Northwest Stamper

Author: Jennifer

  • A Mixed Bunch Thanks

    See, I told you I was back and blogging… this is 2 days in a row! hee hee

    Well, between the holidays (and being way behind on my thank you cards) and just being so grateful for my customers, downline, and online crafting friends who have been amazingly supportive while I’ve been dealing with a new baby instead of posting.  So, I have “Thanks” on the brain. 

    This time, I pulled out a couple more fun new stamps.  First, the Mixed Bunch stamp set from the Occasion mini – and of course, it’s matching blossom punch!  Then for the sentiment I used the FREE Outlined Occasions stamp set from the Sale-a-Bration catalog.

    Its been crazy with snow and freezing weather here in Seattle, so I needed a bright and cheery card right now.  I think this fits the bill nicely!  Plus it can be very relaxing to just sit and color in an image (in this case the “Thanks” using my blender pens and inks).

    So, check out an example of why Sale-a-Bration is so cool:

    Order the Mixed Bunch stamp set + the Blossom Punch + some cardstock
                       (item #125537)              (item #125603)           (item #120954)

    Mixed Bunch - Wood-Mount StampBlossom Punch8-1/2 X 11 Smooth Card Stock - Getting Started Collection - by Stampin' Up!

      

    and get the Outlined Occasions set FREE

    image

    Yay free! Just add some ink and ribbon or other embellishments from your stash at home and you can make be making this card in no time!  I promise, it is fun too. 🙂

    I’ll be back tomorrow with more project ideas as I start writing posts sharing some of the projects I’ve been making recently. 

    Have a product or project type you want to see? 
    I’d love to hear what you are interested in seeing.  Leave me a comment or send me an email and I’ll see what I can do to post up the projects I’ve done or will try to incorporate what you ask for in future projects.  I’m always up for a challenge!

     

    Click Here To Order Stampin’ Up! Products Anytime!

    Mixed Bunch Thanks Card Recipe:
    Stamps:      Mixed Bunch, Outline Occasions (SAB)
    Ink:  Basic Black classic, Daffodil Delight classic, Pear Pizzazz classic
    Paper: River Rock cardstock, Daffodil Delight cs, Whisper White cs, Pear Pizzazz cs
    Accessories:  Pool Party ruffled ribbon, 2 1/2” Circle punch, In-Color designer brads, Blossom punch, Sponge Daubers, Snail adhesive, Paper Piercer, Stampin’ Dimensionals

  • It’s Sale-a-Bration Time!

    “Celebrate good times, come on! “

    … that is totally the song going through my head right now as I typed the title for this post.  But the perky tune matches my smile and mood as I’m so excited to be re-kicking off my blog (including a new blog design!) and sharing the first of many projects I’ve been working on lately.

    Also, I absolutely LOVE Sale-a-Bration time at Stampin’ Up! because who doesn’t love getting extra free stuff?

    Wanna see what I did with some of my free stuff? I used the new Fresh Vintage Sale-a-Bration stamp set and matching ribbon, along with one of my favorite new items in the Occasions Mini – framelits!

    This is actually a pretty quick card to make aside from the coloring of the stamp with markers.  But I think all the colors are worth it – don’t you agree?

    This year there are a ton of fabulous products and amazing incentives during Sale-a-Bration:

    • Get FREE exclusive items for every $50 you spend! There are stamps, cardstock, designer paper, fabric, digital designs, buttons, ribbon, and even embossing folders to choose from.
    • Get extra FREE items when you host a party!  Get a cute shopping tote on top of your regular hostess benefits with a $150+ workshop.  Get a free bundle of Sale-a-Bration coordinating items (Fresh Vintage stamp set and matching designer paper, brads, and ribbon!) with a $400 workshop.
    • Get a FREE pack of designer paper or a digital download EVERY month for the rest of 2012 ~plus~ get a discount on the starter kit when you sign up as a demonstrator!  Seriously, this is such a cool offer they are running right now.  Not only do you get the full starter kit at a great price, along with all the other benefits of being a demonstrator, but you get free stuff every month as well.  How cool is that?!

    I know, it’s a lot to take in.  But check out the super cute stuff in the Sale-a-Bration catalog and let me know if I can answer any questions or if I can help get you all the freebies you are drooling over!

