Northwest Stamper

Category: Cards

  • Happy Watercolor Leadership Swap Card

    I’m trying to get back in the swing of things and thought I’d share the card I created for a couple swaps I’m in.  I loved this Happy Watercolor stamp set and thought I’d experiment with some different color combinations. 

    What I used:  Summer Starfruit, Pool Party, Early Espresso, Sahara Sand, and Real Red
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    So, what do you think?

    I think they work surprisingly well together!

    For the flower, I did a different type of coloring… I used my sponge dauber!  I just dabbed it in the Real Red ink pad and then swirled it over the flower to color it it in.  It make for an imprecise coloring effect but I think it works great with this particular set.

    Card supplies used

    Stamps – Happy Watercolor
    Ink – Early Espresso, Real Red, Old Olive, Pool Party
    Paper – Summer Starfruit, Pool Party, Early Espresso core’dinations cardstock, Sahara Sand, Whisper White, Real Red
    Accessories – Decorative Label punch, Sanding Block, Rhinestones, Sponge Daubers, Stampin’ Dimensionals

    I had fun making it and think we’ll make it as a group at club this month!  So, I hope my club gals love it too!

    Interested in joining a stamp club?  I am kicking off some new clubs this year including long distance/virtual clubs and local stamp clubs.  Get project instructions and completed cards sent to you each month or get the kit to complete with me or at home!  You just commit to ordering $25 each month you are in the club and have the opportunity to be “hostess” for one month and get the hostess benefits too!

    Email me at jennifer@nwstamper.com for more details if you are interested!

    Did you catch the weekly deals? Yep, they are still going!  See the latest specials here.

     

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  • You Did It! Winning Craft Wars: Paper Pumpkin Card

    If you were reading my recap of Leadership, I mentioned a fun activity they ran over the course of the conference.  They called it “Craft Wars: Paper Pumpkin”!  Now, I’ll admit, I haven’t ever watched Craft Wars but I get the general idea (or at least have a guess).

    You have a pile of miscellaneous crafting supplies.
    You have a project goal to create.
    Make something cool.
    GO!

    And that is pretty much how this worked.  They had all of the stamps from the My Paper Pumpkin kits since March in bags in the center of the tables.  You had access to:

      – Whisper White or Crumb Cake card bases
    – about 6 colors of ink and markers
    – designer paper from the Occasions Catalog (wanna see what we had to work with?)
    – gold or silver bakers twine (maybe white too)
    – Essentials Wooden Elements
    – and um… a couple punches and dimensionals.

    So there was a lot to work from, but you were limited to what was on hand… oh, and did I mention NO cardstock except the cardbases… so we started hacking up extra Whisper White cardbases to get extra cardstock for stamping and cutting.

    I started by looking at the stamps to see what inspired me.  In this case, the “Wahoo” and “You Did It” stamps from September 2013 Kit (the sad part, I never actually put together my kit and wasn’t sure what I thought of the stamps at first.  Um, super fun it turns out!) along with the word bubble stamp from the December 2013 Kit.  Then I grabbed a few more stamps that seem like they could be interesting accents to the card and walked through the rows of paper and see if anything fits the style of the stamps and the completely fuzzy idea of what I should be making.  Turns out I was grabbed by the Bermuda Bay polka dot patterned paper from the Kaleidoscope designer paper.2014-01-10 12.42.15

    Then I started stamping, cutting and layering the elements.  And really I still had no idea how exactly it was going to ultimately come together!2014-01-10 12.55.05

    When I’m in a crunch, I’m a “glue-as-I-go” girl and so I started gluing things down which mostly works, until you decide you want to wrap baker’s twine around some paper that you already glued down.  ; )

    But “thankfully” I had gotten an ink smudge on the front of my card after I had only glued a few pieces of paper down, so I could pull them up, wrap my twine, and then glue everything back down on a new card base.

