Northwest Stamper

Tag: fun n’ crafty stampers

  • Crafting Forever Using the New 2017-2019 In Colors!

    Crafting Forever Using the New 2017-2019 In Colors!

    Fun n Crafty Blog Hop Team BadgeIt’s time for another great Blog Hop with my Fun n’ Crafty Stampers group!  This month we are playing with the new 2017-2019 In Colors!

    I hope you take a chance to hop through our projects today because these new In Colors are ones that have some surprisingly great colors in the set!  For example, while my far and away favorite new in color is the Berry Burst… I first saw Lemon Lime Twist and thought,”Ack!  How can anyone do anything with this neon yellow/green color?”

    Oh, silly me!

    I soon saw people pairing it with black and white… seriously an amazing combination.  Along with using it in other accent color combinations and now I have to say I think it is my second favorite color in the bunch!  So, lets check out these colors:

    2017-2019 Stampin Up In Colors

    I was inspired by a card by Jenn Tinline and wanted to show off all the new In Colors in one go… and they were a perfect compliment to the pens stamp in the Crafting Forever stamp set!  I used my In Color Markers to color in the pens (you just have to stamp it twice, but I tried stamping it using no special tools and it lined up really easily!)  Then I used the pens again to color directly on the rubber for the sentiment.  A little Berry Burst for the “creative” and Fresh Fig for everything else.Fun tip for this card front.  I wanted my sentiment to look like a tag, but didn’t want to have to do a lot of work to get that look.  So I did it the cheater way!

    1. Stamp your sentiment onto scrap paper and then punch out with a circle punch.
    2. Run a piece of baker’s twine around your cardstock that you want the tag to “hang” from.  Make sure to only tape down the ENDS of the baker’s twine behind the cardstock.
    3. Adhere your circle to the card so that the top of the circle is just underneath your baker’s twine.
    4. Take a second piece of baker’s twine and tie a bow onto the first piece of baker’s twine.  Then position the bow so it looks like it is in the top of the “tag”
    5. Easy peasy done!

    Make this project at home! Here is what you’ll need:

    Crafting Forever Wood-Mount Stamp Set

    $28.00

    Crafting Forever Clear-Mount Stamp Set

    $20.00

    2017-2019 In Color 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

    $8.00

    2017-2019 In Color Stampin' Write Markers

    $15.00

    Basic Black Archival Stampin’ Pad

    $7.00

    Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock

    $9.00

    Sahara Sand 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock

    $8.00

    Basic Black Baker's Twine

    $3.00

    1-1/2" Circle Punch

    $16.00

    Stampin' Dimensionals

    $4.00

    Check out more great ideas on the Fun n’ Crafty Blog Hop!

    So this was my idea using the New In Colors!  I showed you how fun they can be all together in one project, but keep checking out the projects on the hop and you’ll see more color combinations and fun ideas using different colors. 🙂 So, keep the inspiration going by checking out Christine’s projects next!

    Fun N Crafty Blog Hop - Visit Previous Blog
    Fun N Crafty Blog Hop - Visit Next Blog

    1. Christine Szekeres–Artful Musings
    2. Pamela Wu –Stinky Tofu
    3. Kathy Thisted–Stampablog
    4. Merit Brown–MB Squared Designs
    5. Susan Schultz –Stampin’ by the SF Bay
    6. Jennifer Blomquist –Northwest Stamper <– YOU ARE HERE

    In the Bellevue area?  Join me for my Annual Craft Garage Sale!

    I’ve been doing some deep purging of both my house in general and my crafting space.   And just in time for this weekend’s Annual Craft Garage Sale!  This is my big sale where I bring together multiple sellers and many of my retired Stampin’ Up stamps/paper/tools out at a discount for you.  This year we have about a dozen people putting their crafting goodies in the sale so it should be a great sale!

    Friday June 23rd & Saturday June 24th from 9am-3pm at my house in Bellevue, WA.  Get all the details HERE
    bellevue seattle craft garage sale

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  • Congratulations Card for my Fun n’ Crafty Stampers!

    Congratulations Card for my Fun n’ Crafty Stampers!

    So, I’m off with my hubby on an amazing adventure to the Mediterranean – the Stampin’ Up grand vacation cruise!  The grandparents are staying at our house to watch over kitties and kiddos, and I’m so excited to be headed off on this adventure! 

    PS – I don’t expect to have much access to the internet so I probably won’t be on email much for the next week and a half.  But when I can, I’ll try to post pictures of our adventure over on my Facebook page – so I’d love to have you come join me over there!  Visit my Northwest Stamper Facebook page.

    Ok, but back to where I was going with all this – aside from being really stinkin’ excited to get to see cities I’ve only read about AND get to stamp with some amazing folks ON A BOAT!  For reals!  Yep, they will have a hospitality room on the cruise ship and we’ll get to see project ideas and even stamp a little I’m hearing!  Ok, bring it back…. Smile 

    You see, I wouldn’t be on this trip if it wasn’t for my AMAZING Fun n’ Crafty Stamper team.  They are the coolest, most supportive group… and I’m so lucky that I get to share the fun demonstrator experience with them.  So, today’s card is one that I created for them!

