Northwest Stamper

Tag: jennifer blomquist

  • A Holiday Card from Halloween Paper?

    So, after making a couple cards recently using the Frightful Sight designer paper , I decided to challenge myself to make a card that had absolutely nothing to do with Halloween using this paper pack.  So, how about a holiday card?

    The black paper with green dots is the backside of the crazy pattern that I call "eyes” and the big colored dots are the backside of the green spider pattern paper.  But when paired with different cardstock, stamps, and embellishments, you would never know they were in a Halloween set!  (If you are curious to see the spider side and the black paper in action on a Halloween card, check out my facebook page where I posted a card with them this year).

    I paired the designer paper with a matting of Old Olive cardstock, and put all that on a base of Cherry Cobbler.  Add some seam binding ribbon and then my stamped sentiment.  Some of the fun things I did with this card is I distressed the edges of my Whisper White cardstock in the center of the card using my scissors and then sponged the edge of the smaller piece with Cherry Cobbler ink.  The ornaments were stamped after I had “stamped-off” twice (where I inked up the image and them stamped twice on scratch paper before stamping “for real” on my paper.  This gave me a light enough image that I could stamp over the ornaments with Basic Black ink and have it be readable.

    So, what do you think?  Think it works?

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    Halloween Pumpkin Card Recipe:
    Stamps:      Tree Trimmings, Many Merry Messages
    Ink:  Old Olive classic, Cherry Cobbler classic, Basic Black classic
    Paper: Cherry Cobbler cardstock, Old Olive cs, Whisper White cs, Frightful Sight designer paper
    Accessories:  Cherry Cobbler seam binding ribbon, Sponge Daubers, Stampin’ Dimensionals

  • Happy Halloween To You

    Well, the calendar says it’s October 31st and so that means it is officially Halloween!  And so whether today holds parties, trick-or-treating, pumpkins, or just hanging out at home; I wanted to wish you a happy and safe Halloween!

    For today’s card, I wanted to get some good time in with this Frightful Sight designer series paper.  See, this is one of those paper packs that I thought was super cute and just my style for Halloween – and then I let it sit on my shelf for months!  Can anyone relate to that?  (Please, someone say yes!)

    Anyway, I realized that Halloween was almost here and so I grabbed my paper and started playing around.  The basic layout of this card was from a sketch my mom shared with me years ago but I think it still holds up.  I sponged the edges of just about everything with Basic Grey ink to help give it a dirty/spooky feel and I especially love how it turned out on the cat.  The pumpkin was made by taking a 1” circle punch and punching out two circles.  I trimmed one down into an oval and then cut the second in half to glue behind the first “circle”.  I finished it off with some scrap Always Artichoke cardstock to make the stem.  Pop a few pieces up on dimensionals and add a Basic Grey corduroy button (currently available for a steal on the clearance rack) and there you go!

    So from our house to yours:

    Have a Spooky, Fun, and Happy Halloween!

    IMG_3589

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    Halloween Pumpkin Card Recipe:
    Stamps:      Teeny Tiny Wishes
    Ink:  Cajun Craze, Basic Grey, Basic Black marker
    Paper: Cajun Craze cardstock, Basic Grey cs, Whisper White cs,  Always Artichoke cs, Frightful Sight designer paper
    Accessories:  1” circle punch, Word Window punch, Modern Label punch, Basic Grey corduroy buttons, Sponge Daubers, Stampin’ Dimensionals

  • A Happy Halloween Owl!

    Halloween is almost here and since I’m so behind on posting, I wanted to hurry up and share a card I made this month using the holiday hostess set called Warmest of Wishes.  I normally don’t get halloween stamps but since this adorable trick or treating owl was a part of the set, I knew this year I had to make at least one Halloween card!

    Trick or Treat Halloween Owl

    I actually got the card layout idea from the October issue of Stampin’ Success (the free monthly magazine sent to all SU demos – see another fun perk of being a demo!)  But I had to play with it and add my own touches.  The trick or treat bag held by the owl is actually stamped in black on Pumpkin Pie cardstock and cut out to add some extra dimension and color.  And with the Rich Razzleberry designer button, I tied linen thread around the Pumpkin Pie ribbon and through the button holes to help gather the PP ribbon.  Then I just used glue dots to hold it in place. 

    This card was fun to make; I may just have to try it for other holidays too!