    In the end, this is what I came up with:

    Paper Pumpkin Craft Wars wahoo card

    This is a bit of a departure from my typical card style, but I LOVE IT!  I’ll be honest, this is completely inspired by a style of scrapbooking I love… so, see – scrapbooking can be a great crossover into card making.

    Well, I took this picture kind of quick and didn’t try to hard to make it super nice because I figured I’d be picking up my card the next day and taking it home where I could photograph it all nice and pretty.

    But to my happy surprise – IT WASN’T IN THE BOX!  Which turned out to mean, I was one of the 20 cards picked as winners of the Craft Wars competition.  Yay!  There were a ton of super great cards that I saw people creating so I’m glad someone on the judging panel liked my non-traditional layout.

    You know, I’m thinking I may have to host my own Craft Wars: Paper Pumpkin edition!

    Who is in!?

    Yeah, I like that idea.

    Ok, so start checking out your Paper Pumpkin kits and start brainstorming cute card ideas!

    If you aren’t subscribed to My Paper Pumpkin yet, hop to it and you’ll get a set of the 2012-2014 In Color markers for FREE!  You just have to sign up by Feb 10th to get the extra perk!  Get going here.

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    Alright, I’m off to upload more pictures over on the Facebook page – display board pictures this time!  Talk about inspiration overload!  But in a good way, of course.  Smile

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  • Stampin’ Up! Leadership 2014–Day 3

    By day 3 of Leadership, I’ve discovered that this was exactly what I was needing right now and didn’t even know it!  December was a wonderful time but I hadn’t realized that I so stressed and running so nonstop, that I was still stressed and worn out now even though the craziness of birthday and holiday season was over as of December 29th.

    But being around some amazing men and women who were all there to support each other and cheer each other on, and were so generous in sharing their ideas and experiences with me… and the messages about supporting and empowering others, it all  really hit home for me.

    And that is not the 2 hrs of sleep talking either! : )

    Here is your recap:

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    No seriously, I literally got 2 hrs of sleep Saturday night… ok, I guess sleeping again after the wakeup call makes it more like 3 hrs… but still.  I was running a little late in the morning.  So I missed the first couple minutes of the last session, but thankfully I didn’t miss much.

    It was lots of game show style trivia and games with Brian Pilling as the MC and other corporate team members being put on the hot seat to win prizes for specific demonstrators. 

    Lucky me, my Prize Patrol color representative, Cory, did awesome and so I won a prize patrol!

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    How can you say no to cute ribbon and stamps?!

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    Then we got one more delicious lunch before we got our last chance to look at (and photograph) the display boards.

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    And, YES! I did get LOTS more photos of the display boards but I am going to post them on Facebook later today and then possibly give them their own blog post; ‘cause there are WAY too many to post in this recap.

    I loved watching my new friends watch across the stage to celebrate achieving the title of Manager (Sarah Naber) and Counselor (Amy Jasper) in the last year.  (You go, girls!!)

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    They announced the Craft War winners to….

    LOOK –>  Ii’s ME!! 

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    The card I made was a departure from my usual layout or design, and while I loved it, I wasn’t sure what they would think.  So it feels awesome that they liked it too. :  )

    Then some simple stamping with Shelli Gardner.

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    And finally, they capped it off with a gift from the city of Salt Lake (no seriously, they sent us Salt Water taffy!) and the dates of the 2014 Convention.

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    Want to join me at convention for FREE?

    You can!  Anyone who joins my group of Fun n’ Crafty demonstrators between now and when Convention registration closes later this spring, will receive a free admission to the big 3 day event in Salt Lake City this summer!! 

    I had SUCH A BLAST with the group of Fun n’ Crafty girls and friends last year and would love to have even more people come join us for an awesome time of stamping, sharing, prizes, and new friends.

    If you would like to know more or just want to raise your hand and say “me! me! me!”, let me know at jennifer@nwstamper.com and I’ll get you the full scoop!

     

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  • Stampin’ Up! Leadership 2014–Day 2!

