Stampin' Addicts New Catalog Blog Hop

Have you heard? Stampin' Up's new catalog has come out. Of course you've heard! You don't live under a rock, do you? ;)

Welcome to Stampin' Addicts New Catalog Blog Hop, featuring a selection of stamp sets to get you revved up for the new catalog season. Make sure you have those wish lists near by, because my fellow Stampin' Addicts will knock your socks off!

If you have been following the blog hop in order you've just seen Sara's wonderful creations featuring Easy Events. I have stamped samples from the set Under the Big Top for you.

Fun Interactive Card - These cute children's sets always make me think of interactive or pop-up cards. I had a lot of fun creating this pop-up stage scene. The front -

And inside -

Birthday Circus Train - I used the Precious Moments birthday train as inspiration for this fun little train (click to enlarge).

I attempted to create three-dimensional characters by stamping twice and gluing a 1/4" square box in between images. My daughter can't wait to get her hands on this one, although I got some grief about there not being a train car for the "strong man". Guess what we will be doing this weekend?

Scrapbook Page - I have to say, if you like making traditional scrapbook pages, you'll have to get some of the Big Top Suite products. They make cute page elements so easy! This is a page of taking my daughter to her first circus this past Spring.

Don't forget to come back on Monday for more pictures and details on how to make these projects. If you aren't yet a member of Stampin' Addicts, you can sign up here. Make sure you check out the next stop to see what Jennifer has created for you using Up, Up & Away. Her projects are always amazing.








The complete blog hop listing:

1) Adriana (escape2stamp): Ain't Love Grand
2) Debra (webdeb): Triple Treat Flower
3) Trina (Pepesmom): Many Mustaches
4) Rhonda (rhondag): Polar Party
5) Sara (lilyinkpad): Easy Events
6) Heidi (hlw966): Under the Big Top
7) Jennifer (jentimko): Up, Up and Away
8) Cindy (CindyE): Pennant Parade
9) Sarah (willsygirl): Jack of All Trades
10) Tanya (tanya27): Dinoroar
11) Carmen: Zoo Review
12) Kim (s1itcher46): Raining Flowers
13) Lisa (genesis): Creative Elements
14) Betty (kittystamp): Sunflower
15) Yapha: Occasions Alphabet
16) Holly P (HollyLogic): Perfect Pennants Die

Enjoy your trip, and thanks for stopping by!

Creative Crew Challenges for August

I've got a treat for you! Because of the upcoming blog hop this weekend, I'm going to post a couple of my Creative Crew projects early, so you get a sneak peek of some of the challenges. You can put on your thinking cap for a couple extra days to play along with us. Don't squander the time, eh? :P

August's Splitcoaststampers' Creative Crew catalog-focus challenge is to use the piercing tool on a friendship project. I can't just use one way of piercing, right?

I used the piercing tool and template to pierce an outline around my base layers. My main image has piercing and stitching (using the sewing machine), 'cause I'm addicted to sewing on my cards. Then I tried something new. I stamped the leaf images from Raining Flowers, I pierced by hand, and then I stitched the outlines with White Baker's Twine, dyed with Lucky Limeade ink. The sketch is Mojo Monday sketch #201.

The Peach Parfait flowers were paper pieced and sponged with Calypso Coral ink. Lots of fun dimension, don't you think?

Stamps: Raining Flowers, Just Believe; Paper: Peach Parfait, Lucky Limeade, Soft Suede, Very Vanilla, Paisley Petals DSP, First Edition DSP; Ink: Peach Parfait, Calypso Coral, Lucky Limeade, Early Espresso; Accessories: White Baker's Twine, Eyelet, River Rock ribbon, Sponge, Piercing tool, Petal Cone die, Big Shot, Sewing machine, Thread, Dimensionals.

The DSP/color-focus challenge is to use three colors from the Pocketful of Posies pack to create a friendship card. I selected the most bright and happy colors for this sweet candy card.

What a fun hello card for a friend! Like candy, it's all about the colors, don't you think?

Stamps: Sweets for the Sweet; Paper: Daffodil Delight, Early Espresso, Whisper White, Very Vanilla, Pocketful of Posies DSP; Ink: Pear Pizzazz, Poppy Parade, Daffodil Delight, Early Espresso; Accessories: Early Espresso Baker's Twine, Buttons, Curly Label punch, Sewing machine, Thread, Dimensionals.

I hope you'll come play along with our challenges this month. Thanks for stopping by!

SUOC24 Get Well Cards

Today's challenge on Stampin' Up Only Challenges is to make a get well card. I've been having some trouble with my mojo, so I took a day off. Little Missy and I went to Minnewaska State Park for a swim-bike-swim-bike-swim. I dragged ~70 lbs. around on a 97 degree day... what was I thinking? Hence, LOTS of swimming. Hopefully, you think my break helped a little.