    You see, at the beginning of the year, I posed a challenge to them.  I had them set a resolution and goal for something they were going to do to improve their business or their enjoyment of this fun hobby.  They had to track it and report back how they were doing.  And they could earn prizes along the way.  So, this card was for all the folks that completed the challenge – because WOW they rocked it!

    I used scraps to pull it together and some fun collage-y pieces from the Butterfly Basics stamp set to create the background elements.  I love how you can get lots of fun different layouts and look from these stamp pieces.

    I wanted to experiment too with my Wink of Stella and getting cool glitter drops on my page.  I think they turned out really cool – and they are easy to do, the only thing you run into is that if they are extra big or juicy, you get a little bit of staining on the inside flap of the card where it soaks through a little.  But I didn’t mind, and hopefully they didn’t either. Smile

    Making the Glitter Drops with Wink of Stella

    • Start by unscrewing the brush tip from your Wink of Stella brush.  This should expose a black flat circle with a small hole in the middle
    • Make sure you have shaken up you pen too before you start!
    • Hold the pen upside down over your paper (I held mine pretty much vertically) and then squeeze the barrel
    • You can tap the barrel (kind of like you might with a ketchup bottle) to get more of a splatter effect, or just squeeze to get different sized droplets.


    I love finding ways to use up scraps and I especially love getting the chance to cheer and celebrate folks on my team.  Something I plan to do more of going forward!  Because really, they all deserve way more happy mail hand stamped cards coming their way, don’t you think?

    Ever thought of getting the perks of being a Demonstrator?

    There are so many great perks and fun reasons to be a demonstrator, from 20-25% off all your purchases to the amazing community and stamping friends you make – especially on our Fun n’ Crafty team facebook page.  Plus the opportunity to start earning money or even trips when you share your love of creating with others! 

    If you’ve been thinking about it, we’d love to have you join us on the Fun n’ Crafty Stampers team.  Smile  Check out some of the fun and perks here.

    So you know… just sayin’ Winking smile  Only $99 to pick out your starter kit of $125 worth of products, PLUS right now you’ll even be able to pick out new catalog Sneak Peek items!  Yahoo.  Oh, and did I mention shipping is free too?  I can’t wait to welcome you to the fun side.

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    While I'm Cruisin' Special ad

    Start shopping here

    Product List

    Bravo Photopolymer Stamp Set

    $26.00
    Butterfly Basics Wood Stamp Set

    $48.00
    Butterfly Basics Clear Stamp Set

    $36.00
    Butterfly Basics Photopolymer Stamp Set

    $24.00
    Clear Wink Of Stella Glitter Brush

    $8.00
    3/4" Circle Punch

    $13.00
    Blackberry Bliss Classic Stampin' Pad

    $6.50
    Hello Honey Classic Stampin' Pad

    $6.50
    Soft Suede Classic Stampin' Pad

    $6.50
    Sahara Sand 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock

    $7.00
    Soft Suede 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock

    $7.00
    Mint Macaron 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

    $7.00
    Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock

    $8.50
    Stampin' Dimensionals

    $4.00

  • Stampin’ Up OnStage 2016–Getting the Party Started!

    Stampin’ Up OnStage 2016–Getting the Party Started!

    Earlier this week was all about getting ready for OnStage and then Wednesday was travel and Thursday was the first day!  It has been BUSY!  But oh my goodness has it been a wonderful experience!  I can’t even believe where my journey with Stampin’ Up has taken me and I’m so grateful I stuck with it so that I can have amazing experiences like I am this week!

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    I know many of you aren’t able to join us here in Salt Lake City, so I thought I would share a little about the adventures happening here so you can be here with us in spirit… we can always use more crafty friends!

    Over the years, I have built a team of amazing folks that we now call the Fun n’ Crafty Stampers.  There are folks from all across the US from the east coast all the way to Hawaii and many states in between.  So, when OnStage (the new version of Convention) is in Salt Lake City, it is a great opportunity for some of us to travel to reconnect in person, get inspired, try new things, and of course, STAMP!  This year, it is in Utah from April 14-16 and we had 7 of us from the team meeting up here

    IMG_0121So, 6 of us arrived on Wednesday and after meeting up, 5 of us headed south to Riverton for the annual pilgrimage to the Stampin’ Up home office.

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    It is always fun to get to meet and chat with the staff and see what has changed.  This time, there were a few new displays in the Legacy Room museum

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    And we even got to tour the upstairs floor and see Shelli and Rich’s offices!

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    Then it was time for a bit of shopping… driving back in HORRIBLE rain… (sorry guys, didn’t realize the Seattle rain tagged along with us!) and then raced back to the hotel for a fun night of Shoebox Swapping with Dawn Olchefske and Kelly Acheson’s teams.  Better believe some of the cards we made will be showing up in my upcoming classes!