    Day 1 of Leadership was awesome – amazing product announcements, great presentations by top demonstrators, and lots of being just a little bit silly with friends at Manager’s Reception! So, I was excited and ready to go (even on little sleep) to head in for day 2. 

    Here is a taste of what was in store for us on Friday:

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    We started off with a talk from a Keynote speaker.  I wasn’t expecting a Keynote at this event, and especially not from someone who was a psychotherapist!  But it turns out Pat Pearson had some pretty good points to share – both for our business lives and personal lives.

    For example, she talked about the cycles of change and how in every aspect of our life we are at one of these points on the cycle. It is a continuous cycle so you typically rotate through them as you go through life.

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    But it led into a great discussion about handling being told “No”.  I wrote out and then deleted her whole story about the last pumpkin pie slice at thanksgiving and even if you wanted it but were too full, you’d have to say no.  So you weren’t rejecting or saying there was something wrong with the pie, you were just sharing that you were too full to be able to enjoy it.

    Anyway, I swear it really was a great perspective on when someone tells you no, whether it is inviting someone to a card party, to join Stampin’ Up, or just to go out for coffee sometime.  🙂

    If you are interested in the full story, let me now and I’ll share it with you!

    Ok, so that was the kick off for more classes in the morning – this time with corporate team members or Pat.

    2014-01-10 10.32.51And of course there was swapping all over the place before and after each session. Like this card created by Naomi Keeling from MA.

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    Then we got some yummy lunch and headed to the Gathering Place for more fun!

    There was Craft Wars: Paper Pumpkin:

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    Basically we had access to 2 colors of card bases, past Paper Pumpkin stamps, half sheets of designer paper from the Occasions catalog, a few markers and inks, and some of the new accessories from the Occasions catty.  Everyone had the opportunity to pick whatever supplies they wanted and create 1 card.  Then SU would judge all of the cards Friday night and pick 20 winners to receive 2 past Paper Pumpkin kits (I think of their choice).

    Honestly, I just loved the idea of the challenge to create something from a limited and slightly random pile of supplies! 

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    Then it was off to play carnival games for a chance to win tickets to be entered in a drawing for more free stamps.  Games like Plinko, bean bag tosses, etc.

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    We also got to carve another stamp – I knew exactly what I was going to make… sort of.  I knew I really wanted one that said “You Rock” because I constantly want to make cards that say that to send to the awesome girls who are part of my Fun n’ Crafty demo group.  Turns out as I tried to make it look “cooler”, I ended up making it WAY more challenging.

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    Thankfully we had hilarious staffers who didn’t mind hanging out and lending support by taking selfies with our camera! ; )

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    And did I mention that I was so stinkin’ slow that I managed to be the very last demo in the Gathering Place after it shut down and Shannon West and the other staff were super nice and hung out late so I could finish my silly stamp? So sweet, right?

    Ok, moving right along!

    Finally the night ended (after a dinner break) by a set of stamping presentations that were broken up by time to work on make and takes.  It actually worked out really well and was way more relaxing than usual!

    We even got to see sneak peek stamp images….

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    and get another new product announcement!

    Brian Pilling shared with us that the Textured Boutique machine from Sizzix is coming back!  If you remember, this machine was out for a limited time about a year ago as a test run.  I guess it was a hit because it is not only coming back but it is now all black and says Stampin’ Up! on it!

    It is a small light weight embossing machine.  There are no cutting plates to worry about or a long platform that you have to scooch piles of papers and ink around your craft table to fit (or is that just me?) because this machine is just for embossing folders.  You crank your embossing folder through by itself and you are done!  Now,don’t get me wrong, you will never get me to give up my Big Shot… but having a cute little machine that takes up less space when I need it and it most likely going to be only $30ish is pretty compelling to me!

    The Textured Boutique was supposed to be coming out in June with the new catalog, but they got a shipment early so they’ll be selling some starting January 28th!  So if you were sad you missed it the first time around, mark your calendars and start counting down!