    Reminder: The Free BigShot Offer Ends Tomorrow!

    If you’ve been looking for an opportunity to do what you love, while getting a 20% discount on your favorite products, now is the perfect time! Through October 31st, you’ll get a FREE Big Shot (or $100 in extra free product of your choice) when you join the Stampin’ Up! family as a demonstrator! 

    This is a killer deal and I know I can’t live without my BigShot. Smile Between the starter kit (valued at over $345) plus this $100 offer, you are getting an awesome chance to start your own business, build your crafting stash, or just get one heck of a Christmas present!  Just remember, you only have until 11:59 MST tomorrow.

    Check out all the benefits of being a demo or Click Here to sign up now!

  • Mix & Matched Embossing Folders Wedding Card

    Ever have those weeks where the mojo just isn’t flowing?   Sometimes I’m jazzed to get crafty but then I sit down at my craft table and just stare at everything and have no idea what to make.  That would be this week for me!

    Thank goodness for swap cards!  Today I thought I’d share a card by Carolyn Dobie that I found inspiring for two different reasons.

    1. Combining two different embossing folders!  I don’t know why I always think that I can only use one textured pattern on a card at a time…this definitely proves otherwise. 
    2. Stamping with Vellum!!  I LOVE the look of vellum, so I don’t know why I never think to grab it.  I love how she stamped her image with Stazon ink and then colored them in with her Stampin’ Write markers.  So pretty and elegant. 

    All together, I think this makes a very simple and sweet wedding card but with a change of a sentiment could be used for just about anything.  I hope you enjoyed it too.  Now I’m off to my craft room to start playing around!

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  • Like Digital Scrapbooking? Now is Your Chance to Win!

    Have you had a chance to try digital scrapbooking and crafting yet? 
    There have been different options out there for a while and last year Stampin’ Up! came out with their own option – My Digital Studio.  I hadn’t done much digital crafting but I loved the idea of “hybrid scrapbooking” where you create a page and them print it out and add more layers, buttons, ribbon, or whatever else you want.  So, I decided to give it a try and boy was it fun!

    MDS Contest Scrapbook 2010

    This was a layout I made for their contest last year – except I submitted it an hour too late last time.  Oops!

    Now it’s your chance to win!

    Well, they’ve announced a new My Digital Studio contest where 6 people will win $400 in My Digital Studio downloads and another 4 people will win $100 in My Digital Studio downloads!  You have until October 15th to submit your favorite scrapbook page and card to be eligible to win.

    You can check out all the contest details here and if you want to see some more samples or learn more about My Digital Studio, there is a whole site filled with inspiration and information called www.mydigitalstudio.net. 

    So, why try My Digital Studio?

    If you haven’t tried digital crafting or My Digital Studio, I thought I’d share what I like about MDS.

    • So many project options!  Cards, scrapbook pages, photo books, multimedia presentations, calendars, journals, and even export your projects for use in things like web page designs, newsletters, business cards, and any other project you can imagine! (Its what i used for my blog design and gift certificates)
    • Digital Downloads can be used in TONS of software programs including Photoshop, Microsoft Word and other Microsoft Office products, PaintShop Pro, Corel Draw, as well as My Digital Studio
    • Send to a professional printer straight from the program…PLUS the printer has been set up to perfectly match Stampin’ Up!’s color palatte.  So, if you are like me and like making hybrid pages, you know that your Old Olive ribbon at home will match the digital version of the Old Olive paper on your layout.
    • Get access to retired stamp images and paper patterns for a fraction of the price!  They keep bringing back some of our old favorites and so if you missed a stamp set, you can get a digital version of many of them.  Then print it out to use on your home projects or use it in your digital projects.
    • Digital downloads and professional print services count towards hostess benefits!!  So, if you are printing a bunch of photo calendars for gifts, you can get free digital or catalog products through the hostess rewards program!

    There are a ton more reasons why I think it is cool, but I don’t want to get too long winded. :)  So, I’m going to work on getting my contest entries done early this year.  If you enter, let me know…I’d love to cheer for you too!

    Click here to get My Digital Studio, digital downloads, and your favorite catalog products here!

  • Warmest of Wishes Christmas Card

    Today is our day to head home from Las Vegas.  Its been a great trip, but I’m ready to head home. But before I fly out, I thought I would share one more card I made with some of my new goodies I brought with me on the trip.  I decided last night that I wanted to play with my new Stocking punch and so I started digging through the limited supplies I brought to see what I had to go with it.