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    Then it was back to the room to finish up card swaps and team gifties!  These are the general swap cards I made for this year and am trading around the convention center.

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    OnStage 2016 – Day 1

    Due to the schedule, we pretty much had the morning to kill, but as a Display Stamper this year, I ended up heading over to start putting up my projects….and can I just say, they picked some AMAZING demonstrators to work on the display boards because they all look fantastic!

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    Unfortunately, I can’ post pictures from that until Monday (due to SU’s spoiler alert” policy.  But I can share photos of us waiting to get our bags and to go in and be part of the party! Notice any pretty colors you like from the banners?  That may or may not be a sneak peek of the new In Colors. Winking smile

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    And of course there was swapping…. I’m very serious about my swapping….

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    seriously CHEESY!  Open-mouthed smile

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    And then it was time for Opening Session!  Hopefully I didn’t hurt the ears of my Mom and Nicole next to me from my screaming.  Let me just say, I freaked out more than once as they gave us the new catalog and I got to see new things that are coming out!  So glad I am a demonstrator and have the demo discount because my wishlist is LOOOOONG! 

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    I know!  I wish I could show you pictures or tell you more details about what I saw in that new catalog and on the presentations but we have a gag order until Monday afternoon.  But I can say, you won’t be disappointed!

    CenterStage Live – Evening Dinner and Entertainment

    Stampin’ Up hosted a lovely incentive dinner that first night to celebrate and thank folks of Silver Elite and above titles – which includes me!  So they bussed us to a nearby swanky hotel where we socialized and had some mocktails. 
    Isn’t Sheri adorable?  She is a lovely friend from Canada who I always love to see at SU events. 

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    Side note, this is one of the coolest parts of attending the SU events, you end up making friends in random places that you connect with for life!  I met Sheri randomly during one of the Make & Take sessions at Convention a couple years ago.  She had been recognized as a Rising Star (one of the demonstrators who had a stellar first years as a demonstrator)  and so I had congratulated her and we hit it off talking.  Just like I met Brandy Cox when we both went to Founder’s Circle for the first time and we had a sweet connection from that.  Now I’m so blessed to see them at events and get to reconnect and share laughs and hugs.  The women you meet in this business really are just some of the most amazing people!  It really does make my heart full!  And I’m so grateful to be able to cheer them on and get to celebrate their successes!

    2016-04-14 22.16.39Anyway, back to CenterStage, enough of my sappy moment. Smile  We ad a fabulous 4 course meal.

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    They even had dueling pianos while we ate which was way more fun than I expected!  I’ve never seen a dueling piano show and it hilarious!

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    So, at the end of the day, iit was an awesome time to meet and/or connect with folks who share this awesome journey with me.  We had a few fun gifts from the company and then it was off to bed to try to get some sleep before we start bright and early in the morning!

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    Wish you could have been here with me!  Hopefully next time you can join the Fun n’ Crafty Stampers at one of the events in the US!


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  • Wrapping up the Stampin’ Up Convention! Highlights, Display Boards, and More!

    It happens every year… the first night of a Stampin’ Up Convention or other event, I stay up late the first night socializing and then blogging/facebooking.  Then the second night, we are up late again… but more tired from the late night/early morning from the day before.  So I get a little less done.  Then by the last day… I’m just toast!  Smile  This year was worse than normal for me as my team had a blast staying up and having in-room “happy hour” as we chatted and some people had some wine.  But after coming home at midnight on Saturday and then spending time with the family before the hubby turned around for his turn to go on a business trip) I rested and am finally catching up on the last bit of sharing! 

    I wanted to give you the full experience, so WARNING! Lots of pictures ahead! Smile

    Stampin’ Up Convention 2015 – Day 2

    As always there are a ton of demonstrators gathered for Convention, but I love getting a chance to meet and mingle with everyone!  By day 2, my crew had a plan in place for snagging seats for our group.  I just had to sneak away for a minute to snap a quick pick of some of the crowd eagerly awaiting the chance to get in for day 2!

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    I also love the chance to see and say hello to some of the amazing Stampin’ Up Home office staff who make these events and all the support for demonstrators so great throughout the year.  Like the lovely Miss Andrea Withers and the fabulous Bonnie Farley!

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    Plus they always play fun music while we are waiting for the session to start so you have to stand up and dance a little!  See, even Tanya, Nicole, and Carla were getting into it. Smile

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    There were awesome stamping demonstrations featuring new products like new Black Glimmer Paper, new stamps, and a new Pillow Box die!!

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    And new spiderweb doilies, framelits, papers, and even new fall wood accents!

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    Of course there was Prize Patrol!  Monica and I won the new Project Life stamp set coming in the Holiday Catalog.

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    Then on to a workshop demonstration and Make & Takes!2015-07-24 14.32.05

    I totally meant to finish my projects… but I was chatting and getting way to excited about some of the new product I got to play with!

