Best Stamping Invention – Well, In My Opinion

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Best Stamping Invention

What is your best stamping invention?  We all have a tool, stamp, paper, etc. that we just can’t live without.

For me, the best stamping invention was the “Big Shot” or as one customer likes to call it “Big Boy”.

I used the Big Shot in one way or another in almost everything I create.

Best Stamping InventionThe Big Shot isn’t one of those fancy electronic cutters and you have to do a bit of manual labour to operate it.  It’s not hard, all you have to do is crank the handle.

The Big Shot can cut and emboss a variety of mediums, for example:

  • Thick cardboard
  • Metal
  • Paper
  • Fabric
  • Vinyl
  • Thin paper wood
  • Balsa wood
  • Tin, etc.

For a complete list, click on the link below to view PDF.

2015-02-12-big_shot_materials

The Big Shot uses steel rule dies and chemical etched dies.

The steel rule dies are similar to a cookie cutter with razor-like blades inserted in the foam.  This razor-like blades rise to the top and cuts the medium.  Depending upon the intricacy of the die and the thickness of the material, you can cut up to 8 layers. Of course, you need to experiment as you don’t want to break your machine.

Example of the Steel Rule Die:

Best Stamping Invention

Flower Frenzy Bigz Die

And you are in luck as this week, this die and the die below are part of the “Weekly Deals”.

Weekly Deals

Chemically etched dies

Chemically etched dies can cut intricate designs. These dies are metals with elaborate designs which are etched into the metal.  Chemicals are used to burn away the unwanted metal. While these dies can create more intricate designs, they cannot cut as many types of materials nor can they cut multiple layers of material. Chemically-etched dies should only be used to cut one sheet of card stock or paper at a time.

Example of Chemically Etched Die:

Best Stamping Invention

Darling Doily

The Big Shot comes with the standard plates and for these metal dies, you can also purchase the Magnetic Board so that the dies do not move off the paper.  So much better than holding them on the plate with tape.

The ability to emboss paper with the embossing folders also adds dimension and interest to your paper creations.  This is an easy way to get started with the Big Shot.  Create a sandwich of the platform, bottom plate, embossing folder with paper lined up inside, top plate and run through the BIg Shot…DONE!

For me, the Big Shot is capable of adding interest to your paper crafting, whether it’s scrapbooking, card making, quilting,  etc.  You can even use it with the sugar sheets for cake decorating.

So, these are some of the reasons why I think that the Big Shot is the best stamping invention.

Valentine’s Day Gift Pack and Treats – Get Them Ready

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Valentine’s Day Gift

Do you give a Valentine’s Day Gift to that special someone?  Or maybe you have more than one special someone.

What types of gifts to you give? Are they chocolates, those cinnamon hearts that leave your mouth tingly, or flowers?  Whatever your Valentine’s Day gift, I am sure that they are appreciated.

I view a Valentine’s Day gift as a “thank you” for being in my life.  A few of my special someones to receive a gift include my grandchildren.

The January Paper Pumpkin made it so easy to do up Valentine gifts.  And, the best part? I only had to fill the bags, stamp the sentiment and put them together.  I didn’t have to supply anything except for my Paper Snips and what I was going to put in the bags.  And, there were 24 packaged gifts when I finished. And, no, I don’t have 24 grandchildren.

Valentine's Day Gift

During Sale-a-Bration, Stampin’ Up! is offering a 3 month’s subscription for $68.85.  That’s a savings of $6.00 over the 3 months.  Plus, you have spent enough to earn yourself a free Sale-a-Bration item.  That’s a 2 savings deal!

Once you have purchased your subscription, have don’t have to do anything else.  Just wait for that little red box to show up on your doorstep every month.

And the best part of Paper Pumpkin is that the kit gets better and cuter every month.

Sign up for Paper Pumpkin now.  Please remember to choose me as your Stampin’ Up! demonstrator.

You can also give a Paper Pumpkin subscription as a gift – hmmmm, that would make a great Valentine’s Day gift.

Valentine's Day GiftsYes, I want to Sign Up For Paper Pumpkin

Got questions? Email me and I will provide an answer.

