A Touch From the Heart

Whoo's Birthday is it?

 
Is it your birthday today?  If it is.....Happy Birthday, my friend!

This week's Blogger's Challenge is to make a birthday card.  I was tempted to pull out a traditional birthday stamp set, but decided to take a different route.

This little owl always makes me smile.  Whoo could imagine how easy it would be to make him using the new Two Step Owl punch?  His body and little eyeballs are Chocolate Chip.  His belly is some dsp from the Greenhouse Gala paper pack.  I tuck in a little piece of Pumpkin Pie to make his beak.  His eyes are Crumb Cake and Whisper White.

The branch is cut using my Big Shot and the Little Leaves Sizzlit.

See the scalloped square?  It's a sneak peek of a new Bigz die coming in the Holiday Mini catalog.  Love it.....it's the perfect size for adding to a card.  Bonus....there's a smaller scalloped square on it too that coordinates with the Scalloped Square punch.  Woo hoo!

This amazing color combo (or most of it) came from the Color Coach.  The coach told me to use Cajun Craze, Old Olive and Baja Breeze together.  I added the Not Quite Navy as the base card.  I love how this all looks together!!!!!

This card is really easy to put together.....so I'm not going to get into the nitty gritty details.  I'll leave the card recipe at the bottom of the post so you know exactly which products I used. 

You know that if you have a question, just shoot me an email or leave a comment on this post.  I'll be happy to explain anything you need! 

I'll be back tomorrow with the Stamping 411 Saturday Sketch challenge project!  It's very elegant!!!

P.S.  Do you love using ribbon like I do?  There's still room in my Ribbon Shares if you're interested. 

Until next time.....Happy Stamping everyone!

If you've fallen in love with this project, you can order the items used to make it through my demonstrator website.  Just click on "Shop Now" to enter my online store.  Shopping is fun and easy......available 24/7. 

Card Recipe

stamps:  Teeny Tiny Wishes
paper:  Not Quite Navy, Cajun Craze, Old Olive, Baja Breeze, Pumpkin Pie, Crumb Cake, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White, Greenhouse Gala dsp
ink:  Early Espresso
accessories:  Big Shot, Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder, Bigz Scallop Square (coming Sept 1st), Two Step Owl punch, Small Oval punch, Old Olive Satin Ribbon, Early Espresso 1/4" grosgrain, Little Leaves Sizzlit

Keep it Simple Sunday

By far, my most favorite-est (talking like my little niece here) stamp set from the new catalog is Just Believe.  I can make a beautiful card is just minutes using a plethora of different techniques....

• ink up with Versamark and sprinkle on some embossing powder.....heat until melted (Heat Embossing)
• ink up with Versamark and pounce using your Stampin' Pastels and a sponge dauber (Poppin' Pastels)
• place drops of reinkers onto a baby wipe and use like an ink pad (Baby Wipe Technique)
• mist stamp, color onto stamp with Watercolor Crayons and stamp onto cardstock
• and so much more........

On today's card, I used a different technique.  I colored onto the stamp with my Stampin' Write markers (Poppy Parade and Old Olive), huffed on the stamp to re-moisten the ink and stamped onto Whisper White cardstock.

To get a slight variation on this technique, rather than huff on the stamp.........spritz a fine mist of water prior to stamping onto the cardstock.  This gives a more mottled effect (with a lot of water, this technique looks very Monet-like).

Just Believe is a very smart stamp set purchase.  It's just so versatile......not only due to all the techniques you can use with it, but also because the stamp set has so many images.  The images are all solid, silouette images and some fabulous sentiments. 

Regardless if you're a new or seasoned stamper, Just Believe is a wonderful stamp set to add to your collection.  You will use it for so many occasions!

Card Recipe

stamps:  Just Believe
paper:  Basic Black, Poppy Parade, So Saffron, Old Olive
ink:  Basic Black, So Saffron
accessories:  1 3/4" circle punch, Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder, Big Shot, Basic Rhinestones

If you want to place a Stampin' Up! order, you can order from me 24-7........thanks for your order, I truly appreciate it!!!

