Northwest Stamper

Category: Scrapbooking

  • Project Life by Stampin’ Up & the Everyday Adventure kits

    Project Life by Stampin’ Up & the Everyday Adventure kits

    project-life-by-stampin-up-kit.jpg

    This blog post is a looong time coming!  I actually recorded a video about the basics of Project Life, an intro into the differences between Project Life by Stampin’ Up (#plxsu), and about putting together your own project life layout.

    Then the video sat on my computer unedited for a long time.  Oops!  🙂 So, today I thought I would get it off of my computer and share them with you.

    About Project Life and How Project Life by Stampin’ Up is Different

    When Project Life by Stampin’ Up came out, I had customers, downline, and demonstrator friends who had all heard of Project Life or pocket page scrapbooking but didn’t really understand what it was all about.  So I found myself sharing all about it because I had become a fan not too long before it was announced Stampin’ Up was partnering with Becky Higgins to create exclusive Project Life card kits and accessories.  I thought it might be useful to share with others as well, so I did a little video about it as well sharing what PL is all about and how Stampin’ Up card kits are different than what you have gotten before.  (if you are reading this in email the video below won’t show up, so click here to view the blog post w/ videos)

    In a nutshell:

    • The Stampin’ Up cards (by Becky Higgins) have square corners instead of round
    • You get 1 card of each design instead of a bajillion multiples
    • The core kits give you 4×6, 3×4, AND 4×4 cards
    • The accessory packs are a combination of specialty cards, embellishments, stickers, and washi tape!

    Putting Together a Project Life Scrapbook Page

    The thing I really like about Project Life and all the pocket page albums, is that it makes scrapbooking really fast.  So, I like the idea that I’ll actually get some of my pictures off of the computer and into an album where I will ACTUALLY LOOK at them.  Plus maybe even have notes about the events. 🙂 I have way too many photos printed waiting to be scrapped and even more sitting on my computer.  My goal is to get the photos in albums and then I can take my time to make bigger, fancier layouts of the special moments and photos.

    See, I don’t know about you, but I tend to take a ton of pictures at any given event or time and then when I look at them, I have like 20 photos I want to keep and enjoy.  Unfortunately, that gets really hard to put in a scrapbook page nicely unless you have the time to edit them all to be much smaller pictures.  I figure this way I can print and save them and enjoy them.

    Here is the first layout I created using the Everyday Adventure Project Life card kit and accessory pack:

    I walk through actually putting it together in the following video:

    Wanna See ALL the Everyday Adventure Cards?

    The one problem I have with many of the Project Life kits, no matter who the manufacturer is that it is hard to tell what you are going to get in the card kits.  You see a few samples and so you can get the general color scheme, but you take a leap of faith you will like the different designs.  So I thought I would take a picture and share ALL of the designs for the Everyday Adventure Project Life Card Kit so you could see for yourself. 🙂   Just click any picture to see the zoomed in image of the cards.

    Everyday Adventures 4×6 Cards (front side)

    Everyday Adventure 4x6 cards

    Everyday Adventures 4×6 Cards (back side)Everyday-Adventure-4x6-cards-backs.jpg

    Everyday Adventures 4×4 Cards (front side)

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    Everyday Adventures 4×4 Cards (back side)

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    Everyday Adventures 3×4 Cards (front side) – group 1

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    Everyday Adventures 3×4 Cards (back side) – group 1

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    Everyday Adventures 3×4 Cards (front side) – group 2

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    Everyday Adventures 3×4 Cards (back side) – group 2

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    Everyday Adventures Accessory Pack

    Everyday Adventure Accessory Pack by stampin up

    Whew!  That was a lot of cards!

    If you are interested in picking up your own packs, you can find them here:

    If you have any questions or would like to see more videos on creating with Project Life, let me know!  I’d be happy to share. 🙂

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    July Online Stamp Club Hostess Code – 7RDHVEKR
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  • Trying out Project Life By Stampin’ Up – My First Layout

    I know by now it is old news that Becky Higgins (creator of Project Life) has partnered with Stampin’ Up to create exclusive lines of Project Life cards, accessories, and even a corner punch.  I had been just starting to get into Project Life when this announcement came out and I was stoked!  Especially because I would now be able to have cards that coordinated both in patterns and colors with stuff I already had in my stash! So, here is the first layout I put together using my new goodies: Everything in this layout is from the Everyday Adventure kit and accessory pack.  Can I just say I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the idea of an accessory kit!  Maybe someone else does it out there, but I haven’t seen it with the Becky Higgins kits and We R Memory Keepers card sets.  Why do I love them?  They give me a little bit of lots of awesome bits to embellish up my cards and I don’t have to think about what I have that would match.  See? image

