Northwest Stamper

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  • Square Card Challenge – LNS challenge #92

    I earned the hostess set Northern Hearts recently and was excited that it matched my Northern Trim letterpress die.  So, its funny that the first card I created with it ended up having nothing to do with the matching die, even though I had finished scraps from the right die lying around.  Oh well, this let me play with my other item I just had to have, but hadn’t used yet – the big buttons from the holiday mini.

    I used markers to color the stamp set and then added one of the biggest buttons in the pack!

    I can’t decide if this is a Christmas/holiday card or not.  What do you think?  Would you send this as a Christmas card?

    Northern Heart Birds Recipe:
    Stamps:     Northern Hearts
    Ink: Cherry Cobbler marker, Pear Pizzazz marker, Blushing Bride marker
    Paper: Crumb Cake CS, Very Vanilla CS, Greenhouse Gala dsp
    Accessories: Paper piercer, Candy Cane Big Designer Buttons

  • Halloween Letterpress Card

    When I was first playing with my letterpress plates and trying out different inks and paper, I ended up with extra pieces as samples.  This Trick or Treat was one of the pieces I made using Confetti White paper and classic Pumpkin Pie ink.  It turned out pretty well, so I had set it aside to use later.  Then, I also had this card base I made using Basic Black paper and torn Old Olive cardstock originally for a punch art card that ended up going a different direction, and so I had that lying around too.  So, put them together and add a fun halloween pumpkin and this is what turned out:

    Punching the pumpkin –

    I also had to get a little creative with the pumpkin.  I didn’t have oval punches, which is what I would normally use, but I did have a 1-1/4” circle punch available.  So, I punched out three full circles from some Tangerine Tango cardstock.  I then slid one of the circles back into the punch so I could punch again, trimming off one side of the circle to make an oval like shape.  Now, I did this by sliding the circle in and tapping the side of the punch to shift it into place – the complete pain in the tush method.  If I were to do this again, I would either stick my circle to the back of a post-it note or use dotto to temporarily adhere the pumpkin to a piece of computer paper so that I had a bigger piece of paper to hold when trying to control how much of the circle I was trimming.

    To finish the pumpkin, I sponged the edges of the circles with Chocolate Chip ink,.  Then overlap two of the circles and adhere together.  Adhere the trimmed circle/”oval” on top of the two circles.  Cut a strip of Old Olive CS and adhere to the back of the pumpkin you just created for a stem.

    Trick or Treat Recipe:
    Ink:     Pumpkin Pie classic ink, Chocolate Chip classic ink
    Paper: Basic Black CS, Confetti White CS, Tangerine Tango CS, Old Olive CS
    Accessories: Trick or Treat letterpress die, 1-1/4″ circle punch, sponge, paper piercer, Ice Rhinestone brads

  • Handmade Holiday – 20% off holiday bundles!

    If you know me, you know I love shopping and that I love sales.  Well, let me tell you, this new sale has me itching to shop because I can get some super cute stuff on sale!  Stampin’ Up! is offering bundles of coordinating products to help you get your holiday projects done and really wow the folks receiving your cards, gift bags, and gifts.  I think my favorite is the Simply Adorned bundle.  I keep eyeing these necklaces and love some of the different inserts I’ve seen created.  My mom has one with a photo of Nicholas on one side and a cute piece of dsp on the other.  Plus, with the new pearl and bead baubles in the Holiday Mini to spiff up your necklace, you can really make these unique for each person you make one for.

    Check out the flyer below to see all of the bundles or visit the online store to see all of the Handmade Holiday offerings

  • A Masculine Birthday

    Here is a quick share for the day; it is my attempt at a masculine birthday card.  My brother-in-law had his 30th birthday and I needed to get some card off to him.  I didn’t want to use a tree set and many of my stamp sets used cutesy animals or had lots of flowers, neither of which scream manly man. 🙂  So, I relied heavily on colors to man-up this card.