 

 

Stamping 411: Saturday Sketch

TGIF!!!!  The beginning of the week was horrible.....it was like a tropical rain forest here in MN!  Yuck!

For the past two days, we've been blessed with perfect summer days....sunny, not too hot, not too humid....and a little breeze to make it all comfortable!

Comfort is a wonderful thing!  The operators hope you feel comfortable coming to our Stamping 411 website knowing that you can learn all about the joys of stamping and papercrafting!!!

Every Saturday, you can always count on a fabulous sketch to get your stamping mojo going.  This week's sketch is one you can use over and over.

Feel free to use it as a starting point....change it.....I had to to make it work for my card.

Speaking of my card........

Isn't it cute?  It uses one of my all-time favorite stamp sets......Crazy for Cupcakes.  Who doesn't love cupcakes?  It's a little piece of love all tucked into a single serving.....especially when there's chocolate involved!  My friend Robin would be all over this cupcake!!!

My base card is Chocolate Chip (told ya there was chocolate involved).

The patterned paper is from my favorite dsp pack.....Sweet and Sour Specialty paper.  The colors are Pumpkin Pie, Rose Red and Very Vanilla.  What makes it "specialty" paper?  Well, one side has glossy accents and one side is matte.  This adorable polka-dot pattern is the glossy accented side.  Love it!!!!  This layer is matted with some Rose Red cardstock.

Now, let's talk about the cupcake.  I stamped the image onto watercolor paper using Black StazOn ink.  I watercolored the image using my Stampin' Write Markers (Rose Red, Chocolate Chip, Crumb Cake, Pumpkin Pie and Daffodil Delight) and an Aquapainter.  I carefully cut out the image.

Now, the card would've been too busy to add the cupcake right on top of the patterned paper.  So, I took creative liberties and added a layer so I could "ground" my image.  Yup, that made it look SO much better.

The finishing touches include a layered sentiment, sponging and some Illuminate Smooch Pearlized Accent Ink on the flame. 

Tips

• if you're watercoloring using Watercolor Paper, you must use StazOn ink to prevent it from bleeding.  Basic Black Classic ink is fine to use on Whisper White and Very Vanilla cardstock.
• Watercoloring with markers is fun and easy!  Just draw a line of color right inside the image and blend by making small circles with your Aquapainter or Blender Pen.  The darkest areas should be closest to the lines......the middle of the image should be the lightest
• remember, less is more.....you can easily add more........and BLEND, BLEND, BLEND
• layer your punches to make your sentiment stand out more ( I used the Large Oval punch and the Designer Label Punch)

 Are you ready to play with this sketch?  Be sure to link your fabulous project to the Stamping 411 blog using the Linky Tool. 

Card Recipe

stamps:  Crazy for Cupcakes
paper:  Chocolate Chip, Rose Red, Pumpkin Pie, Whisper White, watercolor paper, Sweet and Sour Specialty paper
ink:  Black StazOn, Pumpkin Pie
accessories:  Stampin' Write markers, White Signo Gel Pen, Illuminate Smooch Pearlized Accent Ink, Aquapainter, Designer Label punch, Large Oval punch

Morning Cup Card Kit Now Available

 

Click HERE to see more detailed photos of the cards

Since I've started blogging, I've had my stamping friends leave comments that they wished they lived closer so they could take classes with me.

Well, I am happy to announce that with my brand new monthly card kits you can do just that!

This month's card kit is called the "Morning Cup Card Kit".  The cards use the Morning Cup stamp set (which you can purchase separately if you don't already own it).

The kit will make 12 cards (3 designs.....4 of each design).

The kit contains the following:

• PDF file containing full written instructions and photos to teach you how to put together these cards
• all the cardstock, embossed cardstock, patterned paper, die cuts, punched pieces, ribbons, trims, buttons needed to make the cards
• my personal contact information to get in touch with me if you have ANY questions or need any help.

