The Stamp Review Crew: Fall Sale-a-Bration Bonus Hop

Welcome to another Stamp Crew Review Blog Hop!  Sale-a-Bration is almost over, ending September 30, so we have a special "last chance" bonus hop focusing on this season's Sale-a-Bration offerings.  Check out all the inspiring projects the Crew has put together this week.  If you are following the hop in order, you've arrived from the fantastic Lou Kitzelman's blog.

This week I am focusing on the Sale-a-Bration Counting Sheep set and coordinating Sheep Dies, each of which can be earned FREE with a $50 purchase.  I have seen a few cards using the Give It a Whirl dies, and those dies have been on my desk, waiting to be used, so I thought I would try to combine them.  How fun is an interactive card with the cute sheep images from this set?!

After creating a "meadow hill" from the green patterned paper, I cut down the card front to the same shape and attached a couple sheep to a window sheet wheel, die-cut from Give It a Whirl.

HINTS: I attached the wheel to the front of the card base with a brad, but as you fasten the brad, insert your fingernails under the brad head to give a little "play" for the wheel to spin.  Then attach the patterned paper, which can be backed with card stock for more stiffness, with Dimensionals in order not restrict the wheel movement.

Stamps: Counting Sheep (SAB), Penguin Place, Hippo Happiness; Paper: Crushed Curry, Granny Apple Green, Pool Party, Soft Suede, Whisper White, Pattern Party DSP, Window Sheets; Ink: Petal Pink, Granny Apple Green, Saddle Brown Stazon, Smoky Slate; Accessories: Brads, White Baker's Twine, Stapler, Banner Punch, Aquapainter, Sheep Dies (SAB), Give It a Whirl Dies, Die-Cutting Machine, Dimensionals.

And I combined another FREE Sale-a-Bration paper, Peaceful Prints DSP, with the Counting Sheep set for a Christmas-themed card.  The sentiment is computer-printed.

Stamps: Counting Sheep (SAB), Penguin Place, Nature's Harvest; Paper: Real Red, Garden Green, Basic Black, Whisper White, Peaceful Prints DSP; Ink: Cherry Cobbler, Petal Pink, Garden Green, Balmy Blue, Smoky Slate, Basic Black; Accessories: Metallic Pearls, Aquapainter, Sheep Dies (SAB), Die-Cutting Machine, e-cutter, Dimensionals.

Hop on over to Mickey Roberts's blog to see what she put together with some Sale-a-Bration items. Her projects are always beautiful!

 

>> Receive a FREE card kit with every online order <<

>>> SHOP ANY TIME ~ HOST CODE 6UKERYWZ <<<

Stampin' Addicts Sale-a-Bration Blog Hop

Welcome to the Stampin' Addicts Sale-a-Bration Blog Hop! We're so excited the Sale-a-Bration annual promotion will be here next Tuesday, and we came together to share some ideas with you using the items you can earn for FREE.  During Sale-a-Bration, you can choose any free item from the SAB catalog with each $50 you spend.  Choose from seven exclusive stamp sets, two patterned papers, vellum stack, or Project Life card collection.  There is something for everyone! 

If you have been following the blog hop in order, you have just come from Rhonda's blog.  She always has such fun projects!  And like Rhonda, I am also highlighting the limited-time stamp set, Sky Is the Limit.  This set is only available until February 15!

I so wanted to make an interactive card with this stamp set.  After some thought, I set off to make a slider card.

To soften the dark color of the blue sky, I added a layer of gesso to the paper.  For a natural background look, I stamped the airplane on the gesso-covered background and paper-pieced more watercolored Smoky Slate airplane pieces.

Using the Pull-Tab Slider Card tutorial on Splitcoaststampers, I improvised a little.  To create the slider tab (under the airplane), I punched two 1" circles, scored at 3/8" from either side, and then glued the center of the two circles together (see below).  I used an e-cutter to create the slider channel.

Stamps: Sky Is the Limit; Paper: Lost Lagoon, Very Vanilla, Wildflower Fields DSP; Ink: Old Olive, Lost Lagoon, Smoky Slate, Basic Black Archival, Whisper White Craft, Versamark; Accessories: White EP, 1" Circle punch, Aquapainter, Sponge, Gesso, Ovals Collection framelits, Big Shot, e-cutter, Dimensionals.

Along the lines of a travel, I thought the Curvy Keepsake Box might make a nice flight-themed party favor.

It kinda looks like an old-fashioned carry-on bag, no?

Stamps: Sky Is the Limit, Remember This; Paper: Bermuda Bay, Rich Razzleberry, Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla, Bohemian DSP; Ink: Crumb Cake, Early Espresso; Accessories: Mint Macaron/Black baker's twine, Bohemian washi tape, Mini silver brads, Ornate Topper punch, Clear EP, Aquapainter, Curvy Keepsake framelit, Big Shot.