Creative Blog Hop – Something Borrowed Wedding Ensemble

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Creative Blog Hop

I am honoured to have been nominated by Penny Hanuszak to take part in the Creative Blog Hop.  Penny resides over at Penny Tokens Stampin Spot.

The one thing that I liked about the Creative Blog Hop is that it is a one-time shot…in and out – sounds like I am afraid of commitment but really I’m not.

Penny is an online friend who creates amazing and beautiful cards.  So thank you Penny for the nomination.

Let’s take a look at the project I am sharing for the Creative Blog Hop.  The materials used in this card are from the “Going to The Chapel” products in the 2015 Occasions Catalogue.  I fell in love with the papers, stamps, ribbon, lace trim and the embellishments that are part of this collection.

Creative BlogHere are additional pictures of the wedding cards:

CreatuveBlogsCreative BlogRecipe

Mr & Mrs Card

Stamps: For The New Two, Something Lacy.

Ink/Markers: Pink Pirouette Blendabilities, Wild Wasabi Blendabilities, Soft Sky Blendabilities, VersaMark.

Paper: Whisper White, Sahara Sand, Blushing Bride, Vellum, Something Borrowed DSP.

Accessories: Tea Lace Doily, White Embossing Powder, Corner Punch, White Jute Ribbon, Sahara Sand Lace Trim, Silver Baker’s Twine.

Mr & Mrs Treat Bag

 Stamps: For The New Two.

Ink/Markers: Pink Pirouette.

Paper: Whisper White, Blushing Bride, Something Borrowed DSP, Silver Glimmer Paper.

Accessories: Big Shot, Mini Treat Bag Thinlits, White Jute Ribbon, Sahara Sand Lace Trim, Silver Baker’s Twine.

The Something Lacy stamp was stamped on the Saraha Sand base and also stamped on Vellum using VersaMark.

The Vellum was embossed with White Embossing powder, turned off and the flowers and leaves colored with the Blendabilities.

As part of the Creative Bog Hop I was asked to answer 4 questions about myself.

What are you working on right now?  My craft area looks like a bomb went off.  I am currently creating cards to fill my Etsy Store – Simply With Heart.  I am getting there but I do think I need to stop and clean up before I loose my little stamps.

How does your work differ from others in your genre?   I don’t know that my work differs a great deal from others.  I love to stamp and take my inspiration from various sources.  I am rather eclectic in my card making and don’t really have one type of design. I love lots of layers and embellishments so having to create a one layer card sends me into a tail spin. Clean and Simple cards are not really in my vocabulary.

Why do you create like you do? I never considered myself to be an artist and still can’t draw to save my life.  Ok, maybe stick man.  However, over the years I have created with various mediums.  I have tried ceramics, crewel work, painting on felt, sewing, mixed media on canvas, knitting, crocheting, and my favorite and still is cross stitching.

How does your creativity work? My creativity starts in various places.  Sometimes it’s a stamp set that I really want to create with.  When that happens, I generally go looking to see what others have created and sometimes I will CASE their work, and other times I will use their work as a jumping off place.  The other place I start is with a sketch.  I use the sketches as a general guide, and often my card will be no where near what the sketch looked like.

My inspiration comes from the Stampin’ Up catalogues, Pinterest, or Goggling a particular stamp set.  I also love creating using various techniques and challenge myself to give them a try.  Sometimes they turn out and other times it ends up on the floor.

Now it’s my turn to nominate two other talented stampers for the Creative Blog Hop.  Diane Evans from Stampin with Diane and Ginny Duncan from Stamping with Ginny.   I personally know each of them and they create beautiful cards and other type of projects.

I hope that you will visit them to see their beautiful work and while you are there leave them a comment.

Thanks again Penny for the opportunity to participate in the Creative Blog Hop.

 

Gift Tag? Card? – It’s a Gift Tag Card with Painted Petals.

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Gift Tag Card with Painted Petals

Gift Tag punches are just not for gifts. You can add interest to a card when you use them as your focal art piece.

This card came together very easily, once I decided which stamps from the Painted Petals stamp set to use on the Scalloped Tag Topper Punch.

Gift TagRecipe

Stamps: Pained Petals, Butterfly Basics.

