Northwest Stamper

Author: Jennifer

  • Making a Perfect Mini Bow the Easy Way!

    For years, I’ve been running classes where one of the cards may have a bow on it.  And I’ve watched folks struggle with trying to make a smaller bow without either getting your fingers caught or one side of the bow threatening to come out.  Now, it is totally possible to tie it like normal, but I’ve finally put together a video on how to do it the quick and easy way that comes out perfect everytime!  No, seriously! 🙂 I have it at the bottom of this post.

    So, here is a card I made with the sample bow from the video.  Isn’t it cute?  It uses the retiring satin ribbon (seriously, I think this is the product I’m most sad about losing!) for a border and bow.

    easy events fork bow card

     

    Now if you are curious about the scallopy Saffron circles under the ribbon – surprise!  It is the retiring Pocketful of Posies designer paper and I just cut along the white lines in the paper.

     

    See, just cut and flip it over and here you go!  Oh, and another close up of the bow.perfect fork bow closeup

     

    Alright, so if you’ve made it this far, check out the video for how I made this bow using a fork… that is right, a fork.  Then leave me a comment and let me know what you thought of it!

     

    To Order Stampin’ Up! Products Anytime, click here!

    Get them before they are gone! Items are selling out so don’t miss out!

    Retiring Stamps  |  Retiring Accessories  |  Retiring Décor Elements

    Hello Easy Bow Card Recipe:

    Stamps: Easy Events
    Ink: Early Espresso Classic, Soft Suede Classic, Crumb Cake Classic, Old Olive Classic
    Paper: Pocketful of Posies designer paper, Perfect Plum cardstock, Whisper White cs
    Accessories: 2-3/8” Scallop Circle punch, Basic Pearls, Old Olive 5/8” Satin Ribbon, Blender pen, glue dots, Sponge Daubers

  • Wanna Hear Some New Catalog Tidbits?

    Early this morning, Stampin’ Up! released an online copy of the upcoming catalog to demonstrators in the US and Canada.  So, of course, while I was up at 2am for a middle of the night feeding for my littlest stamper (4 months old), I started flipping through to see what was in store.

    Boy, was I not disappointed!!!  The baby fell back asleep and I kept sitting there going back over the beautiful pages of the new catalog.

    So too wound up to sleep, I thought I’d write up a post to share some of my excitement with you!  Stampin’ Up!’s policy won’t let me share product pictures or exact details yet but I can describe what I’m loving!

     

    -More Framelits!  Like lots more framelits!  You know how in the Occasions Mini there was the labels and hearts nesting framelits?  Well, watch for a super awesome flower (that has, I think, a matching stamp set) that nests as well as other great shapes.  Oh, and more new dies and edgelits too.

    -A new mat pack!  If you’ve been in one of my classes before, you know I love my paper piercer and mat pack.  I couldn’t believe they were retiring my beloved mat pack, but now I know why.  Because they are making it better!  Can you say matching piercing outlines?  Guess, there is another thing on my wish list.

    – New punches!  Yes, another of my downfalls (have you seen my wall of punches?) and there are multiple new punches including a great replacement for the current butterfly punch.  Plus, in keeping with Stampin’ Up!’s tradition of coordination – they have matching stamp sets. 🙂

    -Super Fantabulous looking scrapbooks!  Um, so I have a ton of scrapbooks on my shelf at home that are not completely full, but I’m seriously considering changing some of them out for the new ones.  They come with metal label holders on the end!! Plus, not only will we be getting your regular page protectors but now divided page protectors too!  Cannot wait to try out some new-to-me scrapping styles with these.

    – Improved Tools!  From bigger scrub pads to clean your stamps to a cool looking new paper trimmer, I have a feeling I’ll be upgrading a number of my tools.  And loving it, of course. 😉

    – And it wouldn’t be a new catalog without some great new stamp sets, some returning favorites from past mini catalogs (hi Mixed Bunch! hi Bordering on Romance! hi awesome holiday sets!); and of course, the new In Colors as well.

