Stampin’ Sponge & Thick Baker’s Twine

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kittyHave you ever wondered what to do with a Stampin’ Sponge and Thick Baker’s Twine?  Well, wonder no more.  They make the perfect kitty toy!

Meet our new kitten, Tasha.  If you’re a Sci-fi geek like my family, think Star Trek Next Generation Season 1 and you’ll know where we came up with the name.  🙂

We adopted Tasha on Friday so we’ve been busy kitten-proofing our house and playing with the adorable sweetie.  She’s 2 months old and SO tiny!  We didn’t have many cat toys in the house so I was trying to think of something for her to play with.  Our last cat used to love batting Stampin’ Sponge quarters around on the floor kitty.1which gave me the idea to make a kind of dangly toy for little Miss Tasha.  I got out my stamping supplies, tied some Thick Baker’s Twine around half a sponge and tied it all to a dowel.  It’s the perfect kitty toy!

Needless to say, I didn’t get a whole lot done on the stamping front this weekend.  I think I had a pretty good excuse, don’t you?  But now it’s time to get back to work.  I need to finish planning this week’s “Cindy’s Flamingo Bingo Birthday Bash”!  I can’t wait to tell you all about it!

Have a great day!  Take care and Happy Stamping!

Swirly Bird Sail Boat

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IMG_8531I love the swirls in the Swirly Bird stamp set and the Swirly Scribbles Thinlits but I think my favorite item of both of these is the “swirly strands” that look like water…..and I you have water, you have to have a boat, right?!

This little sailboat is adorable and very easy to stamp.  I’ve actually fussy cut mine and popped it up with Stampin’ Dimensionals.  I know, many of you hate to fussy cut.  The boat is actually made up of three different pieces so they’re very easy to cut out.

To make the water the two different colors I just die-cut the “swirly strands” from Dapper Denim card stock, adhered it to Marina Mist card stock that I had lightly sponged with Marina Mist ink and then trimmed the top.  No trimming was needed on the sun because that swirl fits perfectly over the stamped circle.  I tell you….COORDINATION my friends!  🙂

Doesn’t this card just make you go out to the lake and relax?  That’s what it does for me.

Have a great day and a relaxing weekend!  Take care and Happy Stamping!

Birthday Fiesta Llama

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IMG_8535This llama is SO dang adorable!  Don’t you just love him?  I just had to make a card with him on it!

Have you played with the Birthday Fiesta stamp set yet?  It has some pretty fun images including the this adorable llama and the cute little cactus.  There are some fun banners too as well as a couple of sayings.

The best thing(s) about the Birthday Fiesta stamp set are the COORDINATING products!  Yes!  There’s a whole mess of products that coordinate with it.  Framelits, embossing folder and of course designer series paper!  Woo Hoo!  My favorite word!  Coordination!  To check out all the products that coordinate with the Birthday Fiesta stamp set check out page 11 in the Stampin’ Up! catalog!

This little card is my favorite 4 1/4″ x 4 1/4″ square card.  I love this shape and size because it’s large enough but there’s not too much extra space to fill.  Sometimes if you have a regular 5 1/2″ x 4 1/4″ card and your images are on the small side you have to come up with some way to fill all that empty space.  OK…I’m a little lazy sometimes!  Ha!

Have a great day!  Take care and Happy Stamping!

Pun Intended Hostess Set

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Pun Intended.0616Did you know that there are 6 amazing stamp sets in the new Stampin’ Up! Catalog that are only available to hostesses?  Only a  hostess can purchase these discounted stamp sets with their Stampin’ Rewards points.  Be sure to check out these amazing stamp sets on pages 198-201 of the catalog!

Did you also know that you can be your own hostess with a minimum order of $150?   It’s true!

The Pun Intended Stamp Set is one of my favorite hostess sets.  It has some fun and quirky images and sentiments.  I love this little camera and the “snappy birthday” sentiment.  Too fun!  I made this card last month for a former demonstrator friend who is now working on becoming a professional photographer.  🙂

You can see it very well in the photo but I first stamped the camera on the card then I stamped it on a piece of scrap paper, cut out just the body of the camera and adhered it over the first stamped image with Stampin’ Dimensionals.  This gave it a little dimension and really added to the card.

