Northwest Stamper

Tag: sale-a-bration

  • Using Ice Cream Parlor Quick Accents for Scrapbooking

    So, here is my story, to which I think a number of you can relate.  Smile 

    Many months ago, I printed out a ton of pictures of my son because I was going to create a baby album for him.  I have a stack of at least 40 pictures from his first month alone, plus baby shower pictures and maternity pictures.  I even went so far as to figure out how to layout about 6 pages of these pictures a while back (though do I have any idea what those layouts were at this point? Nope!) but then the pictures went back into the stack.  And there they still sit…in a stack…on a shelf.

    But I had an epiphany today!  I was avoiding scrapping those pictures because, aside from being busy, I was wanting to make “the just right” layout with the images including the perfect paper, embellishments, etc.  But I realized, its way more important to get the information written down and the pictures in a place they might actually be looked at, then having the perfect layout.  Especially in this world of digital photography, just put some layout together and you can always print the pictures again if you want to make it "perfect” later!

    So, with that in mind, I put together this layout yesterday afternoon during Nicholas’ nap.  I was challenging myself to use the Ice Cream Parlor Designer Paper and Quick Accent die cut stickers in a layout and I actually think they turned out rather well!

    With the exception of some cardstock and the BigShot Alphabet dies, everything comes from the Ice Cream Parlor Designer Paper and Quick Accents bundle from the Sale-a-bration catalog.  Because the quick accents are stickers, it made it really easy to put this page together!  There are still a few days left to earn them with your order or enter my color challenge and you’ll have a chance to win some Quick Accents to play with.

    Now, if only I dare to pull down my wedding pictures from 10 years ago and get started with them too… I guess one step at a time!

     

    Shop now and get your FREE Sale-a-Bration goodies

    Only 4 days left of Sale-a-Bration!  Did you get your FREE stamps?

    View the Sale-a-Bration catalog here

    Going Home Scrapbook Recipe
    Ink:      Early Espresso (to sponge the title letters)
    Paper:  Ice Cream Parlor designer paper (SAB), Early Espresso cardstock, Certainly Celery cardstock, River Rock cardstock
    Accessories:  Ice Cream Parlor Quick Accent stickers, 2 1/2” Circle Punch, Sponge Daubers, Sizzix Simple Letters Alphabet bigz die

  • A Spring Color Challenge – Play along and win!

    Yesterday afternoon, I was putting the supplies away from my card class I ran on Thursday and had decided to sit down and make up some of the extra cards.  At one point, I looked up on my table and saw four markers sitting there and all I could think of was “Wow! That looks like it would make an awesome Spring card!”

    I didn’t get a chance to make my card yet because Nicholas (my 1 yr old stamper-to-be) was insisting it was almost dinner time; but I thought this would be a great color challenge to share with you all!  And its been a while since I did some kind of giveaway on my blog, so I thought why not combine the two? Smile So, here is your challenge:

    Spring Color Challenge

    Use the following colors in a project:

    • Marina Mist
    • Old Olive
    • Melon Mambo
    • Daffodil Delight

    You could make a card, a scrapbook page, a 3D item, or anything you feel inspired to do!  My goal is for you to try out a fun new color combination that you might not have tried before.  Color Challenge

    Don’t have one of the exact colors?  That’s ok!  Use something similar for a similar effect.

    Now, on to the fun stuff – a giveaway!

     

    Wanna win some goodies from me?

    **Post your completed project on my Facebook page here – NWStamper Fan Page ; or send me a picture of your project to jennifer@nwstamper.com.  **

    By sharing your awesome ideas, I’ll put your name in a random drawing to win.  What will you win, you ask?  How about a half sheet of Ice Cream Parlor Die Cut Stickers, some Ice Cream Parlor ribbon, and a card kit with supplies to make 4 of these cards from my recent card classes:

    You can even pick the color of buttons for your kit. Smile So, between the coordinating stickers, ribbon, and the cardstock and papers, you will have lots of options for some fun bright and cheery cards.  I’ll post some of the challenge submissions here on my blog as well to help give you some extra ideas along the way too (obviously with full credit to the brilliant creator who made it!).

