Tart & Tangy Class!

Are you ready for summer yet? I love this Tart & Tangy stamp set and the Summer Picnic designer paper in the Occasions mini catalog. It is perfect for all your summer cards.

I am holding a card/box class with another demonstrator, Terri Sampson, at my house on June 22, 2008. You will make 5 bright and cheery all occasion cards and envelopes perfect for summer featuring the Tart & Tangy set and Summer Picnic Designer paper. You will also make a great box to hold the cards and envelopes. If you are not able to attend the class (either live too far away or are not available that day), you can pick the "completed projects option."

Date/Time: Sunday, June 22, 2008, 2pm - 4pm

Location: 5643 Quale Ave NE, St. Michael 55376

Cost*: $15 fee includes all materials and instructions. Please bring your favorite adhesive to use for your cards. You will also get a $5.00 off coupon for any $30 merchandise order placed that day.

Completed Projects Option: For $20 we will make the projects for you and you can pick up the completed projects or have them mailed to you for $5 in postage ($25 total fee).

Register: Call or e-mail Terri or Theresa.
Mail the $15 fee by Monday, June 16th to the above address. Make payment out to your demo (either Terri or Theresa). You are not registered until you are pre-paid for the class. The class size is limited to the first 12 pre-paid, so don’t delay!

E-mail: Theresa Gentle (tgentle1@yahoo.com) 763-428-2764
or Terri Sampson (tasampson@yahoo.com) 763-227-3377

*Sorry, no refunds available if you register and then are unable to attend. However, you will receive the class materials for your use, or for an additional $5 fee, we will complete the projects for you.

Essence of Love Card card -Chalkboard Technique

This card features the Essence of Love stamp set found in the Ocassions Mini. The chalkboard technique was used to color the images. This technique is a great way to gets bold color onto dark cardstock (thus the name chalkboard technique since it looks like colored chalks on a chalkboard).

To make this card, stamp your images in the Whisper White craft ink (pigment ink) on Elegant Envy card stock. Then take a sponge dauber and pick up a color from the Stampin' Pastels (chalks). While the white craft ink is still wet, dab or ponce (rubbing will smear the image) the stamped image with the dauber. The chalk will stick to the white craft ink. I used three daubers and the pastel colors of Summer Sun, Garden Green, and Orchid Opulence. To get a little finer detail on the stamped butterfly I used the pastel applicators instead of the daubers but still dabbed the pastel colors on the image in the same way.

After applying the chalks you will have excess chalk on the card stock making it look a little messy. You can clean up your image by brushing off the chalked image and surround area with a tissue. This will brush all the excess chalk away while leaving the chalk on the stamped image.

I layered the chalked image layer onto Summer Sun card stock. Summer Sun isn't a color I use a lot, but I really liked how it made the yellow flowers pop. If this is too bold for you, you could pick a less "loud" color like So Saffron or Barely Banana for both the chalking of the image and the layering.

The Word Window punch was used for the Think of You sentiment from the same Essence of Love stamp set. The Elegant Eggplant grosgrain ribbon was used to embellish the card.

I love this technique and it really is fun to see the image come alive with color! Give this technique a try. Bold images stamped on dark card stock work best.

Have fun!
Theresa

Some useful links:

Free Wheelin' Special (order by end of April)

Hostess Special (extra $25 in hostess money for $350 party)

Wild Wasabi card stock special (only $3.95 for pre-cut/scored textured card stock)

Occasions Mini catalog

Spring/Summer Big Catalog

Two punch shapes from one punch!

The two cards above are my rendition and the original that I copied! Jenny Walker created the Certainly Celery card (another swap card that I loved and had to steal the idea)!

The cards contain a punched medallion shape you might not recognize at first glance. These cards show how you can use your scallop punch to get a medallion shape from it too! You can use the same technique and get two shapes from the 5-petal punch (my Groovy Guava card uses both shapes from the 5-petal punch). You can similarly get 2 shapes from the small and large star punches as well!

Here's how to get the medallion shape:

1. Punch a scallop using the Stampin' Up! scalloped Circle punch as you normally would. Attach a slip of paper to the back of the scallop (a piece of a post it note works well for this).

