Swirly Bird - I think I'm in love!

Hello Stampers,

It's the last day of May and that means today is the last chance to purchase any retiring Stampin' Up products you've been longing for!  If there have been any bundles on your Wish List that you haven't purchased yet, you should know that even if the stamp set and die-cuts are carrying over to the new catalogue, they won't be available at a 15% discount any longer!  Just sayin'...

Here's the link to view the retiring list one last time...

Enough of that...here is the first card I've made using my shiny new stamps...ta-da!

I've been playing with the Swirly Bird bundle I got with my catalog pre-order and I think I'm in love!  I have so many ideas swirling through my head for this stamp set, no wonder it's called Swirly Bird!

The blues on my card are the brand-new Dapper Denim and the good old Soft Sky.  I really like those two together.  The waves are made from one of the die-cuts included in the bundle.  I wanted to capture the way sunlight sparkles on the waves on a bright day on Lake Erie, so I used the "dotty" stamp from the set to stamp in Versamark, then I used Heat & Stick powder with Dazzling Diamonds glitter.  The sweet little sailboat is actually 4 separate stamps and fussy-cut, which is much easier than it sounds!  The colors on it are Dapper Denim, Daffodil Delight (stamped off once on the solid sail) and Calypso Coral.  I stamped the swirly sun 3 times, using Daffodil Delight, Calypso Coral, and Peekaboo Peach.  Each image was stamped off once.  The center of the sun is stamped in Daffodil Delight, full strength.  The sentiment I've used here is from another new stamp set called Love & Affection.

Are you curious how I made the clouds in the sky?  It's done simply by sponging Soft Sky ink around the edge of a cloud shape cut from thick Whisper White cardstock. I cut my cloud shape out freehand, but the Tree Builder Punch cloud shape would work great, also.

 I'm going to add a Happy Birthday sentiment to the inside of this card and give it to my husband for his birthday next week...shhhhh...

This year's new In-Colors are Dapper Denim, Emerald Envy, Flirty Flamingo, Peekaboo Peach and Sweet Sugarplum. Starting tomorrow, you can order them or anything else that strikes your fancy from the new catalog!  If you need a catalog, please leave me a message and I will get you one.

Thanks for stopping by,
Pat

Wondrous Wreath in Blues

Hi, Stampers!

I was so happy to see that one of my all-time favorite go-to stamp sets for Christmas is back in the new catalog - Wondrous Wreath (135047) and the matching Wonderful Wreath Framelits (135851)!

Every month on the 25th I have a Christmas Only class and this was one of the projects for this month's class:

I wanted to get away from always using red & green for every Christmas project.  These colors work wonderfully together, I'm just sorry that Lost Lagoon is retiring at the end of May.

This card is 5 1/4" square.  You should know, and if you were at class I forgot to mention this so take note, that square cards ALWAYS require extra postage.  The weight doesn't matter.  They require special handling at the post office due to the shape of the envelope so a square card, even if it is less than one ounce, requires a 21-cent "non-machinable surcharge".

Although I've used this stamp set & framelits many times, I've never used the "Noel" that comes with it.  I really like it!  I will be using it again, for sure.  The framelits also come with the word "Joy" to die-cut.




Here are the details for my card:

Card base, Lost Lagoon 10 1/2" x 5 1/4".  Score at 5 1/4".
Second layer, Pool Party 5" x 5".
Third layer, Smoky Slate 4" x 4".
Fourth layer, Whisper White 3 3/4" x 3 3/4".
The Pool Party layer is randomly stamped in Versamark and clear embossing powder then heat set.  I used the wreath image with fewer leaves on it for this step.
The wreath is stamped first in Pool Party, and the second layer of leaves is stamped in Lost Lagoon.
The berries are stamped in Versamark and silver embossing powder then heat set.  You can see the detail on the berries in this photo -

The "Noel" is cut from a Silver Foil Sheet (132178) and the bow is Pool Party Glitter ribbon (140561).  The ribbon is retiring along with Lost Lagoon, so don't miss your chance to stock up on these two!

Because our creations deserve No Naked Envelopes, I decorated the flap of mine like this:

Cute, right?  I simply stamped the bottom half of the wreath to make it look like garland and added a bow in the middle.  Colors are Pool Party and Lost Lagoon.

Here you can see another way to decorate your envelopes, but the garland on the flap is my favorite.