    Next up – I’ve got more stuff to share in my Day 3 recap!

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  • Stampin’ Up Leadership Convention 2014–Day 1

    Oh. My. Word.  I just finished the first day of Stampin Up’s Leadership conference and there has been so much great stuff that has been happening that I’m going to have to be super brief so I can try to share it all with you! 

    That and the fact that it is almost 3am here in Houston and I really ought to go to bed soon before my 7:00am wakeup call.  ; )

    If you are looking for lots more pictures – check out the albums on my Facebook page, these are my highlights reel and exciting news scoop!

    Leadership Day 1 Highlights

    This year Leadership is smaller in terms of attendance than last year (no surprise because last year was an anniversary year) but that meant I had an easier time finding friends that I was excited to see and catch up with!  I may not be the best about staying in touch, but everyone is so amazing when you see them again at an event like this!

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    Hanging with the Seattle-based SBStamper crew!  And then quick pictures with two amazing gals I got to hang out with at Founder’s Circle this year – Tamra Davis and Julie Davison!

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    Then session was ready to start.  I had the new snazzy bag they gave us and we waited to hear what new exciting things SU had in store.

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    Let me say, they did NOT disappoint!  First up was Shelli Gardner, CEO of Stampin’ Up!  She was in a horse riding accident last August and was unable to walk due to fractures of her pelvis, clavicle, and wrist!  And check it out, not only is she walking now – but in HEELS!  What a strong and driven woman.

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    After a great message from Shelli, her daughter Sarah took the stage and started sharing some stamping projects with us.  IMG_0020Little did we know we were going to be BOMBARDED with new product announcements! 

    My poor seat neighbors probably go some ringing in the ears from my excited screaming as we saw and heard about new goodies such as:

    Blendabilities – Alcohol based blending markers

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    These markers will come in sets of 3 – with different shades (“light”, “dark”, etc) of the same color that will blend together to allow you to create gorgeously smooth colored images.  And it will only be $11.95 for the set which is a great deal for this type of marker!

    The markers are currently in production right now so we didn’t get to play with them, but we saw them demo’d up close and I CAN’T WAIT to get my hands on some!

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    See all 12 colors that will be released in the first quarter of this year

    New Photopolymer Stamps & Update

    Then she talked about photopolymer stamps – aka “completely clear stamps” – and share how they will be continuing to not only release a new photopolymer stamp set each month, but there will be photopolymer stamps in the June annual catalog!

    Plus, they will start coming in CASES mid-year, yay!  And they will be picking designs for these stamps sets that are most benefited by the completely clear nature of the stamp (like alphas and outlines).

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    Even new photopolymer personalized name stamps!

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    After the initial sessions, we got lunch and a chance to check out the Gathering Place. It was full of great stuff including

    Children’s Hospital Service Project

    We were working to put together 500 Birthday Celebration kits (notebooks, banners, stamp, marker, etc) to give to kids at the hospital.  We all chipped in on assembling the kits and boxing them up.

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    there were lots of resources for business building tips and tool training, but I didn’t get a chance to hit most of the booths on day 1.  So more on the interesting parts another day.

    But there were lots of samples and project displays!

    Like I love this lollipop decorated with the new Spiral Flower die!

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    And of course, display boards!

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    Then it was off to more classes for sharing all kinds of great ideas for projects, classes, ways of meeting new people, better using social media, etc.  Fun stuff!

    We finally got a break, which I TOTALLY needed because my cell phone had died earlier in the afternoon.  But soon it was time to head back to the convention center to catch a bus to Manager’s Reception.

    Stampin’ Up! sets up a special event every year for anyone who has grown their group enough to have earned the title of Manager or above.  They plan a fun activity and some snacks to eat while you are there.

    So, our wild crew got ready and waited in line for our bus.  (Aren’t those sharks adorable?!?  They were our tickets to the event!)