2. Using the post-it note "handle" on the scallop, reinsert it into the scallop punch. Use the "handle" to rotate the scalloped circle by half of a scallop turn (the top crest of each scallop of the punched card stock will have the low of each scallop of the punch in its center). Punch and remove any remaining post-it on the back.

3. You end up with a shape that has the edges of a medallion.

Using the same technique, you can get additional shapes from punches like the 5-petal punch.

1. Below are two flowers punched from the Fall Flowers double-sided designer paper (same sheet, the patterns on each of the two sides).
2. After attaching the post-it handle, re-insert the flower into the punch and rotate the petals by a half-petal turn.

3. Shown below are the original flower shape and the resulting new shape after doing the repunching with the half-petal turn.
4. For my card below, the original flower shape and the repunched flower shape were layered on the medallion shape. A circle obtained using the Stampin' Up! 1/2" circle punch was placed in the center with an Old Olive brad (from the Earth Elements brads). The leaves on the cards were obtained by cutting apart a few of the petals of an Old Olive 5-petal punched flower. A scoring blade was used to get the vein down the center of the leaves.

I hope you find this useful to getting even more use from some of your punches!
Theresa

Isn't it supposed to be Spring? One of a Kind card

OK, tomorrow is April 1st and it is snowing again! How can this be spring? Well, at least these cards are perfect for spring!

I am posting two very similar cards for this stamp set. I got the one in a swap with other demos (Laura Palmer's card is the Bashful Blue with Apricot Appeal). The other is my very slightly altered version (Sage Shadow, Blush Blossom, and Cameo Coral). I just changed the colors, stamped the biggest image several times as a subtle background, used eyelets instead of brads on the flowers, and I changed the scalloped bottom slightly. I really loved Laura's card so much, there wasn't much I could change!

These cards use the Boho Blossoms punch that coordinates with the One of a Kind stamp set. The One of a Kind stamp set (page 109 of the Spring/Summer Idea Book) has an image of three flowers grouped together that after stamping the image, it can be punched with the Boho Blossoms punch (page 180). The stamped images and the punch created all the flowers along the center of the cards.

The rounded corners of the layered sentiment and the scalloped lower edge of the card were both created using the 3/16" corner rounder punch. If you'd like to see a tutorial of how to create the scalloped edge using the corner punch refer back to my August 29, 2007 posting where I showed how to make a scalloped circle. The same procedure is used here but along the edge to make it scalloped.

I hope you enjoy!

Theresa

Don't Forget:

Free Wheelin' Promotion (free jumbo wheel with purchase of certain stamp sets)

112848 - page 91 Wonderful You stamp set and FREE Stems & Silhouettes jumbo wheel $33.95

112851 - page 80 Life's a Breeze stamp set and FREE Something Fishy jumbo wheel $29.95

112850 - page 66 Pun Fun stamp set and FREE Sweet Stars jumbo wheel $30.95

112847 - page 60 Year after Year stamp set and FREE See You Around jumbo wheel $30.95

112849 - page 83 Stitched Exotics stamp set and FREE It's Beautiful jumbo wheel $33.95

112853 - page 51 Enjoy Every Moment stamp set and FREE Daisy Dash jumbo wheel $29.95

Adorable Easter basket from Designer Paper

I was going to post pictures of the swaps I got Monday night, but I just had to post this today in case you want to make some of these for Easter. I came across this idea when I was looking for a fun project for the kids in the 4th grade religion class Tom and I teach. These baskets were perfect.

And best of all, the project was simple and the kids loved it.

So here is the procedure to make these cute little baskets:

Step 1: You will need a square piece of double-sided designer paper (this piece is from the Designer Series Paper - Flowers for You). For this basket I used 6" x 6" piece of designer paper, but for a bigger basket 9" x 9" or 12" x 12" would work well too. A coordinating strip of card stock or designer paper (tempting turquiose in this sample, 1" x 8.5") will be used for the handle of the basket. Stamped and punched flowers (in this sample the One of a Kind Stamp Set and the Boho Blossoms Punch and the 5-Petal Punch) and brads (the Bold Bright brads in this sample) are used to embellish the basket.

