed the leaves and then sponged with real red, pumpkin pie, crushed curry and old olive to make a beautiful background paper. The stamps are from Spooky Cat. This card fits into a regular envelope but it probably costs a little extra to mail because of the bulk.
I couldn’t resist using the retired washi tape from last year’s holiday catalog. Anything with words on it and you have me hooked! But check out the cat? How awesome is our cat punch? Buy it in a bundle with the Spooky Cat stamp set and you will save 10%. Did you know that if you place an online order with me this month you will get entered into a draw to win any bundle of your choice? I am doing this to help celebrate my 12th anniversary with Stampin’Up!
This last card is a total case from BJ Peters. I didn’t have any Christmas M&Ms so I used crushed candy canes instead that you could use as a sweet topper on your whipping cream for that fancy coffee or hot chocolate. Now I’m guessing you would like to have the measurements on how to make this adorable treat holder yourself. No problem, I totally understand, so I have a little diagram for you. I will also share a video so you can see how it is done.
I am not sure, but I think that the inspiration for these treat cards may have come from the post-it note holders that have been popular for a long time. Sometimes we forget the “oldies but goodies” so I will share a picture of one of these as well as the measurements for a standard square post-it note pad. First of all, here is the old one that I have held on to for many years because I thought it was so cute. Originally I made it for a teacher’s gift class.
I used this old one to get the measurements for the new one. Real red cardstock is 3 1/4″ by 7 3/8″ scored at 3 1/8″, 3 1/2″ and 3 7/8″. Cut between the score lines at 1″ and 2 1/4″, this will make the pen holder part. Here is the new one that I made using the Hang Your Stocking stamp set.
Before I share my video, don’t forget about the contest I am offering this month as a celebration of my 12th anniversary with Stampin’Up! If you order online during October you will be entered into a draw for any bundle of your choice but you must use the current host code when you place your order. Good luck!!
Hello stampers! I am so excited to share with you a brand new suite called Eastern Palace. It will be available to you on May 1, unless you want to take advantage of the great deal on the starter kit, then you can get it right away. Wait till you see what this amazing suite has in it and what you can do with it. I have to admit that when I first saw it, I was definitely NOT impressed. It was the beauty and intricacy of the framelits and dies that won me over. Seeing is believing, so check out this YouTube video I made showing what this suite can do:
The card that inspired me the most was this one by Melinda Kok, a demonstrator from the Netherlands. Here is the link to her blog: http://melindakok.blogspot.ca/
The other two people who inspired me most when creating my samples were Lyssa Zwolanek and Martha Inchley. Thanks so much for jump starting my creativity.
I love the simplicity of the gold and the vanilla. For the first time ever, Stampin’Up! has thick gold stickers that coordinate with framelits to make beautifully detailed accents. I love them so very much. The following card was inspired by Martha Inchley from London, Ontario.
The card above uses Lemon Lime Twist and Tranquil Tide as well as Soft Sky. Three of the new in colours are included in the bundle you can get on May 1: Lemon Lime Twist, Tranquil Tide and Fresh Fig.
Here you can see the pretty tassel that is included in the bundle. The package has twelve tassels in total, four of each in gold, tranquil tide and fresh fig. There are also some very pretty words that are shaped in a curve so you can stamp them around your circle images.
Here is a close up of the one card where I went a little crazy stamping all the little details. Definitely not a card to be made in a big class but oh so much fun to do yourself. I layered circles of cardstock in behind the detailed framelits for a pop of colour with Lemon Lime Twist and Tranquil Tide.
Here is a little sampler I made of how the different framelits cut such intricate details:
You can see that the framelits cut out details but most of the time not a shape, so that means you get this beautifully framed “window” in the front of your card. The shaped framelits cut out the stickers. These framelits pair very well with our Layering Circles framelits and with our Stitched Framelits.
Here is a look at what you can get in the bundle, there are two options to choose from, one is great for beginner stampers and the other one is great for someone who wants to have it all.
There are two options for getting some or all of these products and the great thing is that with either choice you get free stuff. With the first bundle you get a free pack of vanilla envelopes. With the second bundle you get a a free pack of envelopes AND a package of very vanilla thick cardstock. Yes, thick card stock is now also going to be available in very vanilla. How wonderful is that?
The following two cards were inspired by Lyssa Zwolanek. One reminds me of a theatre stage curtain, and the other one is clean and simple with layers of gold and vanilla.
I am super excited about this new suite, so I am going to make a special offer to you. If you let me know BEFORE May 1 which bundle you would like, you will go into a draw for hostess benefits. If you live out of town and want to order online, let me know ahead of time and then use the host code found on the right side column of my blog and you too will be entered into the draw. How fun to get some new in-colour ink pads and card stock before the new catalog goes live on June 1. This is the kind of product that you don’t have time to put away because you just want to keep creating with it. Here is the last card I want to share with you. Notice that our dapper denim ribbon matches very well with this suite. Of course it is retiring, so get it while you can! It is even 25% off right now and still available.
Well hello stampers! The thing I like best about what I do as a Stampin’Up! demonstrator is that I can make a real difference in people’s lives. So can you. Through the inspiration of a fellow demonstrator who attended my retreat in Tennessee, “Dixie Sue”, and through two requests from the community, C.A.R.E. was born. It stands for Cards Are a Real Encouragement. Both the local hospital and the hospice approached me about making cards and I was thrilled to be able to say yes! The cards we will make together will let people know that they are not alone. Someone cares about them and they have not been forgotten. Their sorrow and their pain will be acknowledged. Yesterday I was busy all morning creating these simple but beautiful cards.
Some of these cards use retired stamp sets, but since they are still beautiful and not being used in a “real” card making class, I have no issue with that. Even the beautiful Serene Scenery paper is now sold out. I still have four packages unopened!! The birthday cards you see will be for those unfortunate people that have to celebrate a birthday in the hospital.
Even though this beautiful paper is no longer available, the stamp set used here, Sunshine Sayings, is still current. I love this set as it is so versatile and combines so beautifully with the Sunshine Wishes framelits. Right now it is still a bundle so you save 10%. When the new catalog comes out June 1 it will no longer be a bundle so you will have to pay more!
This card was made using leftover scraps from another card. The heart is from Sunshine Wishes framelits and the saying is from Weather Together, which will only be available until May 31. The card itself measures 4 1/4″ square. The patterned paper strips are 3 3/8″ x 1″. The black mat is 3 5/8″ x 3 3/8″. The following card sort of sums up my motivation for C.A.R.E. “be the difference you want to see in the world”.
The way that C.A.R.E. works is that we will make three identical cards, perhaps switching up the sentiments. One card will go to the hospital, one will be for hospice and one will be for you to keep. You pay only $5. We meet each Saturday morning at 10am at The Dutch Market at 80 William Street south in their bistro. Of course we will take time to enjoy their famous pastries and Charlie is always so kind and generous to provide us with coffee on the house. Space is limited to be a part of this group, so be sure to let me know if you want to be a part of it. This last card was the brain child of Julie Scaparra. I love it so much. The saying is from a retired stamp set called Love and Sympathy. the lighthouse is from the stamp set High Tide, one of my favourites from the Occasions catalog.
It truly is amazing that stamps, ink and paper can make such a difference in people’s lives. It really is true. I have heard it over and over and it makes my heart smile. The simple act of making something for someone with your own two hands while thinking about them is a very profound act of love that does not go unnoticed. People feel the love. I will end with the Stampin’Up! statement of the heart:
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!!
