Clean and Simple

For the minimalist; the designs here are clean and simply. By nature, they should also be quick & easy to duplicate.

My Gift for You!

6 Comments

This is my second blog post for today. If you missed my earlier post, please click here.

At my class Monday night, we made gift card holders.  As I was prepping for class, I snapped a pic of the various parts – cut and layed out.  I posted that pic on my Facebook page and asked people to guess what I was making.  I decided I would give the finished project to the first person to correctly guess.  RayAnn guessed correctly, and she won the completed gift card holder (and I tucked a gift card to Dunkin Donuts inside!).  (To make sure YOU don’t miss out – Like my facebook page, www.facebook.com/mystampinspace).

Well, here is one the 2 different styles of gift card holders we made.

IMG_5140

IMG_5141The gift card holders were made with card stock (Crushed Curry or Cucumber Crush) and then decorated with paper from the new paper stack A Cherry on Top.  A Bermuda Blue belly band was embellished using the Celebrate Today stamp die and matching balloons framelits dies.  A quick & easy gift card holder that could be made in any color, for any occasion.  Timeless, right?

Would you like to make this gift card holder yourself?  Well, RayAnn may have won the finished project, but my gift to you is the step-by-step directions so you can make them yourself.  I only ask that you leave a comment for me in this blog post and tell me what you think.  The ladies in my class all LOVED them.  I hope you will too 🙂

GIFT CARD HOLDER TUTORIAL – PDF

Tell me what occasion you have to give a gift card for, and how you decorated.  If you send me a photo of your finished project using my tutorial, I’ll even post it on my blog!

Thanks for stopping by.  If you want to order any card stock, designer series paper, stamps or punches, you can order safely & securely from my online store.  I do appreciate your orders.  And I really appreciate you taking the time to hang out in My Stampin’ Space with me!  Come back again – I’ll be sharing the other gift card holder we made too!

Nancy

Three Cheers for the Pals Paper Arts!

1 Comment

The Pals are a great group of talented Stampin’ Up! demos under the guidance and leadership of Mary Fish, of Stampin’ Pretty.  Pals Paper Arts is a public forum to showcase & challenge your papercrafting skills.  With sketch & color challenges, you can play along with the Pals as often as you wish.  This week, the Pals Paper Arts features a sketch challenge:

PPA252kwb

I immediately thought of a card I taught to a class last month showing a good way to use up scraps of DSP.  If you are like me, you just can’t throw away your scraps of DSP, not matter how small!  Hoarder!  Yes, you are – but you don’t have to be any longer!  You can turn those little strips of DSP into something beautiful.  Let me show you how:candlesThis idea was one I actually learned from our fearless leader, Mary.  She showcased this card on her blog quite a while ago, and I immediately tucked away the idea for using my scraps.

3/4″ wide strips of DSP, and a flame which is actually the wing from the Bird Builder Punch and you’ve got a quick & easy birthday card.  I used my white chalk marker to add a little hi-light the flame and layers for my card base.  A little banner cropped from another scrap strip of whisper white punched with the flag banner punch is just right for the sentiment.

And I found it is actually LIBERATING to use those scraps, not just collect them.  It helps to de-clutter my stash area, and I’m sure those scraps would rather be turned into something beautiful to bring delight to a special someone on their birthday, than to just sit in a scrap pile.  So pull out those scraps, and your build-a-bird builder punch and make candles.

Your scraps will thank you.  Your friends will thank you when they receive your beautiful card.  Your clean & organized craft area will thank you.

If you want to see what the other talented Pals did with this sketch, head over the Pals Paper Arts gallery.

Remember, if you’d like to order any Stampin’ Up! products from me, you can access my online store here.    If you place an order with me before May 30th, and it is less than $150 before shipping & tax, please use host code 4HCRZHHC.  Any order of $50 or more will qualify for a FREE embellishment from me from the new catalog!  (If your order is over $150, don’t use the code but rather redeem your own rewards.)  The items on the RETIRED LIST are only available for a few more days so don’t delay.

I hope you found this tip useful for using your scraps of DSP.  If you did, please leave me a comment and let me know.  I love to hear your feedback to my projects.  Thanks.

Happy Stampin’,

Nancy

The Blooper Reel….

3 Comments

I love watching the bloopers, the outtakes.  You know what I mean, the parts of a film that get edited out when the actors/actresses flub their lines, make a mistake, or just can’t keep a straight face during a funny scene.   Well, I made a real-life blooper the other night  and it happened WHILE I WAS TEACHING A CLASS!