     

    I just ordered my first couple boxes of catalogs, and can’t wait to hear your reaction when I send them out later this month.  If you’ve ordered with me recently, I’ll be making sure you are covered with your own free copy.  If you aren’t a current customer of mine but would like a catalog, go here to let me know you would like to be on my catalog list.

     

    PS- if you just can’t wait that long, new recruits who sign up with the new $99 starter kit will be getting the new catalogs in their kit!  So, not only will you be able to view the catalog online with hours of signing up, but you’ll have your print copy and a chance to preorder soon after. 🙂

    Alright, I’m off to bed again.  Hope you’ve enjoyed these little teases of what is to come in a few weeks!

    To Order Stampin’ Up! Products Anytime, click here!

    Get them before they are gone! Items are selling out so don’t miss out!

    Retiring Stamps  |  Retiring Accessories  |  Retiring Décor Elements

    Are you earning your Northwest Stamper Rewards? Every order gets you closer to your FREE stamp set! Click here to learn more!

  • Who’s Ready for the 2012-2013 Stampin’ Up! Catalog?

    Can I just say I am getting super excited because tonight at 11pm my time, I’ll get to check out the upcoming catalog in full online!  I’ll also be placing my preorder of sneak peek products and boxes of catalogs!!  So, watch my blog starting late next week for new sneak peek projects.

    There will be new In Colors – with fun names like Summer Starfruit, Primrose Petals, Midnight Muse, Gumball Green, and Raspberry Ripple, I can’t wait to play and see how they fit with the other colors I have at home.  I can say, from what I’ve seen, I think Gumball Green is going to be GREAT for the holidays!

    imageWant your own 2012-2013 Catalog?

    I know I’m excited to see the new catalog each year and I bet there are a few of you out there like me too. 🙂  So, I wanted to make sure everyone knew how to get one!  I’ll be ordering my boxes tomorrow and should get them in Mid-May.  At that point, I’ll be mailing out copies to everyone who has ordered with me in the last couple months as well as those of you who have contacted me to request one.

    So, how do you get a copy?

    You just have to pick one of the 3 options below and I’ll get you all taken care of!

    1.  Place an order with me in my online store between now and the end of May
    I’ll make sure you are on my list to be sent a new catalog first!  Plus, I will send it to you priority mail so that you’ll get it fast!

     

    2. Contact me to host your own private class

    Gotta hook up my hostesses so that you can see what your new favorites are going to be so we can plan an awesome night of crafting with you and your friends!

     

    3.  Email me that you want a catalog!
    I will initially be receiving a limited number of catalogs and after I mail them out to existing customers and new customers who order this month; I will send out my extra catalogs for free on a first come, first serve basis to anyone who sends me their info.  I’ll be continuing to get more catalogs, so don’t worry you will definitely get one though. 🙂 

    Fill out this form to let me know you want one!

     

    Have any questions, shoot me a mail at jennifer@nwstamper.com and I’ll be happy to chat with you soon!

     

    To Order Stampin’ Up! Products Anytime, click here!

    Get them before they are gone! Items are selling out so don’t miss out!

    Retiring Stamps  |  Retiring Accessories  |  Retiring Décor Elements

    Are you earning your Northwest Stamper Rewards? Every order gets you closer to your FREE stamp set! Click here to learn more!

  • Peek-a-boo Butterfly Card

    Today I have a quick card share for you.  I’ve been enjoying playing with this style of card design where you punch out an image and use the paper that is left behind as your main image.  I grabbed a pack of (retiring) designer paper – Berry Blossoms – and my (retiring) butterfly punch and went to work.

    Butterfly Peekaboo card

     

    You can see that for each strip of Whisper White paper, I punched out my butterfly and then glued the piece of Berry Blossom paper behind the outlined shape.  This is a perfect way to use up scraps!

    butterfly close up

     

    And then for each butterfly I used one of the (retiring) clear circle rhinestone brads.  Did you know they are even on sale right now?  Gotta love a discount!