    Everyday Adventure Accessory Pack

    (Do you notice a theme?  I love kits and don’t like having to think about which things match. Smile  Seriously, I love scrapbooking kits that come with paper, embellishments, and die cuts because I know I have a little bit of everything to put my layouts together!) So anyway, for the most part, I just used the cards from the Everyday Adventure card kit and then I may add on or two little accents to a handful of them.  Like in the close up below, you see that card in the upper right?  It looked exactly like that (minus my journaling of course) and I just added a bit of the blue washi tape along the top as a bit of trim. And then, of course, the green arrow and black letters that spell “maple classroom” are stickers from the accessory pack. Oh and that bit of orange at the bottom of the green card?  That is a little acetate (think window sheet) colored piece from the accessory pack.  The doodling look on that card?  Totally printed on, thank goodness! Smile And as my last trick, I used some of that same blue washi tape again to layer a 3×4 PLxSU card  (I’m just going to use the PLxSU to make it less typing when I’m trying to say Project Life by Stampin’ Up… sound ok?  Ok, cool!)  Anyway, I layered a 3×4 PLxSU card on top of a 4×6” PLxSU card and stuck with Washi Tape for a fun layered look.  And if you can’t read it, the quote says “Everyday is a new Adventure” which I thought was PERFECT for this layout because it was about Nicholas being a in a new class at school.  His new adventure. Stampin’ Up! Supplies Used

    And let me say, I’ve been using these cards for MORE than scrapbooking as well.  I made some cards and other fun non-scrapbooking/non-card projects using them for the display boards for convention… so I can’t share them until July, but I’m SO EXCITED to be able to share them then!

    –>>  Plus, stop by the Stylin Stampin Inkspiration blog for even more great ideas for the PLxSU kits (there are 5 different ones available!)  See all the great ideas here

    I hope this gave you some ideas and you can give it a shot yourself!

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    June Online Stamp Club Hostess Code – ACANDKB4 Use this code to get free exclusive tutorials & project kit!  Learn more

  • Stampin’ Up Display Stamper 2014 Submission

    Stampin’ Up Display Stamper 2014 Submission

    So, every year I go to the Stampin’ Up convention… and every year I’m blown away by the amazing ideas and inspiration on all the different display boards.  (To see what I’m talking about, here are a few past posts I’ve done showing the display boards.)  Well, this year they are doing a call for display board stampers and to throw your hat in the ring, you need to pull together some of your best/favorite projects and put them together in one post to show your style and ability.  So, I thought it would be a fun way to flip through my past projects and put them together to share with you here.  And maybe they will love them too and I’ll get to share even more ideas on a display board at the Stampin’ Up Convention 2014!

    oh, and PS – if you love the idea of checking out all the display boards, don’t forget that anyone who joins Stampin’ Up as a demonstrator right now will get free registration to convention this summer!  So, you just get yourself to Salt Lake City, and you can be blown away by inspiration for FREE!  Yay!  Email me at jennifer@nwstamper.com for more details if you are interested or check out this page to learn more about the perks of being a demonstrator!

    So Here You Go!
    3 Cards

    so very grateful colored

    So Very Grateful Thank You

    Burlap and Gold Masculine Card (blog post here)

    Negative Heat Embossing with Pleasant Poppies (blog post here)

    1 Scrapbook Page

    This was so hard for me to narrow down and decide which scrapbook page to show.  I think my favorite layout may actually be this older one, but I figured the one I’d show here is this –

    Perfect Pennants with Watercolor Wonder Waves (blog post here)

    Or maybe it is just that these photos always make me smile!

    2 3D items

    Ok, this is where I don’t make and post nearly enough.  So here is what I decided was the nicest from things I actually designed myself – instead of flat out copies of what other people had created. Smile

    Card organizer for holding cards and envelopes (blog post here)

    Easter Treat Bag (blog post here)

    Awww.  So much fun to walk down memory lane.  I hope you enjoyed the ideas and inspiration. Smile

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    April Online Stamp Club Hostess Code – G4VQJ7VB
    Use this code to get free exclusive tutorials & project kit!Learn more

  • Big News! Exclusive Project Life Products by Becky Higgins are Coming Soon!

