Northwest Stamper

Blog

Oh So Succulent for Mother’s Day!
What better way to start bringing more crafty projects to the blog than with a blog hop?! I’m happy to be participating in the Fun n’ Crafty Stampers blog hop this month focusing on sharing Mother’s Day Cards and other project ideas for you. If you’ve been hopping along, you would have come here by way of Stacey’s blog, and I’m excited to share my project with you!
Mother’s Day Card with the Oh So Succulent stamp set
The Oh So Succulent stamp set is one that I didn’t give much thought to at first, but it turns out to be a really cute set full of lots of versatility. Plus, it has some sweet sentiments including a Happy Mother’s Day so it made it easy for me to start pulling together a sweet card. Now I’m sad it is retiring (I swore it would have made the carryover list!) but at least if you haven’t gotten it yet, it is on sale for 40% off!
Now, with the Oh So Succulent stamp set, you have the option of stamping the solid color “inside” of the image, the outline “outside” of the image, or combining them together for a layered effect. Well, for this card, I stuck to the outlines and did all my own coloring using the fun Watercolor Pencils!
Did you know, you can layer colors with the Watercolor Pencils?
I started by coloring in the large succulent image with my Daffodil Delight pencil and smoothing it out with the Aqua Painter. Then I went back through and added Pumpkin Pie pencil to the “inside” of each leaf (so where it would have been attaching to the center of the plant) and smoothed over it with the Aqua Painter. Finally I used the Real Red pencil to color the tips and blended it back in. In some cases, I went over the tips again with the Real Red pencil and DID NOT smooth it out because I wanted it to be bold.

But what about those green succulents peeking out from behind the retiring Pop of Pink designer paper? Here is where I started playing around with things. I actually stamped with Old Olive ink and then colored in the image with the Old Olive Watercolor Pencil! Then smoothed it out with the Aqua Painter!
Sure, Old Olive ink isn’t one of the “official” watercoloring inks, but if the green from the outline bled a little into where I had colored with the Old Olive watercolor pencil, it didn’t matter because they were the same base color! Yay!

As for the decorative accents, I just used the Layering Circles framelits to cut out the large circle plus the scalloped Real Red circle. Then I layered them onto the retiring Tea Lace doilies before popping them up with a dimensional over the Pop of Pink paper and Real Red glimmer paper.
Want to make this card at home? Here are the project supplies:
Oh So Succulent Photopolymer Stamp Set
~~$21.00~~ $15.75
Watercolor Pencils
$16.00
Aqua Painters
$17.00
Pop Of Pink Specialty Designer Series Paper
~~$13.00~~ $7.80
Red Glimmer Paper
$5.00
Tea Lace Paper Doilies
SOLD OUT
Layering Squares Framelits Dies
$35.00
Big Shot
$110.00
Whisper White 8-1/2″ X 11″ Card Stock
$9.00
Basic Black 8-1/2″ X 11″ Card Stock
$8.00
More great ideas for Mother’s Day with the Fun n’ Crafty Blog hop!
Ok, ready for more great ideas? Head on over to Christine’s blog to check out her ideas for you! This is a blog hop my team of demonstrator puts together and I always love seeing what they came up with!
1. Christine Szekeres – Artful Musings
2. Pamela Wu – Stinky Tofu
3. Kathy Thisted – Stampablog
4. Susan Schultz – Stampin’ by the SF Bay
5. Stacey Lane – A Work of Carte
6. Jennifer Blomquist – NW Stamper <– YOU ARE HERE
Love this Post? Share it with your friends!
Facebook
Email
Pinterest
X
Print
April 27, 2017
Flowery Thank You Card with the Fresh Fruit Stamp Set
What do you get when you’ve made a bunch of projects but then totally slacked off on sharing them on the blog? A mad dash to start posting them all so you can see the fun ideas while you can actually still get the products if you want to make it yourself. Novel idea, huh? 😉
Today I wanted to share a card that I made for my Stamp Club that was inspired by a card by Kim Williams. I loved the basics of her card and just simplified it down to this version which I think is just so pretty!