Make sure you check out the next stop to see what Tanya at Tinkerin In Ink with Tanya put together using the Hello set. She's made some amazing projects.

 

Stampin' Addicts Retiring Blog Hop

Welcome to the Stampin' Addicts official good-bye party, the Retiring Blog Hop! Have you scoured through the retiring lists? I recommend you mark up your catalog with all the retiring sets, and by all means, grab those talking to you before they are gone! If you have been following the blog hop in order, you have just come from Jen's blog featuring the Regarding Dahlias. Her projects are always fantastic!

Today I'm featuring the Starburst Sayings stamp set and framelits bundle.  I bought this set recently when it was on the Weekly Deals, and it hasn't even seen ink. I'd better get cracking!

I thought inlaid die-cuts would be fun to try.

One caveat, and it really drives me crazy, is to see the outline of the framelits on the card base.  One trick you can try is to cut the shapes from the back of the card panel.  In my case, after cutting all the holes, I removed the die-cuts and embossed, or so I meant to the first time.  Start again...  You really need to keep track of each step when you are making this card.  Should make for a fun club project, don't you think?

Stamps: Starburst Sayings; Paper: Daffodil Delight, Whisper White, Sweet Taffy DSP; Ink: Pumpkin Pie, Melon Mambo, Tempting Turquoise; Accessories: Bermuda Bay baker's twine, Wooden Elements, Tiny Triangles EF, Starburst framelits, Big Shot.

Everyone, especially my daughter, loves an interactive card.

I used the Stars decorative mask to create the background plus lots of sponging!

You can create the circle flap in a variety of ways, an e-cutter, circle diecut (place die slightly outside the top cutting plate so as to not cut all the way around the entire circle), or even pull out one of your older tools such as a Coluzzle or Circle Scissors Plus.

Stamps: Starburst Sayings, Kinda Eclectic, The Open Sea; Paper: Daffodil Delight, Whisper White, Watercolor paper, Silver Glimmer; Ink: Daffodil Delight, Pacific Point, Old Olive, Baked Brown Sugar (retiring), Memento Tuxedo Black, Whisper White craft, Versamark; Accessories: Clear EP, Hearts & Stars decorative masks, 1/2" Circle punch, Confetti Stars border punch, Aquapainter, Sponges, Starburst framelits, Big Shot, White acrylic paint.

I was thinking for a long time about what I could create with the wordless starburst image.  It really looked like a rotary blade to me. From there the idea for a mini table saw came about.

This is a dressed-down version that was created by Amanda Corbet for Craft Project Central in 2012.  For the base, I used the smallest dimensions for the Gift Box punch board.

This little 3-D doesn't really do anything; it doesn't open or hold anything.  Maybe Hubs will stick it on his desk.  In typical male form, he asks, "What for?"  'Cause it is cute... everyone knows that!

Stamps: Starburst Sayings, Woodgrain BG; Paper: Pistachio Pudding (retiring), Crumb Cake, Smoky Slate, Basic Gray, Basic Black; Ink: Baked Brown Sugar (retiring), Smoky Slate, Basic Black marker; Accessories: Mini Silver brad, Gift Box punch board (Weekly Deal), 1/2" Circle punch, Owl builder punch, Craft knife, Starburst framelits, Big Shot, Dimensionals.

Make sure you check out the next stop to see what Krystal (yay Krystal is hopping with us again!) put together using Stippled Blossoms.  I can't wait to see what she created!

 

All Shook Up

Little Missy and I put our December Paper Pumpkin kit to good use last night.

This month's kit, called All Shook Up, comes with nine shaker cards with "thank you", "happy birthday", and "hello" sentiments, plus bonus sentiment stamps!

Speaking of which, need a last-minute gift idea?  Give the gift of creativity!

Paper Pumpkin Prepaid Subscriptions are the perfect gift this holiday season-for friends, family, and yourself!  A fully designed project kit will arrive each month with stamps, ink, and paper so anyone can skip to the fun.  It's the gift that keeps on giving!  And giving . . .

Item	Paper Pumpkin Prepaid Subscription	Price (Shipping Included)
137858	1 month	$19.95
137859	3 month	$59.85
137860	6 month	$113.70 -- save $1 per month
137861	12 month	$215.40 -- save $2 per month

• A prepaid subscription can be placed on any order type (workshop, online).
• We will send a redemption code and printable gift card via e-mail when a prepaid subscription is purchased. Then you can print the gift card, fill in the code, and give it to the recipient. Easy!  
• The prepaid subscription is redeemed by entering the code in the My Paper Pumpkin website.

FM175 Gnome Sweet Gnome

This week Lisa brings us animals and shaker cards on the Friday Mashup. How much you wanna bet she is going to stamp a moose? ;)  So, for my card, the discussion goes something like this:

• Me: "Do you think a gnome is an animal?  What kind of creature is it?  Is a troll an animal?"
• Little Missy: "A troll is half human, half monster, which is kinda a mean animal.  And a gnome is like a nice troll.  So I guess it could be an animal."

