Northwest Stamper

Tag: thank you card

  • Playing with Photopolymer Stamps

    The stamping world has had Photopolymer stamps for quite a while and I used to try to play with my “completely clear” stamps.  I love the idea that I could see totally through the stamp so that I knew precisely where I was stamping.  However, I discovered that not all clear stamps are created equal.  I have some that have turned yellow on me (even without me using them… gasp! I know, right? how can you have stamps that never get inky? Winking smile) and I have some that frustrated me because I couldn’t get a crisp image no matter what I tried.

    Well, Stampin’ Up! held off while they tried to figure out a formula for making these stamps without some of these issues.  Then they started coming out with their own designs.  So, I decided to give them a shot and then thought I’d share what I did.

    I grabbed the Designer Typeset stamp set, which was the first set they came out with.  See, this is what it looks like when you get it…. no box, just a ton of cute little clear stamps in a plastic sleeve.

    designer typeset photopolymer stamps

    And out of the sleeve….Designer Typeset photopolymer stamps

    Then I set to work and created this as one of my first cards:

    designer typeset photopolymer thank you card

    I know, it is totally simple, but it gave me a chance to experiment and learn a few things… like:

    • Don’t be afraid to bend your stamps!
      If they can bend and stay on the block, then it is perfectly fine to stamp them that way.  If they won’t stay on the block, you’ve bent it too far. Smile
    • Be prepared and ok that your stamped lines aren’t going to be super thin
      When you push on the stamp to transfer your ink to paper, the photopolymer compresses and stretches a little, so you get slightly fatter lines than you maybe expected.
    • If you have the letters, lay them out on your paper for placement – THEN push the block down on them to ink up.
      So in this case, I stamped the banners first.  Then I laid out my letters in exactly the spot I wanted them to be on my banner.  How to line up letters with photopolymer stamps on a card
      THEN I pressed my clear block down on top of the letters.   That way I could ink them up all at the same time and stamp knowing they would go exactly where I wanted them to go!

    How to line up letters with photopolymer stamps

    • The juicier the ink pad the better!
      Yes I know, it goes without saying… but still.  I did see slight differences when I used my old style ink pads with my new ink pads.

    photopolymer stamps ink pad comparison

     

    If you want to see more tips, check out this video I made all about the Photopolymer stamps:

    If you can’t see the video, check out the direct link here.

    So, if you think it is something fun to try and play with, Stampin’ Up! just came out with their 5th photopolymer stamp set – Wanderlust.  But here is the complete list:

     

    Wanderlust photopolymer stamp set

     

     

    I still love my rubber stamps… but I definitely think completely clear stamps have a place in my stamp room too!

  • Teacher Appreciation Card for Cute Card Thursday

    It’s the last Thursday of the month, which means it is my final week as guest designer over at Cute Card Thursday.  This week is a fun challenge, the theme is

    Too Cool for School

    Now, since I’ve been out of school long enough, all I could think of were 80’s movies (like Ferris Bueller’s Day Off) or the fact that we are nearing the end of the school year and I know enough teachers and how hard they work that they deserve a little appreciation.

    So to all the teachers out there…. THANK YOU for your hard work this year!

    When I started flipping through my paper and supplies, I knew I wanted to use my Storytime designer paper for the card.  I mean, look at these patterns, don’t they just scream school house to you? Smile

    image

    It is totally a Dick and Jane book!

    Anyway, this is one of those paper packs that I pull out and think… awww its so cute!  And then I argue with myself about whether I need more of it because it is so cute or if I’m ok with using the last few scraps and getting excited about new paper designs coming out soon!  I guess I have a few more days before it retires on June 3rd as long as it doesn’t sell out before then!

    So while I ponder my final list of “have to haves” from the retiring Spring Catalog and Annual Catalog, hop on over to Cute Card Thursday to check out the other cute school-themed cards and even submit your own for the challenge!

    Get You Copy of the NEW Stampin’ Up! Catalog – Request yours here!

    Try Out the 2013 New Product Samplers! – Get the Details Here

    Order Stampin’ Up! Products Anytime, click here!

    See the Latest Availability & PDFs of all the retiring stamps and accessories here

    Card Supply List (all items Stampin’ Up! unless noted)

      • Stamps – Made for You**
      • Paper – Crumb Cake, Chocolate Chip, Storytime designer paper**
      • Ink – Chocolate Chip, Whisper White
      • Accessories – Real Red stitched grosgrain ribbon, Brights Designer buttons**, sponge daubers, corner rounder punch
        ** denotes items retiring by 6/3

  • Tie it Up for Cute Card Thursday!