Have a great day!  Take care and Happy Stamping!  Be sure to let me know if you’d like to host your own party so that you can purchase this stamp set!  😉

Swirly Bird & Flirty Flamingo Flowers

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Can you tell that I like the Swirly Bird stamp set?  I think this is the third time this week that I’ve had a post using it!  Well, you can’t get too much of a good thing, right?!

My favorite part of the stamp set is actually the COORDINATING Swirly Scribbles Thinlits.  I can’t get enough of all those scribbles and swirls!

Since this card was for a class I didn’t want to go too crazy so I didn’t use the thinlits at all.  I just used stamped images.  The sentiment and the label are from the Thoughtful Banners Stamp Set and punched out with the Duet Banner Punch.  More COORDINATION!  Woo Hoo!

Really, can a person every have too much coordination?  🙂

That’s what I love about Stampin’ Up! products.  Things work together.  I don’t have to make a guess as to whether this ink color will match that designer paper or if this shaped framelit will die cut that sentiment.  Most of the work is done for me and that makes creating SO much easier.

What do you love about Stampin’ Up! products?  Leave me a comment.  I’d love to know!

Have a great day!  Take care and Happy Stamping!

Confetti Celebration

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IMG_8481It’s birthday month!  Woo Hoo!  I’m having a birthday in a few weeks and I love to celebrate!  This card says it all.  Yay!  Let’s Celebrate!

Another card featuring new products!  Confetti Celebration is the perfect stamp set to…well, celebrate!  Who says you can only celebrate birthdays?  There is no cake on this card, no candles or presents…it’s just telling us to celebrate!  We could be celebrating a promotion, buying a new house or car, an anniversary of any sort….the ideas are endless.  There is a balloon and a “happy birthday” in this set but like I said, you could really use it for anything.

I’m going to use this card to remind me that there’s always something to celebrate.  This card has such fun and bright colors on it that it just makes me smile and want to celebrate something!  I hope you have something to celebrate today.

Have a great day!  Take care and Happy Stamping!

Bonus Days!

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Social1B_BonusDays_demo_July0716_USBonus Days are here!  Woo Hoo!

For every $50 you spend between July 7 and July 31, you’ll get a $5 Bonus Days coupon that you can use between August 2–31, 2016.

Bonus Days coupon codes will be delivered via email, so an email address is required to participate in this promotion. Stampin’ Up! cannot resend emails with coupon codes, so make sure you save the email and write down the codes in a safe place so you don’t miss out on the coupons you earn.

Have you started your wish list yet?  Get shopping!   You can place your orders online or directly through me.

Do you realize that not only will you get a Bonus Coupon for every $50 you spend during July but also will receive a point in my Customer Appreciation Program!  Woo Hoo!  You can’t go wrong!

Be sure to contact me with any questions you may have.  Have fun shopping and earning those coupons!

 

Love & Affection

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IMG_8479Have you checked out the designer series paper in the new catalog?  It’s all gorgeous!  Yes, there are some that I like better than others but overall the designs this year are FABULOUS!

In the new catalog Stampin’ Up! has organized products into suites that help you with the COORDINATION (love that word!) of products.  On pages 44-45 you can find the Affectionately Yours Suite and that’s what I used on this card.  The stamp set, designer paper and the embossing folder are all part of this stamp set.  I love it when some of the work of designing a card is done for you.

Isn’t this Affectionately Yours Specialty Designer Paper great?  I love the bright and fun colors they’ve put together.  This package of paper is “special” because two of the designs have copper foil on them…gorgeous!

Do you love Stampin’ Up!’s designer papers?  Do you hoard designer paper?  I don’t necessarily hoard the paper but I hate to run out so I buy too much for a class and then when it retires at the end of the catalog I have TONS left over.  Of course there are always those projects that I have planned that I never get around to doing too.  Oh, well…..what’s a crafter to do?!

One quick tip for you on this cute card:  When using the smaller embossing folders like the one used on this card us the Thick Whisper White card stock.  Sometimes with these small folders you end up with little creases and I found that they are not as pronounced when you use the Thick Whisper White card stock versus the regular.

