Archive for the ‘Sizzix’ Category:
A Gorgeous New Hostess Set!
Aloha, all!
Among stamps sets that do not get a lot of attention are those that you can get FOR FREE for hostessing a workshop. If you hostess a workshop of $300 or more (think 6 people ordering just $50 worth of products!), you get to select a Level 2 Hostess set (along with other FREE products).
One of this year's Level 2 Hostess sets uses one of my favorite techniques, 2-Step Stampin'. It's called Fast and Fabulous and rightly so! You can get this Fabulous watercolor look as fast as stamping twice. The outline image is one stamp and the "watercolor" fill in color is another stamp.
To make this floral image I used Rich Razzleberry and one of this year's new In Colors, Pear Pizzazz (boy, there are a LOT of zzzzzs in those names!). I applied ink to the outline stamp using a Classic Stampin' Pad and then used Stampin' Write Markers to color in the petals and leaves of the fill stamp. Presto (no, FAST!) a fabulous look. I finished off the stamped layer with a greeting from the continuing Stamp Set, All Holidays, and a separate little flower that I cut out to overlap the Pear Pizzazz edge. I texturized the card front with the Perfect Polka Dots Sizzix Embossing Folder, and added a little insert punched with the Scallop Edge punch to accent the Pear Pizzazz ink in the stamped image. Cool, huh? And simple. It took me no time at all to make with all the wonderful tools that Stampin' Up! has available!
Here's the layout for this card – and don't forget you can get that stamp set (with a bunch more images, too!) for hostessing just a $300 workshop!
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Subscribe to the comments for this postTaking a Break to Play!
Aloha, all!
As those of you on my newsletter list know, I've been hip deep in boxes in the Craft Room getting all my retired "stuff" ready for my New Catalog Open House a week from Saturday.
But this morning, there was a Chat & Challenge on my SUDSOL (Stampin' Up! Demo) group, so I took a break to make a card.
This card is a mix of new and continuing products. The "new" is the Pear Pizzazz Card Stock, the Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder that I used for the card front, and the Early Espresso color of the background card stock and the ink. Continuing from the last catalog are the Pretty in Pink Satin Ribbon and Card Stock, the Scallop Circle Punch (though now it's being offered in the new punch style) and the Lovely Letters Alphabet Stamp Set. Nice combo, I think!
Here are a couple of the techniques that I used to put this card together:
- I measured and cut the top (Pretty in Pink) and bottom (Pear Pizzazz) card stock so that, together, they made up the 5-1/4" x 4" central layer. Then I used standard transparent tape to hold them together at the back. Then I took this entire piece and ran it through the Sizzix Big Shot with the Vintage Wallpaper embossoing folder. So everything is nicely lined up.
- Rather than use Stampin' Dimensionals to raise the scalloped motif up from the background paper, I cut 4 pieces of Pretty in Pink Card stock and glued them all together with Crystal Effects to make a thick element to apply to the background. With that raised embossing on the card, I didn't think that the dimensionals permitted the motif to stay on so that it looked even.
- I used a sponge and some Early Espresso ink around the edges of the monogram motif and around the Pink/Pear layer. I think it gives it a nice "vintage" look. Next time I may try inking the ribbon, too. But it's so pretty by itself!
- I embossed the monogram letter. I first stamped the letter in Early Espresso. Then, using my Stamp-a-ma-jig I stamped over it with VersaMark, then applied clear embossing powder and heated it to a shine.
Now I have the beginning of some stationery – and one of the projects for my techniques classes that will be starting in the fall!
Here are the layout measurements for this card. Have fun making your own! As always, if you make a card using one of my sketches, I'll be happy to feature it in one of my blog posts!
A Fun Daisy Wreath!
Aloha, all!
By golly, I got to play in my craft room TWICE today! Well, it's pretty late in most places on the mainland. But I'm still posting here on June 30th. Not to worry, though – everything that's in this fun project is also in the brand new Stampin' Up! 2010-2011 Idea Book and Catalog. It's still not "out there" for me to link to; but check back later on July 1st, and I'm sure you'll find a link to it right over on the left of this blog post!