    The one last piece that I had fun with was the Thank You pennant.  I stamped the sentiment on a strip of paper and then I slid the paper into the side of my butterfly punch so I could punch out the edge in the same shape as my butterfly wing.  Then I could just line it up with my full cut out and glue it down so that it looked like it was coming out from behind the butterfly.

    butterfly peekaboo side view

    Well, I’m off to try to get some scrapbooking done as today is National Scrapbooking Day! I hope you are able to get some crafty time in as well!

     

    To Order Stampin’ Up! Products Anytime, click here!

    Get them before they are gone! Items are selling out so don’t miss out!

    Retiring Stamps  |  Retiring Accessories  |  Retiring Décor Elements

    Are you earning your Northwest Stamper Rewards? Every order gets you closer to your FREE stamp set! Click here to learn more!

  • A Bright and Bold Thank You

    One of my goals right now is to use up my scraps – whether left over pieces when cutting paper or stamped and punched images that I decided not to use on a previous project.  So, when I was working on thank you cards for customers, I grabbed some left over pieces of designer paper and I had fun layering!

    Summer smooches kind thanks pennant

     

    This card actually uses designer paper from two different packs – Summer Smooches (for the banners and the accent piece on the sentiment) and Berry Blossom (for the polka dotted background).  But don’t they work well together?

    It also uses 2 retiring items – Thank You Kindly stamp set and the silver brads.  Both of these items I can’t believe are going away because they are such staples.  But I know I will be keeping the Thank You Kindly set because it gives me 4 different thanks sentiments, and I’m expecting awesome new things in the catalog next month!

    Summer smooches kind thanks pennant close up

     

    Oh, so one last thing for today, I wanted to show you how to get those tips of the banners without having to guess with your scissors – and, if you are like me, get totally random results each time!  You just need to grab your Pennant Punch!

    making banners with the pennant punch

     

    The photo above shows how the corner of the pennant punch actually can make a really nice and consistant tip for your banners.  What you want to do is slide your paper into the punch from the side so that it lines up with a corner on the short end of the pennant.  You will have to slide your paper around a little to line it up evenly, but once you’ve done it it goes fast each time.  Ta-da!!

    making banners with the pennant punch 2

    So, I hope you got some new idea from this today.  If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me.

    Need the punch or anything else for your craft projects? I’d love to help you as your demonstrator!  Shop online or shoot me an email.  Ask my current customers, I’m always up for sending photos or creating videos to help you with your creative needs!

     

    To Order Stampin’ Up! Products Anytime, click here!

    Get them before they are gone! Items are selling out so don’t miss out!

    Retiring Stamps  |  Retiring Accessories  |  Retiring Décor Elements

    Are you earning your Northwest Stamper Rewards? Every order gets you closer to your FREE stamp set! Click here to learn more!

  • Ultimate Flexibility with the new $99 Starter Kit

    Starting today, its become even easier to get started as a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator as Stampin’ Up! has replaced their starter kit with a lesser expensive 100% customizable kit!

    Ok, so what does that really mean?

    Well, starting RIGHT NOW, you can select up to $125 in current products ….ANY products, from ANY current catalog…as your starter kit for only $99!  You will also get $65 worth of business supplies and everything ships to you free.

    This change is sticking around and it makes is much easier to get started with Stampin Up! in a way that is exactly right for you.

    Plus, with the reduced cost, you can earn that money back faster as your start your business or just enjoy a fantastic deal on new supplies if you are interested this as a hobby.

    This offer is perfect for:

    –  Past demonstrators who are looking to return to Stampin’ Up! but didn’t want to get a duplicate starter kit to what they had before

    –  Stampers and Crafters with an existing stash of supplies.  This lets you make sure you are getting the new supplies you need and want; not duplicates of what you already have

    –  Entrepreneurs looking to start a home-based business around something you love for a minimal investment to get started!

    –  New Stampers and Crafters who want to get started building their set of craft supplies.  This is not only a great deal for your initial supplies but as long as you remain an active demonstrator (and no home parties are required for that!) you continue to get at least 20% off everything you buy.

     

    Learn more about the benefits of joining my team of Fun n’ Crafty Stampers from across the US!

    Check out some example bundles you could put together for YOUR kit:

    Ready to get started?