It was funny, (and admittedly a little embarrassing!) but I was able to redeem myself by turning it into a teachable moment.  Let me share:

I was teaching a class featuring Masculine Projects.  I also had my first male student in a class!   The project was a simple, single layer card (I almost never make a single layer card) and I was teaching the masking technique to create an interesting background element.  This is the sample card I had made.  Wetlands Goose single layer cardSo I sponged on my background oval, then I showed the students how to place the main image, in the case a goose, so that the entire image was NOT inside the oval, but rather half in, half out.  Like this:

close up wetlands goose

Beautiful so far, right?  And then I picked my card up and realized that I stamped my goose UPSIDE DOWN!  That’s right; the fold was at the bottom rather than the top!  YIKES!   This was a “Don’t try this at home” moment.  I quickly told my class they should always check where the fold of the card is before stamping and adhering any layers so they don’t end up like I just did!  I’m sure it will be a memorable lesson as we all got a big laugh out of my mistake!

I redeemed my mistake by turning it into something that is more elegant than the original.  I simply cut the paper in half, then cropped that piece slightly, added a layer, and popped it onto a new card base.  See?

Wetlands Goose multiple layer card

We all make mistakes from time to time, and one of my favorite sayings is “There is no mistake that a well placed embellishment can’t hide.”  Most of the time.  For those others times; layers.  Either cut your paper and layer it over a contrasting or coordinating piece of cardstock,  like I did here.  Or place a layer over it (like a banner or sentiment strip).  In the extreme case where none of these remedies can fix it, well, my second favorite saying is:  “It’s only a piece of paper.  Nothing that a new piece of paper can’t fix!”  Yup, sometimes just throw it in the trash and start anew, empowered with the knowledge you gained from making the mistake the first go-around.

So, when you are creating and something doesn’t go as planned, no worries.  You can redeem it.  And if you made your blooper in a room full of people, use it to your advantage, for a lesson everyone will remember.

If you have a blooper moment while crafting, I’d love to hear it.  Please leave me a comment and tell me all about it.  Thanks!

Happy Stampin’,

Nancy

If you want to order any of the supplies I used to make these cards, just click on either of the images below.

Pals Blog Hop – May 2015

4 Comments


Welcome to the Pals Blog Hop for May where we are preparing for the retirement of some Stampin’ Up! products. Though it may be goodbye to some very loved supplies, it will make room for the much anticipated new catalog products. We hope you enjoy the Pals’ creative projects.

You may just be starting the blog hop or may have come from Denise Hoepfner at The Mountain Magpie, Number 28 on the Pals Hop. If you get off track at any time, the full lineup below will help you move along from blog to blog so you see all the projects.

Since today’s blog hop features Out With the Old, we are saying goodbye to our favorite retiring items. I will be sad to see ALL of the 2013-15 In-Colors go.  I also am sad to say ‘good-bye’ to Bloom with Hope.   It is such a beautiful, sketched flower set with lovely sentiments for Birthdays and Sympathy.  I don’t know about you, but I think making Sympathy cards is one of the most touching things we card-makers can do.  Bloom with HopeAnd when you can’t seem to find the right words, this set features a sentiment for the inside as well:Bloom With Hope 133952GAlthough my project today says farewell to this set, don’t expect me to part with it anytime soon though; it is staying with me for quite a while.  Sadly, we are also saying good-bye to the Crumb Cake Seam Binding Ribbon.  Actually we are saying good-bye to many colors of the Seam Binding Ribbon.  This is truly one of my most favorite ribbons ever.  It is so soft & flowing, and drapes so well.  It also makes the best double loop bows ever.  See what I mean?Double Loop BowSimple is all that is needed for a sympathy card.  I used the watercolor swish from the Perpetual Birthday Calendar stamp set in Crumb Cake ink for the background.  The bloom and the sentiment were both stamped in Baked Brown Sugar ink (already sold out) 🙁   on a Very Vanilla panel cut to 3-3/4″ x 5″.  This panel was wrapped with the Crumb Cake Seam Binding Ribbon (this is sold out too!) and a double loop bow was added.  This panel was popped up on stampin’ dimensionals onto a standard 4-1/4″ x 5-1/2″ card base for some dimension.  Quick & easy right?  Please stop back later in the week and I’ll share a video showing how to make the double loop bow.   The seam binding ribbon will still be available; just not in the Crumb Cake color.