    FINE TIP GLUE!!!!!  With a pin in the cap so that the tip doesn’t get sealed up!

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    And new Archival Ink in Basic Black and Basic Grey.

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    The new ink pad stamps like a dream!  They use the old linen pads and are a new formula but they are AWESOME!  I fell totally in love when I was using it on the make & take… so imagine my excitement when they ended up giving the out to everyone at convention!  Yay!!

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    As usual, there was lots of swapping

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    And as you wandered around the Gathering Place, you could see lots of the new products as samples or to just play with… such as these edgelits (there are 3 in the pack! Trees, sleigh, and cottages)

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    New embossing folder of birch trees

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    And window/fireplace scene stamp set and framelit bundles!  There are two bundles… one all about the fireplace

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    and one all about the window frame and scenery

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    Then it was time for more classes and stamping presentations

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    Let me just say this bird set is going to be HUGE this year!

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    psst – new punch alert!!

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    psst – another new punch alert!

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    I even got to walk across the stage for earning the Grand Vacation – the Mediterranean Cruise – which was fun!

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    And in addition to spoiling us at the event with great places to relax and chat and share with other demonstrators, prizes, and inspiration… for everyone who earned an annual award or had reached a milestone anniversary with the company, we had a little relaxation space that not only had some treats and drinks, but they also gave us this reuseable trash bin filled with lots of goodies!  I didn’t have that stamp set yet either – so super bonus score!

    annual award goodie bag

    Then we had the evening to ourselves so the crew headed to Olive Garden before heading back to the hotel for a dip in the Hot Tub and day 2 of “happy hour”.  I also got a chance to catch up with some other great friends, especially my great friend Sarah Naber

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    I went to bed “early” as it was only 1am… not too bad for me on an event night! Smile

    Stampin Up Convention Day 3

    With the sun rising on Day 3, it was my last day in Salt Lake City.  The main convention event only went until lunch time, so there was a lot to get through in a little bit of time!

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    … I always love having this view from my room!  Its my happy place!…

    I spent some time in the morning checking out the display boards… they were entirely filled with cards brought by other demonstrators this year and they were fantastic!  Like how stinkin’ adorable is this bird?

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    *** See all the display board cards in pictures on my Facebook Page here ***

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    Rich Judkins, the President of Stampin’ Up, came out and shared a great story on perspective and talked about how the company was doing both from a numbers perspective and from a morale perspective.  It was honest, and real… and great example of him sharing that the executive team really does hear how demonstrators are feeling, what we are concerned about, and CARES about us!  There is a lot of change this year and we all know it is tough, but they are trying to make things better for demonstrators and keep improving as they hear our feedback.  It was seriously great and reassuring to hear!

    We had more stamping demonstrations… so more cute ideas!

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    and new product!  Must have this snowflake stamp set/punch bundle and those wood snowflakes!!

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    and more cute stuff!

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    Double wide pillow box using the new pillow box thinlit!

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    And of course, more prize patrol!

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    Plus something for everyone!  Hand painted holiday paper for all of us… thanks, Stampin’ Up!

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    And with that, convention was over!  I had the opportunity to attend some additional leaders training in the afternoon.  I got to chat with Sara (seriously the most down to earth CEO there is!)

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    And for those of you who have seen Brian Pilling bring Diet Coke to the presenters on stage at events before… he does it in real life too!  Isn’t he sweet for taking care of everyone!

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    The training was a great way to review what I learned and think about how to make improvements to my business but also how to use it to help my team as well!  So much to get implementing for all my crew as the year goes on!

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    Fun Fact!  My Mom and I have attended every Convention together since I joined and 2 leaderships.  So this was our 7th Convention together… .how cool is that?!?

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    We celebrated the end of a great weekend with some Strawberry Shortcake before heading to the airport to say good-bye once again to Salt Lake City and back to our amazing, supportive families!

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    So, I hope you enjoyed my recap.  Wish you were there (unless you were there – in which case, glad to celebrate with you!)  I’m already looking forward to the new On Stage events coming up starting in November.  I’d love to have you go with me.  All you have to do is let me know you want to go, snag the great deal that is the starter kit so you can become a member of my Fun n’ Crafty Stampers and then register!  We have an awesome group and you will have a blast!

    Give it a try!  Join the Fun and pick out your Starter Kit here

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    Until next time… keep it fun and happy stamping!

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  • Sprinkles of Life Cupcake Birthday for the Fun n’ Crafty Blog Hop – (Wednesday Walkthrough Video Tutorial)

    If you missed it yesterday, the new 2015 Stampin’ Up annual catalog launched yesterday and so today we are in full swing of everything ramped up and ready to go with all the changes that come with the new catalog.  If you haven’t seen yours yet, here is the link to the new catalog and to my new catalog walkthrough video that went up on my YouTube channel yesterday.