This is a great thank you card… or really anything you want card! I love the simplicity of layering the white scalloped oval behind the white stamped oval. Its like a delicate touch that was easy peasy to do thanks to the Layering Ovals framelits. Plus it was a great way to show off some of the great patterned papers and ribbon without taking away from the main image.
Tips for making this Fresh Fruit Thank You card:
- The Fresh Fruit stamp set isn’t just for fruit! I always think of that stamp set when I want a summery strawberry or peach, but it has great flower images too! I used some of the 2016-2017 In Colors to create my flower: Dapper Denim for the petals and Emerald Envy for the leaves.
- Pick different textures of ribbon to layer together – I loved both the burlap ribbon and the Dapper Denim ruched ribbon… so why not combine the two? When you have bold textures or colors, they look great layered together in combination with a lot of white space (like the big white background).
- Use those pattern papers that you aren’t sure how to use! I had the Playful Palette designer paper stack, but wasn’t sure how to use some of the deco patterns. Turns out, when you match colors in a clean and simple card, a little piece can make a big impact! Grab a 1 1/2″ x 4″ piece of the patterned paper and layer it behind the ribbons for a cute pattern without the bulk of one more ribbon.
- Grab retiring items before they are gone! The following items are on the discontinued list and all but the stamp set are while supplies last
  - Fresh Fruit stamp set
  - Dapper Denim ruched ribbon
  - Playful Palette designer paper stack
Want to make this card at home? Here are the project supplies:
Fresh Fruit Photopolymer Stamp Set
$27.00
Layering Ovals Framelits Dies
$35.00
Playful Palette Designer Series Paper Stack
$10.00
5/8″ (1.6 Cm) Burlap Ribbon
$7.00
Dapper Denim 3/8″ (1 Cm) Ruched Ribbon
$8.00
Dapper Denim Classic Stampin’ Pad
$6.50
Emerald Envy Classic Stampin’ Pad
$6.50
Crushed Curry Classic Stampin’ Pad
$6.50
Dapper Denim 8-1/2″ X 11″ Cardstock
$8.00
Whisper White 8-1/2″ X 11″ Card Stock
$9.00
Stampin’ Dimensionals
$4.00
Big Shot
$110.00
Love this Post? Share it with your friends!
Facebook
Email
Pinterest
X
Print
April 19, 2017
From Me to You–a Second-Chance Sale-a-Bration Offer!
Last year, I only offered my Second-Chance Sale-a-Bration promotion to my local customers who attended an event in April. But this year, I wanted to open it up to any of my customers – near or far! This is my way to thank you for your continued support, by giving you an extra gift with your orders this month, plus giving you that one month extra time to pick up that Sale-a-Bration item you might not have been able to get in time before the promotion ended.
How can I get my Second-Chance Sale-a-Bration freebie?
It’s easy! All you have to do is: (more…)
Love this Post? Share it with your friends!
Facebook
Email
Pinterest
X
Print
April 12, 2017
The Stampin’ Up 2017 Retiring List is Here!
I’m back from OnStage Local in Shreveport, LA (this is like a regional conference for Stampin’ Up demonstrators)! My head is spinning with lots of new ideas to share and excitement around the new items coming – seriously guys, great stuff! But, at the same time as I was heading home, Stampin’ Up released their list of items that are being discontinued as of June 1st.
The Good: A number of retiring items are discounted 15%-50% off!
The Bad: Everything except stamps are only available while supplies last, and some items have already sold out!
So, you don’t want to wait, check out the list and pick up your favorites while they are still available! And while you are at it, take advantage of my Second-Chance Sale-a-bration promotion!
Read On to Learn More about these Deals!
Love this Post? Share it with your friends!