    I will be drawing a winner at 10pm PST on 3/31, so make sure you get your entries posted by then!

    So, until then I hope you enjoy this color challenge – I know I can’t wait to play along myself!

    Click here to shop online 24/7!

    Only 6 days left of Sale-a-Bration!  Did you get your FREE stamps?

    View the Sale-a-Bration catalog here

  • One Week Left to get Free Sale-a-Bration Goodies Like These!

    Oh my goodness, is it seriously almost April already?  How did that happen? That also means that there are only a handful of days left in Sale-a-Bration!

    This is also usually the time that I get wistful that some awesome stamps and accessories are about to be retired and I use the heck out of them to make up for lost time. And so today is no exception!  Here are two cards that I made for a card night I’m running today.  Both use the Ice Cream Parlor designer paper (that comes with the Quick Accent die cut stickers). 

    This first card here uses the coordinating Ice Cream Parlor buttons – seriously how stinkin’ cute are they?  It is taking all of my willpower not to hoard them!  Just breathe and say “they will lead a happier life when they are on a card being given to someone instead of on a shelf in a bag”.   I also used the So Happy For You stamp set…my absolute favorite from Sale-a-Bration this year.  I know this set won’t be collecting dust in my house!  Finally, though you can’t see it, we’ll be spraying Smooch Spritz in Gold Glow on the Daffodil Delight cardstock for an extra bit of fun shimmery shine.

     

    Next up, we have another example showcasing the designer paper but this time, instead of using the buttons, we are using the ribbon that comes with the buttons – the Ice Cream Parlor ribbon.  Its so bright and cheery and the perfect size to use for tons of projects.  Well, in this case, I wanted to play with the ticket corner punch and brads around the main image (the flower pot from the hostess set – A Slice of Life).  Oh yeah, and we’re going to be doing some paper piecing to get the flower pot out of the matching designer paper.  So, here ya go:

    I also decided to go outside of my comfort zone and had NO sentiment on the front of the card. I don’t know why its seems like you must have a sentiment on the front of the card, but I’m trying to convince myself you don’t.  I’d love to here what you all think!

    So, don’t miss out on your chance to get these cutie patootie buttons and ribbon pack, or the designer paper and quick accent pack; either one for FREE with your $50.  Or get both with a $100 order. Only 8 days left….and counting!

     

    Shop now and get your FREE Sale-a-Bration goodies

     

    Birthday Wishes Recipe:
    Stamps:      So Happy For You (SAB)
    Ink:  Peach Parfait marker, Marina Mist marker
    Paper:  Whisper White cardstock, Daffodil Delight cardstock, Ice Cream Parlor designer paper (SAB)
    Accessories:  Smooch Spritz – Gold Glow, Ice Cream Parlor buttons (SAB), Paper Piercing Tool, Mat Pack, Mini Glue Dots

    Flower Pot Sale-a-Bration Card Recipe:
    Stamps:      A Slice of Life
    Ink:  Old Olive, Daffodil Delight marker, Melon Mambo marker, Old Olive marker
    Paper:  Old Olive CS, Whisper White CS, Daffodil Delight CS, Ice Cream Parlor designer paper (SAB)
    Accessories:  Ticket Corner Punch, Silver Brads, Ice Cream Parlor ribbon (SAB), Stampin’ Dimensionals, Paper Snips

  • Watercoloring Techniques: Inks and Watercolor Crayons

    Each month I run at least one technique class to give folks a chance to try something different or learn new ways to use something they might already have.  Well, a recently ran my popular watercoloring technique night during which we made 5 cards, each using a different method for watercoloring.  It was so much fun to create the cards and even more fun to see the different ways people used the techniques on their cards.  This week, I thought I would share some of the cards we did at this class.

