Happy Birthday card....

Okay, here's the challenge - how many birthday items can you use on one card?  Here's your answer!  Okay, maybe you can find some more to use but I think I did pretty good...

• Pennant Parade stamp set
• Patterned Party stamp set
• Bring on the Cake stamp set
• Itty Bitty Banners stamp set
• Patio Party DSP

On top of those, this card uses the following colors and other items:

• Baja Breeze, Raspberry Ripple, Midnight Muse & Whisper White cardstock
• Ink colors are:  Midnight Muse, Raspberry Ripple, Summer Starfruit & Baja Breeze
• Bitty Banners framelits
• Adorning Accents embossing folder
• Chevron embossing folder
• Designer Frames embossing folder
• Petite Pennants Builder punch
• Pool Party Baker's Twine
• Rhinestones

To make the platform for the cake, fold your 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" cardstock in half at 4 1/4".  Place it into your paper trimmer lengthwise at 4 1/2".  You will be cutting 1" in from the side of the card.  Cut 1" up from the center line and 1" down from the center line.  Turn your paper around 180 degrees and repeat for the other side of the card.  Using your Simply Scored, score between the two cut lines at the ends.   At this point, I then trimmed an 1/8" off all four sides of the card.  (I waited to do this until afterward so the dimensions were easier to work with.)

I then placed the Biggy Banners framelit in the bottom section of the platform and ran it through the Big Shot.  A Raspberry Ripple piece, stamped with the "Happy Birthday" was then placed behind it using a couple of Dimensionals to give it depth.

Creative Elements stamp set...

Here's a card that we made at a recent workshop.  First, I used the Woodgraind background stamp and layered that piece with Early Espresso and Not Quite Navy cardstock. 

I then cut a piece of Not Quite Navy cardstock using the Labels Collection framelit and also cut a second one out of Early Espresso cardstock.  When cutting the Early Espresso piece, I also placed the next smaller framelit down and cut both at the same time so I ended up with just a frame.  I used a post-it note to hold them in place.  Next, I ran the Not Quite Navy piece through with the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder and then glued the Early Espresso frame onto it .  Finally I cut the left edge off and layered it on the card.

I then stamped the Very Vanilla strip using the Vintage jumbo wheel and sponged along the edge with Soft Suede ink.

I then stamped the butterfly from the Creative Elements stamp set on a piece of Very Vanilla cardstock and punched it out using the 2 1/2" circle punch which was layered on a piece of Early Espresso cut from the 3" circle Big Shot die.

I took a piece of linen thread and wove it through one edge of a piece of the Crochet Trim.  Then I gathered it up and tied it together in a knot, making a circle.  I then threaded another piece of linen thread through the a Naturals button, through the center of the Crochet Trim piece, into the Vintage wheel strip and then back up through the three again and tied a knot.  (I did this because the Crochet Trim was too thick for a glue dot to hold everything together. 

Finally I attached the Vintage wheel strip down to the card and then attached the butterfly circle.

World Treasures stamp set....

 I just love this stamp set!  The peacock is so pretty but I really love the flowers.  In a post a few weeks ago, I mentioned sealing the pearls with Modge Podge and then coloring them with Stampin' Up!'s markers.  Here, I have done that with the Summer Starfruit marker.  Don't they look great?

Here's the inside of the card.  I used the new Delicate Designs embossing folder along the left side of the card and decided to carry that inside the card but at the top.  I think it looks great and really ties it together.  I also used the Stripes embossing folder on the rigth side of the front of the card.  Since I wanted the card to be able to lay flat, I colored in the flowers on the inside of the card using a Summer Starfruit marker instead of using the pearls.  The card is Elegant Eggplant and the stems are Always Artichoke.

Another Punch card....

My customers are always asking for more ideas on what to do with their punches.  When I get a request, I always know exactly where to go for ideas -- Jackie Topa!  Jackie is known as the "punch lady".  She can see the most unusual things in a punch.  Here is one that I CASE'd from her.  While the punches are not used in an unusual way, it still is a great idea with the reflection.  The punches used are:

• Ornament Punch
• Bird Builder Punch
• Boho Blossoms Punch

The mirror was made using the Labels Collection Framelits with the center cut out.  Thanks Jackie for such a cool card!

Technique Tuesday.... Top Note Die

Today's technique isn't really a technique but some new uses for one of Stampin' Up!'s exclusive dies - the Top Note die.

You know this die, right?  It was one of the first exclusive dies offered by Stampin' Up! when we began offering the Big Shot.  But we have all just been using it like this, haven't we?  Well, let's get some more mileage out of our dies by cutting it up some more.

