Postage Collection

                                        

 

It's the day! !

The day that you are able to finally order your brand new Stampin' Up! products.... ordering begins at noon!

And it's brimming with beautiful new products

View the new catalog here!

Order online here!

 

 

And a special sale.... great greetings set on sale now.
View the flyer here!

 

 

 

Here's a card I made using one of the new hostess sets, Postage Collection. Golden bees (please tell me they are bees and not flies!) embossed on a honeycomb background.

Postage Collection is a very sweet set that has

numerous sentiments and images, each of them great!

 

Don't forget that each $150 order receives your choice of $25 of free merchandise.... wow! That's how I snagged this wonderful hostess set.

 

Need a catalog? I'll be happy to mail you one when an online order is placed with me. Just drop me a quick email at stampsnsmiles@gmail.com letting me know you still need one.

I had a great time using:

Honeycomb Folder 19378

Oh, Hello! stamp set 130733/131931

Itty Bitty Banners 129267

Postage Collection 129240/129237

 

Boxed Love Notes

 

I love the Kraft Boxes from Stampin' Up!  They are so easy to dress up.... stamp 'em, emboss 'em, top with a flower,

or dress them up with ribbon and washi tape.
Super simple, super cute!

 

What a perfect way to use up bits and pieces of ribbon. You know that drawer of DSP scraps that you have.... use them in place of the washi tape (which you can order on Friday!) Perfect!

 

 

And what to fill it with?

Pretty much anything! I thought a set of love notes would be sweet. The perfect hostess gift!

 

The sentiments which I love, love come from a brand new set called Really Good Greetings and is pretty much one of my favorite stamps for sayings. Oh, there are some other very cool ones, too, just you wait and see!

 

Don't forget to shop on May 31st.... from the brand new catalog! Orders can be place beginning at noon MST.
I'd love it if you'd shop here!

Ten Minute Tuesday ;;; or kind of!

 

It's Tuesday,
which means I should have a card ready that
I created in ten minutes, correct?

Well, the best laid plans sometimes turn upside down.
This card actually was created in one hour and fifteen minutes.

And here's why:

 

I'm jazzin' along, everything is going great, and then I decided to change the paper I stamped my leaves on.
But, where was my leaf stamp? Absolutely nowhere!
I had just used it... had to be there somewhere!

So I.... cleared off my work area, went through the wastebasket (two times), my basket of scraps, all of the stamp sets I had out (there were a few), my drawers (Stampin' Up! drawers, that is!), then decided to lower the frustration level a bit and take a break.

 

Cooked dinner, ate dinner, went back to looking.... the card was complete except for the leaves, so I had to find it! Besides what is the Secret Garden without leaves?

Finally, finally, I found it!

It had somehow stuck under my Stampin' Trimmer.
Whew.... back to the card! Total time: one hour fifteen

 

 

I chose to create a watercolor effect by using Stampin' Write Markers and gently stroking the large brush end over the stamp, leaving a few areas blank. The third flower was stamped without re-inking so it fades into the background a bit. Cantaloupe Crisp for the center, then Pink Pirouette and the edges are done in Strawberry Slush. I'm happy!

Here are the steps I used to create this card - it really does come together quickly. I might be pushing the limit a bit on the ten minutes, but it was close.

 

Here are some hints to speed up the process.

 

Do all your stamping at one time.

Die cut the flower and leaves at the same time.

While you're at the Big Shot! die cut the frame.

Put on all your adhesives at the same time.
(Snail for the DSP, Stampin' Dimensionals for
everything else)

Then assemble.

 

What I used:

 

Very Vanilla card stock - 4-1/4" x 11"

                                    2" square

Strawberry Slush card stock - 4" x 5-1/4"

Pistachio Pudding card stock - 2" x 4"

First Edition DSP - 4-1/8" x 5-3/8"

Stampin' Write Markers:

Strawberry Slush

Crisp Cantaloupe

Pistachio Pudding

 Pink Pirouette

Basic Black

 

Stamp Sets:
Secret Garden Bundle
Perfectly Penned

 

 

Framelits:
Labels Collection

 

Saying Goodbye an Inch at a Time

 

To live in simplicity, we are not able to add new things to our lives without saying good-bye to a few of the familiar.