     Noel Stocking Chistmas Card (1024x996)

    Like many of my cards, my original idea didn’t pan out so I started goofing around. IMG_3188 (1024x768) I ended up finding a paper I liked out of the Spice Cake paper pack…see! Its not just for Fall!  Then I used the colors I had with me so I ended up with Cajun Craze and River Rock cardstock and ink.  Some quilted ribbon, drawn faux stitching, and some little pearls and voila!

    i think this is my first Christmas Card of the season.  I have a feeling I’ll be using that stocking punch a lot more in the future.

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    Noel Card Recipe:
    Stamps:      Warmest of Wishes (hostess)
    Ink:  Cajun Craze Stampin’ Write marker, Chocolate chip marker
    Paper: Cajun Craze cardstock, Whisper White cs, River Rock cs, Always Artichoke cs, Spice Cake designer paper
    Accessories:  Early Espresso quilted ribbon, Stocking punch, Decorative Label punch, Regals brads, Paper piercer, mat pack, Stampin’ Dimensionals

  • Warmest of Wishes Spice Cake Card

    It feels great to break into some of my new Holiday Mini goodies.  I knew I wanted to play with the new Spice Cake designer paper and so I pulled out colors from the paper and went from there.

    Warmest of Wishes Holiday Mini Card

    To make some of the different elements i added to the card, I started with 3 panels from the Spice Cake paper and layered them on Early Espresso cardstock.  I then used my markers to color in the Warmest Of Wishes sentiment from the new hostess set, also called Warmest of Wishes. :)  I cut out around the image and then punched out a Decorative Label punch which I cut in half so I could easily layer it behind the sentiment. 

    I did something similar with the ribbon.  i used the Scallop Dotted Ribbon punch to punch out two strips of More Mustard cardstock and then layered them behind the new Early Espresso Quilted ribbon.  i wanted a little something more so i added a loop of the Early Espresso ribbon on each side of the sentiment before adhering to my card. 

    Its not my favorite card of all time but I had a lot of fun playing with everything.  And I can’t wait to play around with some other ideas.  So, off to stamp I go!

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    imageWarmest of Wishes card recipe:
    Stamps:     Warmest of Wishes (hostess) 
    Ink: Old Olive Stampin Write marker, Chocolate Chip marker, Cajun Craze marker 
    Paper: Spice Cake designer paper, More Mustard cardstock, Whisper White cs, Early Espresso cs, Baja Breeze cs, Always Artichoke cs 
    Accessories: Early Espresso quilted ribbon, Decorative Label Punch, Scallop Dotted Ribbon punch, Stampin’ Dimensionals

     

  • Have You Seen The New Holiday Mini?

    Its finally here!  The new Summer Mini has launched and I have to say I’m definitely in trouble with this one!  I already love my Simply Scored scoring tool and the new Spice Cake designer paper.  Yum!!  Check it out and let me know what your favorites are:

    image Need your own copy of the Holiday Mini Catalog?  If you didn’t receive a print copy and would like one free, just send me a note at jennifer@nwstamper.com and I’ll get one out to you right away!

    I’m currently in Las Vegas celebrating my 10 year anniversary with my hubby but being the crazy crafter that I am, I brought some of my new goodies along to play with during our “chill time” in the mornings before we go hit the town.  But if you are ever in Las Vegas and are looking for a great place for a special meal, I’d recommend Prime at the Bellagio.  We were able to get patio seating and this was are view while eating our delicious dinner:

    IMG_3170 It was pretty awesome. :) 

    Anyway, hope you all are having a wonderful friday before a long Labor Day weekend!  I’ll see you back here soon with more fun projects to share!

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  • Two Days Left of the Summer Mini and DSP Sale!

    It seems like summer is just getting started but after looking at the calendar apparently September is almost here! Smile  So, while I guess that is cool because that means back to school, fun fall events are coming soon, and the new Holiday Mini is about to be released.  But…. That also means that there are only 2 more days to get your favorites from the summer mini or to take advantage of the buy 3 get 1 free promotion!

    Click either picture below to get more details.      

    You can also check everything out in the online store here

    I also thought I’d share a card I made using one of my favorite sets from the Summer Mini – Happy Greetings and the super fun bakers twine. 