    Big News! Exclusive Project Life Products by Becky Higgins are Coming Soon!

    I’m bouncing in my seat here at my computer as I just have learned that Stampin’ Up and Becky Higgins have been working on a partnership to create a new line specifically for Stampin’ Up!  Yay!

    Project Life promo pic

    Why am I so stinkin’ excited?

    1. New scrapbooking products that make my scrapbooking quick, easy, and cute!
    2. Project Life items that coordinate with the supplies I have at home – all my inks, cardstock, papers, tools, and accessories!
    3. Get free stuff in the form of hostess benefits when you get your supplies for your scrapbooks!  Have a scrapbooking get together with friends and everyone can get their pocket pages and cards and work on everything together!
    4. Demonstrators get a discount too!  I had just started exploring Project Life and now I can save money too.  Got to love that!

     

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    stampin up project life list

    **UPDATE!  They are here!  Get your favorite items in the Online Store here**

    Some additional details about Project Life by Stampin’ Up!

    If you aren’t familiar with Project Life, it is a simple idea of having an easy way to take all those photos you’ve taken and print them at out the standard 4×6 size and have a cute way to preserve and journal them without needing to figure out a full page layout for them.  Becky Higgins actually started the idea and it has grown to be an incredibly popular style of scrapbooking .  You can learn lots more by visiting Becky’s site and her thoughts on Project Life.

    This Project Life line looks like it will be a little different than some of the other lines she has released, for example:

    • All of the journaling cards are going to have square corners.  There will be a corner rounder punch to match with other Project Life cards you may have if you want the rounded corners.
    • The core kits will still contain 100 cards, but you will NOT have duplicates in the pack.  I know I’m actually happy about that because I’ve found I don’t know what to do with the many duplicates of the same card since I like to use the front in one place, the back in another place, and then don’t want duplicates of the same sentiments.
    • We will offer Pocket Pages in a variety pack so you can easily have somewhere to put your photos and cards.  Smile  And it sounds like Albums will be coming too!  I can’t wait until I can get a sneak peek of the new catalog in 2 weeks.  I’ll be able to give you more of a scoop then!
    • Did you see?  There will be an accessory pack with specialty cards, wood accents, stickers, arrow paper clips, and WASHI TAPE!

    Here is the scoop on when you can get your hands on it!

    You can get everything in the picture above starting May 1st – find them in the online store here.

    You can email me in advance if you know what you want and want me to have everything ready to order on your behalf (I’ll do a group order for anyone who is local to me to help save on shipping)

    or stop by my online storeon May 1st to shop online.

    If you are a demonstrator by April 21st, you will be able to start ordering them early!  Yup, we can start ordering on April 21st.  And you know I’ll be getting mine and can’t wait to start putting together some pages and sharing them with you!

    Have questions?  Leave a comment or email me at jennifer@nwstamper.com and I’d be happy to chat more with you about this exciting new line of products!

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    April Online Stamp Club Hostess Code – G4VQJ7VB
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  • Stamped Scrapbook Pages on a Kiwi Lane Designs Blog Hop

    76834_10152085028263232_1279811947_nI have a fun blog hop for you today and it is something a little bit different!  My friends have gone a little fan girl over Kiwi Lane and their designer templates.  Basically they are plastic templates that you can use to help design your projects by layering them on your base paper to decide what you want it to look like before you actually cut into your paper!  So, when I was offered the chance to play with a set and participate in this blog hop, I jumped at the chance.

    Wanna see what I made?

    Aren’t they cute?!  I swear these pictures make me smile every time I look at them. 🙂

    So, what am I showing off her in this layout besides my cuties?  Three things that are really fun to play with:

    1. The 12” Borders Clara Lane templates from Kiwi Lane.

      See all those waves – I totally traced them and, yes, cut them out.  But don’t they add some nice whimsy to the page? I actually started out this page by laying out a few of the templates on a piece of designer paper to get an idea for how I wanted to put it together:
      clara lane kiwi lane templates sample

      Then I just had to pick my papers, trace, and cut.

    2. Perfect Pennants Stamps from Stampin’ Up

      Have I mentioned how much I love the sentiments from this set?  Plus I had to use the border/pennant element stamps to add a little bit of something extra next to the photos.

