Thinlits Card Dies

I can't believe it is nearly the end of August.  Where has the time gone?  And I've kind of been a slacker this week.  We were offered a last minute spot at a different school for my 10 year old son last Thursday so he restarted fifth grade on Monday.  This leaves me home with my 8 year old all day until he goes back on track in 12 days (but who is counting right?).  And we're toying with buying a new car so that means I've entered full OCD mode and have spent entirely too much time looking at cars online the past few days.  We better buy one soon so I can get back to my life.

But you didn't come here to hear about my life, you came here to see something creative. So because I was I didn't post on Monday, I am sharing not one, but two cards with you today featuring the brand new Thinlits Card Dies that make swing cards a breeze!

First, what it looks like closed:

Colors: Pumpkin Pie, Crushed Curry, Very Vanilla and Basic Black.  Stamps: Tags 4 You and Halloween Hello.  Big Shot: Lable Card Thinlits and Labels Framelits Collections.  Punch: Label Bracket and 1-3/4" Circle Punch. Accessories: Witches' Brew Designer Series Paper.

 Then, when you open the card up, that piece in the middle flips around to look like this:

It's been years since I have made one of these swing cards.  They just took too much effort.  But with these new Thinlits for the Big Shot, they are quick and simple and look fabulous! They come in two different shapes: Label (shown above) and Circle.

So what do the circle ones look like?  Here is my take on a card that Shelli Gardner showed on the mainstage at convention that is a little more stepped up:

Colors: Basic Black, Pumpkin Pie, Crushed Curry, and Whisper White. Stamps: Halloween Hello.  Big Shot: Circle Thinlits and Circle Framelits.  Punches: Bracket and Decorative Label.  Accessories:  Witches' Brew Designer Series Paper and Washi Tape, Black Stampin' Glitter, and Whisper White Bakers Twine.

And here is what it  looks like open.

Kind of fun how the little bat spins around on the bakers twine.  One of the best things about these Thinlits is they come with a bunch of accessory pieces to enhance your card.  I didn't use many of those pieces on these cards and unfortunately, these are not shown in any of the catalogs.  But you can check out all the details on this flyer:

And now to top off my other slacker excuses, my internet has gone down twice while I was trying to post this.  Talk about the post that takes all day!  Hopefully I will have more success on Friday!

Convention Display: I Dig You Seed Packet

It's been a couple of weeks since I shared one of my Display Board creations.  There are just so many fun things to share that I haven't had time.  Here is one of the 3D items that I made:

Colors: Gumball Green, Marina Mist, Strawberry Slush, Daffodil Delight. Whisper White.  Stamps: Tag It.  Big Shot: Chalk Talk, Bitty Banners and Oval Framelits, Adorning Accents Edgelits, Stripes Textured Impressions Embossing Folder.  Accessories: 2013-2015 In Color Designer Paper Stack, Mini Brads, Occasions Paper Piercing Pack, Many Marvelous Markers.

I had an idea for this stamp that involved an entire little garden set.  But I couldn't find the cute little pots I needed so it morphed into this.  And unfortunately, I didn't write down the measurements I used to make this little pocket.  But I know this Cocoa Packet Holder was the inspiration for it. I just changed up the measurements to work for the seed packet. 

I did run it through the Stripes Textured Impressions Embossing Folder after I put it together.  Then to get the rounded top, I used the Adorning Accent Edgelit, carefully lined it up on the pocket and ran it through the Big Shot.

And here it is on the actual display board at convention with some of the other wonderful projects made by some very talented stamper:

Next week, I'll have some samples showing off the new Thinlet Card dies.  They are seriously addicting!

August Paper Pumpkin: Last Chance for $10 Offer

I was so excited on Saturday to go to my mailbox and see this inside:

What is it, you say?  It's my monthly Paper Pumpkin subscription.  Or my creative escape, delivered right to my door.

And what was inside?