Here's the first way.  Take your cut Top Note and turn it 90 degrees and run it through the Big Shot again.  You get this very cool diamond shape and a couple of "brackets" that you can use as well.

Okay, now take that diamond and turn it so the points of the diamond are at the top, bottom and sides.  Run it through the Big Shot.  Then turn it one more time 90 degrees so all four points are trimmed off and you get this cool circle.  Mine is a little off because I wasn't careful enough on my alignment but I am sure you will be.  Thanks to Becky Roberts who showed me these two shapes that you can get from the Top Note die.

So here's something cool I noticed when I made the shapes above.  Not only do you end up with the two brackets, but you end up with two tulips and two bats!  (I have only one bat pictured here.)  Since the bat punch was retired, this is a perfect way of getting a bat for your Halloween cards!

Finally, here are a couple of neat frames that you can get out of your Top Note die as well.  You can make these either the long way or the short way.  First, cut your Top Note out.  Then move it down below the halfway points so that the sides line up with the edges of the cut lines of the die itself.  Run it through the Big Shot and you end up with one of the rounded labels.  Turn it around and repeat on the other side and you end up with a very cool label in the middle as well.  These would be great for layering larger sentiments like those found in the Curly Cute stamp set or the new Sweet Essentials stamp set.

Let me know if you have come up with any other great ideas for the Top Note die and I will share them here!

Make A Cake stamp set....

Well, we are finally past retirement time and now you can get inspiration from new and current product!  Here's a card that we made at a recent workshop using lots of new product.  Here's what we used:

• Baja Breeze, Primrose Petals & Summer Starfruit cardstock
• Patio Party DSP
• Make a Cake stamp set
• Itty Bitty Banners stamp set
• Summer Starfruit, Primrose Petals & Midnight Muse In Color inks
• 2 3/8" Scallop Circle punch
• 2" Circle punch
• Itty Bitty Shapes Punch (flower)
• Bitty Banners Framelits
• Stripes embossing folder
• Rhinestones

I really thought that it would be difficult to stamp the cake and get the layers lined up but it works pretty easily with the clear mount set.  I trimmed the bottom points of the top cake layer and the banner so it is real easy to line them up.

Also, note how crisp the color is?  The new foam ink pads are awesome!  The inked images are so much better now.

Final Day at Convention

Today was the final day at Convention and I am already looking forward to next year. 2013 will mark the 25th anniversary for Stampin' Up! and convention next year will definitely be an event not to miss. If you are a demonstrator, I hope you will join me here in Salt Lake City. If you are not a demonstrator, you still have time to sign up and join me!



Here's next year's dates so mark your calendar!



During closing session, Shelli Gardner and her daughter Sara used a fortune teller (who turned out to be the President Rich Jutkins) to announce the location of this year's grand vacation. Sara wasn't carrying anything and the only thing in Shelli's convention bag was some stamps but fortunately the fortune teller took stamps in place of money for his predictions. Turns out the grand vacation is a Western Caribbean cruise!



I will end this blog post with a WOW project displayed at convention. Can you believe someone made this dollhouse? If you look closely, you can see the siding is even made using our punches.



Here's a close up of the living area of the dollhouse. All of the furniture is made from Stampin' Up!'s fabric and the coffee table is made from card stock.



Here's a close up of the bedroom. Can you see the detail on the bed and dresser? They are made with the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder. Amazing work!

Tomorrow I return home and will be showing you lots of cards from convention as well as telling you all about my days in Salt Lake City so stay tuned!

Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

A Little Inspiration While I am at Convention

Hello again from Salt Lake City! Stampin' Up! is keeping us very busy with classes and stamping demonstrations that I have not had time to blog much. By the time I get back to the hotel, I call my husband and crawl into bed.

Today is the final session and I don't have an early morning class to get to so I thought I would post some cards to give you some weekend stamping ideas. It is Saturday, right?



Isn't this a pretty card using the Raining Flowers stamp set? This card was up on the Product Showcase boards so it was probably created by one of Stampin' Up!'s design team. I think it highlights our DSP so well.



When I first saw the peacock in the World Treasures stamp set, I wasn't drawn to it, but now that I have it and see so many cool cards with it, I just love it. How about you? The Fancy Fan embossing folder is another favorite. This card was also on the Product Showcase boards.

Do you want to see my swap cards? Here they are! This morning, I am down to five which were leftovers from organized swaps and I am hoping they will be gone by 10:00 am.



These three cards were made using Betsy's Blossoms in the three different color combinations. The Lucky Limeade ones swapped out quickest and the Tangerine Tango ones came in a close second. Poor Baja Breeze took some time to be chosen.