Ink/Markers: Wisteria Wonder, Wild Wasabi, Red Rose, Pink Pirouette.

Paper: Whisper White, Wisteria Wonder, Wild Wasabi, Rose Red, Irresistibly Yours DSP, Silver Glimmer.

Accessories: Big Shot, Spring Flowers Embossing Folder, Scalloped Tag Topper Punch, Bitty Butterfly Punch, Wisteria Wonder Seam Binding Ribbon, Silver 1/8” Ribbon, Subtle Candy Dots – Wisteria Wonder, Handheld Stapler.

Once I had settled on the set of flowers that were not roses, I got to work.  The 3 lines were stamped 2 times on the bottom of the tag, one set of flowers were stamped in the Wisteria Wonder and the other set in Rose Red ink.

Because this is a Photopolymar stamp, the stems and leaves were simple to stamp.  I didn’t worry that the leaves overlapped some of the flowers.

The gift tag was off-set on a tag punch from the Sliver Glimmer paper. Isn’t it great that the glimmer papers can be used any time of the year?  The Wisteria Wonder and the Silver Ribbons were added to the tag and stapled with the Handheld Stapler.

Of course, what could be better than some butterflies hovering over the side of the gift tag.

Last but not least is the Irresistibly Yours DSP that can be yours for free when you order $60.00 (not including tax or shipping) worth of product.

I am in love with this paper.  Check my blog frequently as I am going to show you a technique with this paper that will blow you away.

So in the meantime, keep on stamping and creating and try the Gift Tag punch for your art piece.

Washi Tape Feathers are A Fabulous Work of Art

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Washi Tape Feathers

Washi Tape Feathers – my goodness the things you can create with Washi Tape – who would have thought?  Not me, that’s for sure.

This card was inspired by Shelli Gardner, Stampin’ Up!’s esteemed leader.  She presented this card at the Leadership Conference in Orlando Florida in January.  While I wasn’t present at the event, there was live streaming of the event and I got to watch this creative technique.  You gotta love technology.

Washi Tape FeathersRecipe

Stamps: Work of Art, Gorgeous Grunge.

Ink/Markers: Lost Lagoon, Smokey Slate, Versa Mark.

Paper: Whisper White, Lost Lagoon, Silver Foil.

Accessories: Big Shot, Circles Collection Framelits (3rd smallest), 1-3/4” Circle Punch, 2” Circle Punch, All is Calm Washi Tape (retired), Whisper White Baker’s Twine, Lost Lagoon 3/8” Stitched Satin Ribbon, Silver Embossing Powder.

To create this card:

I used the Work of Art swoosh (hope that’s a word) and circle stamps.  The swoosh is stamped with Lost Lagoon.  The first swoosh is stamped off once and I stamped the other 2 swooshes without loading my stamp with ink. The circles were stamped in Smokey Slate and stamped off each time.

The sprinkle dots were stamped with the Gorgeous Grunge large splatter stamp inked with Soft Sky.  I did not stamp off the ink before stamping on the Whisper White.

Feathers:

Cut a piece of Whisper White Baker’s Twine double the length that you would like your feathers to be.  Fold the twine in half.

Lay down a strip of Washi Tape the length of the Baker’s Twine.  Cut another piece of Washi Tape the same length and lay the two pieces side by side overlapping a bit.

Lay the Baker’s Twine in the middle of the strip with the cut ends extending past the Washi Tape.  The folded end will now be shorter than the Baker’s Twine.

Cut 2 strips of Washi Tape and lay them over the bottom layers and the Baker’s Twine.

Round the tip of the feathers with you scissors and narrow the bottom.  Cut diagonal slits in your feathers without cutting into the Baker’s Twine.  Don’t forget to fluff them out.

Don’t be like me and cut the sides going the wrong way.  Which I did 2 times before finally getting it right…duh.

So now it’s your turn to create some Washi Feathers.

 

 

 

Painted Petals – Amazingly Amazing 2-Step Stamping

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Painted Petals

I hate to admit this, but the Painted Petals stamp set wasn’t my first choice in the catalogue.  I loved the coordinating paper, Painted Blooms, and the stamp set had to grow on me.  Well, grow on me it did.  I can now see endless possibilities with this stamp set and over the next few posts, I will share different projects that you can create yourself. I guess sometimes it just takes time.