The card kit is available for purchase for $18.00 plus $5 shipping via USPS Priority Mail.

If you would like to purchase the Morning Cup stamp set from me, I will give you a 10% discount on the price of the card kit.  Note:  The discount will be subtracted from the price of the stamp set. 

There are some additional items that are not included in the kit which you will need to complete the cards.  Those items are the following:

• Morning Cup stamp set
• Basic Black Classic Ink Pad or Black StazOn ink pad
• Soft Suede Classic Ink Pad
• Pink Pirouette Classic Ink Pad
• Baja Breeze Classic Ink Pad
• Early Espresso Classic Ink Pad
• Not Quite Navy Stampin' Write marker
• Sahara Sand Stampin' Write marker
• Aquapainter or Blender Pen
• Mini glue dots
• Paper Snips
• adhesive of choice
• sponge wedge

If you would like to purchase any of the additional items that you need to complete the cards, please email me so I can assist you in placing your order.  

To purchase the Morning Cup Card Kit, please click on the PayPal button below

To order the Morning Cup stamp set (which includes shipping, tax and discount from ordering with the kit), click on one of the links below.  You have the choice of Wood Mount or Clear Mount.........

To purchase the Morning Cup Stamp Set (wood mount), please click the PayPal button below (you must order the Morning Cup Card Kit to get this special price):

To purchase the Morning Cup Stamp Set (clear mount), please click the PayPal button below (you must order the Morning Cup Card Kit to get this special price):

Please allow 7 to 10 days for delivery of your kit.  The PDF file will be emailed to you right away!

I am very excited about this new venture!  I look forward to hearing from you soon!

For My Friend

While on vacation, one of my BFFs Jenn (in red) cooked up quite the surprise for me.  We already had a stamping play date planned on our last day in NY.  What I didn't know was that one of my other BFFs, Selene Kempton, was driving 3 1/2 hours to visit me!  Don't I have the bestest friends ever? I am so blessed!

Selene also brought some of her new stamping goodies to play with.  One of the stamp sets I was dying to play with is called Greeting Card Kids.  Don't they remind you of the Campbell's Soup kids?

Well, here's the card I made with this adorable stamp set:

 When Selene mounted this stamp set, she decided to cut the boy and girl images apart.   She said this little girl reminds her of her little girl, Alexis.

This stamp set is amazing to watercolor with.   Don't let watercoloring intimidate you!  It's so easy when you use Watercolor Paper and your Stampin' Write markers.  Just color right inside the line.....then use the aquapainter to blend towards the center.  So easy! 

The base card is Early Espresso.

The next layer is Marina Mist which has been run through the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder.  I flipped it over and used the de-bossed side.

The Daffodil Delight layer has been texturized with the direct-to-paper technique and a Daffodil Delight ink pad.  Click HERE to watch my video on the direct-to-paper technique.

I am loving the new Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border punch.  Now, I can use my cardstock and this punch to make any color "ribbon" I want. 

The sentiment (from Fabulous Phrases) is stamped with Early Espresso ink.

The finishing touch is a length of the connected pearls from the Basic Pearls pack.  They already have the adhesive on them....so just place and go.   Yay!

I can't wait to play with the other images from this stamp set.  I think the Halloween one is next!!!!

If you've fallen in love with today's project, you can order the products I've used from my demonstrator website.

Card Recipe

stamps:  Greeting Card Kids (wood...119887, clear....120633), Fabulous Phrases (wood....117002, clear....120501)
paper:  Early Espresso, Marina Mist, Cherry Cobbler, Daffodil Delight, Watercolor Paper
ink:  Black StazOn, Chocolate Chip (sponging), Daffodil Delight, Early Espresso
accessories:  Basic Pearls (119246), Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder, Big Shot, Stampin' Write markers, Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border punch

 

Just Believe

If you could only pick one new stamp set out of the catalog to play with for a while, which one would you choose?