One of our FCE club's fund raisers every year is a rummage sale. BIG rummage sale! As I was helping set up and, of course, browsing through the goodies, I came across a stack of Card Maker magazines from a couple of years ago. Score! No one else had a chance at those babies.
A project that caught my eye as I leafed through them this past weekend used one of the Sizzix Big Shot dies to make a wreath. The die they used was the Stars #2 die (guess what just got added to my July 1st order list!). Not having that die, I worked through some of the other dies trying to make a similar wreath. The Stampin' Up! Beautiful Butterflies die makes one that's to die for! But it's more scrapbook page size than greeting card size. While I'm sure that I'll show that off before long (think some new designer series paper with some round pages!) I really wanted to show off a card. So the Flower Daisies #2 die it was!
I took some more time out today (yes, I did get some chores done, but I was really not that into housework today as you can tell) and made this card. My Stampin' Up! demos group, SUDSOL, had a great sketch challenge this week, and this fit right in.
New colors: Pear Pizzazz and Daffodil Delight. New Designer Series Paper: Greenhouse Gala. New Ribbon: 1/8" Daffodil Delight Taffeta Ribbon. Not new but still fun stamp from the set On a Pedestal.
Here is a set of instructions for making the Daisy Wreath! As soon as I get my hands on the Stars #2 Die, I'll make a sample using that and update the instructions!
Have fun with this!
Thinking of You…
Aloha, all!
Finally – here I am back in my Craft Room and feeling as if I have a little bit of time to really play. I've decided that today the lunch dishes can wait until I've made a card or two.
Thanks to all of you who have sent good wishes, thoughts and prayers our way as my husband has been dealing with his illness. Thankfully, he came through his very extensive surgery well, and is now at home recuperating. I hope you never have the experience of having to be away from home to be with a loved one who is in the hospital as long as I had. Instead of going home each night for a month to rest and recuperate among familiar surroundings to be able to face the next day, I had to go to a hotel room. I realized then how much value there is in one of Stampin' Up!'s programs, which is to support Ronald McDonald houses around the country. So many parents have to travel away from home to be with their children in such a situation. I wish there was something like that for us dealing with an adult.
Meanwhile, I really was "Thinking of You…." I really like sharing what I do with you, and it would have helped if I could have been able to do something creative and then spend some time in the late evening sharing it. Even now, though we've been back home for almost week, it's been a very tiring one as I try to get all the household chores done myself. Yup, those lunch dishes are still there. But today I really got into my craft room and set some crafting goals for myself. Over the next few days, I'll share some of what I've done and really make an effort to get back into my groove.
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As always, I look to my SUDSOL online demonstrator group for some inspiration. Yesterday, I had a challenge to make a card with 8 separate steps. It involved the number of colors of card stock and ink that we had to use, the number of layers to be included, the number of stamp sets to be used and the number of embellishments to finish it all off.
And this is a sneak peek of sorts, too! One of the three colors I used is Stampin' Up!'s newest yellow in the core collection – Daffodil Delight. Such a pretty yellow for summer! and the coordinating Daffodil Delight Ribbon is one of thirteen new 1/8" Taffeta Ribbons. What a nice size for an accent. Finally, I textured the Daffodil Delight layer using Stampin' Up!'s newest Sizzix Textured Impression Embossing Folder, Vintage Wallpaper.
A special thanks to fellow Stampin' Up! demonstrator, Amy Celona, who help me out by getting the list of retiring products posted over to the right. Nothing in this card is going to retire except for the Not Quite Navy brads – part of the Earth Elements collection of brads. This set of brands is still available, but there are other items that are selling out already even though June is just half over!
One thing you may have noticed in the list of retiring accessories is an asterisk in the column "Being Reconfigured." What this means is that some or all of what's being retired is still going to be around. For example, those Earth Elements Brads are going to be "reconfigured." Some of the colors of brads will still be around, just in different groupings. And the brad groupings going forward will be in sets of 6, not just 4. If a color is a retiring color, the brad will definitely be retiring. If you have any other questions about any of these lists, please be sure to let me know!
More creativity tomorrow!
A Workshop for Wendy
Aloha, all!