    I had some fun with my Party Hearty stamp set by paper piecing the party hats.  I stamped with my Dusty Durango ink and then stamped again on a piece of dsp so I could cut out two more of the party hats to glue over the stamped image.  I also used one of the Texture Plates for the BigShot to create the diamond background in Soft Suede.  The one other piece you might not be able to see, I punched out the Celebrate You stamped image and then behind that punchout, I adhered a scallop circle punch in Dusty Durango.

  • My Digital Studio Professional Print Prices Reduced!

    I was so excited to learn that beginning October 19th, nearly all of the Stampin’ Up! My Digital Studio professional print products will be available at approximately 15-60 percent off regular retail prices! 

    Did you know that beyond scrapbook pages, My Digital Studio helps you create beautiful cards, photo books, multimedia presentations, and calendars? 

    Create your project using digital versions of your favorite Stampin’ Up! projects and then print them at home or select the option from within the program to send your project straight to a professional printer.  This printing company has been working hard with Stampin’ Up! to ensure the finished product quality meets SU’s high standards and have the print colors exactly match the colors of your cardstock and embellishments.  That means you can easily create hybrid projects by printing out your scrapbook page or card front and then add cardstock punchouts, ribbon, brads, or whatever embellishment your heart desires, and you know they will match!

    Print your holiday cards starting at $1.95 a card including envelopes or make photo books or photo calendars as gifts for friends and family this holiday season!

    Download the new pricing flyer

    Don’t have your copy of My Digital Studio yet?
    Shop my online store to get it now or if you are considering joining Stampin’ Up! you can get it as part of the digital starter kit!

  • A Moment of Silence

    This isn’t stamping related but I’m taking a day’s break today from my typical stamping projects and having a virtual moment of silence for my grandfather. 

    My grandfather had been struggling with Alzheimers for the last almost 10 years and had reached the point this year of requiring around the clock care and management.  Admirably, my grandmother stood by and supported and cared for him in their home that whole time until late this summer when she realized she needed more help and he moved into a hospice care home.  Sadly, last week he passed away and today is the funeral.  So, I am in Arizona to spend time with family and remember the man that could be stern and spunky all at the same time.

    So, with that – I am taking today to remember my lost loved one and hoping all of you are surrounded by family and friends who love and support you.  Our cards, scrapbook pages, and other projects are neat to look at, but they are special because of the love and care we put into them that can be felt by those who view and receive them.  So, here is to family and friends and the love and support we can share with each other.

    And to Grandpa, we love you and will miss you.  JAW 1925 – 2010

  • Just Believe Easel Card

    Here is the last of the three fancy fold cards we made this week.  This final card was my first ever easel card.  I had seen lots of folks making them but never took the time to figure them out until this class motivated me to create one.  I started out thinking I wanted to make the card in Elegant Eggplant and that I wanted to use a Wheel stamp.  From there I picked the Just Believe stamp set since it match my Always In Bloom wheel and continued building and embellishing until I got to this:

    butterfly easel card (530x800)

    Now if you aren’t familiar with an Easel card, this type of card is called Easel because the base of the card acts as a stand so that you can have the card front permenantly popped up and on display if you want.  Here is a side view:

    butterfly easel card side (780x800)

    The nice thing is that the card lies flat for mailing.  Here are the steps to create this card:

    1. Cut a piece of cardstock to 4 1/4” x 11” for the card base. 
    2. Then cut a second piece of the base color cardstock at 4 1/4” x 5 1/2” for your card front.
    3. Score the 4 1/4” x 11 paper at 5 1/2” and 8 1/4”.  Fold the card in half at the 5 1/2” score line (like a typical card fold) and then fold the cardstock in the opposite direction at the 8 1/4” fold.  So you end up with the cardstock looking like a zigzag pattern when looking at it from the side. 
    4. Adhere the 4 1/4” x 5 1/2” card front piece to the smaller scored end of the paper so that when you fold the card flat, your card front completely covers your card base.
    5. Embellish your card as desired being sure to add some embellishment or paper layers to the inside of the card base to help “catch and hold” the card front when you open the card.  In the example above I used the Rose Red cardstock with the white stamped layer.