    Have you been playing along with Cute Card Thursday?  I have been having a blast as guest designer this month with them and this week we have a great challenge for you:

    Tie It Up!

    I had a lot of ideas for this theme and I really wanted to do one that involved lacing.  Somehow, though, my lacing turned into a few stitches.  But I really did get my needle out and was sewing through my card!

     

    I tried adding a bow to the card but I just couldn’t make it work without it feeling too over the top.  So I reminded myself that keeping it sweet and simple can be exactly the right way to go sometimes. Smile

    For those of you who are Stampin’ Up! fans, this is your chance to get a peek at all 5 of the new In Colors that will be coming out in June.  I finally started playing with my new papers and love how pretty they look when you mix them together.  Almost a pastel without being too faded or “baby”.

    I have to admit, I’m kind of digging the Crisp Canteloupe (orange) and Pistachio Pudding (green) the most right now… though a lot of people are big fans of the Strawberry Slush (pink).  And then there is the Coastal Cabana and Baked Brown Sugar.

    So, get inspired and try out something new!  If you have an idea for the “Tie it up!” theme – head on over to Cute Card Thursday and submit your fabulous creations for their challenge!

     

    Get You Copy of the NEW Stampin’ Up! Catalog – Request yours here!

    To Order Stampin’ Up! Products Anytime, click here!

    See the Latest Availability & PDFs of all the retiring stamps and accessories here

    Stampin’ Up! Supples Used
    Stamps     – Pennant Parade
    Paper – Very Vanilla, Baked Brown Sugar, Crisp Cantaloupe, Strawberry Slush, Pistachio Pudding, Coastal Cabana
    Ink – Baked Brown Sugar, Strawberry Slush
    Accessories – Paper Piercer, Paper Piercing Mat, Early Espresso Baker’s Twine, Sponges, Blender Pen

  • Bye Bye Button Buddies–more class samples

    I really need to do this more often… hold a class (or just challenge myself) to create a set of cards using each of the stamps in a stamp set.  When I did this for my All Occasions card class focusing on Button Buddies, I was stumped on one or two stamp sets but loved the challenge of trying to do something different with each of the images (especially with trying to not do a Halloween or Thanksgiving card using the pumpkin stamp!)

    This was the card most people picked as their favorite from the class:

    I had fun with the bright colors and I pulled out the Striped Organdy ribbon from the spring catalog to add a little extra in the middle.

    And then there was the pumpkin card…  I was a bit stuck on fall and Thanksgiving and so I kept it in theme and made it a thank you card!

    We colored in the pumpkin image with markers and then stamped 3 times without reinking.  So:

    1. Color your image and stamp the center pumpkin
    2. Immediately stamp the pumpkin to the left of your center pumpkin
    3. Immediately stamp the pumpkin to the right of your center pumpkin
    4. Clean the stamp

    That gives you the stamped images but slightly faded for the main image.  Then add a matching button and you get that extra pop!

    So if you decide to go for the stamp set…. don’t forget to grab the matching buttons too!  They are even 40% off!

    See them online:  Button Buddies stamp set  |  Brights Designer Buttons

    To Order Stampin’ Up! Products Anytime, click here!

    See the Latest Availability & PDFs of all the retiring stamps and accessories here

    Stampin’ Up! Supples Used
    Stamps     – Button Buddies, Delightful Dozen
    Paper – Whisper White, Certainly Celery, Early Espresso, River Rock, Crumb Cake
    Ink – Early Espresso, Daffodil Delight, Primrose Petals, Tangerine Tango marker, Gumball Green marker
    Accessories – 1 3/4” Scallop Circle punch, Brights Designer Buttons, Glue Dots, Old Olive Striped organdy ribbon

  • 5 Minutes to Cute–Thank You Card

    You would think that the fact that I have two toddlers running around my house would mean all the cards I make are super fast cards…. Nooooooo, that would make too much sense!  ha ha!

    But when I was working on cards for a recent card class, I came up with this simple design that is quick to make and still totally cute and pulled together (if I do say so myself!)

