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Add a Little Glimmer to Your Valentines!

Aloha, all!

     One of my favorite products in the Stampin' Up! 2011 Occasions Mini Catalog is the Red Glimmer Paper.  Wow!  Glitter and nothing on my face, my clothes, my floor (well, maybe a few scraps – but nothing that sparkles).

     And the Glimmer Paper punches up beautifully!  I have to tell you that I was really surprised at how cleanly the Stampin' Up! Heart to Heart Punch punched these little glimmer hearts.  And I really, really like the way that the glimmer paper acts as a mat as it does in this card, between two layers of the Pretty in Pink Patterns Paper from the Subtles Patterns Paper Pack.  Did you miss buying the Patterns Paper that was bundled with the Filled With Love promotion that Stampin' Up! had earlier this month?  No worries (as they say here in Hawaii)!  All of the main Stampin' Up! colors are featured in one of the Designer Series Patterns Stacks that you can find on page 175 of the Stampin' Up! 2010-2011 Idea Book and Catalog. 

     There are two more products from the 2011 Occasions Mini Catalog featured in the card, too.  One is the Framed Tulips Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (you can see it faintly around the larger of the Pretty in Pink Patterns layers) and the Definition Stamp from the Valentine Define Stamp Set.  Note that on the top Pretty in Pink layer I used the Heart to Heart Punch so that the Red Glimmer Paper shows through to complement the punched hearts in the lower left corner.  I layered all this up on a piece of the Real Red Patterns Paper and then tied it together with a bow made with Whisper White 3/8" Taffeta Ribbon before adhering it all to a Whisper White Greeting Card. 

     Pretty card, I think!  And I just know you'll want to try out this layout, especially if you have the Framed Tulip Embossing Folder!  That top layer with the stamped image is sized to fit perfectly just inside the embossing of that folder.  I hope you have fun with it!

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Love Birds for the Divas!

Aloha, all!

     It's Wednesday again, and time for yet another color challenge for the members of the Diva Coffee Break Design Team – and I would be one of those!  You know how much I "love" the color challenges.  But this week, well, I really did like the color scheme!  The challenge colors are Melon Mambo (luscious new pink in the Stampin' Up! collection); Old Olive (a really old favorite of mine); and Peach Parfait (talk about luscious – I can just taste that smooth dessert!). 

     My first thought was of a bold bright card.  But once I got started, I found that my card really has muted colors.  Go figure!

     The reason that the colors seem muted is because that's the way they showed up in the Patterns Papers for all three colors.  The Old Olive and Melon Mambo Patterns Papers are part of the basic products offered in the Stampin' Up! 2010-2011 Idea Book and Catalog.  The patterns paper for Peach Parfait is a bit different and is offered as one of the colors in a Level 1 Hostess Set in the catalog.  But all of the papers seem to go so well with the idea for this card!

     Two of the products that I used to make this card are new in the 2011 Occasions Mini Catalog:  The "Love" stamp is from the new stamp set, Valentine Defined.  And the Framed Tulip Border is a new Sizzix Embossing Folder that is exclusive to Stampin' Up!  That means that you can only buy this beautiful embossing folder from Stampin' Up!

     And boy does this card use the punches!  The main punch, of course, is the Two-Step Extra Large Bird Punch.  I punched all three colors of the patterns papers and then mixed and matched the Melon and Peach colors on the birds, and punched two branches with the Olive.  For the heart, I used the Heart to Heart Punch, and punched both the Melon and Peach again.  I laid one on top of the other and cut through the middle.  This way if the cut was a bit crooked, the two sides would still fit together perfectly.  For the background for the "Love" greeting, I used the Curly Label Extra Large Punch, and then punched "love" with the 1-3/8" x 5/8" Oval Punch.  To get the variations in the colors on the stamp, I used my Stampin' Write Markers to color the individual letters on the stamp and then stamped the whole design onto Whisper White card stock.  Finally, the card front was tied together (literally!) with some Old Olive 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon, and layered on some Melon Mambo and Old Olive Patterns Paper before adhering all the layers to a card of Whisper White. 

     Fun card to make!  I hope you'll stop on over at the Diva Coffee Break Designs website this week to see what the other Divas have done with this color combination.  And you're more than welcome to join in the fun!

     Whether you join the Divas or just do some of your own crafting at home, have a great time with it!

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Another Class Project – a Valentine, of course!

Aloha, all!

     I mentioned my Stamp-A-Stack class in yesterday's blog post in which I showed off one of the projects.  Today's featured card was the other project. 

     This card is based on a design featured on Stampin' Up!'s website.  I really like Stampin' Up!'s design, but I wanted to have my group make a card that would be a bit easier to put together in a Stamp-A-Stack setting, and this seemed to fit the bill.