Step 2: The square piece of designer paper is scored into thirds in each direction. So for this 6"x 6" piece of paper, you score at 2" and 4" and then turn the paper a quarter turn and score again at 2" and 4". You end up with the paper sectioned into 9 equal squares as shown below (the Lovely Lilac patterned paper is the reverse side of the same double-sided designer paper shown above). Fold inward along all the score lines.

Step 3: Cut along the scored lines only to the intersecting score lines on two of the opposing sides as shown below.

Step 4: Glue the coordinating strip of card stock as shown below to form the handle of the basket.

Step 5: On each side fold the basket side sections upward and glue the flaps to the area where the handle was glued.
Step 6: To finish off the basket, just embellish with punched flowers and the brads.

I hope you enjoy this project. Give it a try if you have time before Easter. But if you don't have time now, I have seen this type of basket made in a picnic theme using the new Summer Picnic Designer Paper and the Tart and Tangy stamp set, both in the Occasions Mini.

Have a wonderful Easter!

Theresa

Some new Stampin' Up! specials

I just want to let you know about some new promotions that are starting today!

The first one involves getting FREE Jumbo wheels with the purchase of the coordinating stamp set! There are six different stamp set/jumbo wheel packages from which to chose. Here is a list of the stamp sets and wheels that are part of this special. The price listed for the bundle is the price of the stamp set - the wheel is included for free. If you would like to see the stamp set or wheel in the on-line catalog, just click on the names.

112848 - page 91
Wonderful You stamp set and FREE Stems & Silhouettes jumbo wheel $33.95

112851 - page 80
Life's a Breeze stamp set and FREE Something Fishy jumbo wheel $29.95

112850 - page 66
Pun Fun stamp set and FREE Sweet Stars jumbo wheel $30.95

112847 - page 60
Year after Year stamp set and FREE See You Around jumbo wheel $30.95

112849 - page 83
Stitched Exotics stamp set and FREE It's Beautiful jumbo wheel $33.95

112853 - page 51
Enjoy Every Moment stamp set and FREE Daisy Dash jumbo wheel $29.95

Also going on right now is a special on Wild Wasabi Tectured cardstock. If you haven't had a chance to try some of the textured card stock, this is a great way to get some to play with! From now through April 30, you can purchase a specially-priced Wild Wasabi card stock pack for only $3.95 - that’s 16 sheets of pre-cut (4-1/2 x 11-1/2) and pre-scored (at 1-1/8 and 5-5/8) Wild Wasabi textured card stock that can be used to make all kinds of fun and easy cards and projects! Here are some PROJECT IDEAS for using this pre-cut and pre-scored Wild Wasabi card stock.

Finally there is one more promotion, this one is for hostesses! If you have been thinking of getting some friends together and having a workshop (you can hold it at my house or yours), this is the time to do it. If you hold a workshop and the merchandise sales total $350 or above, you get an additional $25 in hostess dollars. That is $25 on top of the regular hostess benefits. Here are more details of the Hostess Promotion.

Some useful links:

Spring/Summer Collection (the big idea book/catalog)

Occasions Mini Catalog (items available 3/1-5/31/08)

Theresa

Love & Happiness Rub Ons - Wow!

Stampin' Up! introduced Rub Ons to the new Summer/Spring Collection (the big catalog) in January. If you have not yet tried these new Rub Ons, you really have to!

I love how this jar turned out. And it was so easy! The Rub Ons I used on this jar are from the free Sale-a-bration set of Rub Ons, Love & Happiness. This particular set of rub ons comes with 4 sheets, one of each of black, white, old olive, and chocolate chip, with LOTS of images and sentiments on each sheet. There are other sets of rub ons in the Spring/Summer big catalog (see the Rub Ons page 182) and the Occasions Mini (see the Rub Ons on page 15) as well.

Rub ons can be used on all kinds of surfaces - paper, glass, plastic, even on wax candles, for example, the candle shown here (I used the same set of Sale-a-bration rub ons, Love & Happiness).

