Northwest Stamper

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  • A Rough Type Index Card

    If you’ve ever visited splitcoaststampers.com, you’ve probably noticed their extensive gallery showcasing thousands of cards made by talented stampers, all organized by stamp set.  Well, the card shown when you are looking at the list of stamp set names is called the index card and it is made to show every single stamp in the set.  So, with the latest catalogs that have come out, they asked some of the demonstrators to create index cards for the recent stamp set.  I volunteered to make 4 cards and this is my card for the Rough Type stamp set that was in the Summer Mini.

    It’s funny; I hadn’t notice until I was stamping that ‘H’ and ‘I’ are next to each other in the alphabet and that spells “Hi” – but, I think it’s pretty convenient!  I also experimented with ribbon tying with this card as well.  I punched a hole on the left and right side of the “& z” images using the smaller of the two hole punches on the crop-a-dile.  Then I threaded my Marina Mist 3/8” taffeta ribbon from the front of the white cardstock to the back and then came back up to the front of the card next to the “z”.  I glued a second ribbon piece to the back of my white paper and use that to tie a knot with the ribbon I had threaded.  I then popped it up on dimensionals to adhere to the card base.

    Rough Type Hi recipe:
    Stamps:     Rough Type
    Ink: Basic Black, Marina Mist, Cajun Craze
    Paper: Whisper White CS, Cajun Craze CS, Marina Mist CS
    Accessories: Marina Mist 3/8” taffeta ribbon, Crop-a-dile, Stampin’ Dimensionals

    ****Clearance Rack items are selling out! Have you got your favorites yet?****
    Don’t miss the unheard of deals on paper, ink, ribbon, kits, and more!  Check it out now – visit the online store and click “Clearance Rack” on the left side of the page.

    tip – when looking at the Clearance Rack, use the drop down box on the upper right side of the screen to say “view all” items.  Then you can easily scroll and scan through everything available at one time!

  • World Card Making Day Projects–Part 2

    Like I mentioned earlier this week, at my World Card Making Day event, I brought supplies for everyone to make cards based on two different layouts.  I shared the first layout in a previous post and so I thought I would share the second layout today.

    So, here is the card that I made as a sample:

    It is a super quick and easy card and it lets you feel like you are an artist (even if you are like me and can’t paint or draw worth anything Smile) by giving you space to color using markers and/or water coloring.

    So, given those card components, here are some of the cute creations the other folks came up with:

    Karolina’s cards

    Pam’s card –
    this is another example of why I love it when folks take my samples and do their own thing.  I love how she tucked the sentiment label between the designer paper layer and the scalloped edge.  It’s a different way of layering I probably wouldn’t have thought of on my own.

    Card Recipes:
    Stamps: Fun and Fast Notes, Teeny Tiny Wishes
    Paper: Real Red CS, Basic Gray CS, Crumb Cake CS, Bashful Blue CS, Greenhouse Gala DSP, Celebrations DSP
    Ink: Basic Black, Pacific Point, Stampin’ Write markers
    Accessories: Scallop edge punch, Scallop trim punch, Word Window punch, Modern Label punch, Blender pens, Watercolor pen

    Want project outlines, technique details, and the latest promotions and deals information delivered to your inbox?

    I’m getting ready to send out my monthly newsletter for October and would love to share these ideas with you.  Sign up today and you’ll be all set to receive this month’s newsletter filled with fun ideas for the upcoming holidays.

  • Scrapbooking with My Digital Studio and an MDS Contest!

    I’ve always loved the look of a handmade scrapbook, and so when the big digital scrapbooking wave hit, I wasn’t too sure about it.  However, when Stampin’ Up! came out with My Digital Studio and I saw how easy it would be to match all of my papers and embellishments to the digital layouts and create hybrid scrapbook pages, I started catching the wave too.

    I bought MDS so that I could try to make headway with my wedding album (lets just say the photos and memorabilia have been in a box for the last 9 years).  Well, I’ve been too distracted playing with other projects that the wedding album hasn’t happened.  But here is an example of a layout I whipped up tonight.

    Cute as a button_wm

    I love this picture my mom took of my son during a recent visit and thought it would make a great page.  I started with one of the built in photo layouts that had caught my eye and even though in the end I ended up moving everything around and deleting some of the photo spots, it actually was quick, easy, and fun to create this page.
    (All of the elements I used on this page come by default with My Digital Studio)

    Plus, have you heard?  There is a My Digital Studio contest going on right now!