    This stamp image is from the Easy Events stamp set.  Of course they are retiring this stamp set on me!  I love having stamp sets that have images and sentiments for a bunch of different occasions.  Sure there is For the Birds and Embellished Events… but I have a soft spot for Easy Events.

    Anyway, I kept the overall design of the card simple and instead focused on little touches here and there

    Some piercing around the circle (using the Essentials Piercing Pack) and a Designer Build a Brad for an extra accent.  And if you are curious, I just stamped the flower image again and then colored it in with the Certainly Celery marker and punched out just the flower head to go in the center of the designer brad.

    Add some sponging and you are done!

     

    To Order Stampin’ Up! Products Anytime, click here!

    See the Latest Availability & PDFs of all the retiring stamps and accessories here

    Supples Used
    Stamps     – Easy Events
    Paper – Whisper White, So Saffron, Very Vanilla
    Ink – Basic Black, So Saffron, Pretty in Pink marker, Certainly Celery marker
    Accessories – Designer Build a Brad, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Bitty Punch Pack, Essentials Piercing Pack, Paper Piercer, 2 1/2” Circle Punch, 1 3/4” Circle Punch

  • Pair Up Those Punches!

    When they announced the Color Refresh and told us that 10 colors were going to be retiring, I looked at the list and was a little sad but overall thought that I didn’t use the colors that much and so I wasn’t going to miss them too much.

    Well, then I decide to pull out the colors and make a card with them…. who knew they were so cute together!?!

    Colors used:  Certainly Celery, Regal Rose, River Rock, Bashful Blue, Pretty In Pink

    Colors used: Riding Hood Red, Baja Breeze, More Mustard, Bravo Burgundy, Not Quite Navy

    These are my thank you cards for customers who ordered from me this month.  I decided to pull out my punches and using them to create layered embellishments.  And if you didn’t grab this Petite Curly Label Punch during Sale-a-bration, it is now available to order too!
    Anyway, it turns out, that mixing and matching shapes and colors looks pretty cool. Smile Use a stamp to act as a background for your embellishments and they will pop just that much more!

    Just a Note:
    If you love any of these colors, be sure to be checking your stash!  Some of the ink and papers are already selling out, so be sure to hop over to the online store and grab your favorites before they run out too!
    Get the full details about the color refresh here!

     

    To Order Stampin’ Up! Products Anytime, click here!

    Supples Used
    Stamps     – Oh Hello
    Paper – Whisper White, River Rock, colors listed above
    Ink – Sahara Sand, Certainly Celery or Not Quite Navy
    Accessories – Petite Curly Label Punch, Bitty Punch Pack, Natural Trim Ribbon, Stampin’ Dimensionals

  • When You Need A Bright And Cheery Card

    how about this one? All you need is some scraps and a couple punches and you have a sunshiney card for someone.  I always seem to make 4.25” x 5.5” cards (since they fit so nicely in envelopes that the post office will mail with a standard stamp) but sometimes just a little card you can tuck into a gift bag, someone’s backpack, or just surprise someone with, is fun to play to with different sizes and shapes.

     Mixed Bunch Oh hello thanks

    This 3×3 card comes together super fast too!  For this card I used:

    Stamps:  Oh Hello
    Paper: Brights Collection Designer Paper Stack, Pumpkin Pie cs, Very Vanilla CS
    Ink:  Early Espresso
    Accessories:  Blossom punch, 1 1/4” circle punch, 1” circle punch, Gumball Green stitched satin ribbon, Snail adhesive

    So, try different colors or sentiments and you can have a rainbow of spring flowers brightening up your crafting space. Smile 

     

    To Order Stampin’ Up! Products Anytime, click here!

  • What To Do With Extra Easter Egg Dye

    So, now that Easter is over, grab that extra Easter egg dye that is on sale in the stores because I have a fun project for you!  Making your own custom dyed ribbon!

    I was making Easter eggs with the kids and I loved how vibrant the colors came out.  (I always us the formula where you use 3 Tbsp of vinegar to dissolve the dye pellets) and I thought it was a shame to dump all the extra when we were done.

    So, I thought – why not try using it on other things.  So, I thought why not ribbon?  Turns out it works great!

    Once you’ve colored your eggs, leave the dye in your bowls and grab some ribbon.  I particularly love the white Organza Ribbon for this technique.

    Leave your ribbon in each of the bowls for a few minutes to let it soak up the dye completely.  You can pull it out to check on the color and if it isn’t as deep as you want, put it back in for a little bit longer.  Then when you take them out, lay them out on paper towels to catch drips and let the ribbon dry.