Which one would I choose?  Definitely, Just Believe (116948...wood   120453...clear).  Ever since I had my first peek at the catalog, this stamp set has been my favorite! 

Why?  Well, it's just so versatile.....

• it can be inked up in one solid color (like today's card)
• you can use your markers to color the flowers and leaves/stems with different colors
• looks beautiful when heat embossed
• there's nine stamps in this set (5 are images.....4 are sentiments)
• can't wait to try the bleach technique with it

Now, here's what I did with it for today's card.  I stamped the image with Basic Black ink onto some of my favorite patterned paper.  It's called Sweet and Sour Specialty paper (117390).  One side of each paper has a glossy pattern on it.  For this card, I used the non-glossy side!!!  I love having choices.....especially with the yummy hues of Rose Red, Pumpkin Pie and Very Vanilla.

The Rose Red patterned paper used just on top of the base card is also from that same pack. 

For the corner treatment, I glued on a Rose Red photo corner (punched with the Photo Corner punch).  I then took a length of Basic Black 1/4" grosgrain ribbon and placed it on a diagonal and secured on the back with some tape.

Of course, some bling was in order.  So, I added three of those amazing Basic Rhinestones(119246).  I love them because they come in three different sizes and the adhesive is already on the back.  They are clear and vibrant.......some of the ones from the craft stores are hazy......yuck! 

Well, the rest of the card is easy to figure out.  You know that if you have any questions, just comment on the post.  I will get back to you lickedy-split!

If you are interested in joining one of my patterned paper shares to experience these gorgeous patterned papers for yourself, just click HERE for more details.

Card Recipe

stamps:  Just Believe
paper:  Basic Black, Pumpkin Pie, Sweet and Sour Specialty
ink:  Basic Black, Pumpkin Pie
accessories:  Basic Rhinestones, 1 3/4" circle punch, Photo Corner punch, sponges

 

Chesky Convention: Final Day (24 hours late)

I am SO sorry for the 24 hour delay on this post.  I was typing my post, and then....BAM.....Internet Explorer crashed and my post was GONE!!!  Argh!!!!  I was so mad that I had to step away.  Then, I had my Stamp Club meeting and watching Amanda dance at Chaska River City Days.  Well, suffice it to say, that my post never got done on time.

Well, I am here now for the final day of Chesky Convention.  While on my two week vacation, I had a revelation.  A lot of the cards I put on my blog are too over-the-top.  I am going to focus on simpler cards........cards that you can copy for your own stamping needs.   Am I still going to make my "over-the-top" cards?  Of course I am!!!  They are part of who I am.  Once a week, I will show you these cards.  But, for the most part I want to make cards that you can recreate easily!!!!

Today is the first card on this new journey!  It's incredibly gorgeous yet easy to make.

I love monogram cards!  Since they are personalized, the recipient feels extra special because the card was made just for them!  This card is for one of my very special customers.  She presented me with the most thoughtful birthday gift.  I treasure her friendship, and I wouldn't have met her if it weren't for our love of stamping!!!

Isn't that big flourish amazing?  It's called Elizabeth (117120), and it's one of the "a la carte" stamps found on page 18 of the 2010-2011 Idea Book and Catalog.  It sells for $9.95.  Aren't just un love with the single "a la carte" stamps?  It's a great way for new stampers to get a taste of Stampin' Up!  Yet, it's also perfect for the seasoned stamper to pick up a stamp or two to round out their collection.  Love this!!!! 

For the monogram, I used the ultra-elegant Monogram Sweet alphabet set (115462).  The font works perfectly with the flourish, dontcha think?

The card itself is very simple.  The base card is Basic Black.  The next layer is patterned paper from the Sweet and Sour Specialty Paper pack (117390).  The colors in this collection are Pumpkin Pie, Rose Red and Very Vanilla.   Now, what makes this pack Specialty?  Well, one side of each paper in the collection has a raised glossy design.  It's one of my Top 3 papers from this catalog.  It's stunning!!!