    You may remember that I had made this same card using the Strength and Hope stamp set back in July but I was wanted to use up some of the extra supplies I had from that card and so I changed it up to use the butterfly punch, some designer paper, and stamps.  I also adhered the butterflies using glue dots only in the center of the butterflies so that I could bend the wings out to make them look like they were flying off the page.

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    Hello, Hello, Hello card recipe:
    Stamps:     Happy Greetings, Punch Potpourri (retired hostess set), Dot Dot Dot
    Ink: Pumpkin Pie classic ink, So Saffron classic ink, Chocolate Chip classic ink
    Paper: Neutrals family pack designer paper, Pumpkin Pie cardstock, Whisper White cs, Chocolate Chip cs, So Saffron cs
    Accessories: Early Espresso bakers twine, Butterfly Punch, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Glue Dots

  • Strength and Hope Pink Ribbon card

    I’m back from my trip to California and I’m happy to share that my nephew’s surgery went well and while he has a lot of recovery ahead of him, he is doing great!  It really is amazing to me how advanced medicine has become these days and how much people go through on the road to a cure.  For example, my nephew was born with a heart condition that would have probably been fatal 20+ years ago but now you would never know he has now had heart surgery twice in his 3 years of life!  Its a lot of work for doctors, nurses, patients, and families; but all that work can lead to miraculous results.

    So, with all this in mind, I thought I’d share with you a card that I received at convention that I thought was beautiful.

    It uses the Strength and Hope stamp set from the Summer Mini – the one Stampin’ Up! is donating $2 for each set sold to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.  I love the use of the ribbon over the stamped image and then the mixed of the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder with the Tulip Frame embossing folder.  Sadly, this card did not have the creators name on the back, so if you know who created it…let me know and I’ll give them credit!

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    image

  • It’s All in The Details

    Well, my adventures in California are coming to a close and I’m about to get back on the road to head back to Washington.  Its been a great chance to visit with friends, family, and my Stampin’ pals.  Thankfully, my nephew’s surgery went great and he seems to be recovering well (enough so that he was discharged on Monday after having a major 5 hr surgery on Thursday!)  So, its been a great trip.

    Plus, while I was down here, I had a chance to participate in a class held by my downline, Bethani Semple  Let me tell you, her cards were great!  I’m so glad I had a chance to do them and try out some new stuff!  I’m still working on uploading the photos I took of the cards I made (I’ll share my faves on facebook when I’m done), but I wanted to share her swap from this years convention..

    card designed by Bethani Semple

    I love all the details in her card – from the inking of the embossed image on the Night of Navy piece – to the sponging and collaged images and rhinestone in the center.  Just goes to show that you don’t have to go over the top but just the right little details make a huge impact!

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  • Simple Button Buddies Vase Card

    I’m still working on getting over my paper and embellishment hoarding tendencies.  I LOVE my pattern papers and all my cute buttons and brads but I always worry about using them up (reality check – its not like there isn’t more out there huh? 🙂 ).  So this is a step on my road to recovery:

    When I saw the Button Buddies stamp set when the new catalog came out, I thought it was a pretty cute set; but then I realized it was perfect for helping me use my “collection” of buttons in lots of fun and cute ways!  So, this is one of the first cards I made with it. 

    If you haven’t seen the stamp set, this is what the images look like:

    image So, in each image, there is a circle or a flower that is *exactly* the right size to be covered by one of the Stampin’ Up! designer buttons.  So, you can have a cute pink pig’s nose or a button belly for your snowman.  I’m personally partial to the flower shaped buttons and thus my card.

    If you want to play with this at home, I kept it really simple and just colored the vase with a Soft Suede marker and colored the flower heads and stems with the Old Olive marker – because you want to color the flower heads so you know where to put the buttons but it doesn’t matter what color they are since they will be covered up!  Also, my favorite adhesive to use when adhering buttons like this is glue dots, so one in the center of each button was perfect.  I’m loving this set; what do you think of it?

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    Button Buddies Vase card recipe:
    Stamps:     Button Buddies
    Ink: Soft Suede marker, Old Olive marker
    Paper: Flirtatious designer paper, Old Olive cardstock, Whisper White cs
    Accessories: Rich Regals designer buttons, Bold Brights designer buttons, Glue Dots