Please leave me a comment to tell me what you think of this card.  Also please tell me what YOUR favorite item that is going to be retiring; you know, the one you just can’t part with.  Then hop along to see what the rest of Pals have created with their favorite retiring item.

NEXT: No.30 – Kalyn Shubnell at The Stamping Chronicles
  1. Maggie Mata at Maggie Made Cards
  2. Becky Volpp at Inkblossomwithbecky
  3. Sue Becker at RnR Stamping
  4. Candy Ford at Stamp Candy
  5. Lisa Pretto at InkBig Academy Stamps!
  6. Martie Pollard at The Crafty Bandit
  7. Nicole Watt at Pixel Maven’s Retreat
  8. Beth McCullough at Stamping Mom
  9. Lisa Ann Bernard at Queen B Creations
  10. Pamela Sadler at Stampin Pink Rose
  11. Patti MacLeith at Papercrafts By Patti
  12. Natalie Bradley at Soirée by Natalie Bradley
  13. Karen Hallam at Karen’s Stampin’ Habit!
  14. Wendy Klein at Doggone Delightful Stampin’
  15. Jackie Diediker at Stampin’ Jackie
  16. Peggy Noe at prettypapercards
  17. Jennifer Michalski at Stamping Serenity
  18. Kerry Willard Bray at Peonies and Paper Chains
  19. Amy Hoptay at Inking of You
  20. Susan Itell at Simple Stampin
  21. Debra Simonis at Deb’s Stampin’ Grounds
  22. Jane Knudsen at see jane stamp
  23. Dawn Tidd at Tiddbits from Dawn
  24. Michelle Gleeson at StampinMojo
  25. Sherrie Gross at Stampin’ Sunshine
  26. Angela Curry at Kindred Stampers
  27. Mary Fish at Stampin’ Pretty
  28. Denise Hoepfner at The Mountain Magpie
  29. — YOU ARE HERE —Nancy Gleason at
    My Stampin Space    — YOU ARE HERE —
  30. Kalyn Shubnell at The Stamping Chronicles
  31. Katy McGloin at Just Fun Stamping
  32. Lynn Kolcun at Stamping With Avery’s Owlery

The next stop is Kalyn Shubnell at The Stamping Chronicles, number 30 on the Pals Blog Hop!  Thanks for visiting; I hope to see you on next month’s Pals Hop!

Happy Stampin’,
Nancy

If you want to order any of the Stampin’ UP! supplies I used to make this card, hurry on over to my on-line store and get your favorite retiring items before they are gone or click on the quick link in the table below.

It’s Spring! Time for a Sheltering Tree

1 Comment

One of my students texted me this photo.  She saw this magnificent Magnolia tree bursting forth in bloom and saw the bicycle propped up against its trunk.

a real life sheltering tree
A real-life Sheltering Tree: A Magnolia Tree in Scranton, PA

This scene reminded her of the Sheltering Tree stamp set and the card we made in our class together.

card made with the Sheltering Tree stamp setThank you, Elaine, for sharing that photo with me.  That makes me smile that you remembered our time stamping together and the card we made.  It was just what I needed to dig out this photo of the card we made so I could share that with my blog readers.  I’m sure that they will enjoy your photo, too.

We had fun making this card.  The card base is Whisper White 4-1/4″ x 5-1/2″ with a Pistachio Pudding layer 4″ x 5-1/4″ on top of that.  Baked Brown Sugar was cropped with the On Film Framelit die to frame the piece of Whisper White card stock that was stamped with the Sheltering Tree stamp.  Blushing Bride and Rose Red created the spring flowers on the Baked Brown Sugar tree trunk.  The photopolymer stamps make hanging the swing on the branch a snap!

I also stamped the sentiment in Baked Brown Sugar onto Blushing Bride card stock.  The sentiment was cut in half and the pieces adhered to the frame.  Simple and easy.  The tree is obviously the star of the show in this card!

The supplies used in this card are listed below.  If you would like to order any of these supplies, click here to visit my online store where you can shop securely 24/7.

If you place an order online for $75 or more with me during the month of May, please use hostess code 4HCRZHHC.  Anyone who places an order of $75 or more using this code will automatically receive from me, one of the new embellishments from the new catalog, valued at $5.00 as a thank you gift.   (Embellishments will be mailed out in June from me as a thank you for shopping with me.  I’ve already seen the new embellishments and I know you are going to want them!)