Of course, this elegant card needs a bit of bling as it's finishing touch.  The brand new Basic Rhinestones (119246) accomplish this perfectly.  I've been asking Stampin' Up! for adhesive backed rhinestones and pearls for years.  Yay!  They're here!  Each pack of rhinestones or pearls have 150 elements on them.  Each come in three sizes, and they sell for $4.95 per pack.  A lot of pizzazz for so little money!

At Stampin' Up! convention, we are taught how to use the newest products......shown new ways to use products...and most of all, how to provude top-notch customer service to you.....our stamping friends and customers.

My goal is to use this blog as a tool to help you with your papercrafting journey.  I look forward to not only showing you projects I've created, but also providing more tutorials, videos, techniques and tips to make your stamping, scrapbooking and papercrafting simpler and more enjoyable.

I hope you have enjoyed the past couple of days......Chesky Convention has been so much fun!  I hope I have inspired you to pull out your stamps, ink and paper and create something beautiful!

All of the products used this week are available through my demonstrator website

I look forward to being your demonstrator.....providing you with the best customer service available......I am here to help!

Until next time....Happy Stamping everyone!

Card Recipe

stamps:  Elizabeth, Monogram Sweet
paper:  Basic Black, Whisper White, Sweet and Sour Specialty Paper
ink:  Versamark, Rose Red
accessories:  Black embossing powder, Basic Rhinestones, heat tool, sponges, 1 1/4" circle punch, 1 3/8" circle punch

Stamping 411: Saturday Sketch Challenge

 
TGIF!  I think coming back from vacation is so grueling.  There's laundry...and carting the kids around......and grocery shopping to restock the fridge.  I also had four boxes of Stampin' Up! goodies to sort and start playing with.  Trust me....the stamping part was SO much fun and a great stress reliever.

As soon as I saw this week's sketch, a twisted thought popped into my head.  My card is called an "Ode to Lindsay Lohan".  Seriously, what happened to that sweet little girl from The Parent Trap?

Here's my "Ode to Lindsay" card:

Doesn't the little owl look totally shell-shocked that he's stuck in the cage?  Kinda like Lindsay's reaction when the judge sentenced her to jail, right?

Here's the "deets" on the card.....

Layer 1:  The Cherry Cobbler base card measures 4 1/4" x 11", folded in half

Layer 2:  The Daffodil Delight layer measures 4 1/8" x 5 3/8"

Layer 3:  The Whisper White layer measures 4" x 5 1/4".  I ran the top 2/3 of the card through my Big Shot using the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder.  Before adhering these layers to the base card, wrap a length of 5/8" Marina Mist grosgrain ribbon and secure into a classic knot.

Stamp the birds using Cherry Cobbler, Pumpkin Pie and Daffodil Delight ink.

Layer 4:  The Whisper White focal image measures 1 3/4" x 2".  I stamped the bird cage using Marina Mist ink.  The owl is stamped with Early Espresso ink.  His beak is colored in with a Pumpkin Pie marker.  I lightly sponged the edges of this layer with Chocolate Chip ink.  This is matted onto a 1/8" larger piece of Marina Mist cardstock. 

I kept this card super simple.  I really need to stamp like this more often.  Clean and simple cards are so incredibly fun to make!

So, what do you envision with this sketch?  We'd love to see your project.  It's easy to use the Linky tool to link your project to our Stamping 411 blog.  The operators choose their favorites of the week, and post them on the following Friday.

Card Recipe

stamps:  Aviary
paper:  Cherry Cobbler, Daffodil Delight, Marina Mist, Whisper White
ink:  Marina Mist, Early Espresso, Chocolate Chip, Cherry Cobbler, Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight
accessories:  Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder, Big Shot, Marina Mist 5/8" grosgrain ribbon, sponges

  

Day Two of Chesky Convention: New Punches

Welcome to Day Two of Chesky Convention!!!  Since I cannot go to Stampin' Up!s Convention this year due to timing issues, I thought I would host my very own convention here on my blog.