Ha, so there you have it!  Gnomes coming at ya!

Now, I have to tell you, Missy has been bugging me to try the Blendabilities.  She can be little heavy on the pressure, so I have been more than reluctant.  But she wore me down, and so I gave her a shot at coloring the scene (with me watching her like a hawk).  She did a great job, didn't she?

Once the background scene was done, I added a card stock frame, cut-up pieces of shaker frames, and a window sheet.  Confetti consisted of Old Olive card stock cut with Fringe scissors, patterned paper flower punch-outs, and In Color sequins.

My parents just moved to Florida, and before leaving, Mom gave Missy her garden gnomes.  I guess this is a scene of my parents skipping through their new garden.  ;)

Here's your Mashup Challenge:

Image Source

• Create a Project using "Animals". 
• Create a "Shaker card" project.
• or Mash it up! and create a "Shaker Card with an Animal".

Stamps: Gnome Sweet Gnome; Paper; Old Olive, Soft Suede, Whisper White, Quatrefancy DSP, Delicate Dots DSP; Ink: Soft Sky, Memento Jet Black, Blendabilities markers; Accessories: In Color Sequin assortment, Early Espresso baker's twine, Window sheet, Shaker frames, Aquapainter, Fringe scissors, Itty Bitty punch pack, Itty Bitty Accents punch pack, e-cutter, Sewing machine, Thread, Dimensionals; Font: 1942 Report.

The time has finally arrived for the Stampin' Up! Holiday Catalog!  Time to make your Halloween preparations and start dreaming of the perfect Christmas card.  Grab a cup of coffee and enjoy!

Click to download a copy

The Stamp Review Crew: By the Tide

Welcome to another Stamp Crew Review Blog Hop!  We share our take on a selected stamp set every first and third Monday.  This time we are hopping along with one of my favorite masculine sets, By the Tide.  Originally in the 2013 Spring Catalog, I immediately fell in love with this versatile set.  With a change of colors, you can go from a Northeast lobster card to a warm water snorkeling card.

If you are hopping around in a circle, you have just come from Ann's blog.  Ann always has such gorgeous, elegant and sophisticated projects!   Myself, I've used this set extensively in the past, so again the challenge is to come up with a new project.  I was prepping for the recent interactive card class, so I folded this set in for a shaker card.  I stayed mostly with the 2013-14 In Colors for a soft, Caribbean look.

I used a layout by the fabulous Amy O'Neill as the starting point of my card.  Using the Gorgeous Grunge splatter image to stamp Baked Brown Sugar card stock, followed by the Fringe Scissors, it is a quick and easy way to make fun sand confetti.  Add a few sequins for sparkle.  I love how both the sequins and the background embossing are reminiscent of air bubbles.

I reworked the second card a bit, brayering the background instead of sponging.  Which one do you like better?

Stamps: By the Tide, Four You, Gorgeous Grunge, Paper Pumpkin Hey There kit; Paper: Coastal Cabana, Crisp Cantaloupe, Baked Brown Sugar, Whisper White, Fresh Prints DSP; Ink: Coastal Cabana, Crisp Cantaloupe, Daffodil Delight, Baked Brown Sugar, Black Stazon; Accessories: Gold baker's twine, Window Sheet, Banner punch, Boutique Details, Fringe Scissors, Aquapainter, Sponges, Brayer, Perfect Polka Dots EF, On Film framelits, Big Shot, Dimensionals.

It is always fun to create a 3-D item.  How about a nautical-themed favor or little gift for Dad?  Maybe even a pillow gift for a Northeast trip this summer.  Here is a little treat pouch, filled with a bag of almond nuts.

The smallest Envelope Liners framelit resembled a suitcase, so I started there.  To create, run both ends of a 3 x 8-3/4" piece of card stock through the Big Shot with the smallest Envelope Liners framelit as shown below.

Tips for coloring and cutting the lobster:

• Stamp the lobster with Cajun Craze classic ink, followed immediately by Clear embossing powder, in order to keep the outline from bleeding during watercoloring.
• Watercolor with Cherry Cobbler classic ink and an Aquapainter for perfect shading.
• Make sure you have sharp Paper Snips (#103579) for careful and precise trimming.
• After trimming, make sure to color the edges with an Aquapainter for a polished look.

Stamps: By the Tide, Teeny Tiny Wishes; Paper: Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, Very Vanilla; Ink: Night of Navy, Cajun Craze, Cherry Cobbler; Accessories: Natural Chevron ribbon, Linen thread, Silver Mini brads, Clear embossing powder, Large Oval punch, Word Window punch, Modern Label punch, Aquapainter, Square Lattice EF (retiring), Envelope Liners framelits, Big Shot.