NOTE: If you are placing an on-line order of $150 or more, do NOT use the host code as you will receive your own on-line rewards.  Online orders of $150 will automatically qualify you to receive the Embellishments.

AFTER you place items in your shopping bag, and view your shopping bag, there is a place in the LOWER LEFT CORNER to add the hostess code.

If you like what you see, please share my post with your friends, on Facebook & pin my picture on Pinterest.  You can also follow me on Pinterest & Facebook!

Leave me a comment at the end of this post and let me know if you have the Sheltering Tree stamp set or if you plan to get it.

Thanks for Stopping by My Stampin Space, and thanks for shopping with me!  Happy Stampin’,
Nancy

Sayin’ Farewell to Mixed Bunch

IMG_4758I made this card with a class a few months ago, and I just LOVE it!  I love how the Daffodil Delight just pops against the Black & White.  I also like how I was able to make my own background “DSP” with a stamp set.

I just used the large flower image, and stamped in Momento Black ink onto Whisper White cardstock to create the background.  Then I used the small circle image to stamp a few images onto a scrap of Whisper White, and punched them out with a circle punch.  I glued those onto the flowers to make that custom background.  I’ve used this treat many times, and often I’ve reached for Mixed Bunch to make that happen.  So sad that this trusty, go-to flower set is retiring!

I just had to share with you this card again.   If you think you would like this seretired stamp playing golft before it goes away, then you’d better pick it up quickly. In a few short weeks, it will be gone, retired to Florida to play golf all day!

My supply list is below for those of you who want to recreate this card, or order supplies to make this yourself.  My online store is always open!   Click here to shop now.

Free Shipping Ends Soon

Header_FreeShipping_Demo_4.2015_USFREE SHIPPING on all items ends at 11:50 PM on Friday April 10th.

I love Free Shipping!  I always feel like I have to place a big order to make the shipping charges pay for themselves.  But with Free Shipping I can order as much or as little as I want.  And if I forget something, I can always place another order without paying a penalty.  I love Free Shipping!  And I know you do too!

So I ordered another roll of the Daffodil Delight Seam Binding Ribbon which was already on sale with the Weekly Deals.  And the new “Just Kidding” stamp set, and a few re-inkers.   I also got another package of Festive Designer Kraft paper from the Clearance Rack.    So I scored some really good deals, and FREE SHIPPING made those deals even better!

All this saving has made me crafty too!  I’ve been spending some time in My Stampin Space too.  Here are some projects I’ve made lately:

IMG_4853[1]

I had fun with the stamp set “Crazy about You”  and the buttons that I got for Free during the Sale-A-Bration promotion.

IMG_4855[1]

I usually have a hard time making a simple, single layer card but I needed to make a bunch of thank you cards but didn’t have a lot of time.  I was able to whip up these cards in no time.  I took my lead from the Best Year Ever DSP and Accessories for the color scheme, and threw in Pear Pizzazz for the green just for good measure.  The flower pops out quickly with the 1-3/4″ scallop circle punch.  A stampin’ dimensional popped that up to give it some lift (I told you I have hard time with single layer cards!) and the button adds such a great finishing touch without alot of fuss!  (I see me using this flower & button combo alot in the near future!)  If you didn’t get free buttons during Sale-A-Bration, then you can get the Brights Designer Buttons for 25% off and Free Shipping.  It’s the next best thing!
IMG_4856[1]

Notice how I mixed up the colors of the flower, the sentiment and the button?  Which color is your favorite?

Come back again and I’ll show you some more projects I’ve been working on.  Stop by my Facebook page and you’ll see why I needed more Daffodil Delight Seam Binding Ribbon too!

Now get busy and start shopping before you miss out on the Free Shipping!

Have fun,

Nancy

A Perfect Birthday Wrap

Today is my sisters’ birthday; my OLDER sisters’ birthday.  I just had to throw that in there.  I’m sure she won’t mind!

I made the perfect  gift wrap for her present.  A mini treat bag created from the Stampin’ Up! Mini Treat Bag Thinlit die.

mini treat bagIt was the PERFECT size to tuck the gift I bought her inside.  I can’t reveal what the gift is:  due to the snow, I never made it to the post office so the package is still en route.

Strawberry Slush is one of the soon to be retired 2013-2015 In Colors.  I’m going to miss it.  What color is your favorite from this collection?  Which color are you going to miss the most?