Everything to make 4 quick and easy (and cute, I might add) cards.  All I needed were scissors and adhesive and 20 minutes later I had these beauties:

August Paper Pumpkin

When I finished, I had an extra sticker, so I made this too:

Colors: Bermuda Bay, Crushed Curry, Raspberry Ripple, Baked Brown Sugar and Whisper White.  Stamps: August Paper Pumpkin Kit.  Accessories: Mini Brads

Sign up to have your own Paper Pumpkin delivered to your door.  Right now, your first two kits are only $10 (plus tax) when you use the code PUMPKINDEAL.  Shipping is included in that price to make it an even better deal!  I covered all the steps to do just that in this blog post: July Paper Pumpkin and $10 Offer.  The clear block that comes as a bonus in your first kit is worth $8.50.  That is one amazing deal right there!

And for my local customers, I will be hosting a Paper Pumpkin Night at my house the first Thursday of each month.  Bring your kit and we'll put it together and make one bonus card using the stamps and ink from your kit. But don't delay.  This fabulous deal ends August 31!  Sign up now: Paula's Paper Pumpkin

Stampin' Addicts Challenges are Back!

It's been over a year since a new challenge has been posted on Stampin, Addicts.  But today we are bringing the challenges back in a new and different way.  For now, we are recycling the old challenges and adding a new twist to them:  Pinterest.  You can see all the details on that here: Stampin' Addicts Pinterest Recycle Challenge #1

The first challenge is the old Sketch Challenge 44.  I sat down yesterday to create a card with this sketch and here it is:

Colors: Tangerine Tango, Crushed Curry, Basic Black and Whisper White.  Stamps: Halloween Hello.  Punches: Label Bracket and 1" square. Accessories: Markers and Crystal Effects

It's a little hard to tell from the picture but there is Crystal Effects all over the candy to make it shiny like real candy.  Here is the sketch it's based on:

Don't have time to create this week but want to help pick a winner of the challenge?  Simply become a follower of Stampin' Addicts on Pinterest, then like or repin cards from the challenge board.  The creator with the most likes and repins gets to pick the following challenge. But it's even more fun to play along, so do that too!

Happy Day!

One of the perks from going to convention the last couple of years has been a discount on select items from the catalog.  It's an even better perk when stamps that are on your wish list are included in that perk.  That is how I ended up with Happy Day and this is one of the first cards I made with it:

Colors: Very Vanilla, Basic Black, Gold.  Stamps: Happy Day.  Big Shot: Fancy Fan Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Circle Framelits, Circle #2 Originals.  Accessories: Modern Medley Designer Series Paper, Brushed Gold Cardstock, Rhinestone Jewel.

I just love the Modern Medley Designer Series Paper.  It is so elegant and refined.  And here I added just a touch of the Brushed Gold Cardstock to the circle layers to add a little more elegance.  One of the presenters at Convention told us that gold is very in right now.  I envisioned this as a wedding card, but it would work for nearly any occasion.

This is one of the cards offered at my August Stampin' Buffet this weekend.  All the projects were inspired by something I learned, a swap or a display board at convention.  I have added another day for this class, next Thursday, August 22.  If you couldn't come this weekend but want to come then, let me know by noon, next Tuesday.

Mixed-Media Halloween Canvas

Today I am sharing with you the details of the Mixed-Media Canvas I made for the blog hop this past weekend. 

Colors: Pumpkin Pie, Summer Starfruit, Basic Black, and Basic Gray.  Big Shot: Typeset Alphabet Bigz, Accessories: Build a Banner Kit (Chevron Template), Halloween Simply Created Banner Accessory Kit, Linen Thread,  and Orange Stampin' Glitter, Witches' Brew Designer Series Paper. Other: 11x14 Canvas, 5x7 Frame, Mod Podge, hot glue gun, spray sealer.

Sara Douglass shared a version of this on the Mainstage at Convention. For my version, the first thing I did was use the Chevron Template from the Build a Banner Kit to put the background on the canvas with a sponge dauber and Pumpkin Pie reinker.  I moved the template around so that the circle that is on the template didn't get in the way.