      And even the heart next to my favorite little guy!

      (psst – I even used my rotary stamp to date the page!)

    3. Watercolor Wonder designer paper from Stampin’ Up!

      This is one of those sets of paper that I kept thinking was really pretty, but never actually got to cutting into it…. well, fixed that problem!  I loved the colors and decided to go for it on this page.

      And while you can’t see as much of them on the first page, I figured I decided I wanted to do something with the remaining “scraps” of paper that was left over after I cut out my waves for layout 1 and so I whipped together layout 2!

    I just took my leftover designer paper and thought it would make a great edge to a scrapbook page.  I layered them together – Don’t Gasp! – I’ll admit, I cut off the bottom two layers so I could save a ton of the paper for future projects, but I liked the pattern on top for a background for my page.  Then I layered all the waves over another piece of patterned paper (Soft Sky pattern from the paper stacks) to complete the look.

    Here are a few of my favorite touches I wanted to show you up close on this one:

    • Wood starburst accent from the Essentials Wooden Elements
    • Mix and match Washi Tape adding some pop behind my photo
    • Some Natural trim ribbon
    • And if you look REALLY CLOSE, you can see my faux stitching I did along the edge of the wave.  It is actually pretty subtle on the final page in person as well, but gives just a little extra something.

    So, what do you think? Fun, right?

    What I loved, I was able to pull these two layouts together in ONE naptime!  Yup, the first layout took me more of the time, but then the second one using the scraps just came together. I think I have the fun templates and the cute paper patterns to thank for that.

    Want to Win a $25 Gift Certificate to Kiwi Lane?

    You will see some amazing talent on this blog hop, so check everyone out and share the love by leaving a comment on each stop.  The hop runs through 11:59 PM MST on Sunday FEBRUARY 9TH.  A random winner from ONE of the participating blogs (including the Kiwi Lane blog), will be given a $25 gift certificate to the Kiwi Lane Shop, for leaving a comment and will be announced on the Kiwi Lane blog on Thursday, FEBRUARY 13TH.

    Blog Line Up:

    Kiwi Lane
    Charissa Miller
    Claire Spielman
    Lissa Mitchell
    Kristy MacKeen
    Gail Owens
    Arin Flynn
    Holly Gagnon
    Jennifer Blomquist  <—YOU ARE HERE
    Christine Meyer

    Thanks for stopping by and I hope you come back as I share card, scrapbook, and 3D projects regularly each week!  Or join the conversation with me over on Facebook. 🙂

    Happy Hopping!

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    Stampin’ Supplies Used

    Stamps – Perfect Pennants, Remember This rotary stamp
    Ink – Summer Starfruit, So Saffron, Smoky Slate, Markers (Basic Grey, Summer Starfruit, Pacific Point)
    Paper – Watercolor Wonder designer paper, So Saffron cs, Whisper White cs
    Accessories – Summer Starfruit Striped Grosgrain ribbon, Decorative Label Punch, 1-3/4” Circle punch, Pennant framelits, Subtles Candy Dots, Sponge Daubers, Clara Lane (by Kiwi Lane)

    Stampin’ Supplies Used

    Stamps – a Round Array
    Ink – Marina Mist, Marker (Sahara Sand)
    Paper – Watercolor Wonder designer paper, Subtles designer paper stack (Soft Sky), Whisper White cs, Smoky Slate cs
    Accessories – Natural Trim ribbon, Essentials Wooden Accents, Watercolor Wonder Washi tape, Gingham Garden Washi tape, Epic Day washi tape, 7/8” Scallop circle punch, glue dots, Thickers stickers

  • 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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  • Thanksgiving Album from the Tablescape Setting Kit

    I was given one of the Tablescape Setting kits this fall and while I thought it was cute for it’s intended purpose – making neat table settings and food labels – I knew I wasn’t going to be hosting Thanksgiving this year and realistically, wouldn’t be needing table decorations. 

    This is how the kit is designed to be used

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    But, I decided to create a mini-scrapbook album instead!  I used all of the pocket cards to become pocket pages in my album and turned the black squares into photo frames (I just need to print the photos from yesterday to add them to the pages).  You get 20 pages for your album and still end up with LOTS of supplies left over!

    Here are a few of the pages I created:

    Many of the double pages, I’ll put a photo of the family member from Thanksgiving and use the insert page to write a bit about what they are thankful for this year and memories of or from them.