2013-15 In Colors Bakers TwineFor me, the answer is obvious:  ALL OF THEM!   My advice – start stocking up on these colors (cardstock, ink pads, ink refills, DSP, markers, baker’s twine) NOW.  Last year the In-Color collection was virtually SOLD OUT within hours of the retired list going public.  Don’t let that happen to you with this collection.  Many colors of the cardstock are already on back order, but any order placed now is guaranteed to be filled.  Once an item is on the retired list, supplies are limited to stock on hand so once it sells out, it’s gone for good.   Click here to shop now.

If you are interested in making this treat bag, I’ve listed all of the supplies I used below.  Just click on any item to go right to that item in my store.

A new ‘twist’ on an old favorite!

6 Comments

My Stampin’ Up! order just arrived and I couldn’t wait to dive in and play with my new goodies!  First was the Thick Bakers Twine & Buttons In Color Accessory Pack (which I earned for FREE and you can too!) AND the stack of Designer Series Paper in the 2014-2016 In Colors.  So I knew I would be using these things together!  Don’t you just love the color coordination from Stampin’ Up!  So do I.  It makes it so easy.  I decided to just make a monochromatic card, quick & easy, as I needed 2 cards to mail out.  I ‘recycled’ a card layout I used a few weeks ago for one of my classes and added a new twist by using DSP!

IMG_4768[1]

I started with a piece of Tangelo Twist cardstock, cut to 5-1/2″ x 8-1/2″, scored & folded in half to create a 4-1/4″ x 5-1/2″ card base.  Next I trimmed a piece of Whisper White cardstock to 4″ x 5-1/4″ (just a 1/4″ smaller than my card base).  I used the new Butterflies thinlits die to cut out the butterfly, but I made sure to position the die on white layer exactly centered in the upper two-thirds of the paper as I would be using both the die cut image AND the negative space of the paper it was cut from.

Next I used a piece of coordinating Tangelo Twist DSP to position behind the negative butterfly image on my whisper white layer.  I stamped my sentiment on the lower third in Tangelo Twist ink, tied a piece of Tangelo Twist thick bakers twine around this layer and then I used stampin’ dimensionals to pop this layer onto my card base.  TIP:  I like to do this to add some dimension but it also helps so the thick twine doesn’t leave a lump if I glued it flat to the card base.

Lastly I adhered the butterfly back into the negative space; but I only applied glue to the butterfly body, leaving the wings free to flutter in the wind!  My finishing touch was a Tangelo Twist button on the butterfly!  All this took about 10 minutes flat!

Yeah, I loved this so much, I quick made another card in another In Color, Hello Honey.  You can see these two cards here.  IMG_4767[1]

It really looks great in any color.  Matching cardstock, ink, DSP and embellishments made this card come together so quick & easy!

How great is it that the folks over at Colour Me…! Challenge Blog chose Tangelo Twist and a neutral for this weeks color challenge?  Were they watching me create this card?  Did they like this card so much too that they decided to use this color combo too or it is just a coincidence?  You decide.  I’m not sure, but I do know that I’m entering my card in their challenge.  You can head over to the Colour Me…! blog to check out other projects in this color combo.

Don’t forget you can order these products, and any other Stampin’ Up! products directly from me safely & securely online here.  For every $50 in product purchases, you will earn 1 FREE Sale-A-Bration item.  Will you choose the InColors Accessory Pack like I did or something else?  Leave me a comment with your favorite SAB item.

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Thanks for stopping by Stampers.  See you in My Stampin’ Space soon!

Nancy

You Plus Me Equals…..

5 Comments

I love the new Valentine set in the 2015 Occasions catalog! When I saw the Mojo Monday sketch challenge I knew this was the set I would be reaching for. And when I saw the challenge for the Paper Players, I knew my card would fit the bill for that challenge too! That’s killing two birds with one stone so to speak! Here is the Mojo Monday sketch:

…and here is the Paper Players

And here is my card:  IMG_4571[1] I used the new “You Plus Me” stamp set for the sentiment and the “Stacked with Love” DSP paper stack for the background paper and the middle circle layer.  Real Red, Basic Black and Whisper White cardstock round out out the ingredients used in this card.

I kept it simple with a Whisper White card base.  The B&W XO pattern was just right for the main panel.  A small strip of Basic Black cardstock embossed with the new Happy Heart TIEF gave me a good foundation for the main star of the show; the sentiment!  It was stamped in Real Red ink on Whisper White cardstock.  My circle thinlits dies did all the heavy cropping of the circle, and the patterned Real Red 2nd circle. These were backed up by a Real Red cardstock Starburst circle.

