Northwest Stamper

Tag: stampin’ up

  • Heart Pressed and Filled with Love

    Today I thought I’d share with you one my first cards using the new Heart Pressed letterpress plate.  Most of the other letterpress dies are big, bold patterns that often are the focal point, so it was fun to play with a more subtle pattern.

    I used the Heart Pressed die as a textured patterned paper and wanted to let it provide a lot of the interest in the card.  Then I added a few, to me, vintage-y accents for a little extra flair.

    Filled with Love Wood-Mount BundleThis is also another example of why the Filled With Love stamp set is such a great set.  You look at the set and think Valentine’s Day, but I think this sentiment could really be used at any time.  Heck, even a birthday card for a loved one!  I really hope this set shows up in the next big catalog.

    Don’t forget, this stamp set bundle is only available for another week!  Plus, grab it now before its gone and you’ll get FREE Bitty Buttons too!  Check it out in the online store

    Hope you have a fabulous Monday!.

    Thoughts of You Recipe:
    Stamps: 
    Filled With Love
    Ink:  Old Olive marker, Melon Mambo marker
    Paper:  Old Olive CS, Crumb Cake CS, Melon Mambo CS, Very Vanilla CS
    Accessories:  Heart Pressed letterpress plate, Victoria crochet ribbon, Vintage Flower Adornments, Glue Dots, 1-3/4”x7/8” Oval Punch, Scallop Oval Punch

  • Birthday Butterflies and a Get Well Card

    Alright, so last time I shared with you the Love card we made at my card night.  So, today I wanted to share the other two cards we made that night.  Both are inspired by cards I found in an old Stampin’ Up! Idea Book & Catalog.  Of course they turned out pretty different, and I wish it wasn’t against Stampin’ Up! copyright rules or I would show you a picture of the originals next to the version below.  Oh well, you just get to enjoy the version I made then. Smile 

    First was a clean and simple get well card.  I love this stamp from the Wellness Wishes set.  It just makes me want to hug the puppy and say,” Awwwww”.  So, we used watercolor pencils to color him in (and I’ll admit the girls that night did a much more artistic and cool version of watercoloring than I did).  We wrapped around some Black satin ribbon and then added a Circle brad.  The So Saffron cardstock was popped up using dimensionals and its as simple as that!

    Tip:  If you are going to use watercolor pencils on Whisper White paper, I recommend using a blender pen to moisten the pencil coloring.  You can use a water pen, but I find that it is too easy for there to be extra water, which causes your paper to wrinkle up a bit.

    Finally, we did a birthday card.  Well, really it was a neutral card and I put out the entire Sincere Salutations set so some people did birthday, some did thank you, while others did Thinking of You.  Got to love a sentiment set that has it all in interchangeable sizes.  We used a background stamp (Pretty Petals) to add a pattern to the base Crumb Cake layer.  Then, stamped the butterflies from the Dreams Du Jour set and sentiment on a Very Vanilla piece.  Tear off a corner of your Vanilla paper and add a Designer Button and you are ready to go.

    Tip:  Crumb Cake ink makes a great subtle color on your neutral papers like in this case.  You can get a great shadow effect by stamping your image on the paper in Crumb Cake and then stamping your image with a darker ink (in this case Concord Crush) on a piece of scrap paper and layering it over one of the Crumb Cake images.  Slightly offset your cutout and the base image will show enough to look like a shadow!

    Interested in making cards like these?

    If you like these cards and are in the San Francisco area, I’d love to have you join me at one of my upcoming events.  Check out my calendar or contact me to set up your own private event for free with you and your friends!  I’d love to show you how to make more fun cards and scrapbook layouts!

    Thanks for visiting!