Because this is a Two-Step stamp set, I adore the fact that it is available in Photopolymer – the stamps that you can see right through.

So what is two-step stamping? Two-step stamping allows you to build fine details into your stamped images giving dimension and depth.  It also is used for adding details to images to join them together.  For example, on this card, the Painted Petals are stamped separately from the leaves and stems.

Now, you can use a Stamp-a-ma-jig that allows you to line up the different elements and also creates another step.  However, using the Photopolymer stamps, allows you to stamp the images with out the extra step of the Stamp-a-ma-jig.  Why?  Because you can see right through these stamps, and have the ability to see where you have stamped previously.

Painted PetalsRecipe

Stamps: Painted Petals.

Ink/Markers: Rose Red, Wild Wasabi, Blushing Bride.

Paper: Whisper White, Soft Sky, Rose Red, Painted Blooms DSP

Accessories: Itty Bitty Accents Epoxy Stickers, Soft Sky 1/8” Taffeta Ribbon.

Did you notice the Itty Bitty Epoxy Stickers?  They are located at the bottoms of the roses and I placed them on the dots stamped in Blushing Bride.  These Epoxy Stickers can be painted with the Blendabilities to add colour to them or just left clear and placed on top of a stamped image.  That is what I did in this case.

Man Card Ideas – The Last Card in the Dude Birthday Card Series

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Man Card Ideas Series

Here is the last birthday card in the Man Card Ideas series.

For this Birthday card, I used graphic images that usually are associated with men.

Man Card Ideas

Recipe

Stamps: Starburst Sayings.

Ink/Markers: Black Berry Bliss, Crushed Curry.

Paper: Smokey Slate, Whisper White, Moonlight DSP.

Accessories: Big Shot, Starburst Framelits, Chevron Embossing Folder, Essential Wooden Elements, Crushed Curry Chevron Ribbon, 2-1/2” Circle Punch.

For example, the Starburst Framelit reminds me of a saw blade and it is mounted on a circle which has was embossed with the Chevron Embossing Folder.  I also stamped an additional sentiment on the saw tooth circle Wooden Essential Element using Blackberry Bliss.

Additional graphics include the Chevron embossing on the circle behind the sentiment, the stripes on the DSP and the chevrons on the ribbon.

The Starburst Sayings stamp set and the matching Starburst Framelits are ideal for a man card.

If you use the digital software, the stamp, bunches and embellishments are available for download to recreate this card.

Do you have go to stamp sets and embellishments for man cards?  Leave me a comment, I would love to hear your ideas.

 

 

Guy Birthday Cards – Another Idea For You

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Guy Birthday Cards

Here’s a birthday card that you can put into your stash of guy birthday cards.

As I said in a previous post, creating cards for men is not an easy feat.  Women will usually like fancy with the ribbons, lace and embellishments.  Men will usually go for the simpler road.

So here is an idea for Guy Birthday Cards.

Guy Birthday Cards

 Recipe

Stamps: Amazing Birthday.

Ink/Markers: Lost Lagoon, Hello Honey.

Paper: Whisper White, Basic Grey, Hello Honey, Lost Lagoon, Moonlight DSP.

Accessories: Big Shot, Banner Framelit Dies, Bitty Banners Framelits, Circle Collection Framelits, 1-3/4 Circle Punch, Small Oval Punch, Basic Black Baker’s Twine.

The Amazing Birthday stamp set is a great go to for guy birthday cards.  It’s clear and graphic stamps like the banners and circles fit with the male world.  The other thing I like about this stamp is that you can cut the different elements apart and place them in different areas of the card.  The graphic Moonlight DSP also lends itself nicely to male cards.

The other idea is to add the wood elements like the Essential Wooden Elements embellishments.  I didn’t add them to this card as I wanted to post it in the mail to the recipient.

 

So look for one more post in this series of Guy Birthday Cards.

 

Paper Crafting Ideas – Join My Email List

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Want Paper Crafting Ideas? 