Simple and clean convey the message loud & clear!  I love how the paper and stamp set do all the work for me.  You can get the stamp set & paper as a bundle and Save 15%.   Bonus!

If you’d like to order any of these products, or any other products, shop securely at my online store and have your order delivered right to your home.  Just click on the item below.  And for every $50 in product you order, you can choose 1 Free sale-a-bration item.

I have some other cards up my sleeve using this fun set so be sure to check back later in the week.  If you are in one of my stamp clubs,  you can look forward to using this set at our next meeting!

Thanks for stopping by, see you soon!

Nancy

 

Lotus Bloom Meets Irresistibly Yours

A Match made in Heaven!   Yesterday I shared with you my favorite paper from the Sale-A-Bration Catalog; a specialty paper called Irresistibly Yours.  You can see that blog post here.

Today, I am sharing with you my favorite stamp set from Sale-A-Bration:  Lotus Bloom.  When Lotus Bloom and Irresistibly Yours went out on a blind date, it was love at first sight and they have been inseparable ever since!

Lotus Bloom is a 3-step stamp.  Yes, 3-step.  That’s not a typo, it is a 3-step; not a 2-step stamp set.   The Lotus flower image is irresistible (probably why it is in love with the paper of the same name!)  on its own, but the font in the sentiments is to die for.  lotus bloomNow let me show you the magic that happens when you stamp all three flower images, one of top of the other.

IMG_4531See the gorgeous depth & detail?   This is actually created from just one color ink; Lost Lagoon.  But by layering the 3 stamps, and stamping off between layers, you can create various shades of the same color.

Now, for the font:  IMG_4528I love when a print and a script are combined.   Excuse me if this is a little blurry; it got distorted trying to zoom in & crop such a small area.

Now when Lotus Bloom and Irresistibly Yours are going steady; this is the result:

IMG_4528Don’t you just love these two together?  They make such a cute couple.  I think I hear wedding bells….   The Irresistibly Yours paper and sponge daubers allow you to create light & dark areas on the paper; it mimics the light and dark areas on the flower.

I bet you didn’t even mind waiting until last to see the final project.  I usually show you the final project first, then zoom in on the details but today I flipped it around.

Want to see more on how to use this 3-step stamp?  Watch the video:

Remember with Sale-A-Bration, every item in that catalog is FREE with a qualifying purchase.   $50 (before tax & shipping) earns you one FREE Sale-A-Bration item, $100 earns you two and so on.  Don’t forget, when you reach $150 in one order; you’ll start to earn host reward dollars too.  So $150 product order gets you 3 FREE Sale-A-Bration AND $25 host reward dollars.  SAB Host RewardsWhether you host a party, or place an order for yourself, or gather orders from yourself & some friends, the Host Reward Dollars are the same.  See the chart for all the details.  You can see how your FREE merchandise really adds up.  No wonder Sale-A-Bration is the most popular promotion of the year.

Click here to shop online now.  Email me if you’d like to host a workshop; whether in person if you are in the Scranton, PA area, or online.

Share this post and video with your friends.  Then leave me your comments on Lotus Blossom.  Do you plan to add this to your stamp collection?

Nancy

 

 

Irresistibly Yours

9 Comments

One of my favorite items in the Sale-A-Bration promotion is a specialty paper called Irresistibly Yours.   At first glance it looks like plain white paper, but when you look at it close; you see a tone-on-tone pattern.  But the real beauty comes when you add color.  The pattern is designed to resist ink, so when you add ink, either by spritzing, daubing or sponging, the color reveals the pattern!  It was love at first sight for me.

 

Irresistibly Yours

Imagine being able to create a patterned paper in any color to match any project!  That is exactly what I did to create this card below.

IMG_4518[1]The color challenge for this weeks Colour Me Color Challenge is Perfect Plum and a neutral.  I needed to make a sympathy card for a special girl and thought Perfect Plum would be cheerful.  I didn’t have any patterned paper in Perfect Plum but with my Irresistibly Yours specialty paper; that didn’t matter.  I had an ink pad and a re-inker in Perfect Plum so I was set.

I simply filled a Stampin’ Spritzer bottle with rubbing alcohol and 12 drops of ink and sprayed the paper.  Using a tissue I rubbed the ink off to reveal the pattern.  Easy peasy!  You get 12 sheets (2 each of 6 patterns) in the package of paper, and the paper is FREE with a qualifying order during Sale-A-Bration!