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    We headed to the Houston downtown aquarium and boy was it more than I ever expected!  We got off the bus and were greeted by staff, stilt walkers, and not just fish but amusement rides!

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    Plus there was SO MUCH AMAZING FOOD!  I’m glad I didn’t eat dinner before I came!

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    We rode a huge ferris wheel

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    We had a chance to feed some stingrays. 

    (If you want to check out the hilarious faces we all made when the stingray took the fish from our fingers, click and be ready for a laugh!)

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    And generally wanderd, talked, and had a great time!  It was a full but super fun day and though I’m still up even though it is almost 4 in the morning, I can’t wait to get up and see what is in store for us tomorrow … err… later this morning.  : )

    I’ll be back tomorrow with more details as I get them.

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  • Some Valentine Treat Fun for a Blog Hop

    Thank you so much for joining us for our January Stylin’ Stampin’ Squad Blog Hop!  Love is in the air and our talented group of design team members have a Whole Lotta Love Goin’ On as we are excited to be sharing some NEW Occasions Catalog goodies and some Valentine’s Day projects with you this month!

    As you hop along, please be sure to comment and show some love on every blog!  We are always excited to hear from our followers!

    You should have just left stop number 15 on the Stylin’ Stampin’ Squad blog hop – the fabulous Annie Lee. If so, you are in the right spot. If a link doesn’t work or you get off track, you will find  the full blog hop lineup below.

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    So, for the blog hop today, I started and stopped on at least 2 different projects and designs.  Normally that wouldn’t be a bad thing, but with all the crunching to get ready for Leadership, it meant a little last minute creating.

    Thankfully the first project I have to share I was able to get done early!

    A “Wheely” Cool Valentine Card

    I recently got this Love You More Valentine’s Day stamp set and just love this globe image.  But the part that I really thought was fun with this card was the red flowers on the right side of the card front.

    Know what it is?

    Yup, a WHEEL STAMP!  Betsy’s Bloom is the name.  It’s been ages since I pulled them out, but they sure do make a striking background for your card sometime using exactly the color you want.

    Add a bit of ribbon for a finishing touch (and to cover up if you rolled your wheel a little less than exactly straight, ha ha! Winking smile )

    Send a Valentine Treat this Year

    I had one more idea that I wanted to create to share today.  It was an idea in my head that I didn’t have time to complete it before heading to the airport so I punched out a few shapes, grabbed some paper, ink, and stamps… and headed to Houston.

    Turns out, I got to my hotel and set out to create the idea in my head and I discovered that I left my paper trimmer at home.  Oops!  So, check out the ideas and don’t mind the not quite perfect cuts since I had to make due with my little paper snips for all the paper in the project other than the red Chevrons (Chevron punch) and the Heart (lg Full Heart Punch)!

    The idea for this project is a little treat you can send or give to a special someone.  It’s another stamp set from the Love You More set again… I was inspired by the arrow images and thought I would turn a small Hershey bar into it’s own love arrow!

    If you want to make your own, all you need to do is:

    • Wrap a chocolate bar with a patterned paper from the Fresh Prints designer paper stack in the new Occasions catalog and adhered the arrow images from the stamp set for my central point.
    • Stamp the same arrow w/ sentiment (“straight to my heart”) on a strip of Whisper White cardstock. 
    • Adhere a thin strip of Soft Suede cardstock (approx 3/8” strip) across the middle of your stamped image.
    • Punch out a set of chevron pieces from Real Red using the Chevron punch and a heart from Real Red using the Heart punch.
    • Adhere the Whisper White strip to a piece of Soft Suede cardstock for matting.
    • Adhere the wrapped chocolate over the center of the arrow so that it covers all but the “Straight to the Heart” sentiment.
    • Done!

    So I hope you enjoyed my projects today and check out more great projects on the hop using the links below.