If you're visiting my blog for the first time, make sure to check out yesterday's post.  Day One of Chesky Convention is a technique video on the Direct-to-Paper technique.

Today, I thought I would share with you two new punches from the 2010-2011 Idea Book and Catalog.  They are the Owl Punch and the Petal Card Punch.

The Owl Punch is a hoot (pun intended) to use!  Punch art is very popular, and this punch has all the pieces needed to assemble him on it.  Now, you can either punch all the pieces by inserting a bigger piece of cardstock or slide paper in on angles to only punch the piece you need.   You build the owl by using different cardstock colors and patterned paper patterns.  What fun!!!!

Helpful hint:  use Tombow Liquid Adhesive to assemble your owl.  When you punch the owl using different colors, keep your unused pieces in a plastic baggie. 

The Petal Card punch is a two step punch.  It punches the shape and adds the score lines all at the same time.  Because it is doing double the work, there's a special way to use the punch.   This punch needs to be used on a flat surface.  Rather than pressing the bottom of the punch, you need to place the heel of your hand over the design in the center of the punch.  Press firmly and hold for about 5 seconds.  This holding motion helps make better score lines. 

I've used the Petal Card Punch twice on the project.  Can you spot the two places?

If you guessed the Pumpkin Pie shape behind the owl and the little envelope in the corner, you guessed correctly!  You see, the first is the shape unassembled while the envelope is the finished product.  Fun stuff!

The little envelope holds the sentiment (from Teeny Tiny Wishes stamped onto Daffodil Delight cardstock and punched with the Small Oval Punch).  See the little heart?  That's from the Owl Punch.  What a great way to send a message that you care!!!

All of the products used for today's project are available through Stampin' Up!  You can order them easy peasy by going to my demonstrator website.  Click on "Shop Now" to enter the online store!

Card Recipe

stamps:  Teeny Tiny Wishes
paper:  Chocolate Chip, Pear Pizzazz, Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie, Whisper White, Greenhouse Gala designer series paper
ink:  Chocolate Chip
accessories:  Owl Punch, Petal Card Punch, Square Lattice embossing folder, Big Shot, Small Oval Punch, Pumpkin Pie 1/4" grosgrain ribbon

Tutorial: Magic Chalkboard

Today I am going to show you a fun technique that uses watercolor pencils.  Honestly, I don't use watercolor pencils to watercolor with.  I am a matchy-matchy person, and the watercolor pencils do not exactly match the Stampin' Up! colors like the watercolor crayons do. 

But, the watercolor pencils are perfect for the Magic Chalkboard technique.

Let's explore this technique......shall we?

Step 1:  stamp a solid image using Whisper White Craft ink onto Basic Black cardstock (this already gives it away why it's called Magic Chalkboard).  Make sure you let the ink dry thoroughly before moving onto step 2.

For my project, I am using the Vintage Vogue stamp set.  It's perfect for this technique!!!

Step 2:   Using watercolor pencils, color over the images stamped in white. 

That's all there is to the Magic Chalkboard technique.  Easy peasy!

Here's the card I made with this technique.........

Once again, I used my Direct-to-Paper technique for the base card.  It just gives some extra "oomph" to an ordinary piece of cardstock (for my card I used the new amazing Marina Mist).

The card is very easy to figure out.....so I will give you the card recipe.  If you need any help figuring anything out, just leave a comment or send me an email.  I'm here to help!

If you've fallen in love with this project and would like to order some Stampin' Up! products, you can easily do that through my demonstrator website.  Just click on Shop Now to enter the online store!!!! 

Card Recipe

stamps:  Vintage Vogue
ink:  Marina Mist, Daffodil Delight, Whisper White Craft ink
paper:  Marina Mist, Daffodil Delight, Certainly Celery, Basic Black
accessories:  watercolor pencils, Basic Rhinestones, Photo Corner punch, Small Oval punch, black brad (Neutrals pack)