I also stamped an image on the inside of the card; both the flower, and the inside & outside sentiments are from Bloom With Hope stamp set.

Bloom With Hope Clear Stamp Set by Stampin' Up!   IMG_4517[1]

 

 

 

 

 

The sentiment on the front was heat embossed with White embossing powder on Perfect Plum cardstock.  The embellishment is actually an old retired Builder Brad that I pulled from my stash.  There is an Artisan Embellishment kit in the New Occasions catalog that is reminiscent of an old Artisan Embelllishment kit that I pulled this from.

IMG_4516[1]Tip:  When using a dark colored cardstock for my card base, I like to glue a piece of Whisper White paper on the inside for writing.  It gives the inside of the card a polished look too!.  Of course, envelopes need some jazzing up too!  A simple bloom from the same stamp set adorns the outside.

Want to know more about the Irresistibly Yours paper?  Watch this video:

Remember:  During Sale-A-Bration, you get FREE items for every $50 in product you order.  So place your orders in $50 increments for maximum savings.

IE:  I have a customer who orders $35 every month on-line.  A $35 order won’t yield you any free items.  If during each month of Sale-A-Bration (January, February & March) she placed a $35 order; she would spend $105.  If she spent that same money in two orders of $52.50 each she would get 2 FREE Sale-A-Bration items.  So spend smart!

Want to order any of the products I used to create this card? Just click on the item below in this chart to go right to that item in my online store.

Click Here to view the Sale-A-Bration flyer to see all the products you can get for FREE with a qualifying order of $50 (Before tax & shipping)
Click Here to go directly to my online store.
I hope you see the beauty of this awesome paper.  I have already ordered 2 packages of this paper so I’ll have some to hoard keep and some to share!
Please leave me a comment and let me know your favorite item in the Sale-A-Bration catalog.  Did Irresistibly Yours top your list?  Come back tomorrow and I’ll share the other item that tied for my #1 Fav from the Sale-A-Bration catalog!
In the meantime, Happy Stampin’,
Nancy

Playful Penguins Punch Art

9 Comments

I saw these adorable little punch art penguins a few weeks back and thought they were so stinkin’ cute I just had to make some!

Itching to make them ever since, I knew I had my opportunity with the Friday Mashup Challenge #191.   This week’s Mashup Challenge is:

  • Create a project with a “Winter theme”.
  • Create a project with “Snowflakes”.
  • or Mash it Up! and create a “Winter project with Snowflakes”

Hello: Winter, Snowflakes, Penquins! It was a natural fit!

 

So here is my Friday Mashup – Penguins playing in the snow.

Penguins Playing in the Snow Aren’t they adorable?  I just love them.  Here’s a close-up of the stars of the show:  IMG_4505[1]

I thought I bookmarked the page where I saw them, so I could give credit to the designer, but for the life of me, I can’t find it!  My apologies!    They are created from the Stampin’ Up! Owl Builder Punch

I’ve created a PDF tutorial showing step-by-step instructions on how I made the penguins.

You can click here to download the PDF if you’d like to try your hand at making the penguins yourself.

I created the card by starting with a 5-1/2″ x 4-1/4″ Island Indigo card base.  A layer of Soft Sky cardstock cut to 5-1/4″ x 4″ was placed on top of that.  I cut a strip of Whisper White cardstock to 5-1/4″ wide and tore the top edge to create the snowy hills in the background.  I then stamped a snowflake using the smallest image from  Endless Wishes in White Craft Ink and in Illuminate ink.  I then sprayed this layer with Vanilla Shimmer Smooch spray to create the illusion of falling snow.

I used a strip of Dazzling Diamonds paper to create the snowy hill in the foreground.  Since the snowflakes were so soft & muted (and therefore, didn’t photograph well)  I added a few Frosted Snowflake Sequins just so the judges at the Mashup would know for sure that I added snowflakes 😉

The penguins were popped up using stampin’ dimensionals.  (Do I ever make a project without stampin’ dimensionals?  Hardly.)

Playful Penguins

And I know you noticed that the two penguins are looking at each other.  Simply placing the black dots on the edges of the white circle, rather than the middle, allows you to make the penguins look as they are ‘looking’ in a particular direction.

Thanks for stopping by My Stampin’ Space.  I hope you like my penguins as much as I do.  Leave me a comment – I love to hear from you.  Please do print out my Penguin Punch Art PDF and try to make them yourself.   And if you do, please send me a photo of what you make; I’d love to know that I helped  you create something cute!