    Click here to order your personalized kit online and get all the details for Stampin’ Up! and my team resources today!

    If you have any questions or need help, don’t hesitate to contact me – jennifer@nwstamper.com. 🙂 I am always happy to help!

     

    To Order Stampin’ Up! Products Anytime, click here!

  • So Long Summer Smooches & the Occasions Mini!

    I got a reminder email last night that told me today was the last day to place orders from the Occasions Mini catalog and I had to pull out my calendar to check…. how in the heck did we hit the end of April already?!?

    But I guess we did, which means today is your last chance to order from the Occasions Mini or anything from the Summer Smooches promotion!

    Like these awesome items are going away, and while I have my fingers crossed that they will make it into the next major catalog, I have no way of knowing if they will or not.

    Seriously, what will I do without the:

    Mixed Bunch Stamp SetBlossom PunchPleated Satin Ribbon
    imageimageimage

    And then there is Summer Smooches.  The Fabric brads have already sold out, but the paper, stamp set, fabric, and digital designs are around for today only.  Then they get stored away until the new catalog comes out.

    I thought I’d share with you a card I made recently as a thank you for an order.  I knew she liked bright colors so I thought I would play off the colors in the Summer Smooches designer paper.

    summer smooches note of thanks

     

    I used the retiring Dot, Dot, Dot stamp to make the dotted background in Real Red ink and took a Real Red strip of cardstock and the Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border punch to punch out the edges (I just punched out the scallop ribbon and then cut it in half and used each half with the scallops pointing in-wards.)

    summer smooches note of thanks close up

     

    I also played a bit with my corner rounder punch to curve the opposite corners of each piece of designer paper (and Daffodil Delight cardstock) to play into the pattern and shape of the flowers on the paper.  And then I just popped up each piece with some Stampin’ Dimensionals.

    Oh, and I just realized I used the sentiment from the Thank You Kindly set, another stamp set that is retiring this year.  Sigh… so many great stamp sets headed for retirements.  I’m so sad they are going but am hoping that means even cooler stamps are headed our way with the new catalog!

    So, if you haven’t gotten everything you wanted from the Occasions Mini or Summer Smooches, don’t delay!

    Email me or pop on by my online store and grab them before they are gone tomorrow!

    To Order Stampin’ Up! Products Anytime, click here!

    Are you earning your Northwest Stamper Rewards? Every order gets you closer to your FREE stamp set! Click here to learn more!

  • Clarifications and Updates on the Retirement Lists

    Good morning!  Its been a couple days since the Stampin’ Up! retiring accessory list was released and I’ve been seeing lots of confusion and misinformation out there and so I wanted to take a minute to try to clear some things up for you. Also, scroll down to see an update on what has sold out!

    1.  The colors aren’t changing!  You may have noticed that all of the classic ink pads are on the retirement list.  This is because Stampin’ Up! is changing the physical pad to use a new “firm foam” pad to allow for better inking of your stamps.  They are also updating some of the printing on the pad cases and including labels for the ends of your ink pads so you can easily see what color you are grabbing.  So, the current pads are retiring but the ink will still be there in June, with the exception of the 2010-2012 In Colors.

    2.  Use your current ink refills!  With the ink pad changes, some folks are wondering about ink refills.  With the exception of 5 colors that had to be reformulated for the new pads (Basic Black, Basic Grey, Marina Mist, Perfect Plum, and Tempting Turquoise), current ink refills will work with the new pads.  Similarly, the ink refills that will be sold in June will work with the current pads.  Its just those 5 colors that you need to use old refills with old pads and new refills with new pads.

    3.  Yes, Craft ink is going away!  With the exception of Basic Black and Whisper White, all of the craft ink pads and refills will be retiring.  The ink refills are selling out quickly, so if this is something you are interested, I would grab yours right away.

    4.  Textured cardstock is discountinued.  It is true that the 12×12 textured cardstock collections are all being retired and will only be available in smooth cardstock in the future.

    5.  12×12 cardstock is mostly moving collection packs only.  25 of the 40 individual packs of 12×12 smooth cardstock is retiring and will only be available in family collection packs.  (So you can still get it, just not in single color packs.)