Facebook
Email
Pinterest
X
Print
April 12, 2017
Accent Coloring with the Chalk Marker
Back when Stampin’ Up had Chalkboard Paper, we also got the White Chalk marker. And I knew what to do with it… duh, you use a chalk marker on chalkboard paper! 🙂 But then, the chalkboard paper went away and the chalk marker remained, which made me think there had to be other great uses for this marker. Since then, I found that it is great for all kinds of soft accents and touches on your cards. My favorite version is Accent Coloring with the chalk marker on light brown paper, like I did in this card!
I stamped the flourish image from the Flourishing Phrases stamp set using Archival Basic Black ink. The archival black is a GREAT black ink and much deeper and richer than the Memento Black or even past Basic Black classic ink pads. However, it does tend to stain your stamps, similar to stazon, so I tend to only use it with my rubber stamps. Thankfully though, this set is rubber so I can happily stamp away with my happy black.
Once you’ve stamped your main image, then you can go over areas you want to highlight and color them in with your White Chalk Marker. The chalk ink doesn’t saturate into the paper and so it makes a nice soft white highlight on top of the colored cardstock, providing a great contrast.
I wanted my flourish stamp to be the main focus of my card, so I kept the rest of the elements on the card muted and simple.
- Pool Party ink for the leaves in the background (also from the Flourishing Phrases stamp set) on a Pool Party card base
- An understated pattern from the Blooms & Bliss designer paper down the middle of the card matted by Basic Black cardstock.
- Sponging the edges of my Crumb Cake main piece with Pool Party ink to soften the edges up and help them blend into the background card base.
- A small scrap of Burlap ribbon to add some texture and a natural feel.. but only a hint!
- Pearls under the sentiment to make it feel finished and with a touch of elegance.
But this technique of doing Accent Coloring with the chalk marker is great on different colors of cardstock as well as different types of sets. It works best with line-art images, but also is good for highlighting (see this example with a snow scene). Here is another example of coloring in an image with the chalk marker.
Want to make this card at home? Here are the project supplies:
April Rewards Hostess Code is PPXVZ4NN
Flourishing Phrases Wood-Mount Stamp Set
$49.00
Flourishing Phrases Clear-Mount Stamp Set
$37.00
White Stampin Chalk Marker
$3.50
Blooms & Bliss Designer Series Paper
$11.00
Pearl Basic Jewels Embellishments
$5.00
5/8″ (1.6 Cm) Burlap Ribbon
$7.00
Pool Party 8-1/2″ X 11″ Card Stock
$8.00
Basic Black 8-1/2″ X 11″ Card Stock
$8.00
Crumb Cake 8-1/2″ X 11″ Card Stock
$8.00
Basic Black Archival Stampin’ Pad
$7.00
Pool Party Classic Stampin’ Pad
$6.50
Island Indigo Classic Stampin’ Pad
$6.50
Sponge Daubers
$5.00
Stampin’ Dimensionals
$4.00
Love this Post? Share it with your friends!
Facebook
Email
Pinterest
X
Print
April 5, 2017
Make an Easy Favor Box with the Lift Me Up Bundle
As I head into the week of the spring OnStage event (the Stampin’ Up! convention weekend), I have treats and gifts on my mind. I’ll be headed to Shreveport, LA with 5 of my Fun n’ Crafty Stampers group to get a sneak peek at the upcoming Annual Catalog that launches in June as well as get inspired by the great creativity and savvy of other demonstrators. I’ve never been to Louisiana before! I am excited to get a chance to adventure somewhere new and bond with my team at the same time! So, be watching my Northwest Stamper Facebook page for real-time updates from my trip. I’ll also try to post here after the main event.
So, one of the things I’m working on today is gifts for my team attending with me, which made me think this would be the perfect day to share this easy favor box idea using the clear tiny treat boxes.
Read More about this Tiny Treat Favor Box
Love this Post? Share it with your friends!
Facebook
Email
Pinterest
X
Print
April 3, 2017
LAST DAY for Great Sale-a-Bration Specials!