    Watercoloring with Inks

    This is your basic watercoloring technique that most people, if they have only done watercoloring one way with stamping, it is this method.  To do this technique, you want to squeeze your ink pad so that some of the ink gets deposited onto the inside of the lid of your stamp pad.  Once you open your ink pad, you will see the ink deposited on the lid and you can lift it off with a blender pen or aqua pen.  Then use your pen like it was a marker to color your card.  In this case, we did a sweet Build-a-Bear cheery card.

    Watercoloring with Watercolor Crayons

    Next we did a card using the hostess set – Because I Care and the Watercolor Crayons.  Now, this is a medium that I often completely forget about but there is so many cool things you can do with watercolor crayons.  I won’t go into all of them today because that would make this post way to long but if there is interest, I can highlight them another day.

    Anyway, for this card we did a technique I haven’t done in a long time.  We used the crayons to color directly onto the stamp rubber – placing all of our colors on the image at the same time.  Then you spritz your rubber with water and stamp.  The water you spray on the rubber interacts with the wax of the watercolor crayons to create the more classic watercolor look.

    I just had to show you too the other thing we did with the card that was just for fun and I guess thinking back on it now, was a theme with this card: spritzing things.

    We used the gold Smooch Spritz to add gold shimmer to the background So Saffron paper.  Its fairly tone on tone but is sooo pretty in person.  Here is an attempt at a photo to show you what I mean.

    Cards 3-5
    Check back later this week as I post the other cards we created in this class.

     

    Interested in trying these cards & techniques out yourself?

    In Person
    Do to multiple requests, I’m running my class again on March 28th in the Mountain View, CA area.  I’d love to have you join us. Check out the full details on my meetup site.

    Online
    Or, if you are not local, purchase the supplies for these techniques from my online store and send me an email.  I’ll send you written tutorial instructions for these cards for FREE!  Not sure what you need, email me at jennifer@nwstamper.com and I’ll send you a basic supply list and you can see what you have in your stash and what you would still need.

  • Sometimes the Card Wins

    If you have been to any of my classes or events, you’ve probably heard me say “its not a mess up, its just an opportunity for embellishment!”  And I really do believe that when you do something and say “oops!” you can usually tweak your card design or add an embellishment and you will still end up with an awesome card.  However, this week I had the card that finally beat me. 🙂

    I was designing a card for my meet & greet with my local meetup group and had an idea to use sponging and the Sale-a-Bration stamp set Bliss.  I did some masking of the center of the card, and when I looked at it, I decided I needed to draw an outline of the masked area to help it stand out.  Unfortunately, I drew my rectangle lopsided, so I thought, I’ll just rotate my white layer and it will be artsy.  But that looked wierd, so I thought I needed to do more to make the center stand out and look good, so I did clear embossing over the flourish.  It was nice, but not enough.  So I added ribbon and then I added piercing along the bottom of the center area.  In the end I just gave up and decided to call it a loss.  Oh, and di I mention that this was supposed to be a card showing how you could do something simple with little to no layers? 🙂

    But, I thought the base idea was good, so I tried again, pulling out some of my favorite elements of the first card and really like how the second card turned out. 

    This is the card we will be making on Saturday and it uses sponging with sponges and with sponge daubers, paper piercing with the mat pack, and then coloring ribbon (its the Organza ribbon that is originally white!) with markers.  I can’t wait!

    And don’t forget, this is the last few weeks to earn this stamp set – Bliss – free with any $50 order.

    Stop by the online store and grab some of your favorites and enjoy your Sale-a-Bration freebies!

    Bliss Card Recipe:
    Stamps:     Bliss (Sale-a-Bration)
    Ink: So Saffron, Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Bravo Burgundy
    Paper: Whisper White CS
    Accessories: Whisper White Organza ribbon, Bravo Burgundy Marker, Paper Piercing tool, Mat Pack, Stampin’ Dimensionals

  • Punch Potpourri Sweet and Simple Card

    Today I thought I would do a quick card share to show an easy and fun card I made for my friend and downline.  I’ll admit I was in the middle of creating some Valentine’s Day cards when I created it so I think it came out a bit “love-y” due to the colors I used; but I still like it anyway. :)  How can you go wrong with pearls and seam binding ribbon! 

