Stamping Intervention

Where to find: Color Combinations!

Needless to say, I stay within the Stampin' Up! product lines for multiple reasons: they all coordinate; the quality of our card stock can't be beat; there are different resources available to decide on color combinations; and, I just can't spend my money on craft-store products when I get a 20% on everything that I spend with Stampin' Up!

Back to that color combination thing...I'm not going to lie. I struggle with coming up with my own color combinations. The ones that I "discover" all by myself tend to be that I had a couple of scraps laying around and found them appealing together. Honestly, though, I almost always use Stampin' Up publications as a resource!

I look at the samples in the Idea Book and Catalog. Which ever ones stick out to me are usually the ones that I gravitate towards when making a project.

I also look at the Designer Series Papers. They are a great place to find multiple colors that go together to create a multitudedue of themes and moods. The Cottage Wall DSP surely does have a different mood associated with it than Tall Tales.

Additionally, I rely heavily on my Color Coach. I love that I can pick and choose the initial color and know which colors "go" with that one. OR, I just use the colors in the middle, excluding the main color choice. There are hundreds of options when you look at that Coach. It never gets old because it contains all of our 48 signature colors.

Finally, I always have a print out of the current In-Colors chart for reference. I love integrating the In-Colors in my projects because they feature colors that are fashionable and "in" during each particular season or time period. Click here to see the 2009-2010 In-Color chart.

And speaking of In-Colors, in August, I'm going to be giving away booklets with the In-Color combination chart to anyone who places an order of $50 or hostesses a workshop! Book a workshop with me today!

Happy Birthday, Lillian! Check out the adorable Invitations!

My friend, Kanaan, took her soon to be two-year-old to the party store to choose her theme for her birthday party. Lilly chose Hello, Kitty from the millions of choices. Kanaan, being wonderfully crafty, came up with this as the invitation...can you stand how adorable it is? Great job, K! Thanks for sharing!

Kanaan used her Word Window Punch to create the whiskers, nose, and eyes on the kitty's face. The bow is darling and made from 1/4" grosgrain ribbon.

If you have a card that you're proud of that you'd like to share with your fellow Stampaholics, please feel free to send me a digital picture of it or a copy of it in the mail. I'd love to post it to Stamping Intervention!

Cute Word Window Idea

I CASE'ed this idea from one of the extremely talented ladies over on Splitcoast; unfortunately, I just spent 15 minutes searching for the inspiration card again to give her credit and I can't find it (and can't justify spending the time to go through over 500 pages of "word window" cards...sorry!)
Anyways, I just chose my colors and used scraps to punch out the word window. Then, lined them all up and adhered them. Finally, I tied a piece of black gingham ribbon around it and stamped "happy birthday" from Family Phrases. Cute, simple and a great way to use up my scraps!

Take Digital Pictures? Remember to do this!

Imagine, you have all of the most important pictures of your life...your wedding, the birth of your children, your child's first steps...and your computer's harddrive crashes. You lose everything.

While the technology of being in the digital age is a wonderful thing, you definitely need to back up! There's no guarentee that your computer will not be victim to a disasterous virus. (Trust me, we had one! It was awful!)

If you don't already, you should backup your pictures either on a web-based system (like Shutterfly or Kodak Gallery) or on an external hard drive. The web-based programs usually ask you for a fee or a minimum purchase. The external hard drives can cost anywhere between $60-$120 for a decent amount of data storage.

If you're a scrapbooker or just value your pictures, be sure to back up your pictures about every other month. Brent just did ours on Friday night! Have you backed up yours recently? If not, put it on your to-do list for this week! It'll give you peace of mind!

Take care,

Do you use Kodak Gallery? Don't lose your picture storage!

In the past, I've used Kodak Gallery's FREE internet digital picture storage. I have placed orders with them in the past, so I've never received this information before. However, I got an email a couple of days ago that they've offically changed their "FREE" storage requirements. You must place an order of $4.99 or more per calendar year to maintain your storage. If you're in this situation, you should place an order with them before you lose your pictures! Just thought I should share this information.

Stamps that are die-cut? Learn why they're not mounted!

Stampin' Up!'s stamps now are die-cut! With the 2009 Idea Book & Catalog, every set that we sell are laser cut, so you don't have to cut them out. Many people ask why they're not totally assembled.

*When stamp sets are unmounted, it saves you money! If we were to mount all of the stamps, it would cause production costs to rise, therefore pushing prices up for our customers.