    6.  Markers are mostly moving to collection packs only.  Like the 12×12 cardstock, most of the Stampin’ Write markers are changing to be sold in family collections and the large Many Marvelous Markers pack.  All of the colors will be available, but most won’t be available individually.

    7.  Anything you see on the retiring accessory list with an asterisk ‘*’ means it will be available in some form in the new catalog, just in a different form factor or tool/packaging collection.  So, items like the paper piercing tool, scrub pad, etc aren’t going away for good but we aren’t sure what they will look like until we can see the new catalog.

    Also, if you haven’t placed your order for retiring accessories, I would recommend doing it sooner rather than later.  I’ve been surprised how fast some items are selling out!

    As of this morning, here are some of the items that have sold out already:

    *  Blushing Bride 8.5×11 Cardstock
    *  Classic Ink Refills – Peach Parfait, Concord Crush, Pear Pizzazz, Poppy Parade, Blushing Bride
    *  Craft Ink Refills – Brights collection, Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, Real Red, Regals collection, Tempting Turquoise, Certainly Celery, So Saffron, Cherry Cobbler, Always Artichoke, Bravo Burgundy, Elegant Eggplant, Garden Green, Night of Navy, Not Quite Navy, Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla
    *  Stampin’ Write Markers – Rose Red, Perfect Plum
    *  River Rock 12×12 cardstock
    *  Post 12”x12” Page Protectors
    *  Gold brads
    *  Silver brads
    *  Wheels:  Standard Wheel Storage box, Jumbo Wheel Storage box, Jumbo Textured Wheel
    *  Dotto adhesive runner
    *  Stampin’ Scrub refill pads
    *  Circle Scissor Plus Replacement Blades
    *  Big Shot Dies: Pillow Box Bigz die, Snowflake Sizzlits, Flower Daisies #2

     

    So, check out the lists and contact me via email at jennifer@nwstamper.com  or visit my online store to order your wishlist before more items sell out!

    Retiring Stamps  |  Retiring Accessories  |  Retiring Décor Elements

     

    To Order Stampin’ Up! Products Anytime, click here!

    Are you earning your Northwest Stamper Rewards? Every order gets you closer to your FREE stamp set! Click here to learn more!

  • The Coolest Flower Stamp: The Triple Treat Flower

    Triple Treat FlowerSometimes when a stamp is slated to retire, it makes sense.  You can see that the set is looking outdated or there have been new stamps that look almost the same.  But then there are the stamps that I just don’t get…. this is one of them.

    I mean, check out how cool this flower is!!  I love that the Triple Treat Flower is pretty as a flower stamped as it.  But then the fact that you can punch out 3 different shapes from one stamp is just too neat! And if you read my newsletter, you saw that this is one of my favorite configurations for the punches that come out of this flower.  I just love the dimension and contrast you can make.

     

    This is another card I did a while back but I just love the colors and the way the flower just pops off the page!  But imagine if you used different designer paper and maybe some pinks and purples, or blues and yellows… you could have a great spring card too!

     

    Just to give you an idea of what another color combination could be, check out this box that I shared in my newsletter (if you are on my mailing list, check your inbox because there was a link for the photo tutorial to make this in there! – if not, sign up here and let me know and I’ll send you the link too.)

    So, do you agree?  Cool flower or what? 🙂

    The Retiring Accessory List is Up!

    Don’t forget that these items are while supplies last so check out the list and grab your favorites while they are still here.

    You can order online or shoot me an email to make sure you get yours!

    View the Retiring Accessory List Here
    View the Retiring Stamp List Here

     

    To Order Stampin’ Up! Products Anytime, click here!

    Are you earning your Northwest Stamper Rewards? Every order gets you closer to your FREE stamp set! Click here to learn more!