Next, I carefully put the paper on the canvas using Mod Podge.  This has be be done very carefully because the Mod Podge will smear the ink if you brush across it.  I applied a layer of Mod Podge to the canvas and to each of the paper strips and then carefully laid it on the canvas.  Allow the canvas to dry and then apply a layer of mod podge over the top.

At this point, I would add the glitter letter.  It's not how I did it because they were kind of an after thought.  I cut the letters out of some left over chipboard with the dies and then brushed them with glue and dipped them in the glitter.  After they are applied to the canvas, spray the entire thing with spray sealer.  This will help hold the glitter on the letters and seal the mod podge.

Next remove all the glass hardware from the frame and glue it to the canvas.  Then add all your embellishments.  Nearly all of the embellishments for this came from the Halloween Banner Accessory kit. 

I made a second Canvas using some of the left overs:

Colors: Basic Black, Pumpkin Pie, Summer Starfruit, Basic Gray.  Accessories: Witches' Brew Designer Series Paper, Halloween Simply Created Banner Accessory Kit, Orange Stampin' Glitter.  Other 12x12 Canvas, Mod Podge, Hot Glue.

For this one, I just used Mod Podge to adhere the paper to the canvas.  But I did not put Mod Podge over the top this time.  I used glue to adhere a bit of glitter to some of the images and then added the embellishments. 

Both of these projects will be part of my Spook-tacular Stampin' Buffet at the end of September.  I'll have more information posted about that class at the middle of the September.

Build a Banner Tips and Tricks

Wasn't the Stampin' Addicts Fall Blog Hop spectacular? So many great ideas for Fall from the Holiday Catalog.  If you missed it, the sites are all deep linked together so you can still make your way through the hop.

I promised today to share some tips and tricks I have learned about using the Build-A-Banner kit.

Colors: Pumpkin Pie, Summer Starfruit, and Basic Black.  Punch: 2-3/8" Scallop Circle.  Accessories: Build A Banner Simply Created Kit, Halloween Banner Simply Created Accessory Kit, Pumpkin Pie and Summer Starfruit Ink Refills, Sponge Daubers, Black Stazon Ink Pad, Basic Black Chevron Ribbon.

For the SPOOKY banner, I used the Stampin' Spritzers to color the background on four of the pennants.  This can be a little tricky and I will admit to ruining a few pennants before I got it right. But with the suggestions offered at convention and through trial and error, I have a few tips to share.

First, add about 30 drops of reinker to the Stampin' Spritzer and then add rubbing alcohol to fill the bottle about 3/4 full.  (70% alcohol works better than 90%).  Before you spray the pennant, make sure to protect the surrounding area.  I placed mine in a cardboard box.  Place the stencil over the pennant.  Prime the spritzer onto a scrap (or into the corner of the box) just to get a feel for the direction of the spray and saturation of it).  Hold the spritzer 8-10 inches away and spray lightly.  Don't over do it!  The more you spray, the more it bleeds under the stencil, so be careful!  Carefully remove the stencil.

For the other pennants and the letters (the ones with the polka dots on them) I used a sponge dauber to apply ink directly to the pennants using the stencils. 

The other thing to share about this is coloring the Black Chevron Ribbon.  I got this idea from my friend Rhonda Griffin over at the Stampin' Bunny.  I used a sponge dauber to add color the white portion of the ribbon pumpkin pie.  You can see that ribbon here:

You can also see on this pennant how I added a few 2-3/8" scallop circle punchies to the banner too.

Colors: Tangerine Tango, Sahara Sand, Chocolate Chip, Crushed Curry.  Punch: 7/8" & 1-1/4" Scallop Circles.  Accessories: Build a Banner Simply Created Kit, Sweater Weather Designer Series Paper, 1-1/4" Burlap Ribbon, Naturals Designer Buttons, Linen Thread, Many Marvelous Markers.

For this banner, instead of using the spritzers, I colored directly on the pennants with the Stampin' Write Markers.  As you can tell, the colors turn out much more vibrant when you do this, but it does destroy the tips of your markers so you might want to used your old ones and then buy new ones to replace them.  I also dipped the tip in matching ink refills when they started to get a little dry. 