  • Glittery Filled with Love Card

    Last night was another fun card night with the gals of my meetup group.  We made three cards and I thought I would share today one of the cards we did.  I knew I wanted to showcase the Filled with Love set and the Bitty Buttons you can get free with the bundle and so I started brainstorming ideas for a layout.  Then I saw a card created by Robin Merriman and thought it would be perfect to start from.  I changed it up a bit so that I could use the super fun new glimmer paper and add in the cute heart bitty button, plus simplify some of the layers to make it a bit faster for the class setting.

    I’ve had this stamp set for a while but have been so caught up with Christmas that I’ve been slow to start using it.  However, it is another stamp set that I am crossing my fingers will make it into the main catalog next year.  I love how versatile and modern it is!

    Tips for this Card –

    When stamping the big hearts on the left side of the card, start by stamping the heart in the middle.  Then you can more easily control how much is cut off on the top and bottom hearts as well as feel like you have reasonably centered layouts of your heart and layered love.

    Glue down all your layers before adding your heart Bitty Button.  It just makes it easier to get adhesive on your Love layers.

    Adhere your heart Bitty Button with Crystal Effects.  This clear lacquer also makes for excellent glue that actually dries super clear so you don’t get adhesive outlines or wiggly layers like you might with glue dots or double sided tape.  You don’t need very much, just a thin coating on the back of your button

    Oh, and the glimmer paper punches like a dream with your standard punches.

    So if you haven’t heard, this stamp set is only available until January 24th as part of a special bundle

    So, what is all included?

    • Filled With Love stamp set (only available until this promotion ends)
    • Love Patterns designer series paper pack – 12 sheets of 12×12 double sided paper.  6 of the sheets are patterns in Real Red and 6 of the sheets are Pretty in Pink
      This paper pack is exclusive to this promotion and is not in any of the catalogs
    • Free Bitty Buttons!

    Check out the flyer to see pictures of everything in the bundle

    Got to love free, right?  Especially when we are talking about something as cute as those bitty buttons. 🙂  Anyway, thanks for stopping by and happy stamping!

    Filled With Love Card recipe:
    Stamps:
    Filled with Love
    Ink: Real Red, Chocolate Chip
    Paper: Real Red Glimmer paper, Real Red CS, Whisper White CS, Chocolate Chip CS
    Accessories: Bitty Buttons, 3/4” Circle punch, Small Heart punch, Crystal Effects

  • Trying Out The Latest Embossing Folder–Framed Tulips!

    I’ve seen the different ways some folks have rigged their embossing folders to allow for texture around the edge of their card with a spotlight in the center.  It usually looks really cool and so I was excited to see a new embossing folder in the Occasion mini that takes all the work out of doing exactly that.  Plus, with the extra pop the texture gives your project, you can totally get away with a single layer card that looks fancy at the same time. Smile

    In this card, I embossed the Whisper White cardstock and then used a Pink Pirouette marker to add some color between the outer embossed frame and the bases of the embossed tulips.  Then I used that Pink Pirouette marker and an Old Olive marker to color in the Because I Care hostess stamp set.  I then took a Regal Rose marker and added some darker pink spots to the flower blossoms for some extra depth.  I used Early Espresso for the sentiment and then finished it off with some Rhinestone bling.

    This whole card can be created in 5 min but looks way prettier than one of those smiling monkey cards you find at the grocery store!

    Tip: If you are using a clear mount stamp set for this card, you can fit the sentiment and the flower stamp on one clear block.  This lets you get the image positioning just right before you stamp and so you don’t have to worry about stamping just right after you’ve already stamped one image and no need for extra tools like the Stamp-a-ma-jig!


    Love the Because I Care stamp set?  Get it free by hosting a fun night of stamping with your friends!  Plus, with Sale-a-bration starting January 25th, get even more free stamps at your workshop!

    Contact me to learn more and save your date.

  • New Card for a New Mini

    Friday night was my preview party for the new occasion mini.  I had samples of projects made using the new stamps and accessories from the Occasion mini as well as treats, a door prize, and this make and take card.  It gave everyone a chance to play with some of the new designer series papers, seam binding ribbon, and the vintage flower adornments.