     

    Other pages will just have pictures or descriptions from our day together.

     

    I plan to punch holes in the pocket pages and use rings to hold the pages together.

    All you need to complete this project is the Tablescape Bundle and some brown ink and a sponge (I used Soft Suede).

    The bundle includes everything you see above including the Thankful For single stamp.

    So, hopefully this gives you some ideas for preserving your favorite memories!

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  • Washi Tape on Sale–Make these Projects & More!

    So, I guess the good thing about my internet going out last night and not getting fixed until this morning is that I didn’t get a chance to schedule the blog post I was going to originally share with you today. 

    I still plan to share that project with you soon, but it gave me a chance to see the first of Stampin’ Up’s Daily Deals!  They have decided to offer one product (or set of products) on sale every Thursday of October.

    TODAY ONLY (10/3): you can get any of the following Washi Tape sets for only $3.71:

    Washi Tape daily deal

    So, just to give you some ideas of what you can create, here are some samples I’ve posted in the past.  Click any of the links to see more details on the actual projects:

    Thank You Notes with Gingham Garden Washi Tape Accent

     

    Frosted Glass Butterfly with Washi Tape Trim

     

    Scrapbooking with Epic Day Washi Tape Banners

     

    So, check them out and don’t forget to grab them today while the sale is going on!

    Use Hostess Code XJZ6BCKR when you check out and be entered to win an extra spool of Washi Tape from me!   Smile 

     

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  • Making a Memory Book for Shelli with This & That

    I wanted to share with you today a cool project using the Stampin’ Up! This and That journal that was made as a gift last week for Shelli Gardner by the Founder’s Circle attendees. Since I’m pretty sure she doesn’t read my blog and I’m guessing she got our gift already anyway, it should be safe to share a bunch of pictures.

    So, the backstory is – Shelli was in a horseback riding accident a month ago and suffered major injuries (fractured wrist, pelvis, and clavicle).  She has months of healing and rehabilitations and because of that, she wasn’t able to join us at Founder’s Circle as she does each year.  Everyone attending was sad she couldn’t make it but wanted her to know that we were thinking of her, so someone suggested we put together a book for her.  Patty Bennett offered to bring This and That journals and Sharon Armstrong took over gathering notes and printing photos to put in the book.

    This is the fabulous Miss Sharon with the finished book.  So cute!

    Now, I have a This & That journal… I even took it with me on a trip one time.  But I was so used to scrapbooking by having to have the photos to start with, that I was really challenging myself to figure out using my book.  If you haven’t seen it, this is what a journal looks like:

    The outside:

    image

    The inside (and a bunch of the Epic Day This & That suite):

    But look at how pretty it gets when you add cards, notes, and photos!  Even without getting fancy with embellishments and tape –

    I love that quote!

    Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass.  It’s about learning to dance in the rain.

    I also really loved this quote too.  It was so perfect for Shelli!

    She not only saw the light at the end of the tunnel, she became that light for others.

    And as for the pictures, they are fun because if you look closely, you will notice that Shelli is in each one!  Ha ha! 

    Sharon printed out a picture of Shelli’s head and put it on a popsicle stick so we could all take our picture with her.  Too much fun!

    So, I hope that gives you some new ideas for creating with your journals as well as a neat idea for sending a little sunshine to someone you love.  It doesn’t have to be fancy or over the top… it can be as simple as a note, a card, and a couple pictures; and you have something special and meaningful.

    If you want to make your own journal like this, you can see more ideas and supplies online here:

     This and That Journal & Accessories

     

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  • Quatrefancy Window Sheets for Scrapbooking

    Stylin Stampin Inkspiratin DT badgeOk, so I know I promised to share some projects with the Christmas Star single stamp today… but that was before I remembered that today was the Stylin’ Stampin’ Inkspiration’s scrapbook sketch for the month!  I love playing along with sketches and I don’t scrapbook nearly enough…. so design team duties came first today.  But, I do have my Christmas Star projects and post ready for you… it is just moved to Wednesday now.  I promise this time. Smile 

    But, I still have a fun project to share today!  The amazing Jennifer Campbell put together a great sketch this month and I love it because it was so easy to put together an interesting layout with it.  In fact, this page came together from looking at the sketch to done in less than an hour!!