    I’ll be back tomorrow with more card ideas using some fun new Sale-a-Bration and Occasion mini products.  So, until then –

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

    Vintage Flower Card Recipe:
    Stamps:      Fresh Vintage (SAB)
    Ink:  Old Olive classic, Soft Suede classic, Calypso Coral marker, Blushing Bride marker, Marina Mist marker, So Saffron marker, Old Olive maker
    Paper: Old Olive cardstock, Soft Suede cs, Very Vanilla cs
    Accessories:  Calypso Coral 1/8” organza ribbon (SAB), BigShot, Framelits – Labels, Adhesive Pearls, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Snail adhesive

  • Stampin’ Up! Online Extravaganza Starts Today!

    Its that time of year for awesome sales, and today is no exception.  I wanted to make sure you all knew about the Online Extravaganza that Stampin’ Up! is kicking off today.  There will be a bunch of special deals available from November 21st through November 30th.

    However, make sure you check it out TODAY because there are a few specials only available for 24 hrs on November 21st! 

    View a PDF of all 3 pages of the specials and bundles here:

    image

    Check out all the deals now in the Online Store

    (NOTE: when you look in the online store, you have to click into an item and add it to your bag to see the discounted price, for some reason the listing on the page that shows all the sale items shows regular price)

    Once you are done shopping, let me know what your favorite deals are. Smile  And as always, if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me at jennifer@nwstamper.com !

  • Progressive Scrapbook Page using Spice Cake DSP

    So, yesterday I shared with you the first part of my progressive scrapbook page.  I had created an 8.5” x 11” scrapbook layout and so today I wanted to share how with a few simple touches you can turn that into a 12” x 12” scrapbook page.

    Day of Gratitude Pumpkin Patch Scrapbook Page

    You can see how the original 8.5” x 11” page looked here, but pretty much all I did was layer some extra Old Olive grosgrain ribbon on a piece of Spice Cake designer paper so that it would line up with the ribbon on my smaller layout.  Then I added a different pattern of the Spice Cake paper behind one side of the original layout to give some contrast to the page.  Finally, I added some felt letters down the side for my title.  Overall, a pretty simple page; but since I knew I was going to be adding a bunch of pictures to the 2nd page of my layout, I figured simple was good. 

    So, want to see the full spread? Smile

    Day of Gratitude Pumpkin Patch 2011 Scrapbook 2 Page Layout

    I actually started from the same 8.5” x 11” page kit only I flipped it to be landscape instead of portrait orientation.  I still stamped the leaves and flowers from the Day of Gratitude stamp set so that it would tie in with the left page.  Then I added coordinating ribbon to the Spice Cake designer paper.  I loved all my pictures of Nicholas stomping in the puddles, so I trimmed them down so I could lay them out filmstrip-style on the right hand side of the page leaving me just enough room to journal at the bottom of the page.

    IMG_3623Oh and the journaling, I had to try something different here too.  I started out journaling on Vellum cardstock so that it would blend into the page.  Unfortunately, it blended too much, and so I had to put a piece of Very Vanilla cardstock underneath so it was easier to read.  then I attached the vellum to the page using some Early Espresso brads.

    I had a lot of fun coming up with how to create a progressive scrapbook page using my 8.5” x 11” layouts and turning them into 12" x 12” layouts.   Hopefully these gave you some ideas for different sizes of pages!

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

    Progressive Scrapbook Page Recipe:
    Stamps:      Day of Gratitude
    Ink:  Old Olive classic, Cajun Craze classic, Early Espresso marker, Cajun Craze marker
    Paper: Old Olive cardstock, Cajun Craze cs, Early Espresso cs, Very Vanilla cs, Spice Cake designer paper, Vellum cs
    Accessories:  Old Olive 5/8” Grosgrain ribbon, Decorative Label punch, Paper Snips, Adhesive Rhinestones, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Brown felt, Neutrals Brads, Corner Rounder punch, Paper Piercer & Mat Pack

  • Part 1 of a Fall Progressive Scrapbook Page

    While cleaning my room, I ran across some project kits from past Stampin’ Up! regional events.  One of them was from a year or so ago and was to make a 8.5 x 11” scrapbook page.  I decided the colors would be perfect for our trip to the Pumpkin Patch this year and so I thought now was as good of a time as any to put it together.