Do you want paper crafting ideas? Do you spend time looking for ideas instead of creating?  Well, then you need to sign up for the Simply Said with Karen email list.

When you sign up you can spend less time chasing down an idea because ideas are delivered right to your In Box.  Once a month I send out a newsletter which is full of ideas from cards to scrapbook/memory keeping, and non-card or scrapbook projects.

These projects come with pictures, detailed list of supplies (including product numbers) and step-by-step instructions.  It’s like having be right there beside you teaching you the class. Not, only that, you are always free to reach out to me if you have a question about any of these projects.  SWEET!

As well as paper crafting ideas, the newsletter also covers various techniques and answers to questions that come to me from my customers.  No more chasing the internet.

From time to time, I also send out an update in the middle of the month outlining any fabulous deals that Stampin’ Up! has for you, articles that have appeared on the Simply Said With Karen Blog, and from time to time, there may be a project for you  (space permitting).

And the best part, all this is Free.

So, use this link and sign up for the Simply Said with Karen newsletter today!!

Subscribe Today for Paper Crafting Ideas.

Paper Crafting Ideas

See you in your In Box.

 

 

Happy Birthday Dude – He Got a Hand Made Card

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Happy Birthday Dude

Happy Birthday Dude, one of my favourite dudes.  That’s because he is my son and I only have 1 so I’m allowed to have a favourite.

Creating a birthday card for a guy is so difficult, well, at least I find them difficult.  I am always scouring Pinterest or the Internet looking for the perfect one and I also end up creating one of my own.  Oh well, saw some great cards along the way.

Actually the Giggle Greetings stamp set is quickly becoming my favorite stamp to use for man cards.  I just can’t imagine giving a cat  with a fur ball at this feet to any of the females I know.  Would be kind of an insult but for a guy….great!

So here it is,

20141212_163140

Happy Birthday DudeRecipe:

Stamps: Giggle Greetings, Sketched Birthday.

Ink/Markers: Tuxedo Black, Lost Lagoon, Hello Honey, Blendabilities: Smokey Slate, Pumpkin Pie, Crumb Cake, Stampin Write Markers: Lost Lagoon, Chocolate Chip.

Paper: Whisper White, Hello Honey, Smokey Slate, Lost Lagoon, Moonlight DSP.

Accessories: Big Shot, Circle Card Thinlit Die, Honeycomb Embossing Folder, Circles Collection Framelits, 2” Circle Punch, 1-3/4 Scallop Circle Punch, Linen Thread, Basic Metal Buttons.

For this card, I used several of the Thinlits and Framelits which come with the Circle Card Thinlits.  This particular thinlit has several shapes and words that you can cut with the Big Shot.  For example, there are a scalloped circle, banner framelit, arrows and stars along with the words “thnx and yay”.  Make it easy to create sentiments.

The next time you need to create a Happy Birthday, Dude card, consider the Circle Card Thinlit and the Giggle Greetings.

Leave me a comment and let me know what your go to stamp set is for a Happy Birthday Dude card.

 

About The Sunshine and Birthday Wishes

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About The Sunshine and Not So Much About the Bass

Today, I am singing “It’s All About the Sunshine” rather than Meagan Trainor’s ” It’s All About The Bass”  I really like Meagan’s song, and sometimes I just can’t get it out of my head.  And the sun is shining brilliantly today, so I thought why not do a sunny card and make it about the sunshine.

 About The SunshineRecipe

Stamps: Crazy About You, Kinda Eclectic.

Ink/Markers: Sahara Sand, Hello Honey ink pad and marker.

Paper: Whisper White, Hello Honey, Sahara Sand, Best Ever DSP.

Accessories: Big Shot, Striped Scallops, Hello You Thinlit Dies, 1-3/4” Scallop Punch, Transfer Adhesive Sheets, Simply Pressed Clay, Buttons & Blossoms Simply Pressed Clay Molds, Tea Lace Paper Doilies.