Have a great day!  Take care and Happy Stamping!

Sunshine Sayings Hope

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IMG_8524Did you survive the 4th of July and all of the festivities?  Our 4th was low-key and that was just fine with us.  I did make the mistake of going to the grocery store in the morning….along with everyone else in my town.  Sheesh!  They couldn’t keep the carts stocked by the front doors.  I lucked out on that account though.  Patience was definitely the key word.  🙂

Simple, yet elegant.  Those are the words this card brings to my mind.  I designed a card for my next class using the heart from Sunshine Wishes Thinlits and decided I wanted to make a card with the flower too.  This is what I came up with.  The embossed background (Petals Embossing Folder) and the many layers really make the focal point pop.  You know me, I love layers (and Melon Mambo!).

I actually die-cut two of the word “hope” and adhered them together.  It really made the word stand out a bit more.  I’m definitely going to try that little tip again sometime.

I really like the new Petals Embossing Folder.  Even though it’s a busy design it’s subtle which makes it perfect for all types of cards.

Have a great day!  Take care and Happy Stamping!

Stars & Stripes

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Patriotic.0716Happy 4th of July!  I love everything 4th of July.  Stars & stripes, red, white and blue, picnics….I like it!  We don’t usually have big plans on the fourth but I still enjoy it.

What are your big plans for day?

When I saw this card I knew I had to CASE it.  I’m just glad I had the time to whip it up the other day so I could share it with you.

I LOVE the Swirly Scribbles Thinlits!  They are so much fun!  I can’t seem to get enough of them.  I’m just glad I’m home the entire month of July so that I can play with them!

I’ve seen a number of cards similar to this one on Pinterest.  I really like how the blue follows the curve of the red stripes.  I did have to use a retired punch for the stars but that’s why I don’t get rid of anything.  I have two drawers of retired punches….ones I just couldn’t get rid of because I might want to use them someday.  I really need to get over this mindset although it did come in handy in this situation!  🙂

Have a great day and God Bless America!

Papillon Potpourri

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Papillon Potpourri.0616Another Oldie But Goodie.  I can’t remember the last time I used Papillon Potpourri but it was just sitting on my shelf calling out to me saying “use me! use me!”  so I did.  🙂

The background designs are both made with the Timeless Textures stamp set that was in this past Spring’s Occasions Catalog and is now in the current main catalog.  These background stamps are fun to use and add so much to a card.

I stamped the butterfly on Shimmery White card stock so I could watercolor it.  Then when it was dry I used my Gold Wink of Stella Glitter Pen to color the outer areas of the wings.  It really looks nice in person.

The nice thing about this card is that it can be used for practically any occasion.  Just whip up a stash of them and add the sentiment as you need it!

I’m slowly catching up on things after being away.  There’s still a ton to do but one step at a time!  🙂

Have a great day!  Take care and Happy Stamping!

Flower Shop Birthday

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Flower Shop.0616Once again I have been AWOL.  I just returned yesterday from another trip to the MN homeland.  This time I drove all by myself to hang out with my family.  My husband can make the drive from Denver to Minneapolis in one day but I can’t sit in the car that long.  I took two days each way and it was just fine.  I listened to “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince”.  It made the time fly.  I’m glad to be back and excited that I will be at home for the entire month of July!  Woo Hoo!  I will miss heading to convention around my birthday now that Stampin’ Up! has changed the timing of it’s events.  Oh, well.

Today’s card is another from my “Oldie But Goodie” class.  The flowers are from Flower Shop that has been around for awhile and the sentiment is from Watercolor Words which was new in the last year or so.  Simple but fun.  The important part is to remember that you need to stamp the sentiment BEFORE you run the Whisper White card stock through the Big Shot with the embossing folder.

It’s hard to tell from the picture but the centers of the flowers are colored with the Clear Wink of Stella Brush.  The thing to remember when covering a large area with your Wink of Stella is that it can cause the colors to run so be sure to color carefully and clean off the brush before changing colors.