    This card started with the idea of tearing a piece of cardstock and laying it over a stamped image (or set of images – in this case the flower stamp from Punch Potpourri that is a perfect match for the Boho Blossoms punch).  Then I had to add some Rose Red seam binding ribbon because, well, I just love the Stampin’ Up! seam binding ribbon.  I think it is my second favorite ribbon behind the satin ribbon.  Finally, I needed an excuse to play with my new Full Heart punch and so the rest just came together from there.  I stamped in Early Espresso ink and then used Stampin’ Write markers to color in the flowers on the heart image.

    Tip –  I’ve had some folks ask me recently if there is a specific way they should tear their cardstock for projects like this with a rough edge.  In general, there is no wrong way to tear your cardstock, however you can influence the final effect you get depending on how you tear.  Plus, because Stampin’ Up! cardstock has color all the way through the paper (as opposed to some papers out there that are only colored on the surface and have a white or other colored core), the cardstock is very forgiving when you try to do a card like this. 

    If you want an edge that is more roughed up and shows part of the core – like the card above – I recommend holding the paper in one hand and with your second hand, tear down and in towards the hand holding the paper.  That means you are sort of tearing at an angle.  Think of it like you are holding the paper facing you and you are tearing the paper towards your shoulder.

    If you want and edge that is torn but very clean and minimal distressing, I recommend holding the paper in one hand and with your second hand, tear straight down.  This means you are tearing basically perpendicular to the paper, like you are just trying to rip a piece of paper in half.  In this case, think of it like you are holding the paper facing you and you are tearing the paper straight towards your chest.

    Try it out and you’ll see that you get two pretty different looks.

    Now is the perfect time to host a card night with your friends.  Not only can you get this stamp set – Punch Potpourri – for FREE but everyone will get great deals and opportunities to receive free stamp sets as part of Sale-a-Bration.  I have a couple dates left and would love to come show you and your friends some fun new ideas for your creative projects!  Email me at jennifer@nwstamper.com to reserve your date!

    Punch Potpourri For You Recipe:
    Stamps:      Punch Potpourri (hostess set)
    Ink:  Early Espresso, Pink Pirouette
    Paper:  Pink Pirouette, Whisper White
    Accessories:  Full Heart Punch, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Pink Pirouette marker, Certainly Celery marker, Adhesive backed Pearls, Rose Red Seam Binding Ribbon

  • February Make-and-Take: A Sale-a-Bration Thanks

    Last night was my February meet & greet with my local Bay Area Card Makers meetup group.  We had a fun night of socializing and, of course, card making!  I always bring a free project for everyone to make, and after receiving some new Sale-a-Bration items recently, I knew I wanted to get those out to play.  So, I grabbed the new So Happy For You stamp set and the Ice Cream Parlor ribbon (check them out in the 2011 SAB catalog) and out popped this card: 

    I had seen a card made by AlyStamps and loved how the thanks from the So Happy For You stamp layered using the small oval and large oval punches.  I’ve also been obsessed with spectrum style cards right now, so I put them together.  The card is actually very fast to put together because the squares of cardstock are punched out using the 1-1/4” square punch.  We then stamped those squares using Versamark ink, so we could get the tone-on-tone look without having to switch back and forth between different ink pads.  So the only think you really have to cut is the base cardstock and the Early Espresso mat for the spectrum which I cut at 5-1/8” x 1-3/8”. 

    I love this stamp set, and will probably be playing with it a lot more in the future and the ribbon is super fun too (though I’m just dying over the buttons! love them!).  Get either set FREE with a $50 order, or get both with a $100 order!  Don’t you just love Sale-a-Bration time?

    Check out the online store and pick your free goodies!