I originally posted these projects as part of a blog tour. What fun that was! The tour group was made up of demonstrators who belong to the group, SUDSOL, which is for Stampin' Up! Demonstrators exclusively. Great group! And I provide a free 3-month membership to the group for anyone who joins my Stampin' Up! team. For more information, just e-mail me.
Now for my creative projects for the day. My first workshop using the Stampin' Up! 2010 Summer Mini Catalog was with my new friend, Wendy, and lots of her friends. After much discussion about how the workshop would be organized, we decided on three Make and Takes, with some of the luscious new Designer Series Paper set, Island Oasis, the Stamp Set, Tropical Party, and (of course) the Sizzix Big Shot.
For our first project, we made a Favor Bag with the Stampin' Up! Exclusive Sizzix Bigz XL Die, Fancy Favor. Wow has this been popular with my friends here in Hawaii, who love to give parties with lots of, well, fancy favors! You've already seen some of my designs using the stamp set, Tropical Party, and I'm just not even close to getting tired of stamping the coconut cup. Here on the Big Island, this cup is most likely to to have been purchased at one of the local farmers markets and contain coconut "milk." We rarely see the little umbrella at the markets, but it sure is cute anyway.
The accents on the Fancy Favor bag coordinate with my favorite colors in the paper I used for this sample: Pumpkin Pie, Tempting Turquoise, and Old Olive. This bag does well with or without a handle, but I decided to use some of the Pumpkin Pie 1/2" Striped Grosgrain Ribbon, which I tacked down on the sides with a couple of Turquoise Circle Ice Rhinestone Brads. I added a Turquoise Brad from the Bold Brights brad collection. (I'm really hoping that we'll continue to see the Turquoise Brads, even though I fully expect to the set to retire as two of the colors in that set will retire at the end of June. Lots of new products this year for sure!)
The two flowers that accent the upper right corner of the bag front are also stamped with the Tropical Party stamp set. I stamped on Tempting Turquoise card stock with Tempting Turquoise Classic Ink, and on Pumpkin Pie with Pumpkin Pie Classic Ink. I then trimmed close to the stamped image and popped them on with some adhesive. I got the idea for using these flowers from fellow SUDSOL member, Gretchen Barron, who used them in a sample for a recent Stamping 411 challenge.
Project Number Two was a Tea Bag Holder made with (what else?) Tea Party Designer Paper. Fellow Stampin' Up! Demonstrator, Maria Matonti, introduced me to the basic project four or five years ago. I frequently make it as a "get well" card as tea always seems to sound good to me when I'm under the weather.
The stamped saying is what connects this project to the Stampin' Up! 2010 Summer Mini Catalog. I have to confess that I have altered my stamp a bit by removing Eleanor Roosevelt's name from it. It just wasn't going to work with this particular design. But isn't the saying perfect for this kind of project???!!!
Finally, here's what the inside of the project looks like with the two tea bags nestled into their little pockets. Here are complete instructions on making the Tea Bag Holder and the Punch Art Teacup.
The Third and Final Project for the workshop was a greeting card. There I was back at the Stamping 411 blog, looking for this week's challenge project and I stumbled on the layout for this card. Here is another use of the Island Oasis Designer Series Paper – there are actually 4 of the papers represented here! For the greeting, the wonderful old fall-back Stamp Set, Sincere Salutations seemed to be perfect. The measurements for this card aren't really important. What's important is that you scrounge around and find scraps to use to make your own unique card front! Any set of Designer Series Paper – or even combinations of paper sets – works wonderfully.
I hope you enjoyed this brief look at Wendy's Workshop! If you're on Hawaii's Big Island and would be interested in your own workshop, I'd love to talk with you! Just call or e-mail me any time!
Enjoying Some Retiring Colors!
Aloha, all!
Yesterday I started the process of reorganizing my craft room to make sure that I have space to show off all the new Stampin' Up! colors that will be introduced over the next few months. As I picked up some of the retiring colors, I thought of some of the projects that I'd made with them – almost like saying goodbye to a nice roommate. So, as in saying goodbye to a nice roommate, I decided to go have some fun with some retiring colors.