So, today I have to put out the LAST CALL for taking advantage of the Sale-a-Bration promotions. Stampin’ Up always runs this incentive during the first 3 months of the year, giving you a chance to get free stamps and papers, including exclusive items that are made only for this promotion. Plus, if you are thinking of taking advantage of all the perks of being a Stampin’ Up demonstrator, you only have through tonight to get those 2 free stamp sets of your choice, any value with your starter kit. PLUS, Stampin’ Up just announced that anyone who purchased the starter kit from January – March of this year, will have the opportunity to earn an EXTRA free stamp set in May-June! Super sweet!

Just make sure you don’t wait until tomorrow – these perks end 11:50pm MST March 31st, 2017! Shop online here or join my Fun n’ Crafty stampers here
Ok, now on to the card I wanted to share with you today! It uses the fabulous Lift Me Up bundle and pairs it with the fun Carried Away designer paper (only available during Sale-a-Bration). It is such a fun and easy layout though that it is perfect to use with any of your patterned papers.
Get the details to make this card HERE
Love this Post? Share it with your friends!
Facebook
Email
Pinterest
X
Print
March 31, 2017
Pretty Tone-on-Tone Backgrounds with Delicate Details
March is fast coming to a close and that means we only have 2 days left of Sale-a-Bration and the chance to get some of these cute sets like the Delicate Details stamp set! It has so many possibilities including lace borders, emboss-resist techniques, etc. But my favorite idea with it – and one of the easiest- is to create fabulous tone-on-tone backgrounds using the lace. Check it out:
I always think of lace stamps as being delicate and ideal for weddings and love cards, but you don’t have to keep it to those boxes! I had created a simple card using this Bella & Friends stamp set, but wanted to add a little more to the card. So, I started from a card I shared recently in my email newsletter (if you aren’t a subscriber, sign up HERE so you can get access to exclusive tutorials too!). It was super easy to create because I grabbed one of my largest clear blocks and mounted all of the stamps onto it at one time.
TIP: Squish your lace stamps closer together than you think you might want them. Because of the little extra bit of photopolymer that is around the edges of the stamp image itself, it creates some space between the images. So, start very close together… you can always spread it out more!
For this card, I stamped the images using Cucumber Crush ink onto Cucumber Crush cardstock. This is one of the retiring colors, so I had to get in some more time with it before it goes. But this technique looks beautiful with other colors, and especially with bright colors such as Watermelon Wonder (another retiring color)
TIP: The 2015-2017 In Colors are retiring at the end of May, but DON’T WAIT until then to stock up! The reinkers will sell out in late April when the retirement list is officially announced (though last year, one color was gone before the retirement list even posted!) so get your cardstock and reinkers now before they are gone.
Finally, I added one more touch with the Cucumber Crush striped ribbon sticking out of the side of the main image. Don’t forget to use those ribbons… if you have a size that is a little bigger than you know what to do with, having a few ends stick out the side is a great use for them!
I mentioned above that I started from a simpler card, I thought I’d share that card too! This was my “easy card” from a private card class. We were making 4 cards and the other cards had die cutting and multi-step stamping. So I wanted everyone to finish with a card that was fun, relaxing and satisfying. We broke out the watercolor pencils and let the Bella & Friends image be the highlight of the card.

2 Days Left to get your FREE Sale-a-Bration items – including Delicate Details for making your own Tone-on-Tone Backgrounds!
Just a quick reminder, that if you have been meaning to get your order in to grab your free Sale-a-Bration items… you only have 2 days left! You have until Friday night to be able to earn any of these items for free. NOTE the extra designer papers, cardstock, and washi tape from the Occasions Catalog that has been added as an option for you. Here is what you can get:
How to redeem your free items:
1. Visit www.nwstamper.com/shop and pick out the items you want to order from your wishlist – anything from the Annual Catalog, Occasions catalog, and Clearance Rack
2. On the shopping cart page, in the bottom left of the page will be a link to select your free Sale-a-Bration choice(s) – one for every $50 you have ordered.