    I’ll admit that Rose Red is one of my favorite Stampin’ Up! colors.  When they announced the color renovation last summer, I was so relieved to see that it was going to be sticking around.  So, when I saw the Occasions Mini and saw that they were offering new colors of seam binding ribbon and one of the colors was Rose Red, I was stoked!  I love how delicate the seam binding ribbon can look, perfect for a vintage feel.  Add some Botanical Gazette DSP and a little rose and you have an easy peasy vintagy card.

    Botanical Thank You Card Recipe:
    Stamps: 
    Curly Cute
    Ink:  Soft Suede
    Paper:  Crumb Cake CS, Very Vanilla CS, Botanical Gazette DSP 
    Accessories:  Vintage Flower Adornments, Rose Red Seam Binding ribbon, Glue Dots, Corner Rounder punch

  • The Occasion Mini is here

    Occasions11_USHave you had a chance to check out the Occasion Mini catalog yet?  This year I think they’ve done a great job of offering a wide range of stamps and accessories – from vintage to modern, masculine to sewing notions, plus NEW PUNCHES!!  I love punches, especially when they match stamp sets, so it was so fun to get to see a punch and matching stamp set for building a flower (it punches out the flower petals and leaves) and building a cupcake.  I still need to finish up the projects we started when my mom came to visit over the holidays but I can’t wait to share them with you as I do.

    But until then, I wanted to share a card that was posted on my demonstrator website.  It was created by Stampin’ Up! but just love how fun it is!  It uses some new stamps, paper, buttons, and pom pom ribbon.  These are from the Sew Suite collection and I love seeing how you can use them in fun modern ways. 

    So check out the mini and I’d love to hear what you think.  My favorite item right now is the Botanical Gazette designer paper.  What is your favorite?

    Friend Card Recipe:
    Stamps:
      Sew Suite, You’re a Gem
    Paper:  Daffodil Delight Card Stock, Early Espresso Card Stock, Melon Mambo Card Stock, Tangerine Tango Card Stock, Whisper White Card Stock, Sweet Stitches Designer Series Paper
    Ink: Early Espresso, Melon Mambo, Tangerine Tango
    Accessories: Daffodil Delight Pompom Trim, Melon Mambo Pompom Trim, Sweet Stitches Designer Big Buttons, Rhinestone Basic Jewels, Stampin’ Dimensionalsm Eyelet Border Punch, Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack, White crochet thread

  • Day of Gratitude Scrapbook Page

    I made this scrapbook page before the craziness of the December Holidays and wanted to share it with you as my farewell to the Holiday Mini.  The Day of Gratitude stamp set was one that didn’t catch my eye when I first looked at the mini but after making a few samples at the Portland Regional in the fall I completely fell in love with this set.  I’m so sad to see it go but I’m sure will keep playing with it for a while.

    So this layout was the first scrapbook page I had made in many many months since I had been so busy with a new baby I had been focused more on cards (quick, easy, and functional!).  However, I did a workshop focused on scrapbooking and when I saw a layout on the Rubber Redneck blog, I just had to CASE it.

    In the workshop we did the 6×6 layout using Old Olive, Very Vanilla and Chocolate Chip cardstock.  We stamped using the Day of Gratitude stamp set and left room to add a 3”x4.75” photo.  Oh, and I had to through in an adhesive backed basic pearl to add a little fun to the saying.

    I think turn it into an 8 1/2”x11 layout by adding the More Mustard  cardstock as a base with accent stamping using More Mustard classic ink and Autumn Spice designer paper.  Throw in some Antique Brads and the chipboard word “fall” cut out using the BigShot (for those of you who have attended a SU convention or regional before, I always save the cardboard/chipboard that is used as a backing for the make and take packets.  I used one of those pieces to make my “fall”).