    Of course, I couldn’t do everything by the book, so I had to make some adjustments here and there (like the label under the picture and adding some extra cut outs.  But in the end I think it was a cute page!

    But I don’t have many 8.5 x 11” scrapbooks (I mostly do 12×12) so I thought, I would turn this into a 12×12 page – which is where the progressive scrapbook page part comes in.  So, today I thought I would show you how you could make this into a great smaller page and then tomorrow, I’ll show you how I added this to a 12×12 base plus some embellishments to make it a cool 12×12 page!  Oh, and I had a second copy of this page kit, so I had to make a coordinating 12×12 page for the second page of my layout, so I’ll share that tomorrow too. 

    So, question of the day:  What size scrapbooks/albums do you create for?  Leave me a comment and let me know!

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

    Pumpkin Picking Scrapbook Recipe:
    Stamps:      Day of Gratitude
    Ink:  Old Olive classic, Cajun Craze classic, Early Espresso marker, Cajun Craze marker
    Paper: Old Olive cardstock, Cajun Craze cs, Early Espresso cs, Very Vanilla cs
    Accessories:  Old Olive 5/8” Grosgrain ribbon, Decorative Label punch, Paper Snips, Adhesive Rhinestones, Stampin’ Dimensionals

  • Clean and Simple Fall Card

    What do you do when you stamp an image for a card and you decide it isn’t quite right for what you were doing?  I often find myself saving the image because “it’s a perfectly good image that will be great on another project” aka I’m a pack rat!  But, here is an example when I took a bunch of scraps (the image, the ribbon, the embossed cardstock, and the brown cardstock base) and put them together into a new card that actually works!

    I don’t think I would have come up with this layout on my own if I didn’t have the pieces lying around but now I’m so glad I did (plus I finally used up some of my scrap stash – yay!). So, back when I was stamping this image, I used the pine image from Lovely as a Tree and stamped the center tree with Always Artichoke ink, then before I cleaned my stamp, I stamped two more times (one on each side of the initial image) for the more faded images.  Other than that, it was just laying different pieces I had on hand and mounting it all on an Always Artichoke cardbase. 

    This would be a super quick card you could make yourself for any occasion.  Just swap out the colors or image and it could be holiday, birthday, sympathy, anything!  Who knows, maybe you have some perfect scraps lying around waiting to be put together like this. 

     

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

    Thinking of You Tree Card Recipe:
    Stamps:      Lovely as a Tree, Teeny Tiny Wishes
    Ink:  Always Artichoke classic, Soft Suede classic
    Paper: Always Artichoke cardstock, Soft Suede cs, Whisper White cs,Crumb Cake cs
    Accessories:  So Saffron 5/8” Grosgrain ribbon, BigShot, Lattice embossing folder

  • A Holiday Card from Halloween Paper?

    So, after making a couple cards recently using the Frightful Sight designer paper , I decided to challenge myself to make a card that had absolutely nothing to do with Halloween using this paper pack.  So, how about a holiday card?

    The black paper with green dots is the backside of the crazy pattern that I call "eyes” and the big colored dots are the backside of the green spider pattern paper.  But when paired with different cardstock, stamps, and embellishments, you would never know they were in a Halloween set!  (If you are curious to see the spider side and the black paper in action on a Halloween card, check out my facebook page where I posted a card with them this year).

    I paired the designer paper with a matting of Old Olive cardstock, and put all that on a base of Cherry Cobbler.  Add some seam binding ribbon and then my stamped sentiment.  Some of the fun things I did with this card is I distressed the edges of my Whisper White cardstock in the center of the card using my scissors and then sponged the edge of the smaller piece with Cherry Cobbler ink.  The ornaments were stamped after I had “stamped-off” twice (where I inked up the image and them stamped twice on scratch paper before stamping “for real” on my paper.  This gave me a light enough image that I could stamp over the ornaments with Basic Black ink and have it be readable.

    So, what do you think?  Think it works?

