Sneak Peek: Work of Art

I know you love a good sneak peek as much as I do.  And you have probably also come across a card or two made with this set in the past few days.  Stampin' Up! had their catalog premier party on Monday night and all those that attended (it was broadcast to theaters across the country and Canada) got to come home with a copy of the catalog AND a brand new stamp set: Work of Art.

The new catalog is gorgeous!  So many great products and the layout and ideas are fabulous too.  My wish list is very long and sure to get longer as we start to see more and more ideas pop up on Pinterest and other blogs.  I can't wait to share more with you, but for today, I do have a card made with my new set:

Colors: Whisper White, Bermuda Bay, Night of Navy, Coastal Cabana, Pool Party, and So Saffron.  Stamps: Work of Art and Gorgeous Grunge.  Accessories: Rhinestone Jewels, Bermuda Bay Baker's Twine.

I am hooked on blue and yellow right now almost as much as Smoky Slate.  (I had to force myself not to use it on this card).   Work of Art has several stamps that look like swishes of watercolor, including this chevron stamp that is kind of grungy.  I used my Stamp-A-Ma-Jig to line up all those chevrons in the various colors.  To get the lightest colors on the top, I used the stamp off technique with Pool Party.   And this set works so well with Gorgeous Grunge. It's like they are the perfect partners in crime.

I promise more sneak peeks next week when I get my preorder.  But in the mean time, I'll be showing off a few more retiring products on Friday and Monday.  Enjoy!

Stampin' Addicts Retirement Blog Hop: Happy Day

Welcome to the Stampin' Addicts Retirement Blog Hop.  Believe it or not, this is the sixth time the Stampin' Addicts have had a blog hop to feature retiring products.  This is a great group of demonstrators and it's always a pleasure to hop with them.  If you are hopping in order, than you got to see Yapha Mason's take on another of my favorite retiring sets: Gently Falling.  Love what she did with that set.

However, when I saw the retirement list, I knew right away that I wanted to feature Happy Day.  I fell in love with this set at convention last year and I am sad that we only got it for one catalog cycle.  Today I'm sharing three new projects and one old favorite featuring this set.  The projects also feature other retiring products and I have marked them with an (r) on the product list under the picture.

Colors: Whisper White, Smoky Slate and Perfect Plum.  Stamps: Happy Day (r).  Big Shot: Circle Framelits and Circle #2 (r).  Punches: 1"circle.  Accessories: Eastern Elegance Designer Series Paper (r), Jumbo Rhinestone Jewels (r), Tea Lace Paper Doilies, Smoky Slate Chevron Ribbon.

Colors: Very Vanilla and Night of Navy.  Stamps: Happy Day (r).  Big Shot: Itty Bitty Banners and Banner Framelits.  Accessories: Vintage Lace Trim (r), Jumbo Pearl Jewels (r), Essentials Paper Piercing Template, Etcetera Designer Series Paper (r).

Colors: Whisper White, Basic Gray and Coastal Cabana.  Stamps: Beautifully Baroque (r) and Happy Day (r).   Punch: Scallop Tag Topper &  3/16" Corner Rounder (r).  Accessories: Basic Gray Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon (r), Coastal Cabana Ruffle Stretch Trim (r), Silver Glimmer Paper (r).

Previously featured on my blog.  Inspired by Amy O'Neil. Colors: Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight, Night of Navy, Whisper White.  Stamps: Happy Day (r) and Flower Shop.  Punches: Pansy Punch and Itty Bitty Punch Pack (r).  Accessories: Gingham Garden Washi Tape (r), Rhinestone Jewels, and Essential Paper Piercing Template Pack. 

Thanks for stopping by today. Please feel free to share a little blog love by leaving a comment and letting me know which project was your favorite.  Now you can continue through the blog hop and check out Twila's take on Hello, Lovely.  I have also included a list of hop participants at the bottom of this post.

Remember, today (April 25) is the last day to take advantage of FREE SHIPPING so don't miss out!

 

1) Adriana (escape2stamp) -- Blast Off
2) Yapha -- Gently Falling
3) Paula (scrapshappen) -- Happy Day
4) Twila (tjdstampsalot) -- Hello Lovely 
5) Holly (catrules) -- Horse Frontier
6) MaryR -- Off the Grid -- {scrap and stamp with mary}
7) Heidi (hlw966) -- Peek a Boo Frames
8) Betty (kittystamp) -- Road to Happiness
9) RhondaG -- Secret Garden
10) Tanya (tanya27) -- Simply Stars

Farewell to the Lattice Die

When the retirement lists came out on Monday, one of the areas of the catalog hardest hit was the Big Shot.  We are losing a lot of Bigz, Bigz XL, Sizzlits, and even a few embossing folders.  One of those items is the Lattice Bigz die.  This die cuts a very beautiful shape and I have been guilty of not using it nearly enough over the years it has been current. 