    Finally, to turn it into a 12×12, I used a base of Autumn Spice dsp, added some textured Chocolate Chip cardstock, some stamped elements and another Antique Brad, with some Old Olive satin ribbon for a final touch of color.

    Makes me almost wish fall wasn’t over yet. Smile This is a pretty easy layout with lots of fun accents.  I loved making it and hope you enjoyed the ideas.

  • Forest Friends Shoebox Swap

    Sorry for getting behind on my blog posting!  I started working on some Christmas presents that involved printing photos from this past year…which got me started pulling photos off of my camera, video camera, cell phone, husband’s cell phone, etc…and then I needed to organize those photos…you get the idea.

    But the nice thing about digging through photos is you find pictures you didn’t even remember taking.  In this case, I had thought that I didn’t have a picture of this card I created in July and am so excited to realize I do! 

    Forest Friends Shoebox Swap

    This was a card I created for a shoebox swap at convention.  What is a shoebox swap?  It is an event when you create a project and bring all the supplies for 5-6 other people to make your project.  Then everyone comes with their shoebox of project supplies and we each make everyone else’s project.  Its pretty fun.

    So, my inspiration for this card was Window Sheets.  The name makes me think of a window and so I wanted to create my own window pane on a card.  Sadly, I didn’t take pictures from the side, but how I did this was to take a square of Bashful Blue cardstock and adhere a piece of Old Olive cardstock that had been torn along one side to make the grass.  I stamped the deer and the tree from Forest Friends on Whisper White paper and cut them out.  The tree I adhered to the Bashful Blue paper (with the bottom of the tree glued under the Old Olive paper).  Then I adhered the deer to the Old Olive paper using Stampin’ Dimensionals.

    I took a square Window Sheet piece, slightly bigger than the Bashful Blue CS, and added strips of Soft Suede for the frame around the edges.  To make the Soft Suede look a bit more “wood grainy” I actually used the handles of a plastic grocery bag, pressed them onto the Soft Suede ink pad and then used that as a stamp to add texture to the cardstock.  The Bashful Blue paper was glued to the Rich Razzleberry base.  Then I added the framed Window Sheet piece on top using more Stampin’ Dimensionals.

    Add some Old Olive ribbon to the bottom of the card and then make a label using the Modern Label punch in Soft Suede under a Word Window punchout on Whisper White (the sentiment is from Teeny Tiny Wishes).  I added some gold brads for a final touch of bling.  Overall, the card isn’t hard to do, it just has a number of steps involved.  However, I loved the look and will probably do this again with a different scene out my window.

    Thanks for visiting my blog!  I hope you stop back again soon. Smile 

    Friend to Friend Recipe:
    Stamps: 
    Forest Friends, Teeny Tiny Wishes
    Ink:  Soft Suede, Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive marker, Early Espresso marker
    Paper:  Rich Razzleberry CS, Whisper White CS, Bashful Blue CS, Old Olive CS, Soft Suede CS
    Accessories:  Window Sheets medium, Modern Label Punch, Word Window Punch, Gold Brads, Paper snips, Sticky Strip (to attach the Soft Suede frame to the Window Sheets), Old Olive 1/4” grosgrain ribbon, Paper Piercer, Stampin’ Dimensionals

  • Last Day to Save 20% on Holiday Bundles

    Wow! Its already the 16th of December, and that means that today is the last day to take advantage of the Handmade Holiday Bundles. So, if you’ve been on the fence, now is your last chance to get in on the sale.  Just as a reminder, here are the bundles being offered at 20% off with links to find them in the online store:

    Handmade Holiday Bundles

    Vintage Christmas Bundle 
    Includes: Bells & Boughs stamp set,  Deck the Halls designer series paper

    • Wood-mount bundle (#124067) – $23.92
    • Clear-mount bundle (#124068) – $19.92

    Contempo Christmas Bundle 
    Includes: Contempo Christmas stamp set, Jolly Holiday designer series paper