 Here are some other ways I've used the Wondrous Wreath - it's not just for Christmas!

Have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend.  Thanks for stopping by!

Pat

Pop-Up Gift Card Holder

Hi Stampers!

Today I want to share with you my version of the Pop-Up Gift Card Holder.  Mine is constructed most closely to Dawn Griffith's version on her You Tube video (I'll link to it at the end of this post). The difference in mine (besides the decorating) is that I used punched circles folded in half to secure the inner section that holds the gift card.  Most other versions use a strip of double-sided sticky tape to hold it together, but I found that no matter how close to the edge of the pocket I placed the tape, it still got in the way of the gift card and made the pocket too tight to function well.

This greeting is from Suite Sayings (140709), a stamp set which I've used over and over. I love the way this turned out - can't go wrong with gold embossing on black for a big impact!

 The cardstock colors are Hello Honey and Basic Black and the designer paper is called Going Places (140581).  The designer paper is retiring on May 31.

The designer paper on this one is called It's My Party (140552).  This paper comes in a 12 x 12 stack of 48 sheets with 4 each of 12 double-sided designs.   The colors on the balloons are Melon Mambo, Crushed Curry and Mint Macaron.  The greeting is another one from the Suite Sayings stamp set.  The Baker's Twine Combo Pack (140555) has 2 25-yard spools of two-tone twine in Basic Black with Melon Mambo and Mint Macaron.
The balloons were stamped using the Balloon Celebration (140675) stamp set.
The designer paper and Baker's Twine both retire on May 31.

The Envelope Punch Board is used to make the notches you see in this photo.  The tab that is formed between them tucks neatly into the bottom half of the card.

 In this photo you can see the folded circles that secure the inner section where the gift card is held.














Here is the link to Dawn Griffith's video that shows exactly how this card is constructed:

Thanks for looking!
Pat

Shimmering Wink of Stella

Hi Stampers!

Have you tried the Wink of Stella Glitter Brush yet?  I'm totally sold on this product.  They call it a glitter brush, but I think it should be called a Shimmer Brush.  It's soft and subtle but really packs  a punch on your projects.  I'm sad that it doesn't show up well in photos (like I said, soft & subtle) but here is a project we did at my last class that everyone loved:

The flower is stamped on Shimmery White cardstock (101910) and watercolored using an Aqua Painter (103954) and Pool Party ink.  After it dried, we used the Glitter Brush over the petals.  I so wish you could see the shimmer. Trust me, it's gorgeous!

All the stamping is from the Birthday Blooms (140655) stamp set and the designer paper is Birthday Bouquet (140557).  The stamp set is carrying over to the new catalog, but the designer paper is not so if you love it, be sure to order some before May 31!


The Wink of Stella Glitter Brush is available through Stampin' Up in Clear (141897) (that's what we used on this card) and Gold (141898).

There are a few simple steps to follow to get started with your Wink of Stella.  First, remove the black ring that is keeping the compartment holding the ink from being pierced.  To do this, simply remove the cap and unscrew the top brush portion of the pen from the bottom ink cartridge, remove the black ring & discard it.

Then re-screw the top brush portion of the pen onto the bottom ink cartridge; doing so will pierce it so that the ink can flow.  Replace the cap & shake the pen until you hear a clicking sound.  This indicates that the ink is mixed thoroughly.  (Kind of like mixing a can of spray paint.)  Remove the cap again and gently squeeze the ink cartridge where it says "Push" on the side of the pen.  This will cause the ink to start to fill the clear plastic area behind the brush tip.  Be careful not to press too hard and over fill the ink, as it will cause the pen to leak.

Thanks for stopping by!
Pat

A Whole Lot of Lovely

Hi Stampers,

Happy Monday!  If you're reading this, I think you're a whole lot of lovely!  The stamp set that I'm playing with today is called A Whole Lot of Lovely, and it's available only to hosts - and only for two more weeks!  If you love it, there's still time - consider having a catalog party with friends and co-workers.  Or if you're like me and want it all, just place your own $150 order through my website.

Isn't it gorgeous?  I might have never put these colors together on my own, but I let the colors in the designer paper be my guide - and I love the results. The paper is leftover from my Sale-A-Bration goodies, it's called Wildflower Fields.  The colors I've used here are Lost Lagoon and Calypso Coral. Layering the sentiment on top of Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer paper adds just the right amount of bling!