It’s time to dig back into my creating.  I have three different events that I need to plan for this month so I better get moving!  Have a great day!  Take care and Happy Stamping!

Wink of Stella Trick

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Blooms & Wishes.launch0616Hello!  As I mentioned yesterday, I had my New Catalog Launch Party on Saturday.  In hopes of getting people to RSVP farther in advance than they usually do I offered a gift to the first 15 people who sent their RSVP.  These are the little gifts that I gave them.

The gift is one of the new, decorated Glassine Gift Bags.  Inside are a couple of Ghirardelli candies along with a sheet of the new Metallic Enamel Shapes.  The bags with the gold doily on them have a sheet of the gold shapes and the bag with the silver doily has the silver shapes!  🙂

The little decoration on the front was pretty easy to make.  I first stamped the dotted circle from the Perfectly Wrapped stamp set.  Then I stamped the sentiment and the flower from the Blooms & Wishes stamp set.  The ribbon is the fun, new Watermelon Wonder 5/8″ Mini Striped Ribbon.

Wink of Stella Rhinestone.0616You’re wondering where the Wink of Stella Trick comes in now aren’t you?  🙂

I put a rhinestone in the center of the little flowers but I wasn’t real keen on the way the clear/silver rhinestone looked with the gold doily.  So I’m thinking “How can I make this gold?  Hmm…”.  I looked at my stash of toys and first tried the gold pen Stampin’ Up! carried a few years back but that had more of a matte finish.  I finally came across my gold Wink of Stella Glitter Pen and thought I’d give it a try.  I wasn’t sure it would “stick” to the rhinestone but lucky me! It did!  So there’s your trick….You can color the Stampin’ Up! rhinestones with your gold Wink of Stella Glitter Pen!  Woo Hoo!  It will probably work on the pearls too but I haven’t tried that one yet.  Let me know if you try it.  I’d love to know.

Have a great day!  Take care and Happy Stamping!

Pop of Paradise!

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Pop of Paradise.0616I LOVE Flamingos!  I have no clue why they appeal to me other than they’re PINK! Ha!  I knew this would be the very first stamp set that I purchased from the 2016-2017 Catalog and it was!

Did you know that there is a whole suite of products that COORDINATE with this stamp set?  Yep.  There’s the Pop of Pink Designer Series Paper (used on this card) and the Pop of Pink Designer Washi Tape along with Baker’s Twine in both Melon Mambo and Basic Black.  So many great products and they come in my favorite color Melon Mambo!

This was one of the cards that we made at my Catalog Launch Open House this weekend.  People could come make four cards for free and check out many of the new products first hand.  Everyone had a good time and they loved the cards we made.  #6monthstampingoals

My birthday is in about a month and I’m throwing myself a Flamingo Bingo Birthday Bash!  Sounds like fun doesn’t it?  We’ll be playing Bingo for Stampin’ Up! prizes!  Now I just need to find all sorts of flamingo things to decorate with!

Have a great day!  Take care and Happy Stamping!

Sprinkles of Life Silver Lining

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Sprinkles of Life.0616How often have you heard the saying “Every cloud has a silver lining”?  I’m sure it’s a lot.  The fun Sprinkles of Life stamp set takes it one step further.

Did you know that Sprinkles of Life was last year’s Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) stamp set for Stampin’ Up!?  That meant that for every one of these stamp sets they sold Stampin’ Up! donated $3 to RMHC!

I’m going to go out on a limb and say that this stamp set is one of the best RMHC stamp sets they’ve had…oh, except for my absolute favorite, Flamingo Lingo, since that had a flamingo in it! Ha!  Sprinkles of Life is so versatile and there are so many pieces….best of all there is a COORDINATING punch!  Woo Hoo!  Coordination!

It’s hard to tell from the picture but my clouds really do have a silver lining.  I punched out silver foil clouds and off-set them behind the white clouds.  Unfortunately they just look like shadows in the picture.  The layer between the blue card and the white stamped layer is also silver foil.  I guess I need to work on my photography skills.

So today I’m heading to the top of Pike’s Peak with my company.  Maybe I’ll share some pictures with you tomorrow.  🙂

Have a great day.  Take care and Happy Stamping!