Today's project is copied from a one in a recent issue of Stampin' Up!'s magazine for demonstrators. There are always great projects that are fun and EASY to do, and this was no exception. But I switched out the colors from the original to focus on retiring colors.
The card itself is made from Gable Green and the square layer is made with Green Galore. I texturized the Green Galore layer with a Stampin' Up! exclusive Sizzix Texturz Plate. The stamp set is one that I've not used much because, well, I don't necessarily love shopping OR new shoes. I live in Hawaii, and pretty much stick with my slippahs and some sneakahs for my afternoon walks. But I digress. The stamp set is Things I Love. I stamped the shoe, shopping bag and chocolate on Whisper White Card Stock and then cut them out. The ink colors are, respectively, Cameo Coral, Green Galore, and Close to Cocoa – all retiring colors. The accent color on this card is NOT retiring – that's Real Red.
There's lots of dimension to this card besides its having squares and circles. I mounted the Green Galore layer, the Whisper White Circles and the cut out images all using Stampin' Dimensionals. Now if I can just figure out who to send it to!
Here is the layout – a really simple one. I hope you enjoy trying it!
Something Old and Something New
Aloha, all!
No, it's not for a wedding. It's a card that's made only with colors that are going to retire, but also with a brand new stamp that will be available with the 2010 Summer Mini Catalog in just a little over a week!
Once again, I'm featuring a card with three colors that are retiring, this time Gable Green, Green Galore, and Summer Sun.
Gable Green forms the background for this card, nicely textured with a Stampin' Up! Exclusive Sizzix Texturz Die. I love using this particular texture plate when there are flowers of any kind involve because it reminds me of the trellises by my aunt's home when I was a child. I stayed there in the summer sometimes, and what memories I have. But (once again) I digress.
The mat for the greeting motif is Summer Sun, and that is set off with some Green Galore Brads from the Bold Brights Brads Collection. As with the Rich Regals Brads that I featured earlier in the week, I'm guessing that these brad sets will be retired also, though the brads of the non-retiring colors may still be available. I hope!
The Sneak Peek here are the two stamps that are featured on the background layer of Green Galore. The leaves and the vase are from a stamp set, Bouquet Bunch, that will be featured in the Stampin' Up! 2010 Summer Mini Catalog. There are so many pieces to this set that you can make trees, flowers, and arrangements of all kinds with just one stamp set. I'm excited to be using this to show off cards all summer.
The whole card is set off with some 1/4" Whisper White Grosgrain Ribbon, and two Summer Sun Corduroy Brads. The Whisper White color will NOT be retiring. But it's a nice accent with these gorgeous summer colors!
Here are the layout measurements for this card. Have fun using whatever papers and stamps you have!
Pixie Pink in Our Garden
Aloha, all!
I am spending a lot of time these days focusing on all the lovely Stampin' Up! colors that are going to be retiring. I want to spend as much time as I can with them before I have to leave them to go on to the new colors that will be introduced this summer.
Yesterday, as I was entering our garden on my way back from my afternoon walk, my attention was drawn to some orchids that have been blooming along the side of the driveway for the past couple of weeks (yes, they do last a long time!). Ah, "Orchid Opulence" came to mind because, after all, this is an orchid. But then my mind focused better and I realized that was I was seeing was Pixie Pink. I ran and grabbed my camera and then set out to make a card featuring Pixie Pink.
Then I figured that, as long as I was at it, I should try to work in some other retiring colors. Hmmm. The center of these flowers is a bright yellow – Yo Yo Yellow! And the leaves just jumped out at me when I ran the picture over a sheet of Green Galore. What a bright card came out of this! Ah ha! They're all in the Bold Brights collection, too! This card was just meant to be.
I added some texture with a Stampin' Up! exclusive Sizzix Texturz Plate, a bow of Whisper White 5/8" Satin Ribbon, and a birthday greeting from the set, Teeny Tiny Wishes. Actually, many kinds of greetings would be appropriate for this card. But I missed a friend's birthday (it was last month!) and this will be a fun card to send her.