    See the new catalog PDF  |  Check out my new catalog walkthrough on YouTube!

    But not only is the new catalog here but it is once again time for another Fun n’ Crafty Stampers Blog Hop!  We were supposed to be mixing products from the new catalog with items from the prior catalog… you know, the good ol’ mixing of old and new.  And I can tell you, the new products do that great, especially the new In Colors!   So, while I got a little excited playing with my new stuff, I did at least mix in some old colors and my 2-1/2” circle punch to do a bit of old and new.  So it counts, right? Smile

    Triple Banner Punch + Cherry on Top paper + Sprinkles of Life stamp set = a Bright Birthday Card!

    As I was working on this card, I got inspired to put together a whole Card Class by Mail around this super duper awesome stamp set – so this is card 1 from my new Sprinkles of Life card class by mail!

    Tips for making this card:

    • The new “Banner Triple Punch” or as I call it, the Triple Banner punch, makes these banners come together super easy.  Sure, it doesn’t take that long to trim paper ends by hand with your scissors, but after using this, I can tell how great it is to not have to worry about being a little off… or wanting to go quick because I want to have 2 or 3 banner ends per card!
    • Use the color palatte of your designer paper to get you started!  In this case, I pulled the Crushed Curry ink, Watermelon Wonder, and Bermuda Bay from the Cherry on Top designer paper pack.  It really pulls everything together!
    • The Sprinkles of Life stamp set gives you a TON of options for your projects

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      – especially when you add in the Tree Builder punch.  Because then suddenly you get so much dimension for your clouds, trees, and cupcakes!image
    • Sponge the edges of your banners to help them POP and keep from blending into one another.  It use Crushed Curry as a bright alternative to my typical browns.
    • Get more control and a better sponged edge when you use a Sponge Dauber for your inking as opposed to direct to inkpad or the yellow sponges.
    • Don’t be afraid to stamp onto non-traditional colors!  I don’t think of Watermelon Wonder and Bermuda Bay as real-life cupcake colors, but they still totally work on a card!
    • Use the flower punch from the Tree Builder punch to get the little accent flower and then bling it up with the smallest sized rhinestone.
    • Add the perfect finishing touch with the new Dotted Lace Trim in all the new In Colors (though I have to say the Watermelon color in the lace is my FAV!)

    Watch my Wednesday Walkthrough video for even more tips and to see just how easy it is to pull this card together! And then make sure to hop along to all the other great project ideas on our Hop!

     

    (viewing this in email?  You can find the Wednesday Walkthrough video here)

    Don’t miss out on all the other great project ideas waiting for you on the hop!

    Fun & Crafty Blog Hop

    Jennifer B. of Northwest Stamper <–YOU ARE HERE

    Tobe B. of The Craft Sea

    Susan S. of Stampin’ By The SF Bay

    Pam W. of Stinky Tofu

    Sara G. of 1200 Some Miles

     

     

    And if you are interested in more ideas with this stamp set and/or are interested in being able to make all of these cards at home, make sure to register soon for this class by mail!

    Sign up for this class here

    Did you know?  Members of my Fun n’ Crafty downline get all my class by mail tutorials for free?  Its my way of helping you learn more ideas for sharing classes or projects with your friends and customers!

    Plus, with the get 2 free additional stamp sets when you sign up this month, you can pick up this Sprinkles of Life stamp set as a free bonus item! Get started here

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  • Gorgeous Farewell to Four Feathers with a Maritime Thank You Card by Pamela Wu

    Remember the other day when I said I really liked the Maritime designer paper?  Here is another example of why you should too. Smile

    Card created by Pamela Wu

    Featured Retiring Products:

    Get them before they are gone by the end of the month!

    I love all the details and added touches she did with the card!  It’s the little things that make all the difference!

    Tips for making this card:

    • The Four Feathers stamp set is a carryover set that does not appear in the new catalog, so it looks like June 2nd will be your last chance to get it.  Save 15%  by getting the matching framelits and stamps in a bundle!  Its only $20 for clearmount rubber stamps and dies!
    • Add some pizzazz to your feathers by using the Rock n’ Roll technique.  Ink up your stamp with Pool Party ink and then gently roll the stamp in a circle on a Night of Navy ink pad to just get the edges of your image inked up in the darker color.
      Doesn’t it look awesome here:
    • With the A Happy Hooray stamp set, you get another feather design (though it doesn’t quite match the framelits) along with some sentiments that match your punches.  In this case, the thanks matches the 1-3/8” circle punch!  Layer it with the 1-3/4” circle punch for a great look.
    • I LOVE how she added the mini brads to the lines in the thanks.  Honestly, I think that is my favorite touch. Smile

    I got this card as part of our team card swap that we run when new catalogs come out.  I love to see the creativity and ideas that everyone brings to the table when we do these swaps!  We’d love to have you join us!