I must have had a little ESP when I was creating cards for my Spring Fling Stampin' Buffet because I made a card with this die.  It was inspired by a card I saw on Pinterest and that person credited Dawn Olchefske with the original idea.

Colors: Pool Party, Very Vanilla.  Stamps: Express Yourself.  Big Shot: Window Frame Collection Framelits, Lattice Bigz Die.  Accessories: Pearl Jewels, Vanilla Seam Binding, Vellum Card stock.

Isn't it perfect how well the Lattice Die fits inside that Window Frame Framelits?  It's a beautiful card for almost any occasion. 

Yesterday, I had another idea for a similar card to show this fun layer to my club gals.  This is what I came up with:

Colors: Whisper White and Marina Mist.  Stamps: Perfectly Penned.  Big Shot: Windows Frame Collection Framelits, Lattice Bigz Die and Polka Dot Textured Impressions Embossing Folder.  Punch: Itty Bitty Punch Pack.  Accessories: Pearl Jewels, Polka Dot Parade Designer Series Paper. 

This card features a lot more retiring product: Perfectly Penned Stamp Set, Itty Bitty Punch Pack, Lattice Bigz Die and the Polka Dot Parade Designer Series Paper.  I will miss all of these, but quite possibly, I will miss the Itty Bitty Punch Pack the most.  I use that set all the time to make cute little flowers.  If you don't have it in your collection, now is the time to get it before it sells out!

All retiring items, including stamps, are only available while supplies last so hurry and place your order today.  You can also take advantage of FREE SHIPPING through April 25.  You can see all the items on the retirement lists here:

RETIRING STAMPS

RETIRING ACCESSORIES

You can also just head on over to my ONLINE STORE and click "Shop" button under my name on the top right.  Once you get to the store, there is a separate category for retiring products on the left menu.  Remember, all items are included in the FREE SHIPPING offer on the site so take advantage of the savings store wide.

Come back on Friday for a Stampin' Addicts Blog Hop featuring several retiring products.  I will be showcasing my favorite set from the retirement list: Happy Day.  Hope to see you then!

The Stamp Crew Review: Six Sided Sampler Edition

It's time for another The Stamp Review Crew Blog Hop.  This time we are featuring the stamp set Six-Sided Sampler.  I love all the creative ways others found to use this stamp set.  I will have to say that some of them thought more out of the box than I did.  But I do have two cards to share with you today with this fun set.

Colors: Basic Gray, Crushed Curry and Whisper White.  Stamps: Six-Sided Sampler.  Big Shot: Arrow Textured Impressions Embossing Folder. Punch: Hexagon.  Accessories: Basic Metal Buttons, Crushed Curry Baker's Twine (Tag a Bag Accessory Kit) and Eastern Elegance Designer Series Paper.

For this card, I used the coordinating Hexagon punch to notch the end of the Designer Series Paper to make a banner that is the opposite shape of the hexagon.  (Clear as mud, I know).  I love how this particular hexagon stamp looks so clean and fresh. And the little greetings that come in the set fit perfectly inside the stripe in the middle.

Colors: Smoky Slate, Whisper White, Crisp Cantaloupe, So Saffron, Pear Pizzazz, and Pool Party.  Stamps: Six-Sided Sampler, Sweet Essentials and Zoo Babies.  Big Shot: Square Lattice Textured Impressions Embossing Folder.  Punch: Hexagon.  Accessories: Basic Metal Buttons and White Baker's Twine.

I will admit this card turned out nothing like it was suppose to when I started it, but I have to say that I am pleased with the way it turned out.  Love how the hexagons came together to make a baby quilt with the cute little animals.  (Even if it does kind of look like the alligator ate half the zebra.)

Don't forget that you can buy the Six-Sided Sampler in a bundle with the Hexagon punch and save 15%.  But these bundles will go away when the catalog ends even if the individual items carry over into the new catalog.

Thanks for stopping by my blog.  Please feel free to leave a little blog love in the way of a comment and tell me which card is your favorite.  And to enjoy the rest of the hop, use the buttons below to navigate or refer to the list below the buttons.  Have a wonderful week and we'll see you next time!