Note that I made the Scallop Trim Border with the punch that was featured in the now retired Sale-A-Bration Catalog. This punch will be available again, but Stampin' Up! advises that won't happen until the new Catalog is released on July 1st. Meanwhile, if you're in the area and would like to use my punch, just come on over and punch away!
Here's the layout for the card. There are tons of stamp images in the Stampin' Up! collection that you could use in place of the photograph. Or maybe you have your OWN photo that would fit right in there. Have fun whichever way you make the card!
My Stampin’ Up! Jewelry
Aloha, all!
Those of you who know me well understand that jewelry is not "my thing." I have four pieces of jewelry that I wear on a fairly regular basis, all of which were gifts from my husband – including my wedding ring! So I was less than overwhelmed when Stampin' Up! introduced its line of jewelry, Simply Adorned, during the 2009 Holiday Mini Catalog campaign. Ho-hum.
Uh, that was last fall. This is now. I already have two pieces of this jewelry and will definitely be purchasing more. Why is this jewelry different? Because it's not the jewelry itself that is the focus of attention – it's the artwork that's IN the jewelry that's what more interesting.
Last week I presented a Stampin' Up! Workshop, and I wore one of my Stampin' Up! branded shirts, which is the color of Brocade Blue. What better "adornment" for that shirt than a piece of Stampin' Up! paper crafted art in the very same color. And what better way to show it off than with the Simply Adorned 1-1/2" x 2" Rectangular Charm!
I stamped the image from the Charming stamp set in Brocade Blue, then mounted it on a layer of Brocade Blue Card Stock. I made the butterflies using the Beautiful Wings Embosslit Die and some Cameo Coral Card Stock. I think it makes a lovely picture to show off! Of course, the back of the Simply Adorned Charms are also glass, and I couldn't just leave it blank, could I? I stamped another image from the Charming stamp set not only on the whisper white card stock but also on a scrap of Cameo Coral card stock. I cut out the left and right swirls from the image on the Cameo Coral card stock and glued them on top of the image stamped on Whisper White. Then I cut my initial R using the Sizzix Big Shot and the Sizzlit Naturally Serif Die. The final touch on the back was two small rhinestones that I removed from two Clear Rhinestone Brads.
Who would have thought I'd be saying that I love some jewelry!?
Flowers and Butterflies and Cake, Oh My!
Aloha, all!
Next week is granddaughter, Kiara's, birthday. Now she's just a little girl, and I usually try to make "cute" cards for the young kids. But today, with the beautiful Hawaii sunshine and the garden just loving the recent rains, my inspiration ran more into flowers and butterflies than to bears and monkeys.
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So flowers and butterflies it is! The flowers are those beautiful orchid and white flowers on the sheet of Cottage Wall Designer Series Paper. The printed paper with the small dots is also from the Cottage Wall pack of paper. I love every single piece of paper in this set! The butterflies are all punched with the Stampin' Up! Exclusive Sizzix Embosslit, Beautiful Wings. There are 5 butterflies in this one little die, and they are gorgeous. There's a front and a back to each punched and embossed design and I think that both sides of each butterfly are equally lovely. So basically you get 10 designs from this one die! Great deal for sure. (QUICK NOTE! The picture of the die in the Occasions Mini Catalog shows only 4 butterflies. But the actual die that you'll get will have 5 butterflies.)
The cake with the "Happy Birthday" greeting looks just like a single stamp, doesn't it? But it's not! It's two separate stamps, but I stamped them both at one time. Both are part of a set of stamps that don't get mounted on wood, but cling to clear acrylic blocks. This is a great new Stampin' Up! stamp set design feature that combines the fabulous rubber stamp with the see-through features of a clear acrylic block. Both of these stamps are from the set, Happy Moments that is part of this year's Sale-A-Bration offering of FREE STAMP SETS!! Of course, you can still purchase any stamp set from Stampin' Up! mounted on wood blocks, too. Lots of stampers really like that kind of stamp, and Stampin' Up! will keep all of you happy, too! I, however, am so ready to get rid of all that wood that's taking up so much space in my craft room! Bring on the clear mounts!!!!
The colors in this design are Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive, Orchid Opulence and Whisper White. Great combination!