    Especially with the new catalog if you:

    • Have at least $100 in product you want from the new catalog
    • Have friends or family who are excited about the new catalog
    • Spend money on crafting supplies each month

    Consider the starter kit!  It is a no obligation, membership into the fun world of being a demo and joining with me and my group, you are a part of our fun, creative, supportive, sharing family!  And you can get in on our next Annual Catalog card swap that we are doing in late June!

    Plus!  Get 2 free stamp of your choice, of ANY VALUE when you join starting June 2nd.

    There are over 34 of us across the US and we can’t wait to welcome you!

    join my team

     

    Have questions or just can’t wait to tell me you are ready to go once June 2nd gets here?  (I love both of those!) Email me at jennifer@nwstamper.com!

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    Project Supplies Used:

  • Curvy Keepsake Easter Bunny Tutorial for the Fun n’ Crafty Blog Hop!

    Yay!  It’s time for another Blog Hop with the Fun n’ Crafty stampers, my lovely and talented downline that I’m blessed to have connected with and become friends with over the last few years!  (I told you SU is pretty awesome, right?)  Well, today we are doing our monthly blog hop a little bit early because we wanted to share with you some Easter ideas while you still had time to make them!  And while I had plans to make another card to show you, I got knocked out with a stomach bug over the last few days, so it was all I could do to get this little video tutorial filmed.  So I hope you like it!

    So here is my little bunny box for you.  I think I’m going to fill mine with jelly beans and put them in my kids Easter baskets this year – because that is what is so awesome about this, it is a treat box AND a cute decoration in one!

    I’ve also been making this in my card classes this month as a bonus project (I have one left coming up this Saturday if you are in the Seattle area Winking smile) and everyone have been having lots of fun with them and so I can vouch that ANYONE can make them.

    Tips for making this project:

    • When putting together your box and adhering your ears, make sure you are using VERY STRONG adhesive such as the Fast Fuse or Sticky Strip.  I wouldn’t trust snail or liquid glue to hold up over time.  In fact, my first couple boxes I made last year I used snail and they started popping apart a few weeks later.
    • I built my box first and then adhered all the punched elements – mostly with liquid glue.  I saved my inking with pen for last so I could see how it all had come together.
    • Here is a list of the punches used (see the supply list at the bottom of the page for pictures of each of these punches if you are more visual like me!)
      –  Extra Large Oval
      –  Large Oval
      –  Modern Label
      –  Owl Builder
      –  1/2” circle
      –  Mini treat back die
    • If you need any of these supplies, now is a great time to get them thanks to Sale-a-Bration!  For every $50 you spend, you’ll get to pick out something free… in fact, you can even pick out a refill for your Fast Fuse as a free item if you want!Check it out:  Original Sale-a-Braiton Items  |  March additions  |  Annual Catalog Choices

    I also put together a Video Tutorial for How to Make the Bunny– now the first few minutes are tips and tricks for the curvy keepsake box and then I start step by step walking through going from punches to bunny!

    (note – if you are reading this from email, you won’t see the video so click the link above)

    I’ll be back later with more fun Easter ideas but in the meantime, don’t wait!  Check out the great projects shared by these lovely ladies and don’t forget to give them some love along the way!
    **Blog hop starts at 7am PST on 3/25**

    Fun & Crafty Blog Hop

    Tobe B. of The Craft Sea

    Sarah G. of 1200 Some Miles

    Jennifer B. of Northwest Stamper <—YOU ARE HERE

    Pam W. of Stinky Tofu


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    Project Supplies Used:
    Easy shopping anytime!  Click the images below to see the item in the online store.

  • Holiday Catalog Project Inspiration from the Fun n’ Crafty Stampers

    I am so incredibly grateful for my Fun n’ Craft team of demonstrators.  They are an awesome group of crafters and just overall wonderful people.  In our group, we have Pam Wu who has started organizing card swaps for our team each time a new catalog comes out.  We usually have a good amount of people participate and let me say… the cards are off the charts awesome!  So today we thought we would do a little mini-blog hop to share them with you.

    Here is my simple card that I swapped:

    Tips for creating this card:

    • The new Fall Fest stamp set makes this card quick and easy to create because the leaves and pumpkins are all part of the same set.  Plus, with matching framelits, cutting them out is a snap!  So, definitely grab the bundle and save 15% while you are at it.
    • Use the same color ink as your card base for stamping the little leaves randomly all over the front of the card.  This gives you a nice tone-on-tone look without being too busy or overwhelming your card.
    • Cut out both pumpkins with the framelits and pop them up on dimensionals for dimension to your card while still keeping it super simple


      Use a small strip of the Burlap Ribbon to give it a real fall look.

    And for the sentiment, I used the Host Special stamp set – Good Greetings!

    Good_Greetings

    This set is fabulous, especially for holiday cards and you still have time to get it free!  Host a party (it can be in person or an online only party) or place a $300 order and you’ll get it free on top of your regular hostess benefits.  Email me at jennifer@nwstamper.com if you would like to set something up so you can get it! Smile

    See more amazing Holiday Catalog samples here –

    We had 4 more people participate in the swap (just for one reason or another, they weren’t able to participate in our little blog hop) , so I’ll be sharing their cards here on the blog tomorrow!  I hope you can come back and join me!