    Triple Treat Thinking of You Card Recipe:

    Stamps: Triple Treat Flower, Curly Cute
    Ink: Early Espresso Classic, More Mustard Classic, Pool Party Classic
    Paper: Spice Cake designer paper (retired), More Mustard Cardstock, Whisper White CS, Pool Party CS
    Accessories: Fancy Flower punch, 5-petal punch, 1/2” circle punch, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Sponge Daubers

  • It’s Posted! The Full Retiring Accessory List Is Here!

    Oh man, this is always the hardest retirement list for me to read.  I LOVE my embellishments… I know, I know, I hoard them a little too much and don’t use them nearly as much as I should be cause I “don’t want to run out” but it always makes me sad to see some of my favorites won’t be available anymore.

    By the way – when you read the list, you will see all of the ink pads are listed as retiring, that is because full sized craft pads will only be offered in black and white colors and the Classic ink pads will be changing to a new firm foam pad. So, don’t worry, there isn’t a big color change coming. 🙂

    So, here it is… the full list… and it’s a DOOZY!  But at least many of the items are on sale for 25%-70% off!!

    Click for the FULL retiring accessory list

    Click for the full retiring Decor Elements list

    Don’t Miss My Special One-Day Sale!

    With so many great products on the list, I want to help you get all of your favorites before they are gone.  So, I’m offering a 1-Day Only Sale!

    Get 15% off your entire order

    from now through 11:59pm on 4/25/2012
    (pick from retiring accessories, retiring stamps, summer smooches, or anything in the catalog!)

    Orders must be placed through me to get this discount but you can do so using one of the following ways:

    – email – jennifer@nwstamper.com
    – phone – 425-765-6197
    – using the online store

    note – online orders will be mailed a check to reimburse you for the discounted amount as I am not able to apply discounts prior to purchase when shopping online.

    Shop online now to grab your favorites before they are gone!

    To Order Stampin’ Up! Products Anytime, click here!

    Are you earning your Northwest Stamper Rewards? Every order gets you closer to your FREE stamp set! Click here to learn more!

  • Simply Charming

    One of the stamp sets on the 2012 Retiring Stamps List is the set Charming.

    Charming - by Stampin' Up!

    This is a cute little set that when it came out was promoted as being the perfect size to use with the Simply Adorned charms.  I was slow to try out Simply Adorned and so my set has sadly, not seen much ink.  But when I was putting together a quick thank you card, it ended up being just perfect.

    I stamped the frame and then used my Fabulous Phrases stamp set to place my “thanks” in the middle.

    This layout is a perfect way to use up scraps of your ribbon and designer paper.  Just mix and match patterns and ribbons and you are just about done!  Now to enjoy this stamp some more before it heads to retirement!

    To Order Stampin’ Up! Products Anytime, click here!

    Are you earning your Northwest Stamper Rewards? Every order gets you closer to your FREE stamp set! Click here to learn more!

  • Birthday Build-a-Blossom Card

    Does anyone else have a pile of scraps lying around?  Images stamped and even punched but then discarded as not right for your project?

    Well, I have a HUGE pile of those types of scraps lying around and so I decided it was time to either use them up or find a new home.  So, after a little digging, I came up with these Melon Mambo flower pieces from the Build-a-Blossom stamp set, the birthday sentiment already punched out, and the Whisper White scallop strip.  So, I started mixing and matching and suddenly the following card appeared!

     

    I know it is simple but I love how the simplicity lets the flower really stand out!  Oh and pearls, the flower was just begging me to give it some bling and so I just had to comply. 🙂

     

    Now, to just find more treasures in my scrap pile!  What can you find in yours?

     

    To Order Stampin’ Up! Products Anytime, click here!

    Are you earning your Northwest Stamper Rewards? Every order gets you closer to your FREE stamp set! Click here to learn more!

    Build-a-Blossom Birthday Card Recipe:

    Stamps: Build a Blossom, Create a Cupcake
    Ink: Melon Mambo Classic, Early Espresso Classic
    Paper: River Rock Cardstock, Old Olive CS, Whisper White CS
    Accessories: Blossom Petals Builder punch, Wide Oval punch, Basic Pearls, Basic Rhinestones, Scallop Edge punch, 1” circle punch, 1 1/4” circle punch, Stampin’ Dimensionals