And, so it is with our Designer Series Papers. There are some beautiful papers waiting right around the corner.... to replace the ones we've loved this year.

 

 

I decided to take some of the last pages I had and cut them into 1" strips and squares. I thought I'd package them up kind of cute and have them on hand to give as little thank you's, along with the supplies to make some small notecards.

 

I've included a few hand stamped tags, the "inchies" tied up with Baker's Twine, card stock, and 3" x 3" Envelopes. Just something simple but how fun would it be to receive something like this?

 

 

Just a reminder....

There are only a few days left to order the retiring products. Click here for a list stamp sets or here for the list of accessories you may want to order!
Last day to order is June 3, 2013.... unless they're gone before that!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's Fun to be part of a Team!

 

Being part of a Team...

 

Teams are about sharing ideas, cheering each other on and helping to educate each other.

It's creating an environment of friendship and success, whether you are a hobby stamper or want to create an income that allows some flexibility in your life.

Here's a card that we created at a team meeting the other night. A fun evening of learning new ways to promote our business.... (watch for videos coming soon), stamping, brainstorming and just enjoying the company of enthusiastic stampers.

 

Right now is a great time to start a Stampin' Up! business. There's a wonderful promotion that allows you to get started for $99, which includes $152 worth of your choice of product.

It ends May 31st, tho', so don't delay too long!

 

 Actively build a business, with team help of course, or contentedly support your stampin' habit. Either way, I'd love to have you join me as Stampin' Up! begins a new year.

Click here for the details!

 

And because I know you're wanting to see....

 

 

 

Baby Saihje all dressed up for his ride home from the hospital!

 

 

 

Welcome Baby Saihje

 

The newest little addition to our family... Saihje Edwin!

Our eighth grandbaby was born Wednesday night and it was so nice to be able to be there for his birth.

 

Congratulations Jessica and Brayton on your

beautiful baby boy.

Proud and very tired new Mom.. she did wonderful!

 

Proud auntie enjoying a few moments before we headed home.

Great New Downloads!

What a great way to quickly brighten a kitchen! A brand-new MDS download from Stampin' Up!  Print it up, frame it, add a bit of bling and you have a new piece of art.

 

 

Or get ready for your family reunion this summer with this amazing set - it has absolutely everything you'll need!

 

Click here to view a PDF of the three new downloads this week. It will share all that's included with each set.

Try MDS for free for 30 days!

  Get select downloads for 25% off through June 15!

Get started here!

 

All Enveloped Up....

 

I hope each of you have a Priority Friend.....

and that you make friends a priority!

 

I am certainly fortunate in friends and love them because

they bring an incredible balance to my life.

 

I love that a true friend can speak the truth and it's said with love.

That you can bounce ideas off of them and they'll dream crazy dreams with you!

They'll share their chocolate.... and their coffee.... and even go on a diet with you.

They'll cry with you, laugh with you, hug you (all in five minutes!)

And, mostly, because they're always there!

 

So back to my card... it's Ten Minute Tuesday!

Did you notice that I got it posted early, early in the morning? Speaking of priorities - whew... things are back on schedule again and I like that.

 

So this isn't an envelope, it's a card. A standard size card which opens on the left. 

 

Here's what you need:

Whisper White card stock:

4-1/4" x 11" - for card base 2" x 5-1/2" - for flap

Cherry Cobbler card stock:

punch out four hearts

                    Baker's Twine:                     

28"

 

Crumb Cake ink and a sponge

Priority Mail (hostess) stamp set

Directions:
1)  With pencil, lightly mark the center point (2-3/4" mark) on
     the Whisper White, 2" x 5-1/2".
2)  Angle cut it as shown from that center point to each end.
3)  Sponge around edges of card and card flap using Crumb
     Cake ink.
4)  Stamp "Priority Friend" in lower right hand corner of card
     front using Crumb Cake ink.
4)  Adhere flap to card front using Glue Dots.
5) Tie Baker's Twine around front of card.
6) Punch out four hearts from Cherry Cobbler card stock and
    adhere onto ends of Baker's Twine using Glue Dots.
7) Send it to a "priority friend"!