    September Scrapbook Sketch Layout

    September 2013 SSI scrapbook sketch layout

     

    I have a stash of photos that I know I want to scrap that I got printed at Costco a couple months ago, and so I grabbed the pile and started flipping through until I found the perfect photos I wanted to scrap.

    It was so special to me this year at convention that I had a group of downline who were able to attend with me and share the awesome experience.  And it was so fun to have some friends to cheer with, lounge with, or just share ideas we saw or heard around the convention center.  I really am lucky to be able to call these gals my friends!

    Once I found the pictures and looked at the sketch, I knew I wanted to recreate the group bag tag for my main embellishment.  I used the Fun Flower die to create the same shape, added the Fancy Flower punch, and then a 1-1/4” circle punch out of designer paper.  Then, instead of our group name, I used the Banner Greetings hostess set to create my sentiment and as a throwback to the banner shape in the original sketch.

    My other fun variation was to use the Quatrefancy window sheet that comes with the Quatrefancy Specialty designer series paper.  This is one of those papers that often you look at and think,” how in the heck am I going to use this?”  Well, I loved the subtle pattern effect it gave and thought it would be a great accent to pull out the pattern from the Convention backpack we received this year.  Since the pattern was the same, it was a great way to tie together the photos, designer series paper (from the same pack) and the background paper.

    Using window sheet papers this way is great because it is EASY to figure out adhesive.  If nothing else, you have a HUGE piece of cardstock (from your photo mat) that will be covering up parts of the window sheet strip, and so you can happily put adhesive in that area.  And in this case, I decided to layer some Pear Pizzazz taffeta ribbon over the top, and so I could also run a strip of adhesive across the window sheet to glue it to the base cardstock and then just adhere the ribbon over the top of the window sheet to hide the glue.  Sneaky, huh?!

    So, there you go.  A fun, easy sketch and some ideas to get you started.  If you want to play along and try it out yourself, you can use the sketch above and then hop on over to the Stylin’ Stampin’ Inkspiration blog to add your finished photo to the Linky there.  Or just visit to see other great takes on the basic sketch.  Have fun!

    Card Supplies Used
    Stamps – Banner Greetings
    Ink – Midnight Muse
    Paper – Pool Party Core’dinations cardstock, Quatrefancy designer paper, Pear Pizzazz cs, Whisper White cs
    Accessories – Big Shot, Fun Flower die, Fancy Flower punch, 1-1/4” circle punch, Pear Pizzazz taffeta ribbon, Rhinestones

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  • Stamping with an Embossing Folder for a Scrapbook Sketch

    Happy Monday!  Today over at the Stylin’ Stampin’ INKspiration blog, we are sharing a fun scrapbook sketch idea. 

    I didn’t create the sketch, but let me tell you how much I LOVE designing off of sketches.  It makes the scrapbooking process so much easier for me because I don’t have to think too hard about the set-up of the page (or card!) and instead can focus on things like which color do I want to use and what should I write in my journaling.

     

    Oh, and did I mention that my layouts are typically like my cards…. I start from a sketch or design, pull in key elements, and then totally change everything else up.  But hey!  It’s the inspiration that is important – and the fact that I’m actually getting my photos in an album!

    You may be wondering how I got that honeycomb look on my base paper for my scrapbook…. well, check this out… I used my embossing folder as a stamp!!!

    Seriously, its totally cool!  First I wiped my ink pad across the raised side of the embossing folder to ink it up.

    Then I just flipped over the embossing folder and pressed it down like I would a stamp!  I liked the distressed (didn’t get all the ink down on the paper) look, so I didn’t worry about evenly pressing and getting it all off on the base paper.

    Then for my accents, I created my own layered ribbon banners in the upper corner.  I took some of the Strawberry Slush Ruffle Trim and the Natural Trim ribbons and layered them.  Then snipped the ends at an angle.  Then to soften it even more, I use the Flower Shop bundle to get the simple flower to go on top.

    Finally, I needed a title and ended up actually cutting out my letters using the Typeset Alphabet Bigz dies in the same Wisteria Wonder as the background paper.  But that was a little too tone-on-tone and so I drew around the outside of the letters with my white gel pen to make them pop a bit more. 

    I would say that it worked!  And look at that face… isn’t Sweet a good title too?  Smile  Ok, I really didn’t know what to title these too pictures but I loved them so much that I had to scrap them somehow!

    So, I hope you got some inspiration!  Play along and create your own scrapbook page with this sketch and let me know what you think!

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