Northwest Stamper

Category: Cards

  • Reason To Smile for only $5!

     

    It’s a new month and for July, Stampin’ Up! has a new promotion starting up.  For July only, you can get the Reason to Smile stamp set for only $5 with a $50 purchase.  This set is only available this month and with 3 different flower images to do 2-step stamping with, there are lots of project options.  For example, this is a card I made with it last night:

     

    I switched it up from using it in the traditional 2-step stamping style (stamping the outline and then laying in the filled colored image) and used the “background” images for the daisies on the left and then used the outlines for the images on the right.  And because I wanted to get a super bright coloring for the stemmed flowers, I ended up using my blender pens and ink pads to color them in.  For some reason, my markers on the “background” image for that flower were stamping darker than I wanted.  But, that is why we have multiple options for coloring stamped images, right?!

    So, just the details on this stamp set:

    –  It is only going to be available in July.  It won’t be in the catalog or available later.

    –  You can pick clear mount OR wood mount for $5 with your $50 order

    –  Only one stamp per order

    Check out all the images in this set in this flyer

    If you are ready to get it, shop the online store or let me know and I’ll get you hooked up!

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

     

    Reason to Smile Just For You Card Recipe
    Stamps: Reason to Smile, Teeny Tiny Wishes
    Ink: Stazon black, Old Olive, Daffodil Delight, More Mustard
    Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, Daffodil Delight prints dsp
    Accessories: Blender Pen, Word Window punch, Stamp-a-ma-jig, stampin’ dimensionals, basic rhinestones

  • Birds of a Feather Thank You

    Every year there is a pack of designer paper that I completely overlook until I get the paper in for my new catalog DSP paper share.  Then, as I pull out the sheets to cut it down to 6×6 pieces, I discover some hidden gem.  This year, Birds of a Feather is that paper pack!

    So, I wanted to make some thank you cards for folks who ordered at a recent workshop, and so I pulled out this paper and started playing around.

     

    And since I was so torn on which pattern of the paper I liked more for this card, I had to make a second version with a different pattern from the same pack.

     

    I don’t know if it is the colors or the “cute” feel from these designs, but I’m totally digging this paper set!

     

    Did you know? You can see a big picture of each pattern in a pattern pack online?  It took me a while to realize that even though the information page looks like this with tiny strips of samples from the pattern, you can still get to bigger pictures.  So start out on the product page like this:

    image

    If you click the “More Images” link under the picture, you can flip through bigger pictures of each of the patterns!

    image

     I know it took me a while to figure that out so hopefully that helps someone else!

     

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  • Getting Back to Watercolor Crayons

    When I was asked recently to put together a card using Watercolor Crayons, I wasn’t sure how it was going to go; but I decided I was up for the challenge.  The person really liked a card by Meg Loven using the Simply Soft set and so I looked around my craft room and spied the new Reason to Smile stamp set (its coming out in July as part of a special promotion where you can get it for only $5 with any $50 order!).  It is a new 2-step stamping set and I thought it would be fun to try with the crayons.

    Reason to Smile watercolored stamp set

     

    I used the Watercolor Crayons two different ways:  coloring directly onto the stamp (for the petals and stem) and picking up color from the crayon using a waterbrush and coloring on the paper.  I have to say, making this card has renewed my love affair with Watercolor Crayons!

    Thanks to this tip from Meg, I had MUCH BETTER success coloring on my stamp.  I grabbed my aqua pen for the first time in ages – I normally am loyal to my blender pen – and moistened the surface of the rubber before I colored with the crayon.  Boy does that help the crayon color nicely on the surface!  Then you can stamp and it is super pretty.

    I then brushed my aqua pen along the back of the crayon (the flat end) and then used that to paint color around my stamped image on the paper.  Doesn’t it give such a pretty look?

    Reason to Smile watercolored close up

     

    The only other tip I have for you today, is if you are going to color on your paper like I did with the blue, you really really  want to be using watercolor paper!  You will be using so much water doing this that regular cardstock will warp a lot.

    So, there you go… now grab your watercolor crayons and give it a try!  Its probably way more fun than you remember it being. 🙂

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

     

    Reason to Smile Thank You Card Recipe
    Stamps:     Reason to Smile, Curly Cute
    Ink: Stazon black, Old Olive
    Paper: Daffodil Delight, Pool Party, Watercoloring Paper
    Accessories: Daffodil Delight seam binding, Brights watercolor crayons, aqua pen, stampin’ dimensionals, basic rhinestones

  • Pretty Papillion Potpourri

    I recently had someone request that I put together a class for her and some friends based around a few cards she had seen online.  Unfortunately, one of the cards used the old Strength and Hope stamp set that retired last year and I had never purchased.  So, I set to trying to come up with a fun, similar card using the new Papillion Potpourri stamp set and matching Elegant Butterfly punch.