    Tip:  If you are using cardstock layers, you may want to curl/distress the edges so that there is more cardstock sticking up to catch the card front

    Tip:  When wrapping ribbon around a card front, especially closer to the open end of the card, use a bit of adhesive to tack down the center of the ribbon to the inside of your card front.  That keeps the ribbon from sliding when you are tying it as well as keeps it from sliding off the card entirely during handling. 🙂

    Just Believe Easel Card Recipe
    Stamps:      Just Believe, Always in Bloom wheel stamp
    Ink:  Old Olive, Rose Red, Elegant Eggplant
    Paper:  Elegant Eggplant CS, Rose Red CS, Whisper White CS, Blushing Bride hostess dsp
    Accessories:  Whisper White taffeta ribbon, self adhesive Rhinestones, Snail adhesive, Glue dots, Butterfly punch

  • Autumn Spice Gate Fold Card

    Today I wanted to share with you another card we made on our technique night.  For this card, we used the Gate Fold style.  This style can be implemented in a various designs but the most common is the version we used below where you take a standard sized card but score your paper to enable the front to open at a split in the middle.

    IMG_4935 (647x800)To make this card, you want to cut a piece of paper your standard 5 1/2” x 8 1/2”.  Then score the paper at  2 1/8” and 6 3/8”.  This will give you the Gate fold and you can then embellish the card front as you desire. 

    IMG_4937 (643x800)

    Typically folks will create some cardstock or embellishment piece that overlaps both of the front flaps.  Adhere this element to one front flap.  Then on the other flap, adhere a punched piece or 3d element that will overlap the corner of your center piece to help hold the card closed.  In this case, I used an Old Olive button and positioned a glue dot on the lower right of the button back.  This allows me to slide the Cajun Craze paper behind the button.  

    Hope you enjoyed this card!

    Autumn Spice Gate Fold recipe:
    Stamps:      Occasional Quotes
    Paper:  Always Artichoke CS, Very Vanilla CS, Cajun Craze CS, Early Espresso CS, Autumn Spice dsp
    Ink:  Cajun Craze
    Accessories:  2 3/8” scallop circle punch, Corner rounder punch, Ticket Corner punch, Bold Brights buttons (old olive), Glue dots

  • Promotion Updates!

    With a couple promotions coming to a close soon, I wanted to post an update so you had a chance to take advantage of them before they are gone.  

    Tote-ally Cool Free Craft Tote

    There is less than one week left to get the super cute Greenhouse Gala craft tote for free!  

    From now through October 18th, sign up to become a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator and not only will you get over $310 worth of products and supplies in your starter kit for $175, but you will get this roomy tote to hold it all for FREE!  I seriously love mine (I had to buy it when they showed them at convention) and use it all the time.  There are so many amazing benefits and opportunities whether you are looking for a viable business or just an insiders view and discount on all your stamping goodies! 

    Have questions or want to learn more?  Contact me at jennifer@nwstamper.com 

     

    Stamping Roulette

    The spaces are filling up and its almost time to spin the wheel!  Once all the spaces are taken, I will be spinning the wheel and one lucky person is getting a $50 shopping spree on me!

    But you still have time to play!  Use one of the following options to claim your space on the board and be in the running to shop it up!   Here is how you can earn a spot on the board:

    1.  For every $25 you spend with me, you will receive a number on the board.  Yep, that’s right, spend $25 and you could win $50!

    2. Host a workshop with me in October and receive a free space. I offer workshops in your home or workshops in a box for folks who live to far away for an in-home workshop.

    3.  Thinking of becoming a demonstrator?  Join my team and get 3 free numbers on the board!

    Contact me at jennifer@nwstamper.com to reserve your spot or start shopping online through my online store.