*Unmounted stamp sets give you the ability to choose WHERE to mount your stamps! All of you are different, right down to where you like to mount your stamps. Some people like their stamps mounted centered on the wooden block; some like them mounted to the left or right bottom, depending on their dominate hand. Other people choose to mount theirs on acrylic blocks instead of wood. By not mounting the stamps, Stampin' Up! gives you the power to choose!

*Added bonus??? The left over rubber from mounting your stamps can be used to fix any stamp that you cut too close to the image. Simply trim some extra rubber and mount it against the area that you cut too close. Then, when you go to stamp it, it will keep the piece from wiggling.

To find a stamp set to be mounted and view our online catalog, click on "Place an Online Order" in the right sidebar.

What exactly are RUB-ONS?

Rub-ons are essentially decals that you literally rub onto non-porous surfaces. They're not stickers; they don't have any paper or plastic to them. They are images that have an adhesive backing to them and you use a wooden stick to apply them to your project.

To use Rub-Ons, it is easiest to cut out the image you'd like to use from the sheet. Then, use your finger to gently rub the image onto the project so it won't move on you while you're applying it. Next, use the wooden stick (that's included) to rub the image onto your project. You'll know that you're done when the piece of vellum-like transfer paper pulls away from the image.

Click here to see the Rub-ons that Stampin' Up currently offers.

How to Choose your Project Colors

Stampin' Up! offers an array of colors: 48 of them are permanent catalog fixtures, 6 In-Colors that change every year based on the crafting industry, and many neutrals. How should you go about wading through all of the choices to make sure you have the perfect combination for your projects? Here are some ideas on where to start...

*Base your combination on the mood or theme of the project

For example, I tend to associate: the Bold Brights with Summer, children, and energy; the Earth Elements with Fall, nature, and relaxation; the Soft Subtles with Spring, babies, and freshness; the Rich Regals with elegance, formal events (weddings) and power.

*Take a look at the Color Wheel

When trying to go outside the Color Families themselves, I often look at my Color Wheel for coordinating and complementary colors. The Color Wheel has many times given me the perfect colors for a project when I didn't know what to do.

*Turn to your Idea Book & Catalogs

There are tons of color options featured in the IBC...people often forget to utilize them! The projects are there and meant to be CASE'd (Copy and Share Everything), so why not?

*Pay attention to things you already look at for color

While you browse through your newest Pottery Barn catalog or issue of Real Simple, be on the lookout for colors that you're attracted to. I can almost guarantee that of our 50+ colors that we have available, you should be able to match them to just about any publication. For example, I based my colors for a party favor box on the color of the M&M's that I planned to put inside the cellophane bags.

Have any suggestions for your fellow Stampaholics about where you've found your favorite color combination? Post them in the comment section of this thread.

Flower Fusion Elements are Fun!

Flower Fusion embellishments are felt elements that add stylish dimension your projects. I have the Flower Fusion Too set, which includes Baja Breeze, Pink Pirouette, and Chocolate Chip flowers. I have been using them a ton! They look absolutely gorgeous when layered and put together with a brad, like in the card above. I love that the flowers coordinate with other Stampin' Up! items, including Simply Said (shown above) and A Beautiful Thing stamp sets, the 5-Petal Flower and Boho Blossoms punches, and of course, our card stock!

To see more projects using Flower Fusion elements, click on "Place an Online Order" in the right side bar and put Flower Fusion in the search box.

 

How do Card Making and Scrapbooking relate?

Many of you want to know the answer to this question. Well, from the most broad of views, they are both: a form of paper craft, used to portray sentiments and emotions, and, they both require some creativity (albeit, in varying levels).

Granted, scrapbooking tends to have more elements (pictures, a title, journaling) than card-making, but it can truly be simplified into a couple quick steps just as card-making. Generally my card-making process involves me choosing a stamp set, a color combination, a layout and a sentiment. And, according to Stampin' Up!'s Carrie Cudney, scrapbooking can be simplified into five easy steps as well:

1. Choose a Message and Theme (pictures included)

2. Choose Product to use(stamps, card stock)

3. Layout the Page

4. Add a Title and Journaling (at least a name and date)

5. Add Accents and Embellishments

(Found in Scrapbooking Basics video, Copyright Stampin' Up! 2009)

So, just by adding a few more steps, you can easily transition from card-making to scrapbooking! Be sure to keep an eye to Stamping Intervention during the month of May for lots of scrapbooking (and stamping) tips!

May is National Scrapbooking Month! Be prepared to kick off the month with all the supplies you need for your next scrapbook! Click on "Place an Online Order here" in the right sidebar to make sure you have everything you need.