    Stampin-Up-Butterfly-Card

     

    This was my first time using this stamp set and punch and I was pleasantly surprised at how versatile I found the images to be. For some reason, I didn’t expect the differences in style you get from the different butterflies in the set.  Anywho… aren’t these butterflies so pretty?

    Papillon Potpourri Clear-Mount Stamp Set

    One tip that I learned when stamping and punching the center butterflies – the punch is just slightly smaller than your stamped image.  Often the punch is a teensy bit bigger than your image but not in this case.  It didn’t impact my final punched out image, but caught me offguard when I was trying to line up my stamped image on my paper with the punch outline.  So, I thought I would share.

    I spent so long working on this card one night – tweaking this and that – that in the end I wasn’t sure I liked it.  But now that I’ve had some space, I like it more. 🙂 Would this be a card you would want to do in a class or workshop?

    Well, I’m off to make more samples and get my July and August classes up on the calendar!

     

    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!

     

    Papillion Potpourri Thinking of You Card Recipe
    Stamps:     Papillion Potpourri, Curly Cute
    Ink: Versamark, Basic Black, Daffodil Delight, Daffodil Delight marker, Wisteria Wonder marker, Calypso Coral marker
    Paper: Wisteria Wonder, Whisper White, Calypso Coral
    Accessories: Elegant Butterfly punch, Calypso Coral ruffled ribbon, sponge daubers, stampin’ dimensionals, basic rhinestones

  • Cheery Bright Blossoms

    I have to admit, when I first saw the Bright Blossoms stamp set, I wasn’t sure that it was really my style or even that I liked it that much.  But I have to admit, the more I see it the more I like it!  Especially the stamp that I used on the card today.  There is something about this flower that I think is pretty cute and is perfect for clean and simple cards like this:

     

    I know, the lighting isn’t the best in that picture so, here is another picture and you can see that how crisp the Tangerine Tango and the Whisper White look together.

     

    Oh and did I mention how fun I think it is that the pattern in the stamp set matches the pattern in the Summer Smooches designer paper.  🙂  I know I can’t be the only one who loves coordination like this.

    So, I’d love to hear, what do you think of this stamp set, thumbs up or thumbs down?

    Bright Blossoms - Clear-Mount Stamp

    Bright Blossoms Stamp Set (#125497)

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

  • Happy Father’s Day Card

    In case you haven’t heard, today is Father’s Day. 🙂  I’m lucky enough to have my dad a short 90 minute drive away so this weekend the kids and I are headed to Bellingham to spend some time with him.  So, hopefully you are able to spend some quality time (or quality phone time) with some of the wonderful guys in your life.

    At a recent card class, I was able to get my Father’s Day cards done early by holding a Dads and Grads class.  This was one of the cards we created for it:

    I was inspired by a non-Stampin’ Up! card I saw on Splitcoast Stampers that had a cool vintage look.  So, I grabbed some of the new World’s Greatest designer series paper and a sponge wedge and got to work creating a vintage card for Dad.

    See, this just proves that you can use the Quint-Essential flower for a guy card too.  I used more “manly” colors – Bravo Burgundy, So Saffron, and Midnight Muse for the flower and sponged the edges of the card and the Very Vanilla cardstock with Soft Suede.  And of course, gave it dimension by popping up the different layers with Stampin’ Dimensionals.

    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!

    Quint-Essential Birthday Card Recipe
    Stamps:     Teeny Tiny Wishes, Quint-Essential Flower
    Ink: Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Bravo Burgundy, So Saffron, Midnight Muse
    Paper: Crumb Cake cs, Very Vanilla cs, Soft Suede cs, World’s Greatest dsp
    Accessories: 2 3/8” Scallop Circle punch, 1 3/4” Scallop Circle punch, 1” circle punch, sponge, Stampin’ Dimensionals

  • Quint-Essential Workshop Card

    I recently had the opportunity to go to my friend Katie’s house to share a card and the new Stampin’ Up! products with her friends.  It was a fun evening and it gave me some motivation to pull out my new Quint-Essential Flower stamp set and play with some different color combinations.

     

    So, if you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you know how much I LOVE punches and was hooked on the Triple Treat Flower from last catalog.  So, when I saw the Quint-Essential flower and the fact that it is less than $10 for the stamp, I knew I had to have it.