Here is my "pig" card using the Button Buddies stamp set. This card was a huge hit. I should have made a bunch of them! This one went within minutes of my swapping.



Here's one more of my swap cards. The butterfly is from the Papillion Potpourri stamp set. The border along the bottom is a portion of the Alhambra jumbo wheel. It is a simple card but I just love it.

Off to class now. Will post again soon!

Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Lots of Inspiration and Goodies here in Salt Lake

Last night we attended an event hosted by Lisa Rodriguez, another demonstrator. There was a card swap, a box lunch/dinner and six make & takes. Plus we received a bunch of gifts from her! It was a great event and a great way to start convention.



Here's some of the sweets she provided to us to keep us going while making our make & takes. Her attention to detail was amazing!



Lisa had three areas made up with snacks and goodies for us. Here's the Halloween area. The basket holds little decorated packs of candies. The pinwheels on the right are pixie stix and the front basket held small cards she made.



This is the Thanksgiving area where she had the snack mix with a recipe card, as well as a card and another snack pack for each of us.



Here are the Christmas gifts we received from her. The santa's suits on the left hold a small bottle of hand sanitizer which is great here since there are almost 3,500 demonstrators. Certainly one or two will have colds, right? The santa's suits on the right are post it note holders and the ones in the back are note tablets. Pretty amazing that this one gal made all these for 115 attendees!



Here's a long distance peek at all of the cards on display which provide us with enough inspiration to last the year. Starting tomorrow, there will people three deep taking pictures of the cards. This year I was smart and took my pictures today when people were still arriving from all over the country. Over the next few days, I will post some of my favorite cards from the boards. I will also be posting the cards that I created to swap and some of the cards that I received in return. So check back often!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Greetings from Salt Lake City

I am here in Salt Lake City for Stampin' Up!'s annual convention which started today with a tour of the main office and a class. The best part is catching up with friends from all over the United States.


Here I am with Rose Ellen Eastman and Stella MacKay who is my upline with Stampin' Up! Every year they have a prize patrol where they give away stamp sets during convention. I never have won but Rose Ellen ALWAYS wins! The great news is that she and I have the same color wristbands this year so I should be a shoe-in for a prize this year!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Technique Tuesday .... Faux Patina

Today's technique is the Faux Patina technique introduced on Splitcoaststampers.  I absolutely love this technique and wonder how in the world someone came up with it!  Here goes:

 Here's what you will need:

• Whisper White cardstock
• Crumb Cake, Marina Mist, Always Artichoke & Early Espresso ink
• VersaMark ink
• Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder
• Sponges
• Gold embossing powder
• Embossing buddy
• Heat gun

 Begin by inking up the top inside of your embossing folder and run it through the Big Shot. 

 Your cardstock will look like this.

 Next, take the Marina Mist ink and with a sponge add color around the edges of the embossed pattern.  You do not need to cover every bit of it.

 Next, take the Always Artichoke and repeat the same process on other areas so you make them look darker and more aged.

 Finally, take the Early Espresso and go over more areas making sure to leave some of the blue and green hues visible.

 Take the embossing buddy, and rub over your entire piece of cardstock.  You want to make sure that the cardstock is totally dry.

Next, take your VersaMark pad and using justs the corner of the pad, touch lightly over several areas of your design but not the entire design.



 Cover with embossing powder and heat.

 Here's your final product.  Notice how there are areas with the gold and areas are not - just like an old metal patina!

Here's the card that I made for it.  I used the Everything Eleanor stamp set for the flower and the frame.  The frame was colored by inking the stamp first in Crumb Cake ink and then using the sponges, I added the three other colors and then stamped on Whisper White cardstock and cut it out.

Here's the same technique but I used Baja Breeze, Marina Mist and Basic Gray over the Crumb Cake for my patina hues and Silver embossing powder instead of gold.  I think it looks just as pretty!

Stampin' Up!'s Floral Fillers stamp set...

Again, this is a set that I thought I would use alot but ended up using it very little.  A thank you to Stampcandy on SCS who inspired this card.  Here's the items on this card that have retired:

• Blushing Bride cardstock
• Concord Crush cardstock
• Pear Pizzazz cardstock
• Blushing Bride Pattern Pack DSP
• Eyelet Border punch
• Finial Press embossing folder
• Pear Pizzazz Poly Twill ribbon
• Blushing Bride ink
• Pear Pizzazz marker
• Concord Crush ink & marker

The only things current that I used?  Black StazOn ink, Whisper White cardstock and the Fancy Flower punch!

Stampin' Up!'s For Everything stamp set....