And remember....
No matter how much you push the envelope, it's still just stationary!

Having Fun With My Paper Pumpkin

Okay, I am thrilled with this month's My Paper Pumpkin Kit!

I love the colors, the papers, the album and the ka-bling they included.

 

I started this chipboard album this evening.... without pics. We have a new grandson being born May 22nd and so I'm waiting for his arrival. Hope to post pictures on Thursday for y'all.

 

What is My Paper Pumpkin? It's a monthly subscription, offered through Stampin' Up!, that lands on your doorstep once a month. It's a little creative get-away! A complete kit with everything you need to make some quick, creative projects.

 

Each month it's a surprise! But it's a fun one and there are a few things that you can count on:

                      1) Unique Designer Series Paper

                      2) Exclusive stamps

                      3) Bling including chipboard tags, etc

                      4) A free tutorial from me!

 

So this month, all of us My Paper Pumpkin'ers received a kit with all of the ingredients to create a great little chipboard photo album, full of fun pages, chipboard elements, tags, rings, clips and buttons. With lots of left overs!

 

I took some of the extra supplies from the kit and created five other projects.... and that tutorial is my thank you to each subscriber!

 

I've given you a bit of a sneak peek at two of the projects - a card and a great little camera love note! The others are, well, top secret, because they're exclusive for the gals and guys who subscribe through me. This month as a special thank you I'm sending out a little package of the extra things I chose to use from my own stash....

you may just want to join in on the fun!

 

Begin your My Paper Pumpkin Journey here!

This link will assure that I am notified of your subscription and that you will receive your free tutorial and goodies. 

 

A Teacher Thank You Purse!

 

Don't you think this little purse would love to go to school on the last day....

as a thank you to a teacher? Or use it as a thank you or birthday package for family or friend.

 

All decked out with a big bow, it has plenty of space for a card, a small present or gift card, or one of each.

 

The tutorial can be found here
and it comes with instructions to make six really cute cards that fit neatly inside or can be used for other occasions.

 

 

A little chalkboard tag that says it all - or use your favorite sentiment.

 

Happy Saturday to each of you! Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

 

 

Storytime DSP

available through 5/31/13

order here!

Ten Minute Tuesday

 

All righty.... here's a card that's totally out of the ordinary for me!

 

No Whisper White card stock? I'm not sure what happened and I almost went into withdrawal creating this! But, it was short-lived as the clock was ticking, so I just kept a-going.

I really do love Primrose Petals and Pumpkin Pie together.
I also think it would make the perfect wedding colors, with lots of Whisper White and touches of burlap. But no weddings in our family soon, so here are the colors in a card.

 

Here's how I created it:

 

• Fold Pumpkin Pie card stock, 4-1/4" x 11" in half and crease with Bone Folder.
• Die cut the 3-1/4" wide heart from the Heart Collection Framelits from a piece of computer paper. It helps to have the computer paper at least the size of your card front so you don't get unwanted ink marks.
                                             
  
• Using it as a pattern, lay in place on your card stock. Ink up one side of the Woodgrain Embossing Folder with Versamark ink. Lay ink side down over your heart cut-out and using a Brayer transfer the ink to the card front. I used Primrose Petals ink for the photo so it would show up a bit better.
                                 
• Sprinkle inked area liberally with White Stampin' Emboss Powder,
• Stamp sentiment onto Primrose Petals card stock with Versamark ink. Sprinkle liberally with White Stampin' Emboss Powder.
• Heat set both pieces using Heat Tool.
• Punch sentiment out using the Blossom Punch. Also punch a partial blossom from DSP or Gumball Green card stock and cut apart to create two leaves.
                                            


• Adhere to card front using Glue Dots. Adhere Pearls in place. You're done!

Note: "I Miss You Already" comes from a great new stamp set called Really Good Greetings which will be available for ordering May 31st. It's found in the brand new Stampin' Up! Catalog along with "Gee, thanks"found here.

 

Now I'm headed out to the front porch to watch the last of the sunset while I listen to Pandora, then a bit of yoga and off to bed. Thanks for checking in on my blog today!

Mocha Monday for Dads and Grads

 

 

 

It's the time of year to celebrate Dad's (Father's Day) and Grads!