     

  • Thanks Joy Fold Card

    Tonight was another fun technique night with my meetup group and we spent the night creating three different “fancy fold” cards.  Specifically, we made a Joy Fold card, a Gate Fold card, and an Easel card.  Here is the first card we created –

    IMG_1563 (3) (800x568)

    This is a Joy Fold card.   That means, instead of the typical folded in half card, you use two pieces of card stock to create your fold.  Here is what it looks like when open:

    IMG_1562 (800x779)

    This is actually a very easy card to create.  Here are the dimensions to create this card yourself:

    1. Cut your base cardstock (in my card it is Poppy Parade) 4 1/4” x 8 1/2”.  Score at 5 1/2”.
    2. Cut one piece of DSP at 4” x 5 1/4” (the Greenhouse Gala blue flower paper above)
    3. Cut a second piece of DSP at 4” x 2 3/4” (the Greenhouse Gala green flower paper above)
    4. Cut your inner cardstock piece at 3” x 8” (I used Daffodil Delight).  Score at 4”.
    5. Adhere your DSP, then position the base cardstock piece in the center of your large DSP.
    6. Decorate your inner cardstock as you wish.  We stamped the ala carte So Many Thanks stamp on a piece of Whisper White paper and then sponged the edge with Daffodil Delight.
    7. Use a punched or cut element to hold down the corner of your inner cardstock on the outside flap.  I used dimensionals on the heart from the Heart to Heart punch out to make a pocket for the corner of the cardstock to fit into.

    These are fun cards to create and gives you a chance to be creative as you play with color combinations of cardstock and different designer paper patterns.  What are your favorite combinations?

  • Embellished Pocket Calendar

    This summer, I discovered at one of those big box fabric stores, some pocket calendars at a rediculously low price.  So, I just had to pick some up (I’m such a sucker for a good sale).  The calendars ran August 2010-July 2011 and so I thought they would be perfect for me to keep in my craft tote for scheduling Stampin’ Up! events while I was out at workshops and classes. 

    But a storebought calendar just wouldn’t do.  So what do we do?  We embellish!!

    I grabbed some of my scraps, punches, and the BigShot and went to town:

    I printed out some of my favorite photos of Nicholas so that they would fit being matted by the 1 1/4” square punch.  They make me smile everytime I pull this out.  Smile And of course, I couldn’t leave the back empty, so I put a photo I love of our family from a vacation this summer. 

    This project is so fast and easy that I made one each for my mom and dad as well.  All you have to do is
    – pull the plastic cover off the calendar and measure the cover
    – cut a piece of DSP that is slightly wider than the cover dimensions
      (you want it slightly longer so that it doesn’t pull away from the ends when you adhere it to the cover and fold it around the spine of the calendar). 
    -I printed off photos and then punched 4 squares out of Basic Gray to use as mattes for my photos using the 1 1/4” square punch. 
    -Then I used the BigShot to cut out the numbers for the year using the Simple Numbers Bigz die. 

    The biggest thing to watch out for is to not add too thick of embellishments and layers so that you can fit your calendar back into the plastic.

    These are a fun, inexpensive gift.  Hmm..,I think I may have to see if I can grab a few more.

  • Making stamping and crafting your business

    Hi all!  I received some fun news yesterday that I just had to share with someone who would understand my excitement; and so I hope you all don’t mind me sharing with you. Smile

    So, some quick background on me.
    I joined Stampin’ Up! three years ago because I loved crafting, teaching others, and I liked the idea of the business opportunity.  Fast forward to this summer and I had spent my time as a demo working on my business here and there but mostly acted as a hobby demo and liberally took advantage of the 20% or more commission and sneak peeks/preorders.  So I decided that after convention this year, I was going to focus on making this really be a business for me.  And that’s what I’ve done the last few months.


    My fun news?
    I was told yesterday that my sales for this year (July 1 to now) are only $10 short of my sales for the entire last year (July 2009- June 2010)! Wow!! I had no idea!


    So, I wanted to thank all of you for your support as friends, blog readers, and customers!  I absolutely love what I do and I love sharing it with you all.

    I thought I would share a card I made almost two years ago but I still think it is a fun little card.

    Now, I’m still building my business but it feels great to know that if you really decide and commit to making stamping and crafting your business, it can work!

    If you’ve thought about becoming a demo, I’d love to answer any questions you have and share information about the business opportunities and the benefits of being a demonstrator.  I know that I’m so glad I did!