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    Hostess Code:  C2HYWWQM Use this Hostess Code and receive a free gift!
    (Please do not use the Hostess Code if your order is $150 or more)

    Card Supplies Used:

  • Stampin’ Up Convention Day 2–Make & Takes, Parties, and More

    Stampin’ Up Convention Day 2–Make & Takes, Parties, and More

    Good morning from Salt Lake!  I’m supposed to be eating my breakfast and getting to the main stage but I wanted to share a few highlights from yesterday at Convention.  Its been an amazing adventure so far, and

    if you want to see more photos and news, it is all up over on my Facebook page – check it out!

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    This was our Fun n’ Crafty group here – aren’t they cute? Smile 

    Project Samples:

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    Make & Takes:  Pictures to come soon for what we made!!

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    New Product trials:

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    It was fun stamping next to Patty Bennett!  Plus a new gift box punch board is coming!

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    Awards night after party (more pic are on Facebook of this Smile)

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    It was an awesome day and I’ll leave you with this great quote I saw yesterday!

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    Thanks for following along with me.  I’ll have lots and lots more to share with you soon!

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    FREE SHIPPING Convention Special! Get free shipping on all orders through 7/20/2014 when you use the hostess code 7RDHVEKR. Shop online

  • Fun n’ Crafty Blog Hop–Let’s Use That Designer Paper!

    Fun n’ Crafty Blog Hop–Let’s Use That Designer Paper!

    Are blog hop imageyou ready for some inspiration for your designer paper?  Yes, all that beautiful patterned paper that you either have at home or have been eyeing up in the catalog.  Then hang on to your hats because today is the monthly Fun n’ Crafty blog hop and we are featuring projects that use designer paper! Many of the papers featured are included in the July Buy 3 get 1 free promotion, so if you find some favorites along the way, you don’t have to feel so bad because they are on sale! Winking smile

    Idea #1 – Let Your Designer Paper be Your Focal Point

    I’m going to be sharing two cards today, but this first one is the type that would have had me cringing a year ago… because I use “big” pieces of 2 sheets of paper!  Gasp! I know, right?  But the thing is, I realized that when I actually let myself use my papers, they make great borders and backgrounds. These patterns are from my new favorite paper collections from the Stampin’ Up catalog – Maritime Designer Paper. image I’m not normally a nautical person, but I love how many of the prints can be used for any type of card… but especially masculine cards!! I added some Silver Foil paper, some baker’s twine, a Cherry Cobbler button, and the sentiment from the Hip Notes stamp set. And if you noticed from the first picture, I had the Silver Foil paper curved so that it gave some dimension to the banner.  To help hold that curve in place, I stacked 2 Stampin’ Dimensionals on top of each other and then placed the stack under the raised curve part of the banner to keep it held up.  The other end is glued straight down to the card front.

    Idea #2 – Try Some Paper Piecing

    I’ve been meaning to try paper piecing with this stamp set (Vivid Vases) for ages, so now seemed like the perfect time to actually get it done! If you aren’t familiar with paper piecing, it is the idea of taking a stamp set with outline images that you would normally want to color in and instead of coloring in with markers, you stamp your image again on a piece of patterned paper and cut it out to glue on top of your stamped image. paper piecing example So, in this case, I used the new Flower Pot designer paper to give me a fun and funky floral background as well as for patterns for each of my pots.  Each paper used in this card are all from this one paper set. image Then when I was done, I was grateful for Stampin’ Up’s color cordination between products because I needed something and really wanted some ribbon to match without competing with all the colors and images I already had used.  Thankfully I was able to grab some Calypso Coral seam binding ribbon and Mossy Meadow stitched satin ribbon to complete the card. So hopefully you enjoyed these ideas for using up some of the paper in your stash! Lets keep the fun going and hop on over to Kathy’s blog for more ideas to try! Blog Hop Participants:

     

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    July Online Stamp Club Hostess Code – 7RDHVEKR Use this code to get free exclusive tutorials & project kit!  Learn more

  • Check out that NEW Fun n’ Crafty Blog Hop!

    10383580_10204078098778853_972456530417495748_nWelcome to the Fun n’ Crafty Blog Hop for June! I’ve been seeing the amazing talent of the folks in my Fun n’ Crafty group of demonstrators and I thought it would be fun for us to start a monthly hop to showcase everyone’s work and give you lots of ideas around different themes.

    I’m so excited for this inaugural blog hop and hope you enjoy all the inspiration.  This month we will be showcasing project ideas from the NEW Stampin’ Up annual catalog. So make sure to check out the list of stops on the hop at the bottom of this post to see them all!

    So, here is my contribution… a lovely catalog CASE only my card is using the new Blended Blooms stamp.