A few things about this card:

  • The large sun ray stamp from Kinda Eclectic was stamped on the Tea Lace Paper Doily using Hello Honey ink.
  • When cutting the Striped Scallops and The Hello You thinlit, I used wax paper between the die cut and the card stock.  I also attached a piece of Transfer Adhesive Sheet before die cutting the “Happy”.  Makes it so much easier to adhere to your card.
  • The flower on the Tea Lace Paper Doily was made using the Simply Pressed Clay and the molds.  After the clay was dry, I popped it out of the mold and coloured with the Hello Honey marker.

*** Did you know that you can make free standing forms to create other beauties? – ie a dish to store your embellishment

  • The Best Ever DSP is a FREE package of designer paper when you purchase $60 worth of product during Sale-a-Bration.

Now it’s your turn to try to make it “All About the Sunshine”.

Did you know that if you purchase the Crazy About You Bundle, you may be able to receive a Sale-A-Bration product?

If you are interested in hearing the original “It’s All About the Bass”  watch this video.

 

Blue Monday – Don’t Let It Get You Down

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What is Blue Monday?

This year, Blue Monday is January 19th.  Blue Monday is said to be the most bluest of days  for many people. It occurs on the first Monday of the last full week in January. There is even a mathematical equation that helps decide the day.

So why is their a Blue Monday

  • The Christmas and New Year festivities are over and the bills start flowing in.
  • We have started to loose focus on our New Year Resolutions and we get upset with ourselves.
  • In the northern Hemisphere, we are waiting for more daylight – that in itself can lead to depression.

So what can you do to combat this feeling?

  • Get out and enjoy some winter activities…skiing, ice skating
  • Surround yourself with positive friends…maybe there a some who aren’t affected by Blue Monday.
  • If you suffer from SAD, get yourself a light which can help combat that sad feeling.
  • Look forward and stay positive…the days are indeed getting longer with more daylight…just maybe not as fast as we want.
  • Go stamp some cards and get into the Sale-A-Bration feeling

So what goes better with Blue Monday than a Blue Lotus Flower from the SAB catalogue.  This flower will make you smile.

Because what is better than 2-step stamping?  Why, it’s 3-step stamping.

Blue MondayRecipe:

Stamps: Lotus Blossom, Butterfly Basics.

Ink/Markers: Crushed Curry, Marina Mist, Pacific Point, Wild Wasabi, Pistachio Pudding.

Paper: Whisper White, Marina Mist, Painted Blooms DSP.

Accessories: Big Shot, Decorative Dots Embossing Folder, Whisper White Seam Binding, Bitty Butterfly Punch.

If you are using the wood mount or clear mount stamps, use the Stamp-a-ma-Jig to line up your flowers.  If you use the photopolymer stamps, then you can see right through the stamps to line them up.

THe stamps are number 1, 2 and 3 so you know which order to use the stamps.

For these blue lotuses, I stamped #1 with Pacific Point (the darkest colour), #2 stamp – Marina Mist and #3 – Marina Mist stamped off 2xs.

This style of stamping gives beautiful definition to the images.

The butterflies are from the Basic Butterfly stamp set.  They are stamped 3 times and punched out with the Bitty Butterfly punch.

You can earn this stamp set for free by purchasing $60.00 in products – it’s Sale-a-Bration time.

 

 

Crazy About You – Think Of The Possibilities

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Crazy About You – and a Whole Lot More

The Crazy About You stamp set in the 2015 Occasions catalogue is a great stamp to have on hand when creating sentiments.  It has 33 stamps and comes in wood mount, clear mount and photopolymer.  With this stamp set, I would definitely go with the photopolymer.

Why is that you ask?  Photopolymer stamps are clear so that you can see through them to place them precisely where you want the images on your project.  With the Crazy About You stamp set, there are 30 words or phrases that you can mix and match.  Combine the  words and phrases to create your own sentiment.  How super it that!

The Hello You Thinlits Dies compliment this stamp set and give you 4 additional words to add to your sentiments.  Just about every occasion is covered with this stamp set.

My card today uses the Hello Thinlit and the “Just Sayin'” phrase.

Crazy About YouRecipe

Stamps: Crazy About You.

Ink/Markers: Calypso Coral, Soft Suede, Pistachio Pudding.

Paper: Whisper White, Soft Suede, Crushed Curry, Sahara Sand, Best Year Ever DSP.