    You’ll see your ribbon go from shiny white to something like this:

    Once you have all the colors done, they will probably look like this:

    I found the Twill tape ribbon and the Victoria Crochet ribbon didn’t turn out as vibrantly as the satin-y part of the Organza ribbon.  So, I would probably stick to that type of ribbon for best results.

    Once you are done, use it like any other ribbon on your projects.  I thought that the yellow reminded me of Daffodil Delight, so I used it in a spring card with lots of bright colors:

    See, here is a close up of the ribbon (and some Dazzling Details on the flower that is really hard to see in a picture Smile):

     

    I hope you enjoyed this idea for your extra dyes… and don’t forget, FREE SHIPPING starts tomorrow morning!  So, it is a perfect time to grab some extra ribbon, clearance Easter egg dye in the store, and get creative!

     

    Click here to shop online 24/7 and start earning your NW Stamper rewards!

    Don’t Forget!  RSVPs and mail order kit orders are due soon for the Print Poetry Class coming up on April 20th!
    Can’t make the party?  Class by mail and instruction only options are available – check it out here

    Print Poetry Camp & Class by Mail

  • Sale-a-Bration Send Off: Vintage Verses

    Ack!  Can you believe TOMORROW is the LAST DAY for Sale-a-Bration?!  I swear I always find my groove and my love of a stamp or scrapping product right before they are discontinued or become hard to get!  Turns out this is one of those sets.

    Yup, I’m talking about Vintage Verses

    Vintage Verses stamp set

    You see, I had grand ideas for this stamp set…. oh the projects I was going to make with it.  The cool techniques that would be perfect to use with these stamps.

    And then life got in the way.

    So that brings us to now when I pulled out the stamp set again for one last hurrah before the stamp set goes away for good and turns out it is awesome!

    My favorite sentiment is the “There’s Only One You” which I LOVE for scrapbooking.  If you saw my Sunburst Scrapbook Layout then you may have noticed I used this sentiment as the title for that page.  But here are some other ideas you can try with this set:

    I just had to try out the Chalkboard Technique with this stamp… anyone interested in a video on this technique?

    I received this Butterfly Thanks card from my awesome friend and downline, Pam Wu, which in turn inspired my trying out coloring in the letters of the Thanks in my cards I’m sending out for orders placed this month:

    This last card using the Spec-tacular Single Stamp that I thought was the coolest stamp.  I was going to do a whole blog post on it and this card but I wanted to share how cool it goes with the Vintage Verses sentiment so I’ll just have to do another card with this stamp later.  (And just a heads up – the glasses single stamp is only available through 3/31)  So, if you love it, grab it now!

    I seriously can’t pick a favorite from these cards and sentiments…. too much fun!  If you had to pick which is your favorite?  Leave me a comment and let me know and you’ll be entered into the drawing for this weeks blog candy.

    And stop back by tomorrow for my last Sale-a-Bration Send Off!  I’ll be focusing on Pretty Petites for our let set of shares.  Smile

    Are you entered?

    In addition to the blog candy, there is still time to be entered in my BIG DRAWING!
    From free stamps, gift certificates, and more!  Get entered as many times as you want.  Get entries for

    • Every $25 you order by Friday night using hostess code 7BGPE37S  (shop online here)
    • Stopping by my Sale-a-Bration send off party on Friday
    • 5x the entries when you let me know you want to host a private party or class!  I even do long distance parties!

    Check out this post for all the details!

     

    To Order Stampin’ Up! Products Anytime, click here!

    See what you can get FREE with every $50 you spend

    Don’t miss your chance!  Get your choice $156 worth of products for only $99 when you join my Fun n’ Crafty group of demonstrators by March 22nd! 

  • Fun with Texture Thank You Card

    As I was playing with ideas for thank you cards for February, I decided to get inspired by the Sycamore Street designer paper from the Sale-a-Bration flyer for my colors and then start adding texture as I went along.

    The most obvious bit of texture was my chevron embossing folder that I used on the top half of the card.  Then I added some ribbon to get something different from paper in the lower half of the card.  And then my favorite – heat embossing!

    I inked up my Thanks sentiment from the Vintage Verses stamp set with Versamark, and then before stamping I inked it up again with Rich Razzleberry ink.  Then, stamp, cover in clear embossing powder right away, and apply heat with your heat gun.  Ta da!  Embossed ink in whatever color you want!