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

    Halloween Pumpkin Card Recipe:
    Stamps:      Tree Trimmings, Many Merry Messages
    Ink:  Old Olive classic, Cherry Cobbler classic, Basic Black classic
    Paper: Cherry Cobbler cardstock, Old Olive cs, Whisper White cs, Frightful Sight designer paper
    Accessories:  Cherry Cobbler seam binding ribbon, Sponge Daubers, Stampin’ Dimensionals

  • Happy Halloween To You

    Well, the calendar says it’s October 31st and so that means it is officially Halloween!  And so whether today holds parties, trick-or-treating, pumpkins, or just hanging out at home; I wanted to wish you a happy and safe Halloween!

    For today’s card, I wanted to get some good time in with this Frightful Sight designer series paper.  See, this is one of those paper packs that I thought was super cute and just my style for Halloween – and then I let it sit on my shelf for months!  Can anyone relate to that?  (Please, someone say yes!)

    Anyway, I realized that Halloween was almost here and so I grabbed my paper and started playing around.  The basic layout of this card was from a sketch my mom shared with me years ago but I think it still holds up.  I sponged the edges of just about everything with Basic Grey ink to help give it a dirty/spooky feel and I especially love how it turned out on the cat.  The pumpkin was made by taking a 1” circle punch and punching out two circles.  I trimmed one down into an oval and then cut the second in half to glue behind the first “circle”.  I finished it off with some scrap Always Artichoke cardstock to make the stem.  Pop a few pieces up on dimensionals and add a Basic Grey corduroy button (currently available for a steal on the clearance rack) and there you go!

    So from our house to yours:

    Have a Spooky, Fun, and Happy Halloween!

    IMG_3589

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

    Halloween Pumpkin Card Recipe:
    Stamps:      Teeny Tiny Wishes
    Ink:  Cajun Craze, Basic Grey, Basic Black marker
    Paper: Cajun Craze cardstock, Basic Grey cs, Whisper White cs,  Always Artichoke cs, Frightful Sight designer paper
    Accessories:  1” circle punch, Word Window punch, Modern Label punch, Basic Grey corduroy buttons, Sponge Daubers, Stampin’ Dimensionals

  • A Happy Halloween Owl!

    Halloween is almost here and since I’m so behind on posting, I wanted to hurry up and share a card I made this month using the holiday hostess set called Warmest of Wishes.  I normally don’t get halloween stamps but since this adorable trick or treating owl was a part of the set, I knew this year I had to make at least one Halloween card!

    Trick or Treat Halloween Owl

    I actually got the card layout idea from the October issue of Stampin’ Success (the free monthly magazine sent to all SU demos – see another fun perk of being a demo!)  But I had to play with it and add my own touches.  The trick or treat bag held by the owl is actually stamped in black on Pumpkin Pie cardstock and cut out to add some extra dimension and color.  And with the Rich Razzleberry designer button, I tied linen thread around the Pumpkin Pie ribbon and through the button holes to help gather the PP ribbon.  Then I just used glue dots to hold it in place. 

    This card was fun to make; I may just have to try it for other holidays too!

    Reminder: The Free BigShot Offer Ends Tomorrow!

    If you’ve been looking for an opportunity to do what you love, while getting a 20% discount on your favorite products, now is the perfect time! Through October 31st, you’ll get a FREE Big Shot (or $100 in extra free product of your choice) when you join the Stampin’ Up! family as a demonstrator! 

    This is a killer deal and I know I can’t live without my BigShot. Smile Between the starter kit (valued at over $345) plus this $100 offer, you are getting an awesome chance to start your own business, build your crafting stash, or just get one heck of a Christmas present!  Just remember, you only have until 11:59 MST tomorrow.

    Check out all the benefits of being a demo or Click Here to sign up now!

  • Mix & Matched Embossing Folders Wedding Card

    Ever have those weeks where the mojo just isn’t flowing?   Sometimes I’m jazzed to get crafty but then I sit down at my craft table and just stare at everything and have no idea what to make.  That would be this week for me!

    Thank goodness for swap cards!  Today I thought I’d share a card by Carolyn Dobie that I found inspiring for two different reasons.

    1. Combining two different embossing folders!  I don’t know why I always think that I can only use one textured pattern on a card at a time…this definitely proves otherwise. 
    2. Stamping with Vellum!!  I LOVE the look of vellum, so I don’t know why I never think to grab it.  I love how she stamped her image with Stazon ink and then colored them in with her Stampin’ Write markers.  So pretty and elegant. 