To apply the rub ons you just select the image or images from the sheet and cut it out. Remove the white protective backing and position the rub on where you want to apply it. Take the included stick (basically a popsicle stick) and rub the surface of the plastic sheeting. Slowly peel back the plastic sheeting and check that the rub on has transferred (if there is anything that hasn't transfer just put sheet back in place and rub a little more). This is so easy and fast. The above jar (size is about 4 1/2 inches wide by 7 inches high) took me less than 30 seconds -really!

Since trying these, I find myself looking around the house for items to which I can apply rub ons!

One final reminder, Sale-a-bration ends on March 17th. To ensure your order gets processed in time, contact me by March 15th.

You can order from the big catalog as well as the Occasions mini now and have those orders qualify for the free Sale-a-bration items.

Here are some useful links:
Spring/Summer Big Idea Book
Occasions Mini Collection
Sale-a-bration Mini (see the free items you can get for each $50 of your order)

Theresa

Embrace Life using Faux Silk technique

At one of our monthly demo meetings, the make and take (by Sheila Selinsky) involved the Faux Silk Technique. I was so impressed and loved the way it looked! I copied her card for the most part changing the size and colors slightly and adding ribbon. I love the way it turned out. I hope you can see in the picture how the white background portion of this card has a wrinkled silk fabric look to it.

All that is required for this technique is some tissue paper, the type you use in gift packaging. You will want to cut the tissue paper so it is about an inch wider and an inch longer than the final measurements that you want it to be on the card. Just stamp on the tissue and watercolor the images. For this card, we used blender pens dipped in the puddled ink that you get when squeezing the ink pad. You don't need to spend much time with the watercoloring. I spent less than 2 minutes total just dabbing Groovy Guava on each flower and then adding a few Purely Pomegranate highlights to each.

Once you have colored the images, just wrinkle up the tissue paper. That's right just wad it up real well! Take a piece of whisper white card stock (5" x 3.75" for this card) and apply gluestick to the entire surface. Place the tissue onto the card stock and smooth it onto the glued surface. Don't smooth too well though. You want some of those wrinkles to remain. Miter the corners of the tissue (cut diagonally at each corner), and wrap the excess tissue to the back of the white card stock and glue to the back.

That is all there is to the faux silk technique! It adds wonderful texture and dimension to the card especially with the stamp set used with this card, Embrace Life.

The main image (the large flower from Embrace Life) was stamped with Versamark Ink and then embossed with the black embossing powder. It was watercolored using the aqua painter and again ink from the Groovy Guava and Purely Pomegranate ink pads. Ink from the Always Artichoke ink pad was used to shadow the flower and to sponge the edges.

The remainder to the card is just layering and adding the punched corners and double-stitched Purely Pomegranate embellishments.

I hope you enjoy!

Theresa

P.S. Another reminder: there isn't much more time before Sale-a-bration ends (order before March 15th to meet the deadline). And you can order from the big catalog as well as the Occasions mini now and have those orders qualify for the free Sale-a-bration items.

Here are some useful links:

Spring/Summer Big Idea Book

Occasions Mini Collection

Sale-a-bration Mini (see the free items you can get for each $50 of your order)

A Little Birdie Told Me...

With time so limited lately, I tend to go for the fast and easy card with a little "punch." Can you tell I am hooked on using the designer papers for these fast cards? This paper is from the Flowers for You pack. This card is one that I made for a swap and also had as a make and take at a recent workshop. I think the set "A Little Birdie Told Me" is so cute.

It may be hard to tell from the picture, but the birdie is not colored in. He was first stamped onto the white layer. Then the birdie's body was stamped in tempting turquoise ink on designer paper which had a very subtle pattern to it (the reverse side of the paper used at the bottom of the card). The birdie was cut out and layered onto the birdie stamped on the white giving him a little more dimension and interest.

The double-stitched Wild Wasabi ribbon was used on this card as well as the small and large oval punches.