    Blog Hop Participants:
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    1. Anastasia R. of Stampin’ Blondie
    2. Cynthia R. of Ink-a-Doodle Creations
    3. Dawn S. of Dawn’s Creative Chalet
    4. Kathy P of Katrina P’s Creative Corner 
    5. Pamela W. of Stinky Tofu
    6. Diana E. of Stampin’ Fun with Diana
    7. Darla R. & Nancy K. of Stampin With Darla and Sisters
    8. Jamie H. of Unique Ink
    9. Rose C. of Stamp with Rose
    10. Kim R. of Stamping with Kim
    11. Darcy J. of DJ’s Stampin’ Place
    12. Bree R. of Craft-Somnia
    13. Kristina M. of Mama’s Sanity
    14. Annie L. of Love Me Cards
    15. Jennifer B. of NW Stamper  <— YOU ARE HERE
    16. Tonya B. of Stampin’ with Tonya
    17. Heidi B. of Stuck on Stampin‘
    Interested in updates from Leadership 2014?
    I’ll be spending the next few days in Houston, TX getting filled with new project ideas and updates from Stampin’ Up!  I’ll be trying to share what I can     via my Facebook page and then coming back in the evening and sharing a summary of what I saw. 

    So enjoy all the inspiration today and stop back by tomorrow to see what’s happening in good ol’ Texas!

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  • Houston, Here I Come!

    So, I had plans to write a cute blog post about leaving on my trip… then just a plain project post before I left…. and then I was packing and getting everything ready for my husband to be able to get the kids to school and daycare while I’m away and suddenly it was time to go to the airport and no blog post was up and ready!

    But while sitting at the airport and trying to work with unbearably slow internet connections, I managed to photograph a card my mom made for me and gave me right before I left.  Smile 

    So, while I fly to much warmer temperatures in Houston, TX, here is a card for you to enjoy!

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    Again, this is the super awesome So Very Grateful stamp set and some sneak peek paper from the upcoming Sale-a-Bration promotion.

    I’ll be back tomorrow with some projects and a blog hop while Leadership kicks off.

    *  Want to stay in the know with the latest announcements from Leadership, make sure to follow my Facebook page

    *  I’ll try to summarize and share the details of the day each night here on the blog, so check back Thursday morning for the full scoop.

    See you on the other side!

     

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  • A Color Challenge with the Stylin Stampin Inkspiration Girls

    So I was talking yesterday on Facebook about challenges and how they can be pretty handy when you need a little something to jump-start some craftiness.  I’m still looking for feedback on favorite challenge sites and what types of challenges you find most fun to do, but in the meantime, I have one to share with you!

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    I’m a member of the Stylin’ Stampin’ Inkspiration design team and each month we host a color challenge.  I checked out the colors we were set to work with this time and thought this was a neat color combo that mixes up colors and color families for a great spring combo.

    Now, all that said, I loved the combo but stalled out initially with what I was going to do with it…. but I started with a flower stamp set, the new Naturals Chevron Ribbon, and the So Saffron core’dinations cardstock paper and began to go it.  Very quickly I ditched the flower stamps and soon this card emerged:

    Yay!  They totally work together!

    All the stamping is from the new Perfect Pennants stamp set and yes – those hearts are cut out by hand… but I SWEAR it goes fast! Smile 

    I kept adding a little detail here and a little detail there and I think it all added up to just the right about of interesting going on… do you think?

    Anyway, I think this sentiment is perfect for me to share right now because I’m getting all packed up and ready to head to Houston for the Leadership convention this week and one of the big things going on with me right now in my Stampin’ Business is figuring out how I can make my blogging and creative sharing more useful and meaningful to you.  So think of this as a little love note to you….wishing you all the best and hope I can help make it a little brighter and nicer along the way.

    Card Supplies Used

    • stamps – Perfect Pennants
    • ink – Bermuda Bay, So Saffron, Primrose Petals
    • paper – Whisper White, Subtles Core’dinations cardstock (So Saffron)
    • accessories –  essential piercing pack, paper piercing tool, Bermuda Bay 1/8” taffeta ribbon, Naturals Chevron ribbon, Stampin’ Dimensionalsimage

    Check out more great ideas using this color combo over on the Stylin’ Stampin’ Inkspiration blog today.