Here is a close up view of the smaller burlap pennants between the larger pennants:

I am already thinking of other banners to make for parties and Christmas, and other holidays.  Come back on Wednesday to see the mixed-media project plus a bonus mixed-media project.   See you then!

Stampin' Addicts Fall Blog Hop: Banner Kit

Welcome to stop #9 on the Stampin' Addicts Fall Blog Hop.   This hop focuses on Halloween and Thanksgiving stamps, kits and accessories from the Holiday catalog.  Then in October, we'll showcase the Holiday section of the catalog. (Two hops = Twice the Fun!)  If you are hoping in order, than you've just arrived from the very talented Mary Rindal's {Scrap and Stamp with Mary} look at the Witch's Brew Designer Series Paper and Washi Tape. She always has fabulous creations.  If this is your first stop on the hop, all the blogs are linked in a continuous circle so you won't miss a thing.  If you get lost along the way or want to chat it up, visit Stampin' Addicts.

I love to create banners.  I've featured them on the hops before so it probably won't be any surprise that I picked the Build a Banner Simply Created Kit and the Halloween Banner Simply Created Accessory Kit to show you today.  The first kit includes 18 blank canvas pennants and the stencils you need to create different backgrounds and letters on the pennants.  The second kit helps you turn those plain pennants into a SPOOKY (or other Halloween word) banner.  And as a reminder, you can click on any of the pictures to get a closer look.

My first project showcases these two kits used together: 

I pretty much followed the instructions that come with the Halloween Banner Accessory Kit when I put this together, except I added a titch more card stock and some extra ribbon that I died to match the kit.

Now, what else could you do with that same Halloween Banner Accessory Kit?   Sara Douglass gave us an idea at convention:

This is a CASE of her mixed-media project, but I've added a few of my own elements to it as well.  See the chevron background behind the skull and crossbones?  I used the template that comes in the Build a Banner Kit to put it on the canvas.  The only accessories on here that aren't in the other kit are the letters,Witch's Brew Designer Series Paper and a little linen thread.

And the last one I am showing today is actually the first project I made with the kit:

For this one, I used the banners and the templates to created a Thanksgiving-themed banner featuring the Sweater Weather Designer Series Paper and the Burlap Ribbon from the Holiday Catalog and the Natural Buttons from the regular catalog.

I will be sharing more about the banners, including some tips with the templates, here on my blog on Monday.  And on Wednesday, I'll share more about the mixed-media project.  So be sure to check back.  Now you are off to Adriana's Escape to Stamp and her look at the adorable Oh Goodie stamp set.  You will not be disappointed.  Happy hopping!

Hello There!

I know I've mentioned my love for Washi Tape here before.  It really adds to the project and is so simple to use.  Like on this card:

Colors: Melon Mambo, Whisper White, Daffodil Delight, Night of Navy.  Stamps: Flower Shop and Happy Day.  Punches: Pansy and Itty Bitty Punch Pack. Accessories: Gingham Garden Washi Tape, Rhinestone Jewels, Essentials Paper Piercing Template.

This card was inspired by one that Amy O'Neill was swapping at convention.  I did not swap with her, but saw her card on Pinterest later.  I changed a few things, but she would probably recognize the CASE.  I love this "hello there" stamp from Happy Day.  It's perfect for general cards. And notice I used the Flower Shop Bundle on it too.  I love these bundles.

This is just one of the projects that will be available to make at my August Stampin' Buffet.  You have one more week to RSVP and let me know you are coming.  I look forward to seeing you there!

Also, be on the look out for the Stampin' Addict Fall Blog Hop this Friday.  We will be featuring projects from the Fall section of the new Holiday Catalog.   You won't want to miss it!

