Stamping Intervention

Wanna Play? Challenge #4: CASE this card!!

I really love the layout for the card on the bottom of page 59 in the Spring/Summer 09 IBC. It's the one with the Kiwi Kiss, Perfect Plum, Kraft and Very Vanilla cardstocks and that uses Close as a Memory and a Thomas Moore quote.

This week's WP? Challenge is to CASE that card! You must CASE the layout, but you can do it vertically or horizontally (in other words, you may flip the card). You may choose to use the same colors or change them all together. All I ask is that the layout be the same.

Please email me your submissions by Friday, Feb 6th.

 

   This is my CASE from page 59. I used Baja Breeze, Chocolate Chip, Riding Hood Red and Very Vanilla cardstocks. I used the heart image from Sock Monkey and my Crafter's Tool Kit to punch the holes along the right side. Also, I used a brad and Pink Pirouette ribbon to kick it up a notch. On the inside, I stamped "Happy Valentine's Day".

 

This is my second version of the same card. I wanted to show all of you that you can take a layout and turn it on its side and get a whole different card! They're both from the same layout on page 59 in the IBC! So, when you think about it, there are twice the amount of layouts in the catalog and on my blog!

 Here's Kanaan's card. This is what she said about it: "Mom has a baby shower in a couple weeks to go to, so I designed it around that.  It's Choc. Chip, Really Rust, Tempting Turquoise, and Confetti White. I used a quilting wheel to make the hole on the side."

Miss the Card Index??

I've heard from some of my customers that they're not happy that Stampin' Up! removed the card index (aka: the "recipes" or Stampin' Supplies list) from the back of the Spring/Summer 2009 IBC. I spoke to a customer service rep at the home office last night and her response was that they chose to do that to make more room for samples and stamp sets. (Who can complain about that logic, right??)

So, I have a way for you to be able to see the "recipes". The two links below are exactly that. They're both in pdf format and require a basic Adobe Reader to open.

This link contains thumbnail pictures and takes a little longer to upload, but totally great that each sample's picture is RIGHT THERE. Very convienient if you're going to look at it online.

Click here to see the Full Version of the Stampin' Supplies List.

This second link contains a text-only version of the Stampin' Supplies. It looks exactly like what you would have seen if it were printed in the IBC. If you want to print a copy for yourself, this one is the way to go!

Click here to see the Text-Only Version of the Stampin' Supplies list.

Hope this helps you to continue creating!

Quick Tip #4: Leaky ink pads?

Are your ink pads leaking? Do they end up with ink on the insides and outsides of the cases? There could be a simple reason for this: fibers tend to fray at the ends of the pad, allowing the ink that is on those fibers to rub off all over the case. They could end up looking like this... (although the center of this case I used to watercolor with, so it's a little worse than normal).

  Here's what you need to do: Grab a pair of Craft & Rubber scissors (or any others if you don't have them...but NOT your paper snips!) and give your ink pad a trim. Cut off any loose fibers hanging over the edges.

Then, take a paper towel and wipe away the excess ink. Follow that up with an alcohol wipe to get all of the dried ink off.

This is what it'll look like when you're done. Practically a NEW ink pad. Use a little re-inker if your pad seems to be inking unevenly.

  What about those scissors that are now covered in ink? I like to use a new alcohol wipe and give them a quick wipe as well. They'll look like new when you're done too!

 

Wanna Play? Challenge #3

The new Idea Book & Catalog has arrived! Whoooo-hooo! I'm excited and in LOVE with tons of new sets! (Especially Thoughts and Prayers, Friends, and Fifth Avenue Floral)

This week, your challenge is to sit down with a cup of tea/coffee/wine (whatever your drink of choice is) and your catalog and do this fun, quick little scavenger hunt. You can print this page or simply copy it and then email me your answers.

There are NO digital pictures involved in this one...so EVERYONE should be able to participate.

To all of my current customers who contacted me about catalogs, they have all been shipped! You can expect to receive your catalog sometime in the next week!

Don't have a catalog, please click the "email me" button and let me know you'd like one. or browse the online catalog and complete the scavenger hunt as well. (To get to the online catalog, please click on the "Order Stampin' Up Online" button to the left of your screen.)

Without further ado, the scavenger hunt:

1. What are the three new Style Watches?

2. _______ It with __________ is the exclusive stamp set that benefits the Ronald McDonald House Charities for the 08-09' catalog year.

3. A hostess who has $500 in workshop sales can earn _______ (number) Level 1 stamp sets and $______ in free merchandise.

4. New accessories include: __________ and ___________. (Hint: look for the "NEW" symbol (n) next to the item code.)

5. One stamp set that I really like is ___________________.

So far...I have one entry from Kanaan for the scavenger hunt. Come on, ladies! This is an easy entry this week!!

Linda (aka: my mom) is now in the drawing as well!

Rock N Roll Technique

  What you will need:

Bold image stamp

2 Classic Ink pads

piece of cardstock

 

1. Ink entire stamp using your LIGHTER ink. (If you don't you will put dark ink on your lighter ink pad and it won't be a good thing!)

Here, I used Summer Sun with an stamp from Baroque Motifs.

 

2. Roll the already-inked stamp in the DARKER Classic ink, allowing only the outside edges to touch the ink pad. (If you gently roll your wrist in a clockwise motion, that should do the trick.)

Here, the color is Cameo Coral.

 

3. Stamp image onto cardstock.

 

 

This is what the final, multi-colored image looks like.