    All together, I think this makes a very simple and sweet wedding card but with a change of a sentiment could be used for just about anything.  I hope you enjoyed it too.  Now I’m off to my craft room to start playing around!

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

  • Like Digital Scrapbooking? Now is Your Chance to Win!

    Have you had a chance to try digital scrapbooking and crafting yet? 
    There have been different options out there for a while and last year Stampin’ Up! came out with their own option – My Digital Studio.  I hadn’t done much digital crafting but I loved the idea of “hybrid scrapbooking” where you create a page and them print it out and add more layers, buttons, ribbon, or whatever else you want.  So, I decided to give it a try and boy was it fun!

    MDS Contest Scrapbook 2010

    This was a layout I made for their contest last year – except I submitted it an hour too late last time.  Oops!

    Now it’s your chance to win!

    Well, they’ve announced a new My Digital Studio contest where 6 people will win $400 in My Digital Studio downloads and another 4 people will win $100 in My Digital Studio downloads!  You have until October 15th to submit your favorite scrapbook page and card to be eligible to win.

    You can check out all the contest details here and if you want to see some more samples or learn more about My Digital Studio, there is a whole site filled with inspiration and information called www.mydigitalstudio.net. 

    So, why try My Digital Studio?

    If you haven’t tried digital crafting or My Digital Studio, I thought I’d share what I like about MDS.

    • So many project options!  Cards, scrapbook pages, photo books, multimedia presentations, calendars, journals, and even export your projects for use in things like web page designs, newsletters, business cards, and any other project you can imagine! (Its what i used for my blog design and gift certificates)
    • Digital Downloads can be used in TONS of software programs including Photoshop, Microsoft Word and other Microsoft Office products, PaintShop Pro, Corel Draw, as well as My Digital Studio
    • Send to a professional printer straight from the program…PLUS the printer has been set up to perfectly match Stampin’ Up!’s color palatte.  So, if you are like me and like making hybrid pages, you know that your Old Olive ribbon at home will match the digital version of the Old Olive paper on your layout.
    • Get access to retired stamp images and paper patterns for a fraction of the price!  They keep bringing back some of our old favorites and so if you missed a stamp set, you can get a digital version of many of them.  Then print it out to use on your home projects or use it in your digital projects.
    • Digital downloads and professional print services count towards hostess benefits!!  So, if you are printing a bunch of photo calendars for gifts, you can get free digital or catalog products through the hostess rewards program!

    There are a ton more reasons why I think it is cool, but I don’t want to get too long winded. :)  So, I’m going to work on getting my contest entries done early this year.  If you enter, let me know…I’d love to cheer for you too!

    Click here to get My Digital Studio, digital downloads, and your favorite catalog products here!

  • Warmest of Wishes Christmas Card

    Today is our day to head home from Las Vegas.  Its been a great trip, but I’m ready to head home. But before I fly out, I thought I would share one more card I made with some of my new goodies I brought with me on the trip.  I decided last night that I wanted to play with my new Stocking punch and so I started digging through the limited supplies I brought to see what I had to go with it.

     Noel Stocking Chistmas Card (1024x996)

    Like many of my cards, my original idea didn’t pan out so I started goofing around. IMG_3188 (1024x768) I ended up finding a paper I liked out of the Spice Cake paper pack…see! Its not just for Fall!  Then I used the colors I had with me so I ended up with Cajun Craze and River Rock cardstock and ink.  Some quilted ribbon, drawn faux stitching, and some little pearls and voila!

    i think this is my first Christmas Card of the season.  I have a feeling I’ll be using that stocking punch a lot more in the future.

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

    Noel Card Recipe:
    Stamps:      Warmest of Wishes (hostess)
    Ink:  Cajun Craze Stampin’ Write marker, Chocolate chip marker
    Paper: Cajun Craze cardstock, Whisper White cs, River Rock cs, Always Artichoke cs, Spice Cake designer paper
    Accessories:  Early Espresso quilted ribbon, Stocking punch, Decorative Label punch, Regals brads, Paper piercer, mat pack, Stampin’ Dimensionals