    • Wood-mount bundle (#124071)  – $20.72
    • Clear-mount bundle (#124072) – $17.52

    Tags Til Christmas Bundle 
    Includes:  Tags til Christmas stamp set, Decorative Label Punch

    • Wood-mount bundle (#124077) – $38.32
    • Clear-mount bundle (#124078) – $31.92

    Gift Packaging Bundle 
    Includes: Gifted stamp set, Mini Lunch Sacks

    • Wood-mount bundle (#124083) – $26.32
    • Clear-mount bundle (#124084) – $19.92

    Simply Adorned Gift Bundle 
    Includes: Charming stamp set, Simply Adorned 1” x 1-1/4” charm, Simply Adorned 24” chain

    • Wood-mount bundle (#124076) – $39.88

    Frame Gift Bundle 
    Includes: Definitely Decorative Chunky Frame, Small chocolate chip Dotted Flourish Decor Elements

    • #124075 – $19.92
  • Cute New My Digital Studio Downloads and Projects

    It seems like Stampin’ Up! has started rolling out My Digital Studio downloads like crazy!  But I have to say, I love all the new stuff coming out because I keep seeing so many cute things to do with My Digital Studio.  Here are some pictures of the latest downloads that have come out – some new photo cards and a calendar kit.

    The calendar kit is what really caught my eye as its filled with TONS of brand new papers, predesigned layouts, and brush sets.  Plus, I didn’t realize you could get these calendars that come on an easel like in the picture above.  Its too cute!  Plus at only $19.95 to print one of those calendars, I think that is way better than those calendars of kittens or beaches that you get at Target or Office Depot right now!

    Did you Know?
    You can not only print cards, calendars, photo books, and scrapbook pages through the professional printing service, but you can do custom JOURNALS!  Like I said, so much has been coming out I totally missed this option!  I’ve altered journal books before, but I like the idea of the custom covers, especially for gifts.  Guess I have some playing to do with My Digital Studio now!

    Check out all the latest downloads for My Digital Studio here.

    Curious about professional printing services?
    Well, if you own My Digital Studio, you have the option right from the program.

    image

    You can select the type of printing format you want, select how many pages of your project you want to print, how many copies you want, and then send them off to the printer!  You don’t have to worry about saving the file in the right format, getting uploaded onto another website or taking it in to the store.  However, you can do that too! 

    One nice thing of the professional printing, aside from the ease of printing, is that they have worked with Stampin’ Up! to ensure the colors on the printers exactly match Stampin’ Up’s colors.  So, if you are going to add paper, ribbon, buttons, etc to your project, you will be sure that the colors will match wonderfully!

    Want to see all the different printing options and pricing?  Check them all out here.

    Ready to get started on your own project?
    Shop my Online Store to get your copy of My Digital Studio and/or your favorite digital downloads to make a project that is just your style!

  • A Big Button Petal Pizzazz

    This month’s make & take project had me focused on using the Big Designer Buttons from the holiday mini.  I didn’t know what else I wanted to do with a card, but I knew I wanted to use my buttons.

    So, after digging through my stamp sets, I ended up finding my Petal Pizazz set and realized that the buttons were a perfect fit for the biggest flower in the set.  So, I started from there.  My other challenge for this card was to not use any punches.  I love my punches and so I use them on almost every card…but this just goes to show, you don’t have to use a punch to make a fun card.

    If you like these buttons, don’t miss them.  These color sets (which match the Candy Cane DSP and Designer Fabric, and the Deck the Halls DSP and Designer Fabric) are only available in the Holiday Mini which lasts until January 3rd.

    Thinking of You Recipe:
    Stamps:
    Petal Pizazz, Teeny Tiny Wishes
    Ink: Blushing Bride, Early Espresso Marker
    Paper: Whisper White CS, Pear Pizazz CS, Blushing Bride DSP (hostess)
    Accessories: Candy Cane Big Designer Buttons, Paper Piercer, Mat Pack

  • Holiday Gift Tags and Gift Card Holders

    Last friday I held a holiday class around gift tags and gift card holders.  I have to admit, while trying to get project ideas, I got so inspired that I had way to many projects I wanted to do with the class.  I managed to reign it in some, but I still ended up with a ton of little projects for everyone to do.  Thankfully no one was in a rush to get in and out and so we had a great time socializing and crafting. 