3. On the shopping card page, if your order is less than $150, enter 42ABGMYK in the hostess code text box, and I’ll also send you a copy of the March Premium Tutorial pack too!
4. Check out and those free items will be added to your box at no additional cost at all!
You just have to do that by the end of day Friday! Feel free to email me at jennifer@nwstamper.com if you have any questions.
Want to make this card at home? Here are the project supplies:
March Rewards Hostess Code is 42ABGMYK

Delicate Details Photopolymer Stamp Set
$0.00
Bella & Friends Wood-Mount Stamp Set
$28.00
Bella & Friends Clear-Mount Stamp Sets
$20.00
Shimmery White 8-1/2″ X 11″ Card Stock
$8.00
Cucumber Crush 5/8″ (1.6 Cm) Mini Striped Ribbon
$8.00
Watercolor Pencils
$16.00
Aqua Painters
$17.00
Very Vanilla 8-1/2″ X 11″ Card Stock
$9.00
Basic Black 8-1/2″ X 11″ Card Stock
$8.00
Cucumber Crush 8-1/2″ X 11″ Cardstock
$8.00
Basic Black Archival Stampin’ Pad
$7.00
Cucumber Crush Classic Stampin’ Pad
$6.50
March News, Notes, and Specials!
- March Hostess Code is 42ABGMYK – Use this code when you shop online with me and earn extra perks!
- ONLY A FEW WEEKS LEFT! Sale-a-Bration is coming to an end on March 31st.
  - For every $50 ordered, pick any item from the Sale-a-Bration catalog to get for FREE added to your order
  - Place a $250 order or party and get an extra $25 to spend for FREE!
  - BEST DEAL – if your wish list is over $100, consider getting the demonstrator starter kit and joining my Fun n’ Crafty Stampers. You get to pick out $125 in product for $99, get 20% off all your future orders, get 2 stamp sets of any value to add FREE to your kit during Sale-a-Bration, and join the amazing community of my team and demonstrators worldwide online. Get started here
Love this Post? Share it with your friends!
Facebook
Email
Pinterest
X
Print
March 30, 2017
Embossing Two Ways with Dragonfly Dreams
When I had a hostess ask me this month to use Dragonfly Dreams for one of her event cards, I smiled and said “of course!” Then I did my best Winnie the Pooh impression and sat at my craft table poking my head and saying “think, think, think”. I had played a little with this set, but I hadn’t actually completed a full card yet. But, as I started thinking about what other supplies I had lying around my desk I wanted to play with (the Sale-a-Bration Glimmer Paper assortment and the Hexagons Dynamic Embossing folder), some ideas started coming together. In the end, what was left on my table was this finished card and a great opportunity to mix embossing styles and lots of textures all in one card!
LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW TO MAKE THIS CARD
Love this Post? Share it with your friends!
Facebook
Email
Pinterest
X
Print
March 14, 2017
Masculine Birthday Card Idea with Balloon Adventures
With so many great flowers and lace stamps and dies, sometimes I have a hard time finding a Masculine birthday card in my stash. So, when I was designing a card for my recent Stamping Bingo event, I decided to fix that problem! I love this Balloon Adventures stamp set and especially that it fits the Balloon Bouquet punch. But this card is all about the details, which lets you keep it interesting without bringing it over to the girly side. Let me share with you some of the fun touches we added:
Little Touches Make All the Difference for a Masculine Birthday Card
So, I’m one to often grab my rhinestones or glimmer or ribbons, but guys don’t always appreciate ruffles and sparkle. Which leads me to look at other options for adding interest to my masculine cards. One of the first things I switch out is Baker’s Twine for ribbon. I love that Stampin’ Up has started coming out with more solid color regular Baker’s Twine like this Emerald Envy option. It gives you a great solid color that coordinates with the pattern paper and cardstock, but isn’t so frou frou that it will make your guy roll his eyes!