Fossil Stone Technique

  What you will need:

3 coordinating Classic inks

Stamp

Glossy Cardstock

Thick, plastic file folder

 

1. Stamp image in the DARKEST of your inks on the glossy cardstock.

(Here, I used Always Artichoke and Lovely As a Tree)

 

2. Open file folder and rub second classic ink on one side of the folder.

   

3. Rub third ink on opposite side of the file folder.

 

4. Close file folder and rub two sides together until small bubbles form.

 

The bubbles should look like this.

 

 

5. Place your image on the glossy cardstock inside the file folder, close, and rub throughly. You could put numerous pieces of cardstock inside to achieve multiple reproductions of this technique without having to re-do steps 1-4.

 

6. Remove from file folder and allow to completely dry.

This is what the final product looks like!

Wanna Play? Challenge #2

For this week's challenge, it's real simple! Use ANY color combination that you find in EITHER the Fall/Winter 2008 Idea Book & Catalog OR the NEW IBC (you can view the new one online at www.stampinup.com starting Monday!) and reference the project/page number that it can be found on.

Please email/snail mail me your submissions by next Friday, Jan 23rd.

Here's my card...

I used Not Quite Navy, Going Gray, Whisper White cardstocks; Urban Garden DSP; Upsy Daisy and Hugs & Wishes stamp sets; and Going Gray and Baja Breeze Inks.

 

Here's Kanaan's late submission. No drawing entry for it, but an absolutely adorable card! Thanks for sharing, K!

 

 

 

Busily Stamping...

The past two days, I've managed to pump out over 20 cards, although some are duplicates. I have ALL of my birthday cards done for January and most are done for February. Plus, I stamped some sympathy cards, a couple of thinking of you's, and made a gift!

Honestly, I'm glad that we're recovered from the holidays here and I can settle back into my groove...I actually WANT to stamp again! I feel like the holidays give me tunnel vision for getting Christmas cards and gifts done and that's about it. So, I'm back to myself again...yippee!

Here's what I've created...

 

This is a thank you note for my husband's old boss...he's a retired Coastie now, so I figured I'd go all out on the nautical theme: the boat (it's watercolored with Watercolor Wonder crayons), the Only Orange and Brilliant Blue colors (the CG colors) and the rope tied in a knot. My husband loved it and thinks Bob will too.

    I made this as a simple "thinking of you" card. I used Rose Red, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip cardstock; stamped the "hi" image from Say It with Scallops (SU!'s Ronald McDonald House Charities set of the year) in Regal Rose; and did some simple layering.

   

This is a simple, masculine birthday card that I CASE'd from Sharon in Maine. I used the Fossil Stone technique (keep an eye out for a tutorial on this technique, coming soon!) with Lovely As A Tree.

 

I made this with Upsy Daisy as a sympathy card. I used Brocade Blue and So Saffron cardstock. I used the Rock and Roll Technique to stamp the flower image with Sage Shadow and So Saffron inks. (I'll be posting a tutorial for this one too!)

My first "naughty" card...On Splitcoast Stampers, it'd be referred to as twisted and demented. I actually saw the general idea for this card posted by someone on Splitcoast a couple of years ago and decided to make my own. I used Yappy Day (retired)and the inside of it will read "Urine my Thoughts." I used my Scallop Square punch to make the thought bubbles!

A friend of mine's daughter turns one in a couple of weeks, this is a sweet little card for her first birthday. I used Zoofari and lots of Bold Brights colors: Pink Passion, Lovely Lilac, YoYo Yellow and Bold Brights Watercolor Wonder crayons to watercolor the zebra.

Finally, my favorite barista at Starbucks and his wife just had a baby the day after my birthday, on the 6th! I wanted to make them some thank you notes as a gift because the lord knows you never have enough thank you notes after having a baby, considering all of the gifts and help you receive. So, I used Nursery Necessities and the coordinating jumbo wheel, Nursery Letters, to make this pack of five cards and envelopes. I used Pink Pirouette, Old Olive, and Close to Cocoa for my color combination. Since the jumbo wheel has a limited selection of inks available, I just inked the wheel in the PP ink pad and used it that way. (Hint: make sure that the cardstock you want to roll your wheel on is smaller than the wheel's circumference or you'll run out of ink on your wheel.)

And that's all I wrote...er, stamped. :)

Hope you feel inspired. I'm proud of my accomplishments for the past day and a half.

-Sara

Wanna Play? Challenge #1 of 2009

New Years always brings with it a sense of starting over for me. I've never been big into a New Year's resolution or diet, but I've always been into the cleaning rituals that spring up from making way for the new gifts my family has received.

This year is no different for me. To be honest, I left a huge mess in my stamp space when we left for our Christmas travels, between gift making and card finishing. I felt totally overwhelmed by it that I didn't even attempt to tackle it prior to leaving.

Sooooo...this week's challenge? Clean your stamp space! It's always a lot more inviting once there isn't a bunch of clutter. You'll be able to find everything you own. Your head will be clear and ready for creating!

Send me a picture of your cleaned stamp space by next Friday.

-Sara :)

Here's Kanaan's clean stamp space...nice job, K!

   

   

 

 

Here's my stamp space, tucked away in our basement. I have my own sink, which is wicked exciting!

 

 

 

 

Wanna Play? November Winner

Congratulations, Kanaan! She's the November winner for the Wanna Play? Challenges!

Kanaan will receive a special something from me from my retired stamps and accessories collection.

Remember, keep those entries coming...I'll be getting a new Challenge posted momentarily.