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    Vintage Verses Thank You Recipe:
    Stamps:     Vintage Verses
    Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Versamark
    Paper: Whisper White cs, Rich Razzleberry cs, Baja Breeze cs, Sycamore Street designer paper
    Accessories: Sycamore Street Ribbon (Tangerine Tango), Clear embossing powder, Heat gun, sponge daubers, Stampin’ Dimensionals

  • A Little Bit of This and That for a Fun Thank You Card

    I have a “matchy-matchy” mind I’m learning.  When I have product kits or coordinating suites, I tend to make projects that use all the stuff from that one collection.  So, that makes today’s share a bit more impressive for me since I pretty much used a little bit of this and that of things lying around my craft table to create this fun thank you card for a friend.

    Greeting Card Kids Designer Brad thank you

     

    I was playing with a few of my favorite new things (the Oh Hello stamp set and Tea for Two designer paper), but then I wanted to give the new Designer Brads a try.

    I used my Pink Pirouette cardstock to make the small pink circle in the middle of the brad (you use the circle from the Itty Bitty Punch pack to easily punch this out).  Then I loosely formed a bow with the new Two Tone ribbon and then wrapped my designer brad around the center of the bow to pinch it together and make a cute accent.  The wrapping the brad tines around the bow did use up most of the metal from the brad tines, and so I ended up adhering my bow to my card with glue dots.

    But all together, it was fun putting this card together and hopefully my friend liked it. Smile

    And for those of you scrapbookers out there, stop by my blog tomorrow for another installment of Scrapbooking Sunday!  See you then!

     

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    Greeting Card Kids Thank You Recipe:
    Stamps:     Teeny Tiny Wishes, Oh Hello, Greeting Card Kids
    Ink: River Rock, Basic Grey, Pink Pirouette marker
    Paper: Whisper White cs, Pink Pirouette cs, River Rock cs, Tea For Two designer paper
    Accessories: Two-Tone Ribbon (Basic Grey), Designer Brads, Itty Bitty Punch pack, Glue Dots, Stampin’ Dimensionals

  • In Color Fun Flower Thank You Card

    I needed a hostess thank you gift for a recent private class and while deciding what to do, I stumbled upon these cute 2011-2013 In Color Pizza Boxes by Kymberli (those are the Lucky Limeade, Pool Party, Calypso Coral, Wisteria Wonder, and Island Indigo colors for those of you – almost everyone – who doesn’t know the In Colors by their years…hee hee)

    Anyway, I LOVED how the colors went together so awesomely using the Fun Flower Big Shot die.  So, I put together a box for my hostess – only I did a bigger box so it would fit the cards she was making at her event.  Of course I totally forgot to take a picture, oops!

    But then I had some left over pieces and an amazing friend (Annie Lee) who was doing me a big favor and so I wanted to make her a card to say thank you.  And this is what came out:

    Fancy Flower crystal effects thank you card

    It was quick to put together and a great way to use up some scraps.  I just ran a scrap of Pool Party cardstock through my Big Shot with the Chevron Embossing Folder to accent the sentiment (the Thanks from Oh Hello stamp set).

    Then for a final touch, I added Crystal Effects to the center circle of my flower for a bit of shine and dimension for the flower.

    Fancy Flower crystal effects close up

    Hmm, seeing this card again is making me want to make more.  Maybe this will have to be my next set of Thank You cards for my amazing friends and customers.  Ooooh… and change out the sentiment to the “Oh Hello” sentiment and send it out to people who need random sunshine in their day.

    Ok, guess my Big Shot and I have a date with some In Color cardstock!  So, while I go off and do that I hope you have a bright and sunny rest of your day!

     

    To Order Stampin’ Up! Products Anytime, click here!

    Are you earning your Northwest Stamper Rewards?

    Every order gets you closer to your FREE stamp set!  Click here to learn more!

     

    Fun Flower Oh Hello Thank You Card Recipe:
    Stamps:      Oh Hello
    Ink:  Soft Suede
    Paper: Whisper White cs, Pool Party cs, Calypso Coral cs, Lucky Limeade cs, So Saffron cs
    Accessories:  Big Shot, Chevron embossing folder, Fun Flowers Bigz Die, Crystal Effects, Stampin’ Dimensionals