    SAB Thanks Recipe:
    Stamps:      So Happy For You
    Ink:  Versamark, Early Espresso
    Paper:  Crumb Cake CS, Old Olive CS, Melon Mambo CS, Daffodil Delight CS, Pacific Point CS, Whisper White CS, Early Espresso CS
    Accessories:  Ice Cream Parlor ribbon, 1-1/4” square punch, small oval punch, large oval punch, Stampin’ Dimensionals

  • A Non-Traditional Valentine using Bliss

    I’m excited to be headed out this evening to meet up with a bunch of ladies and show them these Valentine and Love themed cards.  As I’ve been sharing this week, I’ve tried to bring a mix of your traditional Red/Pink love-based Valentine’s and some sweet sentiment but more subtle Valentine’s.  This is the last card we will be making and as you can see, it falls in to the latter category:

    I tried to keep this version reasonably simple so that it (and the other 3 cards) could be completed in 1 – 1.5 hrs.  There are fun details that are hard to see in this picture like both the Whisper White piece and the cut out flower are popped up on Stampin’ Dimensionals.  And I kind of want to make this card again only this time spritzing the Crumb Cake base with my new gold Smooch Spritz.  Wouldn’t that be sooo pretty?  Oooh, and embossing the Bliss sentiment with clear embossing powder!! Oh yeah, I’m totally making another version of this card. 🙂

    Tip: When tying knots in ribbons on cards, I like to cut one length of ribbon that I only apply adhesive to the ends.  I wrap that around my piece of paper (in this case Concord Crush) so that it is tight to my paper.  Then, take a second piece of ribbon and slide it under your first piece and tie your knot from there.  That ensures your ribbon is on your card tightly and you get the added bonus of being able to slide your knot up and down the ribbon until you decide it is where you like it!

    Anyway, all of the images are from the new Sale-a-Bration stamp set – Bliss which you can get free with any $50 order or by hosting a party with you and your friends (check it out on page 10 of the SAB catalog) . 

    Shop the online store now to earn your free stamp set!

    Concord Crush Bliss Valentine recipe:
    Stamps:      Bliss
    Ink:  Crumb Cake, Concord Crush, Daffodil Delight
    Paper:  Crumb Cake CS, Concord Crush CS, Whisper White CS
    Accessories:  Daffodil Delight 1/8” taffeta ribbon, Adhesive back Pearls, Corner Rounder punch, Paper Snips, Snail

  • Don’t Miss Out on Free Shipping

    Just a reminder that Monday is the last day for my free shipping offer.  Kick off Sale-a-Bration time with lots of free goodies and an even bigger savings with free shipping!

    Call or email me your Sale-a-Bration order by Monday night and I’ll hook you up with free shipping.  That’s at least a 10% savings on your order on top of all the free Sale-a-Bration products.  Plus, Stampin’ Up! is shipping things out super fast right now so you could even have your order as soon as the end of the week!

    Email me at jennifer@nwstamper.com or call 650-209-5964 to place your order.

  • Ice Cream Parlor Quick Accents Card and Card Purse

    In a flurry of excitement, Sale-a-Bration has officially begun!  Of course you can earn free stamps, but I love that you get options for other items like the Ice Cream Parlor Designer Paper and Quick Accents.  I had gotten this paper pack during the preorder and the more I use it, the more I’ve now decided that I NEED the matching Ice Cream Parlor buttons and ribbon pack!

    In the meantime, I thought I’d share a couple projects I’ve made using this paper and cardstock stickers.  First up, a super quick birthday card:

    For this card, the striped designer paper, the Daffodil Delight scalloped border cardstock sticker, and the Peach Parfeit designer paper – all come as part of the Ice Cream Parlor DSP And Quick Accents Sale-a-Bration pack.  I just added some Early Espresso taffeta ribbon, cardstock, and a staple to finish out the card.  Seriously, this is a 5 minute card!

    Next, I created a purse sized to hold a set of standard 4.25” x 5.5” cards and matching envelopes:

    If you are on my mailing list, you should have received the full tutorial for this purse in your inbox yesterday.  If you didn’t, let me know!