Plus it does a great job breaking up some of those repetitive patterns like on this Cupcakes & Carousels pack’s diamond pattern. I just grabbed a piece and glued it to the back of my cardstock. Then wrap it around the front of your paper three times and adhere the end of the twine to the back of the paper. I find SNAIL tape runner works great for this.
I also love replacing my rhinestones with the Metallic Enamel shapes. They are bright and fun, but instead are more shine than sparkle – which I know my guy appreciates! The pack comes with hearts, two sizes of circles, and stars in both gold and silver, giving you lots of options.
Lastly, there is the old standbys of punches and die cuts! I can’t tell you enough how much I reach for my Stitched Shapes framelits; with the dashes being pre-cut for me when the circle is die-cut, it is super easy. Then for the balloon, I mentioned before how the balloons in the stamp set fit the Balloon Bouquet punch. Then you can make it even more interesting by stamping your image onto a patterned paper. (This is from that same Cupcakes & Carousels pack). It adds perfectly coordinated color while still blending in.
Want to make this card at home? Here are the project supplies:
March Rewards Hostess Code is KYNFMU4D
Balloon Adventures Photopolymer Stamp Set
$26.00
Balloon Bouquet Punch
$18.00
Cupcakes & Carousels Designer Series Paper Stack
$10.00
Stitched Shapes Framelits Dies
$30.00
Metallic Enamel Shapes
$7.00
Emerald Envy Solid Baker’s Twine
$3.00
Early Espresso Classic Stampin’ Pad
$6.50
So Saffron Classic Stampin’ Pad
$6.50
Emerald Envy 8-1/2″ X 11″ Cardstock
$8.00
Whisper White 8-1/2″ X 11″ Card Stock
$9.00
Stampin’ Dimensionals
$4.00
SNAIL Permanent Adhesive
$7.00
Need more general or masculine birthday card ideas?
I have a bunch posted here on the blog over the last few years, so click HERE to filter down and see just my birthday cards.

March News, Notes, and Specials!
- March Hostess Code is KYNFMU4D – Use this code when you shop online with me and earn extra perks!
- ONLY A FEW WEEKS LEFT! Sale-a-Bration is coming to an end on March 31st.
  - For every $50 ordered, pick any item from the Sale-a-Bration catalog to get for FREE added to your order
  - Place a $250 order or party and get an extra $25 to spend for FREE!
  - BEST DEAL – if your wish list is over $100, consider getting the demonstrator starter kit and joining my Fun n’ Crafty Stampers. You get to pick out $125 in product for $99, get 20% off all your future orders, get 2 stamp sets of any value to add FREE to your kit during Sale-a-Bration, and join the amazing community of my team and demonstrators worldwide online. Get started here
foo
Love this Post? Share it with your friends!
Facebook
Email
Pinterest
X
Print
March 9, 2017
Saying Hello with Foxy Friends and the A Little Foxy Suite
Happy Monday! I’m back today to share with you a fun Foxy Friends card that I’ve been sitting on for a while. And by sitting on for a while, I mean, I made this at my LAST Northwest Crafty Retreat Weekend in the fall! We have our next retreat coming up at the end of the month, so its about time I get this posted. This was my interpretation of a Mojo Monday card sketch and the A Little Foxy Suite made it come together so super easily. Keep reading and I’ll show you the sketch and how I put it together!
READ MORE ABOUT THIS PROJECT!
Love this Post? Share it with your friends!
Facebook
Email
Pinterest
X
Print
March 6, 2017
New 2017 Sale-a-Bration Choices are here!
We all love getting free stuff… I mean, really – who is going to say “You want to give me a free stamp set or glimmer paper? No thanks, I’m good.” Sale-a-Bration is a fun promotion each year with lots of ways to get extra perks for your time and money. Starting this week – they have added 3 cute additional options for you as part of the 2017 Sale-a-Bration incentive. Check them out and let me know what you think!
Read more about the new choices!
Love this Post? Share it with your friends!
Facebook
Email
Pinterest
X
Print
February 23, 2017