If you need any of the supplies to make this card, or any Stampin’ Up! supplies, click on the item name and go right to that product, or click here to go to my online store where you can shop safely & securely 24/7.   Don’t forget, the Year End CloseOuts end on Jan. 5th.  (The Frosted Sequins are on sale for only $2.99! so get them now before they are gone).   On Jan. 6th, our 2015 Occasions catalog and Sale-A-Bration catalog go live!

Happy Stampin’,

Nancy

A treat for you

5 Comments

Want a cute and quick way to give someone a candy bar this Halloween?  This little treat holder is the answer.

treat holderIt’s adorable, right?  And it’s made with only a 6″ x 6″ piece of double sided paper.  That means you can get 4 of these out of one 12″ x 12″ piece of DSP!  Just fold the paper in half, point to point, then fold the left point over to the right.  Fold the right point over, and finally end by bringing the top fold down.    It’s that simple.  You don’t even need to glue it if you don’t want to.  But I do recommend using your bone folder to get sharp creases at every fold.   Come back tomorrow and I’ll post a quick video showing you step by step exactly how to make these.

treat holder emptyI used the witches cauldron from the Tee-Hee-Hee stamp set to decorate this, but you could use almost any stamp, sentiment & paper combination for whatever occasion you wish.  A candy bar is always in season!  You could also put movie tickets inside.    treat holder close upFirst I stamped the witches cauldron in Momento Tuxedo Black ink.  Then I used my stampin’ buddy and Versamark ink to stamp the sentiment onto the image I just stamped.  Wild Wasabi embossing powder makes the sentiment pop on the black ink.  A few Rhinestone jewels, colored with a sharpie marker, look like bubbles rising from the creepy potion being brewed!  My paper snips make it so easy to fussy-cut the cauldron.

135125GI’m giving away this stamp set;  all you have to do is leave me a comment and one lucky winner, randomly chosen, will be the winner!  Of course, the winner will have to get back in touch with me to give me their address so I can mail the stamp set to them.  I can only ship to the United States, so my apologies to my blog readers from Canada and beyond.

So, leave me a comment at the end of this post.   I’ll give my readers until 10 PM Friday night to leave me a comment to enter to win the stamp set giveaway.  A winner will be chosen and will have until Tues to claim their prize.  Good luck to all who enter!  I’ll post the video late Friday night or Saturday afternoon showing how to make these.

Thanks for stopping by,  see you soon.

Nancy

 

 

Freshly Made for Laura’s birthday

1 Comment

I love the sketch challenge this week from Freshly Made Sketches.  I knew I wanted to use this sketch, possibly  over & over again, and I had several stamp sets and designs come to mind.

See your mind is already creating something with this awesome sketch, isn’t it?  You are already envisioning your favorite DSP for the 2 strips in the mid-ground and you are debating which image to use in the foreground, aren’t you?

Well, I needed a birthday card, and was inspired by a color combination I saw elsewhere and this is what I came up with:

IMG_3694[1]The card base is Sahara Sand and the strips are from the Moonlight DSP layered on top of Lost Lagoon card stock. The main panel is Whisper White cardstock layered on Lost Lagoon cardstock.  The background stamp is from Work of Art and it creates that beautiful watercolor look.  The flower image & sentiment, are from Bloom with Hope, a hostess set.  I think you’ll agree that this is quite a versatile sketch.  Why don’t you try your hand at this sketch and see what you come up with?  Then click on the sketch and head over the Freshly Made Sketch blog to see what others have done with this sketch.

Now you’re probably wondering which 2 colors of blue I used, aren’t you?  Well, I only used one color – Lost Lagoon.  I inked up and stamped right in the middle of the panel first.  Then, without re-inking, I stamped again on the top of the page.   It gives a lighter version of the same color.  Pretty neat, huh?  Sahara Sand ink was used for the lower image.  Tuxedo Black was used for the flower & sentiment.

So simple to put together.  I love the Work of Art stamp set; it is proving to be one of the most versatile stamp sets I own, and one that works for so many occasions.   If you don’t already follow me on Facebook, head on over to my Facebook page to see some other cards made with that set.  While you’re there, please ‘LIKE’ my page so you won’t miss out on other cards.

If you’d like to order any of the products used on this card, my supply list is below.  Just click on item to go right to my online store.

Thanks for hanging out in My Stampin’ Space with me for a little bit; I love having you here. Come back again soon!
Nancy