Accessories: Big Shot, Hello You Thinlits, Flower Medallion Punch, Brights Candy Dots, Calypso Coral Baker’s Twine, Adhesive Sheets.

The flower was stamped 3 times, the first one is punched out with the Flower Medallion punch and the other 2 are fussy cut to provide 2 additional layers to the flower.  These 2 layers were attached to the first flower using dimensionals.

Create your sentiment by layering multiple words and stamps on one block (the beauty of the photopolymer stamps) so you don’t have to line them up when you are stamping.  So easy!!

Do you have trouble attaching your Thinlits to your projects because you don’t know which adhesive to use?

This tip will be in the February newsletter.  Sign up today so you don’t miss out on the tip.

 

 

Magical Butterflies Provide The World With Beauty

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Magical Butterflies

Magical Butterflies come in many different sizes and colors.  To me, butterflies are beautiful and I love to watch them during the summer months.

As we know, butterflies come from the caterpillar and over time they morph into wonderful creatures.  Did you know that there are over 17,000 different species of butterflies in the world?

There are dedicated gardens where you can visit and observe the many different species in all their glory.  Have you every been lucky and had a butterfly land on you?

Their defense mechanism is their ability to blend into the foliage and camouflage themselves from their predators.  Some brightly colored butterflies have a toxic chemical in their bodies and their predators quickly learn to associate the bright colors with “danger”.

This magical butterfly is created using the Butterfly Basics stamp set and the Butterflies Thinlits die from the new Occasions Catalogue.  There are so many projects that you can create using this stamp and die.

Magical ButterfliesRecipe

Stamps: Butterfly Basics.

Ink/Markers: Metallic Gold Encore, Versa Mark.

Paper: Basic Black, Gold Foil.

Accessories: Big Shot, Butterflies Thinlits, Gold Embossing Powder, 3/4” Circle Punch Gold, Gold Metallic Baker’s Twine.

A few tips for this card:

  • the center of the Gold Foil layer has been cut out to save on paper.
  • when cutting with the thinlit die, place a piece of wax paper between the die and the card stock (in this case the Gold Foil paper) prior to running through the Big Shot.  The wax paper makes the die cut easier to remove from the Thinlit.
  • because this is an intricate Die, pass your layers through the Big Shot a couple of times.  This ensures that all those little pieces will be cut through.

Now it’s your turn to make some Magical Butterflies .

You can choose the wood, clear or photopolymer stamp set.  If you bundle the stamp set with the Thinlit Die, you can save 15%.

Small Business Opportunity with Sale-a-Bration

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Small Business Opportunity

Have you ever considered operating a small business?  I have an opportunity for you!

As you know or may not know, Sale-a-Bration is well underway offering you free product.  This program is also offering you a way to become your own boss and provide extra income to you and your family.

Small Business

In previous posts, I have talked about the ‘Shop’ aspect of SAB, today it’s the ‘Join’ aspect.

Do any of these sentences sound familiar to you?

  • I sure would like to take my family on a nice vacation, but there just isn’t any room in the budget.
  • I love to paper craft and I would love to share my knowledge.
  • I am a stay-at-home Mom and I really need some adult conversation.
  • I am retired and I would like to do something with my extra time.
  • I work outside the home right now, and would love to be my own boss.

Well, I have a way that you could fulfill those dilemmas.

During SAB, Stampin’ Up! is offering the business opportunity to become a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator.

You can join Stamp’Up! for $125.00 and receive the starter kit with products valued at $155.00.  Plus during SAB you get to choose between two FREE product options.

Option 1

Choose a free project kits from the 2015 Occasions catalogue .  These kits are the perfect way to get started as a demonstrator – lots of fun with minimal preparation.

Here are the kits.  Depending upon which kits you decide to add to your kits, you could receive up to an additional $62.00 in products.

Supply List

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Option 2
Choose any 2 Sale-a-Bration Items.  It’s the perfect chance to get the products that you wanted anyway.
This is one of the perks about running your own small business.  You can decide how to make your business function for you.
Check out this link to see a video regarding the benefits of becoming a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator JOIN NOW
Of course, I am here to answer any of your questions and help get you started.
Get started today on your own Small Business!