ETA: You may experience some inconsistent ability to get to some of the links today. TypePad is having issues and some of our blogger's posts will be available for a short time, then "crash" again. We are very sorry for the inconvenience.  Please check back to the master blog roll list on the Stamp Review Crew site or below if you are unable to click to the next blog at any time.

1. Shana Gaff 
2. Tanya Boser  
3. Betty Traciak 
4. Dawn Tidd   
5. Heidi Baks  
6. Kerry Willard Bray
7. Mike Funke    
8. Yapha Mason   
9. Cindy Beach 
10. Holly Krautkremer  
11. Deb Currier 
12. Paula Wright 
13. Jill Coleman  
14. Wendy Weixler

Vivid Vases

I finally broke down and bought the Vivid Vases stamp set from the Occasions Catalog.  I have come across so many cute cards using this set, I decided I did indeed HAVE to have it.  Last week I finally got around to using it:

Colors: Crumb Cake, Pool Party, Whisper White, Pink Pirouette, Primrose Petals, Raspberry Ripple, Crisp Cantaloupe, Wisteria Wonder, So Saffron and Crushed Curry.  Stamps: Vivid Vases.  Big Shot: Deco Labels Collections Framelits.  Accessories: Many Marvelous Markers,Crystal Effects, Neutrals Candy Dots, Essentials Paper Piercing Pack.

There are a couple of details that are hard to tell from the photo. After coloring the vases with the Pool Party marker, I put a layer of crystal effects over the top to make them look like glass.  And it's a little hard to tell, but for the paper piercing I did a zig-zag pattern by piercing every other hole in three rows.

This is just one of the projects you can make at my Spring Fling Stampin' Buffet next weekend. This card could work for Mother's Day, Thank You, Friendship or really any time you want to tell someone she is wonderful!

And don't miss out on FREE SHIPPING next week only, just in time for the retirement list release beginning Monday.  No minimum purchase required but expedited shipping is not included.  Check back on Monday for even more details!

Mr. & Mrs.

My customers are constantly asking for wedding cards.  Probably because most of them have children in their 20's and all of their friends are getting married. So for my Spring Fling Stampin' Buffet, I came up with this for a wedding card:

Colors: Very Vanilla and Basic Black.  Stamps: Mr. & Mrs., and Background Builders. Accessories: Essentials Paper Piercing Pack, Basic Jewel Pearls.

 

This card is both elegant and simple, perfect for you to make at my class.  So what are you waiting for?  RSVP today!

Spring Card in a Box

Last week, I showed you my first Card in a Box I made using Heidi Bak's measurements. Today, I am sharing the Card in the Box that will be offered at my Spring Fling Stampin' Buffet:

Colors: Pear Pizzazz, Crisp Cantaloupe, Wisteria Wonder, Coastal Cabana, and Crushed Curry.  Stamps: Papillon Potpourri, Flower Shop, Petite Petals and Teeny Tiny Wishes.  Big Shot: Little Leaves Sizzlets.  Punches: Pansy, Petite Petals, Elegant and Bitty Butterfly, Word Window, and Large Oval.  Accessories: Afternoon Picnic, Pearl Jewels, Window Sheet.

The fun thing about these cards is they fold completely flat and fit in a standard-size envelope,but when you open them up, they explode with color.  I put a Mother's Day greeting on this card, but the greeting could easily be changed to just about anything thanks to the more than 20 greetings in the Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set. 

This card features both the Flower Shop Bundle from the main catalog and Petite Petals Bundle from the Occasions Catalog.  Remember, when you purchase the bundles, you save and extra 15% versus buying the individual products.  These bundles are generally only available during their first catalog cycle, even if the individual products carry over into the next catalog.  So if you haven't purchased these bundles yet, now is the time. 

Tag It Birthday

It's almost time to be posting items for my next class, but first, I still have one card to share on my blog from my last class a few weeks back.  This time, it's a birthday card featuring the Tag It stamp set.

Colors: Basic Gray, Whisper White, Soft Sky, Coral Calypso, Real Red, So Saffron.  Stamps: Tag It.  Punches: Scalloped Tag Topper Punch.  Accessories: Basic Gray Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon, I am Me Designer Series Paper, Epic Day Washi Tape.

Love this little lizard and all the other stamps in this set.  And the best part about it is that $3 from the sale of it go directly to the Ronald McDonald House Charities. If you haven't had a chance to purchase it yet, get to it.  It is sure to be on the retirement list that comes out in 10 short days since Stampin' Up! generally gives us a new Ronald McDonald House Charities stamp set every year.  Here's a look at the entire set:

Tag It! Wood Mount (item number 130300) $22.95. Clear Mount (item number 130303) $16.95

It's a Box. . . It's a Card . . .