Don't forget there isn't much more time before Sale-a-bration ends (order before March 15th to meet the deadline). And you can order from the big catalog as well as the Occasions mini now and have those orders qualify for the free Sale-a-bration items. Here are some useful links:

Spring/Summer Big Idea Book
Occasions Mini Collection
Sale-a-bration Mini (see the free items you can get for each $50 of your order)

Theresa

So many Scallops...

... So little time! Only 2 more weeks left of Sale-a-bration (ends March 17th). I love this Sell-a-bration set. There are so many occasions and cards for which you can use it.

Here is a really simple card. The use of the designer papers on cards (in this case, Fall Flowers paper, although these colors look more spring-like to me!) is a fast way to get lots of fun color on a card.

This card is pretty self-explanatory (just a little stamping, layering, and punching with the Scallop punch). There is just one little trick to explain though. Notice the little designer paper flower in the center of the stamped and punched scallop. Before adhering the strip of designer paper to the Soft Sky layer, using the 1/2" circle punch, punch one of the little flowers out from the paper in an area that will have the punched scalloped circles layered over it.

The Stem Sayings set that was also used with this card is a really versatile set. The sayings make great stems especially with stamped and punched images from the So Many Scallop set. But the sayings from Stem Sayings also make cute curvy sentiments like on this card.

The 5/8" wide Old Olive grosgrain ribbon wrapped and knotted around the designer paper gives a finishing touch to the card.

If you would like to see all the Sale-a-bration stamp sets you can earn for free before March 17th, check out the Sale-a-bration Mini catalog.

Also, there are more NEW items available starting March 1st in the Occasions Mini catalog. With the overlap of Sale-a-bration and the new mini catalog, you can order from the new mini and earn Sale-a-bration stamp sets too!

See the Big Catalog - the Spring/Summer Collection too!

Theresa

Sassy Stems "File Folder" Card

So... Who is ready for Spring?! I know I am. But I guess we will have to wait a few more months (even longer here in MN). In the meantime, we can create some hopeful anticipation of Spring with our cards!

I call this a "File Folder" card because it opens at the bottom like a file folder - a new and different layout. This card starts with the card stock for the base (Wild Wasabi in this case) cut to 5 1/2" x 7 1/2". It was scored at the typical 4 1/4" mark but because it is 1" shorter than the typical half sheet of card stock, when it is folded upward, the one edge is 1" short of meeting with the other edge.

The corners were all rounded using the 3/16" Corner Rounder Punch. A piece of Uptown Designer paper (top corners rounded) was layered on the front. A sentiment (in this case from Hugs & Wishes Stamp set) was stamped in Basic Grey ink in the upper right corner.

The image from the now retired Sassy Stems stamp set was stamped in Basic Grey (waterproof) classic ink and colored in using Almost Amethyst, So Saffron, and Certainly Celery Stampin' Write Markers. This image was layered on So Saffron card stock.

I have two suggested ways to get the slit punch placement correct. One way is to glue the layered image in the desired location on the card front. Then mark with a pencil lightly a line to show the desired placement of the slit punch location and use that mark to help you punch in the right place. Another way is to punch the slit first at the top of the card before gluing the layered image onto the card. Then insert the layered image into the slit, place adhesive on the back on the layered image and press it onto the the card front.

The placement of photo corners punched out of Almost Amethyst card stock using the Photo Corner Punch finishes off this card.

I hope you enjoy the fresh Spring colors!

Theresa

All Supplies are from Stampin' Up! You can now order from the NEW Spring/Summer Big Idea/Catalog!

Sale-a-bration starts February 1st! Check out the stamp sets and Rub Ons you can get for FREE with your orders during Sale-a-bration! Sale-a-bration Mini Catalog.

Valentine's Tag Card

Valentine's Day will be here before we know it! Here is a possible card for that occasion although it could be used for a variety of other purposes too.

I actually designed this card a couple of years ago and just changed some colors to use it for one of the December stamp club projects. A funny thing when you make a card and go back to it much later - you don't always remember exactly how you made it! Getting the tag punched out right in the center had me stumped for a while. I had stamp club use a template and trace the punched out part to help them punch it in the right spot. BUT... it later all came back to me! Sorry, there is an easier way than how I had some of you do it! So now I will explain the easier way - better late than never, right?