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  • Using Your Paper Scraps for a Cute Valentine

    Alright, I know I’m the queen of blabbering on and on in my blog posts so I’ll try to keep this one brief.   (Wish me luck!)

    I got a day recently to spend all afternoon stamping and so I got to work making thank you cards, swap cards for this week’s leadership conference with Stampin’ Up, and just play with my new supplies.  However, I gave myself a challenge to try to use up my left over scraps of designer paper and left behind pieces when I cut out ovals and shapes with my Big Shot.  Basically, get them used now instead of having them sitting around because “they are perfectly good punch outs that I can use sometime” and never use. Smile 

    So, this is what I came up with for some of my left over strips of paper after I made the watercolored thank you cards I shared the other day.

    The two patterns are the front and back of the same paper and all the strips are the same size, just offset from each other. 

    The bird and sentiment are from a limited time Valentine’s Day set from Stampin’ Up called Love You More.  I actually bought it because it has a cool globe image, but I also loved this sentiment and the made with love stamp as well.  see…

    image It’s from the set of special valentine’s stamps and kits available through January 27th.  You can check them all out online here.

    But back to the card… Smile  you just color in the bird with your markers and punch out…then stamp and punch the sentiment.  I decided to add a little bling by glittering up the “love” and “more”.  Lots of scraps and this and that in this card!

    Everything I Used on the Card

    • Stamps – Love You More (available until Jan 27th)
    • Ink – Soft Suede, Real Red; markers: Soft Suede, Coastal Cabana, Soft Sky, Real Red
    • Paper – So Saffron cs, Whisper White cs,  Fresh Prints designer paper stack
    • Accessories – Dazzling Details, White gel pen, White Tea Lace doilies, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Sponge Daubers

    Alright, I was kind of brief… but I guess I’ll have to try harder next time I don’t want to be a jabber mouth!  Until then…

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  • The Stampin’ Up! Occasions Catalog is Here!

    I don’t know about you but I’m ready to shake off winter and the holiday projects and start thinking lighter and spring!  Turns out the papers and stamps from the new Occasions Catalog help get me in that mood without me even thinking about it.  I personally love how fresh this latest catalog feels… it still has the same set up as the holiday with TONS of ideas and inspiration in the first half, followed by all the actual products in the back half. 
    2014 Occasions Catalog

    View the Occasions Catalog PDF
    Occasions Catalog Supplies List

    I’m going through phases with what I’m using and loving (I can’t get enough of the gold foil paper right now!) but here are a few of my favorites for today:

    But let me show you…here is one of my first cards I made with the So Very Grateful stamp set:

    I saw it and I knew I had to have it.  Apparently I’m craving stamps to watercolor!  But it is just so darn relaxing and fun to get creative with colors without having to worry to much about messing anything up. ha ha.

    As you can see, I’m also busting out tons of gold metallic but I think it is just enough to make it pretty and not overdone.

    Card Supplies Used

    • Stamps – So Very Grateful
    • Ink – Basic Black, Strawberry Slush, Crisp Cantaloupe, Pistachio Pudding
    • Paper – Fresh Prints designer paper stack, Whisper White cardstock, Watercolor paper, Gold Foil paper
    • Accessories – Aqua Pen, Gold Sequins

    See something you love?  You can find all of it in the online store. Smile

    So Very Grateful stamp set

     

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  • Last Day for this Super Cute Snow Day Set!

    It is true, today is the LAST DAY of the Holiday Catalog and inevitably, there is a stamp set that I stare at in the catalog, love all the samples I see, and I keep putting it on my orders and then taking it off again because “I’m being good.”  Then by the end of the catalog, I’m starting to regret not getting it… this time, that stamp set is Snow Day.