    Not on my mailing list yet? Sign up here.  I’ll even resend the copy of my email with this tutorial in it to folks who sign up in the next couple of days.

    Over the next week I’ll be sharing more Sale-a-Bration creations, so I hope you stop by again and check them out!  Until then, happy stamping!

    Make a Wish card recipe:
    Stamps:     Birthday Bliss
    Ink: Early Espresso Classic Ink, Marina Mist Classic Ink, Daffodil Delight Classic Ink
    Paper: Pacific Point CS, Whisper White CS, Daffodil Delight CS, Ice Cream Parlor DSP
    Accessories: Ice Cream Parlor Quick Accents, Early Espresso 1/8” taffeta ribbon, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Small Tag punch, Large Tag punch, Blender Pen, Crystal Effects, stapler

    Wonderful Friend card purse recipe:
    Stamps:     Wonderful Favorites
    Ink: Marina Mist Classic Ink, Early Espresso Classic Ink
    Paper: Marina Mist CS, Melon Mambo CS, Whisper White CS, Daffodil Delight CS, Ice Cream Parlor DSP
    Accessories: Ice Cream Parlor DSP, Ticket Corner Punch, Subtles Family brads, Round Tab punch, Paper Piercing tool, Mat Pack, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Sticky Strip, Bone Folder

  • It’s Sale-a-Bration Time!

    SAB_jan2011

    January 25th – March 31st

    Its here!  The 2011 Sale-a-Bration period has started and that means tons of cute stamp sets, designer series paper, ribbon, buttons, digital downloads, and even décor elements are ready to hop into your Stampin’ Up! order box and come home to you for free!

    So, whats the buzz?

    1. Ordering – Earn free Sale-a-Bration items for every $50 you spend.  There is no limit to how many you can earn, and with over 60 stamps sets from the main catalog also eligible to be earned during Sale-a-Bration, you have lots of options to choose from.
    2. Hosting –  Host a workshop or card party of $300 in sales or more and you’ll earn an extra free Sale-a-Bration item!
    3. Join My Team – Sign up to be a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator and not only will you be part of an awesome business and community, but you’ll also get one heck of a deal!  Get 15% off the cost of your starter kit – that’s less than $150 for over $330 worth of product!  AND you’ll also get a bonus bundle with and additional $50 worth of stamping products!  See what is all included here.

    Check out the 2011 Sale-a-Bration catalog

     

    Free Shipping Special!

    To help make it easier for you to get your free Sale-a-Bration items even sooner,  I am offering free shipping on all orders that qualify for Sale-a-Bration benefits through January 31st. 

    Orders must be placed through me so that I can credit you the shipping costs.  Call me at 650-209-5964 or email me at jennifer@nwstamper.com.

  • Pictures from Mom and Me

    What a whirlwind spring!  There have been tons of family visits, stamping events, and work deadlines.  That has kept me away from my computer as much as normal but also means I have a backlog of great things to show you! 

     

    First up, I thought I would share some of the projects we did as part of the mom & me event.  I tried to keep the cards simple with plenty of opportunity for kids of all ages to get involved.  So, I’m thinking of going back and sprucing up some of my examples now (like coloring in some of the images that I left as outlines for kids to color or leave as is) but since I want to get a post up, I’ll show you there current state. 🙂

     And my SCS blogging group, sorry I’ve been away so long but I’m back and will be visiting your blogs very soon!

     

    Here are the cards we did:

    star_thanks_wmmm_monkey_wmmm_lym_wm

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    This is a photo frame we did using a CD case as the holder. All you have to do is pop the cover off of the case and then rotate the cover so it would stand up if the cd case base was on the table.  Pop the cover back on and then slide in your decorated background.  In the second picture, I didn’t have a photo printed out to put in the frame, so I put a red piece of card stock in to show you how you don’t glue down the top left corner so it can sit over your photo.  🙂  Its easy, peasy!cd_photomat_wmcd_photomat2_wm