    Here is my inspiration for the card… you can find it on page 170 in your catalog.  It is showing the new Sweetbriar Rose stamp, which I don’t have…and I don’t have the paper yet either.  But that is ok, you just make it work with what you have!image

    There were lots of cards and projects that I saw that I really wanted to try but this one jumped out at me and I had to give it a go.   I liked the idea of coloring directly on a non-white cardstock and I figured it was a good excuse to bust out my Blendabilities markers.  (Stampin’ Up’s new alcohol ink markers ~ available now to demonstrators and coming soon to everyone later this summer)

    And I’m pretty excited because this is my first real attempt using my Blendabilties and I think it turned out pretty well.  Now imagine how this would look on white cardstock!

    I loved all the little touches in this card too.  From the bit of White Tea Lace Doilies to the faux stitchiing at the edge of each piece of designer paper… because you KNOW I don’t have a sewing machine or the time to do much of any hand stitching. 🙂

    Now one thing you’ll learn from using Blendabilities is that they do bleed through the paper.  Thankfully, in some cases, it actually looks pretty pretty on the inside. Don’t you think?

    I made one more card but in the interest of time, I’ll share it later this week so you can move on to see some of the other great projects in the hop!

    So make sure you visit the links below and make sure to leave them some love by commenting and letting them know what you think of their interpretations!

    Blog Hop Participants:

     

    And if you are thinking of joining Stampin’ Up (or just want to get your hands on Blendabilities now!) take advantage of the $50 Starter Kit promotion through the end of June.  And if you join with myself or one of the folks on the blog hop, we’d love to welcome you into our Fun n’ Crafty stampers group and invite you to participate in our hop too!

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

     vintage-Blended-Blooms-thank-you-card.jpgStampin’ Up Supplies Used
    Stamps – Blended Blooms, Hip Notes
    Ink – Memento Black, Mossy Meadow, Blendabilities Marker sets (Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie), Crumb Cake marker
    Paper – Crumb Cake cardstock, Whisper White cardstock, Regals Designer Series Paper Stack
    Accessories – Banner punch, Tea Lace Doilies, Essentials Piercing Pack, Piercing Pad, Piercing tool

  • Group Project Creations from our Team Iron Stamper Challenge!

    Group Project Creations from our Team Iron Stamper Challenge!

    *** Reminder – Tomorrow (June 1, 2014) is the LAST DAY to order from the Occasions Catalog!  So make sure you’ve gotten your favorites before their gone by shopping online now. ***

    I have been so excited to watch my Fun n’ Crafty team grow and so I’ve been wanting to start doing more to try to provide opportunities for everyone to get together, learn from each other, and have fun stamping together.  So, I’ve started working on roughly quarterly group events I’m calling Stamp  & Shares.  This last time, I wanted to have some kind of game for everyone to play.  So, I came up with the idea of an “Iron Stamper” challenge for us to do early in the afternoon.  The idea was that everyone would be broken up into teams and we would have to work as a group to create projects using predefined supplies.  No one knew what the supplies would be ahead of time, so it was fun for everyone to brainstorm and create together on the fly! 

    The supplies they all had to work from were:

    They couldn’t use any other supplies than what was provided in the box and the only had 40 minutes as a group to design and create 2 projects using what was in their box.  I have to say, I was so impressed with the creativity that came out in that short amount of time! 

    Check out what they created:

    Team 1 – Liz Mitchell, Kathy Thisted, and Rose Bryson

    First they created a card.  And I love how they came up with using one of the petals from the Pansy punch to make a heart!  Way to work with what you have!  Plus I thought it was such a great idea to add Washi tape to the bottom of a piece of cardstock and THEN punch with the scallop punch.  Aren’t they clever?

    At the last minute, they realized the instructions for the challenge was to create 2 projects, so they pulled together this box very quickly:

    I loved how they stamped and punched the Flower Shop image and then punched out a piece of the Gold Foil vellum and used it as a punched overlay too.

    Team 2 – Tanya Cabral, Annie Lee, Jennifer Blomquist

    This group stuck more to cards but really got into the vellum paper.  And Tanya came up with the fun idea of stamping directly on the vellum for a central layer:

    For the second card, I thought it was cool how Annie came up with the layers of scallop edge punched designer paper on the left side… like a little layer of ruffles!  Then the combination of stamping under the vellum and adhering stamped images over the vellum.

    You can kind of see that the Petite Petals images and the Flower Shop punched flower are BELOW the vellum, and one of the punched out petite petal flowers is ON TOP of the Vellum.

    It was a great afternoon and I’m working on our next group demo event!  It is looking like I may hold it off until July so I can run it right after convention and share all the projects and details I learned at convention with everyone!  If you would like to be on the email list for more details for when the event is announced and registration opens, let me know at jennifer@nwstamper.com and I’ll make sure you are kept in the know!

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    May Online Stamp Club Hostess Code – ZUBHUEK6
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