    The cool thing is that with this stamp, you can use 5 different punches with this stamp for some fun layers.  So, far I’ve only done 3 layers, but I’m going to go wild and do all 5 soon.  Smile

    I CASE’d this card from a similar design from my friend Annie Lee but switched up the stamps, colors, and ribbon.  Isn’t it fun how you can get inspired by a card and end up with something similar and yet completely different.  I put together the color combination – Crumb Cake, Wisteria Wonder, Gumball Green (quickly becoming my my new favorite green!), and Summer Starfruit.  Turns out to be a nice springy combination I think!

    The ladies enjoyed the stamping, punching, and Big Shot-ing … I can make up that word, right?  So, try it out yourself and let me know what you think too!

    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!

    Looking for Designer Paper or Ribbon Samplers?  Get yours now!

    Quint-Essential Birthday Card Recipe
    Stamps:     Curly Cute, Quint-Essential Flower
    Ink: Crumb Cake, Wisteria Wonder, Summer Starfruit, Gumball Green
    Paper: Whisper White cs, Wisteria Wonder cs, Crumb Cake cs
    Accessories: Big Shot, Stripes Embossing Folder, 2 3/8” Scallop Circle punch, 1 3/4” Scallop Circle punch, 1” circle punch, Gumball Green Stitched Satin Ribbon, Stampin’ Dimensionals

  • Elegant Congratulations Graduation Card

    Last week I held my Dads and Grads class and as I was trying to plan my cards I realized that I had no idea what colors people would want or need for their graduation card.  So, it quickly turned into an elegant black and white card that could be used for any school out there.

     

    The part I love is that you can take off the diploma and add some pretty flourish or flower and you have a lovely wedding card or congratulations for just about any occasion!  But if you wanted to make this card, the diploma is simply cutting a square of cardstock and rolling it tightly.

     

    My trick is to roll it all the way up and then unroll it slightly so that you can use a glue dot to hold the roll in place. Then you will have no problem tying the ribbon around the paper for a finishing touch! Then adhere to your card with glue dots.  Easy peasy!

    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!

    Looking for Designer Paper or Ribbon Samplers?  Get yours now!

     

    Elegant Congratulations Graduation Card Recipe
    Stamps:     Curly Cute
    Ink: Basic Black
    Paper: Whisper White cs, Basic Black cs
    Accessories: Big Shot, Stripes Embossing Folder, Glue dots, Basic Black 1/4” grosgrain ribbon, Basic Rhinestones

  • Summer Smooches Card Blitz

    I am very lucky to be back in the same area as my many levels up-upline because she holds large group meetings a couple times a year.  Recently Alisha Linn showed some fun card ideas and so I’ve made a couple of tweaks and then put them together into a class to share with my customers and friends. We’ll be making a set of cards using the new Summer Smooches designer paper, the coordinating Bright Blossoms stamp set, and matching In Colors and Brights Collection cardstock and accessories. And punches…so many fun punches!

    Well, today I wanted to share one of the cards and a cool detail I learned with it!  Here is one of 6 cards we will be making at the class:

     

    Now, I think it is a cute card, but I love the idea of making dimensional paper buttons this way!  They are each made by punching out multiple circle punches to layer from your cardstock and then the top “button” is made into a button by punching two holes with your 1/16” hole puncher.  Cute, huh?

     

    So, are you curious to see everything we will be making and getting in the class kit for this event?  I thought I’d show you all the ideas so you could see some ideas for using your Summer Smooches designer paper and Bright Blossoms stamps.

     

    If you are in the Seattle area and are interested in attending the class in person, let me know.  The class is on 6/24 at 1:30pm in Redmond.  It’s a packed kit for this class and includes:

    • Supplies to make all 6 dimensional cards.  Papers will be precut and ready for you to stamp, punch, and assemble
    • Envelopes for all of your cards
    • 6 half sheets from the Summer Smooches designer paper(so a 6″x12″ sheet of each different double-sided design)
    • A full package of Rhinestone basic jewels
    • A half sheet of foam dimensional dots
    • A personal tape runner, so you will have awesome adhesive to hold all the layers and ribbon 🙂
    • Printed instructions for each card so you can make more later!

    All that for only $35!  RSVP’s with your payment must be received by 9am on June 18th to enable me to ensure I order enough supplies for everyone.

    Save $5 off the class fee!  The last day for the Early Bird Discount is 6/14! 