Do you ever have difficulty with stamps like this that are mostly solid images?  There are really only three variables here.  The stamp, the ink and the cardstock.  You need to start with a high quality stamp - forget the dollar bin at Michael's.  Your inkpad needs to be well-inked.  Too dry will result in a light, grainy image, but too juicy will fill in the areas that should not be inked.  See how crisp & clear this image looks?

Each letter is perfect.  The floral design is perfect.  Even those tiny dots are all clear!






The third variable I mentioned, the cardstock, may be the most important of all.  You need to use a high quality, smooth finish cardstock to get results like this.  Stampin' Up's Whisper White or Very Vanilla are perfect for this.  I did a test to show the difference - hopefully you can see this clearly in the photos:

Can you pick out the differences?  The Stampin' Up' cardstock stamped perfectly the first time.  I stamped the same image on the generic cardstock several times, and this was the best of the bunch.  See how the color is not as solid and the edges of the letters are fragmented?


If you've had issues in the past with solid image stamps, I hope you'll give it another try using these tips.  I think you'll be pleasantly surprised and excited when you see what a difference the right materials can make!

Thanks for stopping by!  If I can answer any questions or help you in any way, please leave me a message!

Pat

Balloon Celebration!

Just a quick share of another way to use your stamps - the balloons were stamped and punched with the Balloon Celebration bundle and the "happy birthday" is from my favorite "Endless Birthday Wishes".  These are double-sided and glued to a toothpick using Tombow liquid glue.  A bow tied with gold twine to match the gold embossing adds the finishing touch.

Balloon Celebration Bundle #140810
Endless Birthday Wishes # 140273
It's My Party cardstock pack #140553

Thanks for looking,
Pat

Endless Birthday Wishes

Hi Stampers,

Have you seen the Endless Birthday Wishes stamp set in the 2015-2016 annual catalog?  It's not big & flashy like some stamps, so you may have missed it.  If you're not familiar with it, check it out, in my book it's a Must Have set!  I love the swirly script and all the different combinations you can make with the words.  There are 2 images in the set that I haven't paid much attention to until recently, and now I can't stop using the adorable little birthday cake and dots!  You get 27 photopolymer stamps for $16.00, it's quite a bargain.

At my next class we will be making this card and self-closing gift box.  The colors are Mint Macaron, Melon Mambo, Crushed Curry.  The coordinating designer paper is from the It's My Party stack.  The DSP and the two-tone Baker's Twine on the box are on the retiring list, but Endless Birthday Wishes will be back in the new catalog (YAY)!!

You could easily make this card & gift box combination with just the Endless Birthday Wishes stamp set, even though I added 2 balloons from Balloon Celebration just to mix it up a little.  The perfect color coordination between Stampin' Up inks, cardstock and designer papers really makes these projects shine. I think my ladies are going to love them!

If you would like to purchase any of the products mentioned here, please click on the catalog link to my website.  Thanks for looking!

Pat

The Excitement is Building...

Good morning stampers,

Did you see the cover of the new catalog on the left side of the page?  It's got so many beautiful new products in it that my wish list is overflowing (again)!  I have a supply of the new catalogs on order and I can't wait to get them so I can share them with all my customers.  The new In-Colors are delicious - Dapper Denim, Emerald Envy, Flirty Flamingo, Peekaboo Peach & Sweet Sugarplum!

In the meantime, I'm still full of ideas using stamps and colors from the current catalogs.  Here is a card and gift box I created for a friend's birthday last week using the Botanical Blooms stamp set & thinlits:

The colors for both are Basic Black, Hello Honey, Very Vanilla, Blushing Bride, Rose Red & Pear Pizzazz.  I sponged the center of the large flowers with Rose Red and the Hello Honey middles (stamens?) are sponged with Hello Honey.  The "celebrate" on the card is from the Endless Birthday Wishes stamp set.  The "Just for You" on the box comes from Work of Art.  All 3 banners on the box are punched with the Triple Banner Punch.  The box is a wonderful size, and can be made with just a scoreboard - no special tools needed!  I filled this box with mini Ghiradelli chocolates...mmm...can't go wrong with that!  It's a nice 2" deep and sturdy, so it holds a lot of candy.  This is also a great box for a gift of jewelry.  UK Demonstrator Sam Hammond has a wonderful You Tube video that shows how the box is made-you can view it below:

Have a wonderful day,
Pat