    So, if you are looking for some ideas for some fun ways to gift a gift card or easily make a ton of gift tags, here are what we made and hopefully they will give you ideas for your own creations. Smile

    Gift Card Holders

    Gift Tag TinOk, so the first thing we did was decorate one of the skinny tins currently found in the Clearance Rack.  This was intended as a container to hold the gift tags we were going to be making, but it also works well as a gift container to use during the holidays.  I did use some retired paper from last year’s holiday mini, but I just love how it looks on the front of the tin.

    We also added a piece of designer series paper to the inside of the tin to give it a little more finished of a look.

    Tip: when adhering your embellishments to the front of the tin, use Sticky Strip to ensure your decorations stay put long term.

    Next we created two different gift card holders.  The first one was a simple folded pouch with a belly band for decoration.  The base paper is 3.5” x 9.75” and is scored at 3” and 7”.  I used the 3/4” circle punch to punch a half circle out of one end and then used sticky strip to adhere that flap down to the middle section of the base.  Wrap a piece of DSP around the folded up gift card holder and adhere the ends of the DSP together using Snail adhesive.  We decorated this holder using the Tags Til Christmas stamp set and the Decorative Label punch (currently on sale as a Handmade Holiday bundle for 20% off) and some adhesive back pearls.

    Tip:  Did you realized that you can use the “Dec 25th” stamp from Tags Til Christmas and then cover up the date with the Modern Label punch?  In this case, we still used a Christmas sentiment, but you could make it into anything!  Got to love versatility!

    For our last gift card holder, we made what I call the “booklet gift card holder”.  This pattern has been seen all over the internet and you’ll probably see a few different measurements out there.  I found that I liked the following measurements the best:
    – Cut your base paper to be 4 1/4” x 11.  
    – Score at 3”, 5.5”, and 8”

    Once you have your paper scored, fold it into a ‘W’ shape so that there is a shorter peak on the inside of your booklet.  Use your word window punch to cut out two “half-ovals” across the top of that shorter peak and then use the 3/4” circle punch to punch out a half circle in the middle.  Then, embellish the front, back, and insides to your hearts content using ribbon or fabric to tie your booklet closed.  For this project, we used the Candy Cane DSP and A Cute Christmas stamp set, stamping both on the outside and inside of the holder.  I also used a white gel pen to add the little white dots to the Bashful Blue scalloped circle on the front of the booklet.

    Finally, after all that, we made some gift tags as well.  These were made almost entirely with the Tags Til Christmas stamp set with one tag using the Sweet Season set just for fun. 
    Some things you may not be able to see well in the picture:

      -  The ornament tag is actually a tag that flips open.  We folded over a piece of cardstock before stamping our ornament image. Then we punched out the ornament image making sure to have the crease of the folded paper showing in the opening of the punch (so that we were keeping the crease intact). 

      -  We also used a two-way glue pen to add Dazzling Diamonds to the front of the ornament.

      -  The “do not open until christmas” tag was created by first stamping the image on a piece of paper and then punching it out using the 1 1/4” square punch.  You want to make sure the text is aligned at the bottom of your square punch.  Then we punched out a scallop square piece using scrap designer series paper and folded that scalloped square in half.  Finally adhere that folded scallop square to the top of your 1 1/4” square punch out and add some hemp thread to make it a hanger.

    Well, I hope that gave you at least one new idea.  I’d love to have you join me at one of my classes in person, but if you are too far away, please come visit me at my blog again as I’ll be sharing the future projects here as well.  Until next time… Happy Stamping!