    Learn more and RSVP here

     

    If you think the cards are cute but aren’t in the area, I can make kits by mail for you.  It will include everything listed above and all punched pieces will be pre-punched for you.  I am not able to pre-stamp images but I’ve included an option to add in the coordinating Bright Blossoms stamp set we will be using on the cards so you can play along right away!

    Summer Smooches Kit Options (all prices include shipping)

    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!

    Looking for Designer Paper or Ribbon Samplers?  Get yours now!

  • Almost Time for the Stampin’ Garage Sale

    I wanted to check in while taking a break from getting ready for my big Stampin’ Garage sale this weekend.  I joined forces with 2 other demonstrators to put together a crafty garage sale like I’ve never done before!  At last count we have over 300 stamp sets, plus probably 100 wheel stamps, plus ribbon, cardstock, many packs of designer paper, Big Shot items, embellishments… and I’m sure more!

    I offered to host at my house the first day of the sale, which turns out to be a good thing because there is sooo much to set up and put out! Check out what we have so far:

    IMG_0698

    A bit less than half of the stamp sets for sale!

     

    IMG_0702

    IMG_0703

    Ink Pads, Wheels, and Stamps to be put out still!

    And I still have to put out the paper, hand stamped cards, old idea books, So, I’ll try to post some new cute projects as soon as I can.  But wish me luck getting all of this out for tomorrow morning!

    Wanna come check it out in person?  Here are the details:

    • We’ll have HUNDREDS of retired Stampin’ Up! stamp sets for sale; along with plenty of retired accessories including ink, paper, ribbon, etc.
    • Handmade cards will be available for sale too
    • Book a private party or class while you are there and pick any stamp set in the sale to receive free at your event.

    Come early for best selections!

    Date #1: Saturday, June 9, 2012 16870 NE 24th Pl, Bellevue, WA

    Date #2: Sunday, June 10, 2012 4851 Lakemont Blvd SE, Bellevue, WA (Union Bank, next to Starbucks)

    Time: 10am – 2pm

     

    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!

    Looking for Designer Paper or Ribbon Samplers?  Get yours now!

  • Party Pinwheels and In Color Floral Fusion

    Last week was my new catalog preview party and after I put out my  catalogs, samples, and door prize, I decided I needed some more decorations.  So, I thought it would be fun to make some pinwheels with some of the great designer series paper I had lying around.  These are so easy to make – all you need is a square of paper, a brad, and a straw!

    Do you like how I have them standing up too?  🙂  See, us crafters are creative!  I grabbed shot glasses and unpopped popcorn – perfect!

    Next I thought I’d show you the card we made as the make and take.  I wanted to show off the new In Colors and the amazingly awesome In Color stitched satin ribbon.  This card was inspired by a card by Pam Steckman, but I loved how the Floral Fusion Sizzlit die was perfect to show off the colors.  I just curved up the flower petals to help them pop off the page.

    I used each of the In Colors and then put a rhinestone in the center for some fun bling.  Then we added the satin ribbon and then stamped with the new Midnight Muse ink the sentiment at the bottom of the card from the delightful dozen stamp set.  It’s a simple card but packs a punch!

    Hopefully the girls enjoyed this card as much as I did!

    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!

    Looking for Designer Paper or Ribbon Samplers?  Get yours now!

  • Yet Another Betsy’s Blossom Card…now with Framelits

    Ok, apparently I’m a fan of the Betsy’s Blossom stamp set. 🙂  Here is another card that I made recently with it…. again, highlighting some of the new and cute designer series paper. 🙂  Though this time it is the Floral District paper.  I thought it could stand on it’s own pretty well don’t you think?

     

    I stamped a Rich Razzleberry bird from Betsy’s Blossom and then a sentiment from the Bitty Banners stamp set.  Then the coolest part… BANNER FRAMELITS!!!  Yay for cute banners that are no work at all to cut out!!!  See, look at how nicely they match:

    imageimage

    Itty Bitty Banners Stamp set

    Banners Framelits

    See, how stinkin easy is that?  🙂

    Any way, I also pulled out my trusty vellum for a nice way to help the stamped images stand out without distracting from the patterned background.  Sure I know this card is simple but I love it anyway!

    Have you tried the Banner framelits and if so what do you think?  Do you love them as much as I do?

     

    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!

    Floral District Thank You Card Recipe

    Stamps: Betsy’s Blossom, Itty Bitty Banners
    Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Basic Grey
    Paper: Floral District dsp, Whisper White cs, So Saffron cs, Rich Razzleberry cs, Vellum cs

    Accessories: Big Shot, Banner Framelits, Glue dots, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Basic Rhinestones