    I keep seeing such cute things done with this snowman and I knew I wanted to play with him myself.  Thankfully this year I was in luck and a couple weeks ago, my mom decided she needed it too… so she ordered the set and I was able to borrow him for a little bit.

    Isn’t he so fun??!

    The body of the snow man is one stamp and then the face, hat, arms and scarf are all separate stamps, so you can change it up each time.

    Or if your snowman is ready to go on vacation after a long, cold winter… how about this:

    Created by Debbie Moczek

    That makes me smile everytime!  All it takes is a couple extra punches (Wide Oval and Bitty Punch Pack) and your snowman is doing the hula!  (that bikini is the snow hat!)

    So, if you have any stamp sets or accessories you have been debating, check your catalog one more time and make your final decisions by 11:50 MST tonight and pick them up in the online store or let me know at jennifer@nwstamper.com.

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    View the Holiday Catalog here

    Check out the Carryover List 
    (this includes stamps and accessories from the Holiday catalog that will still be available for purchase through June 1st even though they won’t be shown in the Occasion catalog)

    I also forgot to share the newest weekly deals including Silver Glimmer Paper, Circles and Window Frame Framelits, Ink, Denim ribbon, and more!  See them all here.

    But seriously, how stinkin’ cute is that snowman?

    Alright, I’m off for now.  I’ll see you tomorrow with new ideas from the 2014 Occasions catty!  Til then…

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  • Happy New Year! What’s Your 2014 Resolution?

    We made it!  Happy New Year!  

    2013 blew through December and came barreling full speed ahead to 2014!  (Or at least that is what it felt like at my house this year. ha ha!)  It has been all I can do to make sure my head is on straight the last week or two and so, when the Styling Stampin’ Inkspiration Design Team decided to share our resolutions I thought it was the perfect chance for me to sit back and actually take a break and reflect. 

    As I recently broke out my new Occasion Catalog and Sale-a-Bration preorder goodies and started making some new projects to share (and send out as thank you cards to some amazing customers and swap cards for some great demos), I looked under my table and behind me and realized that I have some absolutely fabulous supplies that have somehow become “old” and set aside for my “new”… even though some of those supplies are from the Holiday catalog and maybe I only bought them in the last month or two. 

    The problem with this is that I usually get to the retirement list at the end of May and suddenly am reminded of stamps, papers, and accessories that I love but had forgotten about! 

    Not this year!!

    So my resolution for 2014 is to actually USE and enjoy the supplies I have now. 
    That isn’t to say that I won’t get excited about, enjoy and share the new stuff (You can be sure I will!) but I’ll be making a conscious effort to keep enjoying and sharing fun projects with the not-so-new as well.  There are a lots of great designs for all through the year and they deserve to be enjoyed as well, don’t you think?

    For example, check out this card I created using a stamp set and paper that I often pass over for more “exciting” supplies… turns out they make great cards too!

    Card Supplies Used
    Stamps – Hello, Lovely
    Ink – Crumb Cake, Gumball Green, Chocolate Chip, Daffodil Delight, Calypso Coral, Pool Party
    Paper – Very Vanilla, Chocolate Chip, Epic Day designer paper
    Accessories – Dotted Scallop Ribbon Trim punch, stampin’ dimensionals

    Sure it took a little bit of time to cut out the different shapes from the stamp set, but I think it gives it a really fun look!

    Yes… that is right, I hand cut everything.  But if it makes someone smile, it is all worth it!

    Which leads to a couple more follow up resolutions:

    1.  Do even more to show my appreciation to my customers and to my amazing Fun n’ Crafty team of demonstrators

    2.  Take time to stamp more… and SEND MORE!  Having a pile of cards at home does me no good, but can brighten someone’s day if I just pop it in the mail.

    So, how about you?  What is your resolution?

    You really are the best!  Smile  Here is to a great 2014!  I look forward to seeing you more soon.

     

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