Have you ever had a stamp that just sat on your shelf until it retired?  That is this set for me!  I CASE'd this card from Karen Barber on Splitcoaststampers.  Thanks Karen!  Here's a list of the retired items used in this card:

• For Everything stamp set
• Pear Pizzazz cardstock
• Blushing Bride cardstock
• Cheerful Treat DSP
• Finial Press embossing folder
• Blushing Bride Poly Twill ribbon
• Pear Pizzazz ink
• Blushing Bride ink

Stampin' Up!'s Flower Fancy stamp set...

Here is another card we made at the retiring class.  Again, it was made with retiring supplies:

• Poppy Parade cardstock
• Peach Parfait cardstock
• Poppy Parade DSP
• Flower Fancy stamp set
• Tagtastic stamp set
• Borderlines stamp set
• Backgrounds 1 Texturz Plate
• Pinking Hearts Border punch
• Poppy Parade Poly Twill ribbon
• Pear Pizzazz ink
• Peach Parfait ink
• Poppy Parade ink

The only items that are still current that were used in this card are:

• Whisper White cardstock
• Extra Large Oval punch
• Rhinestones

Stampin' Up!'s Triple Treat Flower Stamp...

In May, I hosted a "retiring class" where everything that we made was being retired -- or at least the vast majority of it was retiring.  Here's the card and all of the retiring items:

• Concord Crush cardstock
• Pear Pizzazz cardstock
• Cheerful Treat  DSP
• Triple Treat Flower stamp
• Belle standard wheel
• Short & Sweet stamp set
• Blushing Bride ink
• Pear Pizzazz ink
• Concord Crush ink
• Lace Ribbon Border punch
• 5-Petal Flower punch
• In Color Glitter Brads

Wow!  No wonder I didn't have many left over supplies!

Technique Tuesday - Box Fold Card....

This is a really cool card and you do not use any adhesive to hold the card together.  Let's get started...

 Here's what you will need:

• Simply Scored
• 1 sheet DSP
• Coordinating cardstock for inside and belly band decoration.
• Punch for edge embellishment
• Bone folder
• Stamp set (final picture has Nature's Pace although this pic has Field Flowers)

 Cut your cardstock along one side at 11".  Hold onto this piece.  You will use it for your belly band.  Cut the other way at 8 1/2" so you end up with a  piece that is 8 1/2" x 11".

 Score your DSP lengthwise at 2 1/8" and 6 3/8".

 Turn your DSP sideways and score at 1 1/4", 3 3/8", 7 5/8" and 9 3/4".

 Turn your paper lengthwise and fold in on the two inside score lines.  Fold your paper outward at the two outside score lines.  Do NOT burnish the lines really well yet.  Definitely do NOT use your bone folder at this point. 

 Fold you paper up along the the score line at the bottom.  Again, do not burnish well.

 Take the outside corner points and fold them down to the bottom center point.  Use your fingernail to make sure the paper doesn't tear and folds properly.

 Repeat the last two steps with the top of the paper.  Your box will look like this when you are done.

 Open your box up.  In the corners, you will see small vertical rectangles along the score and edge lines.  Trim the paper from half way in on the bottom to the top right corner of each of the rectangles.  You will end up with a small triangular piece from each corner.

 Take two pieces of coordinating cardstock and cut them at 4 1/8" x 2".  Punch along one side of each of the pieces as shown.

 Here is the only place that you use adhesive on the box itself.  Attach your punched strips to the back of the folded back pieces in the middle between the areas you just cut.

 Now, set your box on your work surface with the embellished folds out to the sides.  Fold the top and bottom up and press the sides together as shown in the top right.

 Repeat this for all four corners so you have the box with four triangular pieces sticking out at the corners.

 Fold those corners into the sides.  (Fold the bottom side pieces up and the top side pieces down).  This picture is actually showing you the side of the box, not the top or bottom.  Finally, fold the embellished edge down to hold it in place.

Gently press down on the box along the fold lines and the angled fold lines to make the box lay flat.  You may now take your bone folder and burnish your edges well.   Your box is done!  Now to make your belly band to hold it together:

 Take the strip that you originally cut off which is 1" x 12" and cut 2" off the end so it is 1" x 10".

Using the Labels Collection framelits and your stamp set, make a belly band decoration.

 Take your strip and place it around the box.  Place some adhesive on one end of the strip and secure it together.  Do NOT make it too tight; otherwise, it will not slide on and off your box easily.

 Here's what the final card looks like.  Isn't it cute?

Here is the inside which I have finished as well.  The two layers inside are 4" x 4" and 3 3/4" x 3 3/4".  This is a great card for placing a gift card inside of.  Enjoy and let me know how you do on making a box card too!