     What's really fun about this card is that all of the products featured in the Filled With Love Bundle promotion are included in this card.  The Real Red and Pretty in Pink Patterns Papers are in this bundle, as is the stamp set, Filled with Love and the Bitty Buttons set from which the little clear heart-shaped button comes.

     The stamping is a lot easier that it might look.  The large word, "Love," doesn't have any texture to it at all and it stamps up so evenly every time.  I didn't have one instance of stamping this where it didn't come out perfectly.  With that stamped in Real Red, then I stamped the heart flower, with its leaves, using Old Olive.  Again it stamps beautifully.  Then I punched out a heart using the same paper as the Real Red Patterns Paper that's used as the first layer on the card, and adhered it with a Mini Glue Dot to the top of the "flower."  Finally, I tied a piece of Linen Thread through the holes in the heart shaped button and adhered it on top of the punched heart, again with a Mini Glue Dot.

     The strip of Real Red card stock below the stamped layer is punched with the Scallop Edge Border Punch, and then that whole layer is tied together with some Old Olive 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon, tied in a knot and trimmed a bit. 

     Fun card, and here is the sketch – yet another one for next year's card layout eBook!  For this years Card Layout eBook, just click here for more information about it and how to buy it.

     I hope you're well on your way to making a TON of Valentine cards, and that you're having as much fun with this year's Stampin' Up! products as I am!

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An Elegant Valentine Card

Aloha, all!

     It certainly is in the eye of the beholder whether a card is elegant – or not.  I felt that this card had a touch of elegance that is not typical in the kind of greeting card that I usually make.  Most of that feeling as far as I am concerned comes from the elegant products that Stampin' Up! has available for all of us as we get ready for Valentine's Day 2011.  And, of course, the design provided by the Diva Coffee Break Design Team added to the sense of elegance!

     Two of the products that I used in this card are new products in the Stampin' Up! 2011 Occasions Mini Catalog.  The first and most visible because of its sparkle is the brand new Red Glimmer Paper.  This paper comes in a pack of two 12" square sheets, and is a breeze to use with Stampin' Up!'s punches and Sizzix Dies.  The scallop trim border punch went right through this paper beautifully, as did the Sizzix Ovals Die, which I purchased from Stampin' Up!

     The main color in this card is Pink Pirouette, in the form of one of the embossed sheets in the new Love Impressions Specialty Designer Paper set.  This paper is card stock weight, and is filled with teeny embossed polka dots.  There is also a large motif of embossed hearts, and that is a part of the sheet that I also cut with the Sizzix Ovals Die.  I think it's so lovely with the embossed white hearts against the Pink Pirouette background!

     I'd also like to highlight the stamp on this card, which is from the stamp set, Filled with Love, that was featured in the 2010 Holiday Mini Catalog.  And, yes, it's still available!  But it's only availalble as part of the Filled With Love Bundle, which is only available until next Monday, January 24th!  There is more information about this bundle here.  This bundle includes papers and buttons as well as this fun Valentine Stamp set.  So don't delay purchasing it if you've been thinking about it!

     The final touches are the bow based on a tutorial by fellow Stampin' Up! demonstrator, Mary Brown, on which I still need lots of practice!  It's held together and down onto the card with a Real Red Glimmer Brad.  The Glimmer Brads were also featured in the 2010 Holiday Mini Catalog, but they, too, are still available as part of the 2011 Occasions Mini Catalog.  The only expiration of which I'm aware at this point is the expiration date for the Occasions Mini, which is April 30, 2011.  I'm waiting to see if these become a part of the Stampin' Up! regular line up of products!

     Today's card is based on a sketch at the Diva Coffee Break Design Team blog.  But I'm providing the measurements for my card to help make it easier for you to copy if you'd like to be a part of this week's challenge.  Or even if you just want to make a card!  If you'd like a whole book full of all the sketch layouts I provided for you in 2010, it's now for sale as an eBook on CD.  Just click on the picture at the top of the column to the right for more information!

     And whether you decide to join us at the Diva Coffee Break sketch challenge, or decide just to make a card for yourself – have fun with it!

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Don’t Forget the Envelopes!

Aloha, all!

I just put that last card in the mail this morning (Uh, oh! Not only won’t it get there by Monday, it won’t get there until Tuesday because Monday is Presidents Day!).

But while I was licking the envelope, I was reminded that, while I keep sharing cards with you, I forget that I decorate the envelopes, too.  Here’s one of the cards from earlier in the week showing the envelope I used for it.  All it takes is one little rubber stamp to make that envelope stand out in the mail box crowd when it’s received at the other end!  This stamp is from the new set, I {Heart} Hearts. 