July's Paper Pumpkin and $10 Promotion

When July's Paper Pumpkin box arrived in my mailbox, this is what was inside:

July Paper Pumpkin Contents

I don't know if you can tell from the picture, but it's suppose to be a banner to go on a cake.  While that is a cute idea if you are into that kind of thing, I knew it was something that wasn't going to happen here.  So I took the pieces in the kit, added some card stock and rhinestone jewels  from my stash and came up with these:

12x12 Scrapbook Page  Colors: Pool Party, Summer Starfruit, Island Indigo, Tangerine Tango and Whisper White.  Stamps and Accessories from the July Paper Pumpkin Kit (except Rhinestone Jewels).

CARD Colors: Island Indigo, Summer Starfruit, Tangerine Tango, Pool Party and Whisper White.  Stamps and Accessories from the July Paper Pumpkin Kit (except Rhinestone Jewels).

CARD Colors: Island Indigo, Summer Starfruit, Tangerine Tango, and Pool Party. Stamps and Accessories from the July Paper Pumpkin Kit (except Rhinestone Jewels).

One of the beauties of these kits is you can quickly put them together the way they are intended, or you can change it up and use the parts and pieces in new and different ways.  My goal is to show you at least one alternative way to assemble the kit each month.  I ended up a little behind with the July kit, but watch for the August kit and an alternative idea to be posted around the end of the month.

Don't forget, right now until the end of August, you can sign up for Paper Pumpkin for just $10 for the first two months. I have heard from others that the process is kind of confusing, so here is the step by step way to sign yourself up for your creative escape:

• Visit My Paper Pumpkin online.  If you need more information, click on the "Learn more about me" on the bottom right side of the screen.
• When you are ready to sign up, click on "Join" in the upper right corner. 
• Enter the quantity you would like to receive in the box.
• Click on the PROMO CODE link and enter "PUMPKINDEAL"  Note that only one promo code can be applied per email address used to sign up for Paper Pumpkin. 
• Enter the address where your Pumpkin should be shipped. Stampin' Up! uses mail solutions from UPS to send these out, so they actually come via USPS.  So use your mailing address. If it's a PO BOX, than leave the PO off and just enter "Box" and your number.  Don't forget that Paper Pumpkin makes a wonderful gift so if you are sending this to a friend or family member, enter their address instead of yours on this page. Click Continue
• Enter your billing information.  Don't forget to click the "Billing address is different than shipping address if you are giving this as a gift. Click Continue
• You will be asked to create a password.  You will need to remember this so you can come back anytime and skip a month or cancel your 
• You should receive a confirmation email in just a few minutes. 

If you do need to skip a month or cancel your subscription (you can do this at anytime, there is no long term commitment to Paper Pumpkin):

• Visit My Paper Pumpkin
• Click the "sign in" option in the top right of the screen
• In the middle of the screen click on this "manage my pumpkin" icon: 
  
• Select "skip" or "cancel" on the next screen and then update.

Please let me know if you have any questions about Paper Pumpkin. 

Convention Dislay: Happy Big Day!

I have another project from my convention display samples to share with you today.  This one I really felt like I stretched outside my usual comfort zone to make.  And I was surprised how much I liked it in the end:

Colors: Basic Gray, Whisper White, Island Indigo and Crushed Curry.  Stamps: Gorgeous Grunge, Dictionary and Chalk Talk. Big Shot: Chalk Talk and Deco Label Framelit Collections.  Accessories: Candy Dots and Stamp-a-ma-jig.

First of all, I always struggle with stamp layering.  I just don't feel like I do it right.  But I think with this card, I'm getting a step closer to getting the hang of it.  Second of all, I also had to master the use of a Stamp-a-ma-jig to get those lines down the side even close to lined up. This is a wonderful tool that helps you get your images straight and exactly where you want them on the page.  I just don't use it very often. But since I undertook the display stamper projects, I find I reach for it more and more. 

My next class is coming up in two weeks.  We will be making a version of this card at that class.  It's ever so slightly simpler and adds Pool Party to the color scheme and a little less sponging (although I think the sponging adds a lot to it so class participants can choose to add that step.)

I will be posting the rest of the projects either today or tomorrow so watch for them. All of the projects are inspired by something I learned or some swap I received at convention so stay tuned!