Use an oversized piece of white card stock (in this case 3" x 2.75" worked well). Punch the tag out of approximately the center of that piece as shown in the first photo below (it does not have to be exactly the center). Now line up any inside edge of the tag on the 1/2" marking of the paper cutter as shown in the second photo below and cut. Shift to the next inside edge of the tag, line it up at 1/2", cut again. Once you have lined up each of the 6 tag edges at the 1/2" mark and cut, you end up with the tag "negative" with a 1/2" border all around it as shown in the third picture below.

Once you have created the tag portion of the card, the remainder is fairly self-explanatory. The base of the card is Bravo Burgundy. The now retired background called Word by Word was stamped in Pretty in Pink on Whisper White card stack.

Words from the Everyday Flexible Phrases set were stamped randomly around the 1/2" border of the tag in Pretty in Pink classic ink. The slot at the top of the tag was punched using the Horizontal Slot punch. Bravo Burgundy grosgrain was put through the slot and a piece of Pretty in Pink grosgrain was knotted around the Bravo Burgundy.

The "Love" word in the center of the tag is also from the Word by Word background stamp. The area of the background stamp with that word (the very corner of the background stamp) was inked up in Bravo Burgundy and a scrap of Whisper White card stock was placed over that corner and then it was trimmed with scissors to get just "Love".

The tag and the word "Love" were layered using pieces of foam tape to give the card some dimension.

Theresa

Happy New Year! Criss Cross Card

Here is a new twist on pocket cards. These cards are called Criss Cross cards, and they are fun to do. They are a great way to showcase the beautiful 2-sided designer papers. These cards have all kinds of uses, for example, slipping in a gift card, invitation information, or a photo in the pocket.

The Splitcoaststampers website has a great Criss Cross Card Tutorial that gives directions and dimensions for making these cards. However, I made some changes to the method in making my card to save on card stock and the weight of the final card. In the Splitcoaststamper (SCS) tuturial, 2 pieces of 4 1/4" x 11" card stock are used, and you end up doubling up the back layer of the card. There are also 2 large triangles of card stock that get cut off and not used. I used just one piece of 4 1/4" x 11" card stock, the back of the card is not a double layer and there are no scraps in the cutting.

Shown in the photo below is the single 4 1/4" x 11" piece of card stock (shown in white below, but Always Artichoke was used in the Frosty card above). As the photo shows you score a 3/8" tab at the far left (click on the photo to enlarge to see detail better). Score again 5 1/4" past that first score line (scoreline will be at 5 5/8" total distance from the left edge).

Then cut diagonally from score line to score line.

Turn the cut triangle with the tab over and upside down and place at the right end as shown in the photo below.

Glue the 3/8" tab to the back of the large central region of the card. After gluing this tab to the back, you will have the two triangular portions to layer the patterned paper on and to then criss cross.

The rest of the directions to complete the card pick up at Step 6 of the SCS Tutorial. Another minor change in my card is that the card band that wraps around the card is 1" wide rather than 1 1/2 wide shown in the SCS tutorial.

Once you make one of these cards, you will be hooked and want to make lots of different color combinations!

Theresa

**The NEW Spring/Summer catalog is on-line!

**January Customer Special - Valentine's Bundle - get the ribbon for free!

**January Hostess special too! Hold a workshop of $350 or more and choose any one stamp set from our Spring-Summer Preview Brochure 2008 FREE (up to a $29.95 value)!

Supplies for the Frosty Card (all Stampin' Up!):

Frosty stamp set (retired)

In the Spotlight (retired)

Wishing you Cheer (the Happy New Year sentiment was obtained by inking only that portion of the larger sentiment with the Bashful Blue marker)

Always Artichoke card stock

Certainly Celery card stock

Wintergreen Designer paper (retired)

Bashful Blue classic ink pad

Always Artichoke classic ink pad

Stampin' Write markers (Bashful Blue, Certainly Celery)

Scallop Circle punch

Round Tab punch

3/16" Corner rounder punch