It's both!  These cards became very popular a few months back and as always, I'm behind the curve with making one and sharing it with you.  But here is my take on it:

Colors: Basic Black, Whisper White, Crushed Curry, Bermuda Bay, and Strawberry Slush. Stamps: Geometical, Yippee Skippee, Just Sayin', Peachy Keen.  Big Shot: On Film and Just Sayin' Framelits.  Punches: Small Oval, Banner, Triangle.  Accessories: Kaleidoscope Designer Series Paper, Window Sheets, White Baker's Twine.

I made this for my birthday class, but it would also make a great card for graduation or anytime you needed a good, "Yippee-Skippee!"  It kind of feels like a party going on when you open this up.  And it's easy to leave up for the world to see too since it stands up on it's own.  Here's another view of it:

You've probably come across a few variations of this Card in a Box idea.  I used the measurements that Heidi Baks shared on her blog during the Chalk Talk Edition of The Stamp Review Crew.  I love hers because it fits perfectly into a regular envelope when closed.

Just this week I made a different version of this card for Mother's Day that will be featured at my next Stampin' Buffet on April 25 & 26. I will have all of these projects posted here and on Facebook this weekend so be sure to come back and check them all out.

The Stamp Crew Review: Oh, Hello

It's the first Monday of the month.  That means it's time for The Stamp Review Crew to have another blog hop!  This time we are featuring the stamp set Oh, Hello.  And like always, this group is full of fabulous ideas for this very popular stamps set. Today, I have a couple of cards to show you featuring this stamp set.

Colors: Midnight Muse, Coral Calypso and Whisper White.  Stamps: Oh, Hello.  Big Shot: Banner Framelits, Honeycomb Textured Impressions Embossing Folder.  Accessories: Tea Lace Paper Doilies, Silver Glimmer Paper, Coral Calypso Baker's Twine, and In Color Dahlias.

I love Midnight Muse and haven't used it nearly enough lately.  I need to use it more before it retires at the end of May.  Here I also sponged ink on the cardstock after I ran it through the embossing folder to give it a little more dimension.  And since Midnight Muse is such a dark color, I decorated it the inside too:

Stamps: Oh, Hello and Sweet Essentials.

Here is the second card:

Colors: Primrose Petal, Basic Gray, Summer Starfruit, and Whisper White.  Stamps: Oh, Hello.  Big Shot: Banner Framelits, Chevron and Houndstooth Textured Impressions Embossing Folder.  Punch: Corner Rounder.  Accessories: Primrose Petals Stitched Satin Ribbon.

This one is a little more simple than the first one.  You can tell how much I love the Banner Framelits from both of these cards.  I am using them a lot right now.  The colors for this one came straight from the Color Coach which I do not use nearly enough.  Summer Starfruit and Primrose Petal are also scheduled to be retired at the end of May.  I'm always torn between being sad that the colors are going away and being excited to see what comes next. 

But I know what comes next today, it is the rest of the blog hop!  Use the buttons below to navigate through the hop or see the list of all hop participants below the buttons.  Thanks for stopping by.  Feel free to leave a little blog love (comments) or subscribe to my blog either here or on Facebook.  We'll see you again soon!

1. Paula Wright paulastamps.blogspot.com
2. Dawn Tidd   tiddbitsfromdawn.typepad.com
3. Yapha Mason   yaphamason.com
4. Deb Currier  artfeltimpressions.blogspot.com
5. Nancy Smith  iguanastamp.wordpress.com
6. Holly Krautkremer  rubberredneck.typepad.com
7. Rita Wright  ritascreations.blogspot.com
8. Kerry Willard Bray peoniesandpaperchains.com
9. Shana Gaff   stressfreestamping.blogspot.com
10. Lisa Young   addinkandstamp.blogspot.com
11. Cindy Beach stampspaperandink.typepad.com
12. Jill Coleman  jillstamps.com
13. Mike Funke    stampin-style.typepad.com
14. Heidi Baks  runningwscissorsstamper.blogspot.com
15. Betty Traciak kittystamp.blogspot.com
16. Tanya Boser   tinkerin-in-ink.blogspot.com
17. Mary Rindal  maryrindal.com
18. Wendy Weixler   wickedlywonderfulcreations.blogspot.com