And Stampin’ Up! has a nice variety of envelopes to complement all your greeting cards.  From the Medium (A2) sized Whisper White and Very Vanilla, to the Medium and Mini Squares, to the Note Cards and Small Open-End, these envelopes are among the best around for your precious art work!

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Valentines for the Grandkids

Aloha, all!

After I finally got the craft room back in shape, I started tearing it apart again to make these cards for our grandchildren.  The bears are from the Build A Bear Workshop set, Beary Best Friends (118052) and the greeting is from the set, Beary Nice Wishes (118050).  While these sets were introduced in the 2009 Holiday Mini Catalog, which has expired, they're in the 2010 Occasions Mini Catalog, too!  If it's in the Build a Bear collection, it's still current!

NOT ONLY THAT – THERE'S A SPECIAL DEAL RIGHT NOW!  For any $20 you spend on the Stampin' Up! Build A Bear collection, you'll get a certificate for $5 off a $25 purchase at any product at a Build A Bear Workshop store.  

Now back to my cards.  I had so much fun cutting out the "paper doll" bears and the little girl bears' dresses that I felt like a little girl again myself! 

Each of the dresses is made from a different one of the glittery papers from the Designer Series Paper set, Sending Love, and I used Crystal Effects to make their patent leather shoes and accent the heart in the "I {heart} You Beary Much."  I stamped "Happy Valentine's Day" from Teeny Tiny Wishes inside each of the cards.

I used the new Scallop Trim Border and Scallop Trim Corner punches for the girl cards, and the Pinking Hearts Border and Corner punches for the boy cards.  This is the first time that I used the Pinking Hearts to make a square, and I found it to be a lot easier than the Scallop Trim punches.  But I think I've got the Scallop Trim punches down now, and I'm ready to write my own tutorial on it.  I've read tutorials and still had to figure it out my own way. 

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“Wild Mind” Stamping!

Aloha, all!

OK, it’s not all stamping.  But believe me it’s all of the "Wild Mind" variety.  I’ll not take up much of my crafting space to explain.  Here is a quote from notes about Natalie Goldberg’s book, "Wild Mind." 

"Here is compassionate, practical, and often humorous advice about how to find time to write, how to discover your personal style, how to make sentences come alive, and how to overcome procrastination and writer’s block–including more than thirty provocative "Try This" exercises to get your pen moving."

At this point, I’m not so into "writing" as I am into "style."  I spend a lot of time looking at how other people use the Stampin’ Up! products that I represent, and I base a lot of what I do on that.  So "my" style has been more the style of others.  Understand that I don’t think that’s a bad thing.  I am crazy about the style that Stampin’ Up! is presenting in its latest catalogs, and the style that some of the most amazing SU demonstrators are using amazingly creatively.

After the writing class last night, though, I decided to break away from what’s "out there" in the paper crafting world, and just create–with some restraints that I placed on myself.  Tonight, the restraints were: 

• I have to have something easy to create for my friends who are coming to my Stampin’ Up! Open House tomorrow–and I promised them a Valentine project!
• I have to use ONLY the Sizzix and Designer Series Paper that came in the box that arrived on my doorstep today. 
• Beyond that, I can use plain colored card stock and any stamps and other accessories that I already have.

OK–there were 6 packs of Designer Paper that arrived.  Only one had any kind of vague resemblance to what might be considered "Valentine" value.  The DSP is called, "Sweet Slumber."  The colors are Rose Red, Baja Blue, So Saffron, and a background color (Sahara Sand).

Of the Sizzix materials that arrived, I had the Box #2 die as well as the Naturally Serif Sizzlits Alphabet.  

So, where to start–the box of course!  And, some of the Sweet Slumber dotted paper.  The nice thing about the Sweet Slumber is that it’s cover weight paper.  It’s of the same basic thickness as Stampin’ Up! card stock.  So it can be the framework for a card as well as for anything that the Sizzix Big Shot has to offer.  This is a lot different from the Designer Paper Stampin’ Up! has been making.  The little box will hold some nice treasures, and is the item on the left in the photo above.

OK, now some cards.  Hmmm.  Well, the number of papers in the DSP pack is limited–2 of each design.  So I had to be judicious in case several of those who are coming on Saturday want to make the same project.  So I decided on one 4" x 4" card and one 3" x 3" card.  Neither of these is mailable in the U.S.  But, hey, my ladies are going to be making these ON Valentine’s Day.  So they’re probably going to be handing them out.  So no problem!  The 4" card is in the middle and the 3" "Love Note" is on the right.  OK, now who would have thought that I’d be making Valentine’s gifts and cards using Baja Blue and So Saffron?!  Not I, for sure!!!