 So I've created two cards and a small gift box that holds a gift card and candy.

 

I used "metal tape" which, when embossed, reminds me of those fancy-shmancy tool boxes and workshop cabinets you find at Home Depot. The tape is available there also, and lots cheaper!

 

This is the project we're creating today at our Mocha Monday class. As always, I've created a tutorial for this grouping that is available as a PDF tutorial, full of pictures and step by step directions just for you.

 

Kits are also available. Each kit includes pre-cut supplies for all three projects, envelopes, the PDF tutorial, along with enough of the metal tape for four cards.
The tape comes in such a huge roll and is a bit pricey,
so I thought you might enjoy the extra!
PDF Tutorial
immediate download
$1.95  

 

 

Kit and Tutorial
includes tax/shipping
$9.95




 

Priorities...

 

Priorities....

 

there are some things that are easy to make priorities aren't there?

 

Like these two great little guys! These are two of our grandsons. Brittyn, the soccer player, and his younger brother, Isaiah. So, it's easy to drop everything and say yes to these little guys.

 

But what happens sometimes in life is...
 with all our good intentions of wanting to say yes, we find that we have let so many other things in; that were good, and fun, and right, that they fill up the space in our lives and we find ourselves saying no to what should (no, must!) be most important.

 

This was my view for much of Brittyn's soccer game last Saturday. Mr. Isaiah sitting on my lap, helping me drink my coffee, and us just having a good time together. I hope he remembers those times when he's a teenager and a Dad, because they are the stuff life is made of.

 

So....

 

 

Have you ever had one of those defining moments where you need to sit back and re-define your priorities, life, business, etc? And then let a few things go...

 

This week has been like that for me... and as a result I am making the decision to take a break from my Online Only Class. For now at least. It may re-surface in the future in a little different format.

 I am, however, continuing to do my other tutorials... I have some fun ones planned, and May's Mocha Monday tutorial will be available in the next post!

 

I love this Stampin' Up! business, my blog, my classes and I love, love creating! I'm not slowing down in that sense. But what I've found is that when I put myself on a time schedule of creativity, with the parameters of just one stamp set, I'm just, well, not that creative. It kind of takes the sparkle out of it for me and ultimately will for you also. And that part isn't okay with me.

 

I read a post on Stampin' Up! this week that gave me the push.... it's a wonderful post from Shelli, the founder of Stampin' Up! She talks about keeping our lives balanced, how we spend our time, etc. It's full of wisdom and hindsight. I invite you to check it out... it's on the main page this morning. Check it out at stampinup.com. May it inspire you also!

 

A big thank you to each of you who have enjoyed the Online Only Class. I so appreciate your loyalty and understanding.

 

 

 

 

So, lastly but not leastly, here is my card for today.
It was originally designed for my Online Only Class...

 

And now I'm off to Brittyn's soccer game! And that just feels good. Have a wonderful weekend!

 

 

 

Seriously.... again!

 

 

Seriously..... love your guts!

 

These delightful (if guts are delightful) stamps were part of the My Paper Pumpkin kit this month.

Now I love the "seriously" but kind of wondered about the "love your guts" - just didn't sound like something I would say. I'd probably say "I love your courage", or your "heart", whatever. You get the drift.

 

But... this week I learned that we really do need to love our guts. As in love them enough to treat them kindly.

 

As in feed it the food it deserves - fresh, organic, whole foods that create an environment where disease just won't get started. The key to health is pretty simple really... keep your body perfectly balanced the way it was meant to be so it can heal on it's own.

So .... to your health!

 

And for the winner from my first "seriously" post

 

Tracey Clay
 

"OMGosh - Love your ideas. How about die cut letter -
B serious. Then you could run with inside - about us, about u (great intervention card), will U marry me, etc, etc"

Tracey, pop me a quick email (stampsnsmiles@gmail.com) on where your package of goodies needs to arrive. How about a Chevron Embossing Folder, bakers twine and buttons!

 

And to each of you....

I loved your comments - keep them coming!

Note: I cut this card just 4" wide so it would allow for the tag to extend  beyond the edge of the card and still fit into the envelope. Tricky, tricky!