I love the colors of the samples on the cover of the new catalog, so I started there. After the main panel was created, I used a really old Mojo Monday sketch for the card.

I spent some time adding detail to the main image. I used two colors, Peach Parfait and Calypso Coral, directly on the stamp for the flowers. Once they were stamped, I highlighted some more with markers directly onto the paper. The image was spritzed with both Crumb Cake and Soft Suede.

The layout and rest of the elements ended up a little eclectic, but I still like it. Most of the time, I like something mainly because of the colors anyway. What do you think?

Stamps: Just Believe, Sincere Salutations; Paper: Lucky Limeade, Peach Parfait, Soft Suede, Early Espresso, Very Vanilla, First Edition DSP, Botanical Gazette DSP; Ink: Lucky Limeade, Early Espresso, Peach Parfait marker, Calypso Coral marker, Crumb Cake marker, Soft Suede marker; Accessories: Early Espresso Baker's Twine, Color spritzer, Circle Scissors Plus, Square Lattice embossing folder, 3-1/2" Circle die, Big Shot, Sewing machine, Thread.

Thanks for stopping by!

Surfer Birthday

I thought I would try inking up my Extreme Surfboard stamp. I love these Extreme stamps. They lend themselves well to lots of fun techniques, and I'm really sad they are retired.

First I inked up my stamp with Versamark and Basic Black ink. I poured clear embossing powder on some areas and light blue embossing powder to some of the water areas. After heating, I used direct-to-paper technique to apply Versamark to wave areas and embossed in white. Hint: Don't like where you have some of the white embossing powder? Just rub it off with your finger before you heat.

From there I brayered the sky and pressed the bottom half into inked shaving cream. In retrospect, I should have done the shaving cream first, but oh well. I did the 4-year-old test, which is, ask Little Missy what the picture is. She thought it was boating - close enough.

Stamps: Extreme Surfboard, Something to Celebrate; Paper: Pool Party, Marina Mist, Whisper White; Ink: Bashful Blue, Marina Mist, Basic Black, Versamark, Pool Party reinker, Bashful Blue reinker, Island Indigo reinker; Accessories: Silver mini brads, Brayer, Shaving cream, Clear embossing powder, Light blue embossing powder (retired), White embossing powder, Petal Cone die, Big Shot, Dimensionals.

Thanks for stopping by!

Convention Make & Takes

Morning All! Today I'm going to share the Make & Takes from Convention. Really good projects! We'll start with the cards.

Stamps: Raining Flowers, It's Your Day.

Stamps: Best Friends Forever, It's Your Day.

Stamps: Raining Flowers, It's Your Day.

We combined the cards with other supplies to create a cute banner. Banners are so hot right now.

Here's a close-up of the left side, with the twisted fabric flower and pinwheel.

I just love that they included fabric in the projects. Very fun!

Stamps: Best Friends Forever, It's Your Day, Raining Flowers.

And check out this really nice Card Keeper Box, which is in the upcoming Holiday mini. The lid is covered with fabric.

Here's a picture of the lots-of-layers flower on the lid.

Stamps: Best Friends Forever.

Thanks for stopping by!

Technique Tuesday: Wet Watercolor Crayons

Good Morning! Today I am sharing another technique page and card sample we made at our bi-monthly Technique Class. This technique is called Wet Watercolor Crayons. Click on the photo to enlarge.

The right shows the 6 x 6" technique page, and the left is the coordinating card. Here I've used a retired leaf set, but Fall Foliage would work great for this technique as well. Color directly on the stamp with watercolor crayons and spritz the stamp lightly with water. The technique works best when stamping on watercolor paper, but it works as well with regular neutral cardstock.

Here I am highlighting the difference between stamping the image with ink (left) and using the Wet Watercolor Crayon technique (right). You can see the softer, watercolored look on the right image. This would also work well for a two-step stamped flower, giving a watercolored look to the petals of a flower.

Stamps: Autumn Leaf Prints, Fall Foliage, Wonderfully Worn BG; Paper: Old Olive, More Mustard, Really Rust, Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, Whisper White, Old Olive DSP, Apple Cider DSP; Ink: Old Olive, More Mustard; Accessories: Button, Linen thread, Earth Elements Watercolor Wonder Crayons, Water spritzer bottle, Scallop Trim punch, More Mustard grosgrain ribbon.

Thanks for stopping by!