Tomorrow I’ll show a close up of that box that I made with the Sizzix Big Shot and the Box #2 die.  That was amazing (not my particular design, but what the Sizzix could do!) because I made that box in less than 10 minutes!!  If I hadn’t had to think about how to decorate it, it would have been even less than that!  The Sizzix cuts and scores the box, and there’s only one little spot where you have to glue it!

But more of that tomorrow.  I also have another hint to make this box a bit better (in my humble opinion!)  And, while Valentine’s Day will be over, don’t forget that there’s Easter and Graduations and Weddings and Mother’s Day and Father’s Day and summer parties–this box die is going to be a treasure that you’ll definitely want to have all year long!

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Valentine Blitz!

Oh, my, where has the week gone?! 

I know!!  It’s been spent on my own personal Valentine’s Blitz!  First I had to make sure that I got Valentine’s cards made and mailed out to my Mainland Valentines.  Yes, I have one special Valentine right here in East Hawaii; but there are lots of other Valentines, too.  Then I had some local Valentines whom I needed to remember.  And, of course, I got carried away and started stamping and gluing everything in sight that was red (Real Red, Rose Red, Riding Hood Red, Ruby Red) and pink (Pretty in Pink, Pink Passion, Pixie Pink, Pink Pirouette) or even looked like Valentine’s Day (Candy Lane Designer Paper for starters). 

So now I can take a breath and start on something different.  To begin, I made yet another gift card set in a card with a "diaper fold" pouch.  These things are just SO EASY to make!  I’m thinking already that this may be my Christmas 2009 card (and it’s definitely not too early to start thinking about Christmas cards if there are 80 – 100 to make!)

But I digress.  The photo at the left shows the "pouch" made by the fold, with the little note card slipped into it.  For mailing, the card inserted into the pouch as shown on the right makes the entire card just the right size to fit into a standard card-sized envelope (Stampin’ Up! "medium" envelopes).

The paper that I used comes from a new Stampin’ Up! Designer Papers set called, "Tea Party."  I cut one of the fun fanciful flowers from the large print side of the paper to make the decoration on the note card.

Stampin’ Up! has a full product line of cards and envelopes, including Note Cards (3" x 3" folded) and the envelopes to match.  The U. S. Postal Service does not permit mailing of a card the size of a note card.  But using one that fits into the pouch makes mailing a snap.

If you’re interested in the directions for making the diaper fold pouch, they’re right here on my blog.  For this and for instructions for making some other fun projects, just click on the tab above that reads, "Techniques and Tutorials," and scroll down the list.

And to purchase any of the products used in these projects, you can go to my Stampin’ Up! website and order online–or call (808.854.6145) or e-mail me and I can order for you.  If you’d like to see a catalog before ordering, you can click on the link to the right, "Our 2009 Spring/Summer Catalog."  Or, again, call or e-mail me and I’ll get a copy out to you! 

Happy Stamping!

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Love You Much Bundle Discount Still Available!

Aloha, all!

OK–I’ve shown you quite a few projects using the Love You Much Bundle.  I love the paper, punch, and stamp set SO MUCH that I’ll be certain to have more samples for you as the next few weeks progress.

This card uses the Carousel Notes that are one of the featured sets of note cards sold by Stampin’ Up!  The Carousel Notes were introduced almost a year ago in the 2008 Occasions Mini Catalog, and have been popular ever since.  There is so much you can do with these round scalloped note cards with their wonderful square brown envelopes.  This sample doesn’t do anything "fancy" with the note cards, but I still love its simplicity!

Let me know if you’d like a sample of one of these Carousel Notes!  I’ll be happy to send you one so you can see how versatile they are!  Just call (808.854.6145) or e-mail me, and I’ll put one in the mail to you right away!

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Love You Much Love Note

Aloha, all!

It’s a beautiful morning in East Hawaii, and I’m on my way out for a nice long Monday Morning Walk!  But first, I thought I’d share with you one of the projects that I’m going to feature in my Stamp Club this week.  It uses the Love You Much Bundle (115405) being offered right now by Stampin’ Up! at a great discount!  Click on the link at the left for all the details!  

(And for any of you who have heard anything about back orders, I can assure you that I just received a box from Stampin’ Up! with three full sets of the bundle.  So no problem today!)

I’ve already posted the basic instructions for the Diaper Fold Pouch, which is featured in this project.   I’ve also just posted the supply list and instructions for this particular project, to go along with the basic instructions.

Valentine’s Day is almost a month away!  So it’s the perfect time to get started with this great deal from Stampin’ Up!  You can order online any time 24/7, or call (808.854.6145) or e-mail me if you’d like me to place the order for you!

And don’t forget all those wonderful retiring accessories!  Quite a few of them are already sold out!  So don’t delay if you’re thinking about one or more of them!

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