A side note - our Stamp Review Crew group was chosen to create a display board for the Stampin' Up! Convention in July.  I'm so excited!  I'm not sure how much I'll be able to help, as we are traveling in June, but I know these ladies & gentleman will be great!

Now make sure you check out the next stop to see what our fearless leader and fabulous stamper Tanya at Tinkerin in Ink put together with the set.  If you get lost along the way, visit the Stamp Crew Review landing page for the entire hop list.

 

FM158 Stampin' Up! Blast Off Spinner

Holly has a fun Friday Mashup challenge, with bright colors for a child's project.

Photo Source

Here's your Mashup Challenge:

1. Create a project using the Colors "Turquoise, Real Red, Pumpkin Pie, Wild Wasabi & Neutral of your choice".
2. Create a project for "a Child".
3. Or mash it up and create a project with the "Above Colors for a Child".

In need for an interactive card for class, I came up with a fancy fold card (a week late!) using retiring set Blast Off.

How cute did this come out?!  Ok, I shouldn't say that, but I love it!  The Venetian Romance paper works great for a molten rock surface of a star or planet, doesn't it?

Stamps: Blast Off (retiring), Gorgeous Grunge; Paper: Pumpkin Pie, Pink Pirouette, Basic Black, Whisper White, Venetian Romance DSP; Ink: Real Red, Tempting Turquoise, Pumpkin Pie, Wild Wasabi, Basic Black, Crushed Curry marker; Accessories: White baker's twine, Circle punches, White acrylic paint, Circle Card thinlits die, Circle Collection framelits, Big Shot, Dimensionals.

Stampin' Addicts Retiring Blog Hop

Welcome to the Stampin' Addicts official good-bye party, the Retiring Blog Hop! Have you scoured through the retiring lists? I recommend you mark up your catalog with all the retiring sets, and by all means, grab those talking to you before they are gone! If you have been following the blog hop in order, you have just come from Mary's blog featuring the Off the Grid. Weren't her projects adorable?

Today I'm featuring a Sizzix Big Shot die, Peekaboo Frames.  This die is the starting point of lots of fun, interactive cards and projects.  Who doesn't want to open a door to see what is behind it?

I thought the circle peekaboo frame looks like a porthole.  Perfect time to play with the Hello, Sailor set from the Occasions catalog.

Stamps: Hello, Sailor, Woodgrain BG (retiring), Hardwood BG, Hello, Sailor MDS download; Paper: Marina Mist, Cajun Craze, Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, Smoky Slate, Very Vanilla, High Tide DSP; Ink: So Saffron, Soft Suede, Early Espresso, Basic Gray; Accessories: Window Sheet, Natural Chevron ribbon, Gold baker's twine, Silver Mini brads, Gold embossing powder, Sponges, Circles Collection framelits, Peekaboo Frame die, Tasteful Trim die (retiring), Big Shot, Dimensionals.

I again pulled out the e-cutter and designed my own bee hive-shaped card for an interactive themed card.  Very fun!

I love the images from the Crazy, Mixed-Up Love set, which is also retiring.  The playful, cartoon images go perfectly with an interactive card.

Stamps: Crazy, Mixed-Up Love (retiring); Paper: So Saffron, Crushed Curry, Cherry Cobbler, Very Vanilla, Afternoon Tea DSP; Ink: Black Stazon, So Saffron marker; Accessories: Crushed Curry chevron ribbon, Linen thread, Dazzling Diamonds, Owl builder punch, Peekaboo Frames die, Big Shot, e-cutter, Dimensionals.

So the double frame looks like a barn door, doesn't it?  I could make a farm card, but I thought, "You know what, wouldn't these make a cute interactive book for a preschooler?"  My daughter is no longer a preschooler, but she will love it just the same.  :)

I built the page in a spiral notebook I had made in the past.  You could go crazy and make a whole interactive book for a little one (hint, hint, Tanya).

I used the print and cut feature for the animals from the Storytime Ensemble download.  They are sooo cute!  I could just go to town with them.  And the fringe scissors are so fun to use.  I also used them to create the hay bales in the loft that the rooster is perching on.

Stamps: Barnyard Buddies MDS download, Storytime Ensemble MDS download; Paper: So Saffron, Cherry Cobbler, Cajun Craze, Old Olive, Soft Suede, Basic Black, Very Vanilla, Whisper White; Ink: Soft Sky, Marina Mist; Accessories: Linen thread, Cupcake builder punch, Fringed Scissors, Simply Scored Board, Sponges, Square Lattice EF (retiring), Peekaboo Frames die, Big Shot, e-cutter.

I hit four out of five die-cuts on this die... not bad!  Make sure you check out the next stop to see what Betty at Kitty Stamp put together using Road to Happiness. Her projects are always amazing.