Roomie Gifts

I made it home. The travel home was uneventful, except when the security lady took away my gifts for my dad. Boo! And she said she couldn't even take them home; they would go into the garbage. Double boo! I walked 20 feet to the gift shop and rebought a gift, at more than twice the price. Triple boo!

It is a tradition to make gifts for your roommates for Convention. Here's the bag tags I whipped together. Seriously... I made these when I was suppose to be packing.

I saw the roomie gifts Lyssa Griffin-Zwolanek put together for Leadership in January, and I really wanted to make some myself.

Stamps: Charming, Lovely Letters Alphabet; Paper: Pretty in Pink, Very Vanilla, Basic Black, First Edition DSP; Ink: Pretty in Pink, Black Stazon; Accessories: Pretty in Pink grosgrain ribbon, Basic Black grosgrain ribbon, Basic Black satin ribbon, Beveled Windowpanes, Trinket keys, Pearl jewels, Vanilla Shimmer Smooch Spritz.

And I took pics of what I received from my roomies. What sweet ladies!

Some survival kit items (snacks!), notebook and pen, the cutest bookmark, nail file in a cute holder, and post-it tags.

More survival items in a super cute pillow box, a cube card holder, pen, and isn't that little bucket full of candy the cutest?

And how adorable is this bird house, filled with my favorite... chocolate!

It was such a pleasure to spend a busy, whirlwind week with like-minded ladies!

ETA: Little Missy loved the Village of Cuteness houses, and I needed to finish making them immediately. I finished the first last night, and the second today. One more to go...

Thanks for stopping by!

Day 4: It's Over Almost Before It Began...

The four days are such a whirlwind, that it's always a shock when it is over so soon. Today started with a couple of business classes, including some intermediate tips on My Digital Studio. We saw some great projects on Main Stage, using some Holiday mini products such as the stocking Big Shot die and coordinating stocking stamp and punch set. Carrie did a great job with her candy-focused presentation. I mean, what would I like better than candy??? More mini products to make a Hershey's miniatures cake, Treat Cup goodies, and a gingerbread house. I'm sorry, I don't have a good camera for Main Stage pictures. They announced the next Convention and Regionals dates... none near me... :(.

This evening, great food with friends, and then a scramble to get all our goodies into our suitcases (and under the weight limit). While I am traveling back, here is some more garden stuff to keep you occupied - they made paper birds out of individual punches.

Butterflies from individual punches.

A couple Artisan Award-winning projects stood out for me, one created by Heidi King.

And one created by Sandra Farrell.

Thanks for stopping by!

Day 3: Classes, Swapping, And Display Boards

This morning started with a few sessions of classes. I feel like I am in school again, but lots of good information, cute projects, business tips. I finally got some photos of the Holiday mini projects I can share with you. Look closely to glean new products from the samples.

Check out some little stitched felt pieces.

I was in a couple swaps today, including the WOW swap, which had ~122 people. This is a picture of only half the line, waiting to swap.

We had a night class too, called the Village of Cuteness. Here is what we (started) making, wooden decor houses.

Here is Rosemary, working on her's.

Mmmmmm... cupcakes!

And, a couple of exciting pieces of news... I found 3 cards of mine on the display boards, and I'm on the Workshop WOW CD presenting the Faux Mother of Pearl technique at Baltimore Regionals! Fun!

Thanks for stopping by!

Day 2: And The Fun Begins...

Today started with morning Main Stage session and lots of good news. We saw lots of new product from the upcoming Holiday mini... new dies, fun holiday stamp sets, lots of new fun embellishments, and they have come out with a new scoring board tool, called the Simple Scored. Yay!!! It has 1/8" increments, and can hold 12 x 12" paper. Even some won one in Prize Patrol. Also, how to carry this thing to workshops? Well, they offered a Simply Scored bag in Memento Mall, made from the upcoming Spice Cake designer fabric. Well, everyone was snatching that up like hotcakes! I've always wanted a fabric bag, and this way, I don't have to sew one!

More news from the Holiday mini - can you say cookie stamping? They will have an interchangeable cookie stamp system, which is just super cool. You can stamp a jack o'lantern face, snowflake, or I think heart. I'm really excited about this one! You can imagine they might add onto this system in the coming minis. Love, love, love this idea!!!

They gave out the Holiday mini, so we were the first to really get our eyes on it. We really ended the AM session on a huge high. After lunch, I was a Make & Take helper. Here's Rosemary making some projects.

The afternoon session was filled with Sara showing us some starter and demonstratable projects, and then her daughter came up and gave a Simply Sent kit to all attendees. Really generous!

I'll come back and add more later. Off to dinner now. I'm starving! ... I'm back...

Here is some catch-up with garden-themed displays.

Thanks for stopping by!