    I figure this layout is practice for me so I can get some ideas to submit for the My Digital Studio Contest being run by Stampin’ Up!  Create your best digital designs and you could win $400 in digital downloads for My Digital Studio!

    Here are the details:

    • Design 1 digital card and 2 single page layouts using only My Digital Studio and Stampin’ Up! downloads
    • Submit your samples plus the official entry form and photo release form to MDSContest@stampinup.com
    • Contest runs from Oct 1 – Nov 15, 2010
    • A panel of judges will select 10 winners – 5 demonstrators and 5 customers
    • You can see the full rules, FAQs, and more details here.

    Don’t have My Digital Studio or want more digital downloads?
    Grab a copy from my online store and you can be designing in no time!

  • Clearance Rack Blitz! Hundreds of retired items at up to 80% off!

    I was about to go to bed when I logged in to the Stampin’ Up! demonstrator website one last time to check something when I saw a news posting from the home office.  They just announced from Oct 5-18th, they are having a Clearance Rack Blitz to make room in the distribution center for new products. That means some of your old favorites are back while supplies last.

    Deals include:

    • Cardstock from the old color families
    • Retired punches including the slot and slit punches
    • Retired Ribbon
    • Retired DSP
    • Build A Brad sets
    • Pretties Kit
    • Rub-ons
    • On Board albums and shapes
    • Retired color ink pads
    • and more!

    Shop now to grab your favorites before they are gone!

  • World Card Making Day fun

    I meant to get this post up sooner but my camera suddenly did not want to talk to my computer and so the photos were in limbo for a while.  Thankfully, after much massaging, sweet talking, and cajoling, my camera finally decided to let me pull off the pictures. Smile 

    Did you do something fun for World Card Making Day this last Saturday?

    I met with some folks to create some cards to donate to Operation Write Home and send our cards out to the troops overseas.  We ended up with a small group, but it was still a very fun group and we enjoyed hanging out for a couple hours and just letting our creative sides loose.

    This was the first to two cards I designed for the day.  However, instead of cutting all the same paper for everyone, I cut a bunch of different color cardstock and designer series paper in the dimensions needed for the cards.  Then everyone could use the same basic design but get creative on color combinations, stamps, and even the layout.  I have to say, I got some new fun ideas from what everyone made.

    So from that, folks mixed and match and came up with some fun variations on this card.  Here are some examples of what folks did using the same dimensions of base layers:

    Bethani’s Cards   

    Karolina’s Cards

    Pam’s Christmas Card

    Kind of neat how the same idea could be used in different ways?  Later this week, I’ll share the other designs we made on Saturday. 

    What did you make on World Card Making Day?  Leave me a comment and share what you did!

  • Celebrate World Cardmaking Day – join me in crafting for a cause

    Did you realize that tomorrow is World Cardmaking Day?  That’s right, there is a holiday to celebrate creating and sharing handmade cards!  Many folks will be celebrating this occasion with stamping and crafting events, and I’m no exception.

    If you are in the San Francisco Bay area, join me as I celebrate World Cardmaking Day with a fun and FREE stamping event.  We will be making two cards, one for you to keep and one to donate to our Troops overseas.  No experience is necessary and I will be providing everything you need to create these cards.

    Here are the details:

    World Cardmaking Day Charity Event
    Roundtable Pizza – Mountain View, CA

    October 2nd from 1pm – 3pm 

    Create two fun and easy cards and choose one to take home and one to put in the box to donate for the troops.  All completed cards will be donated to Operation Write Home (http://www.operationwritehome.org/)  If you have extra completed cards you would like to donate, I’d be happy to accept them to send in.

    Cost: Free, so come try it out and bring your friends!  The more people we have the more cards we can create and donate!

    email me at jennifer@nwstamper.com to let me know you would like to come and I’ll be sure to have supplies ready and waiting for you!

  • Update on the Stamping Roulette Shopping Spree Drawing

    roulette board sept29I wanted to post a quick update on the Stamping Roulette promotion going on right now.  The board is filling up and we have only two more days (until midnight Oct 1st) to fill the board to get the bonus drawing for an extra $20 gift certificate.

    So, in case you missed it, here is how the game works.  You have three ways to earn spaces on the board.  When the board is filled up, I will spin the wheel and one lucky person will receive a $50 shopping spree! 

    To earn a spot on the board:

    1.  For every $25 you spend with me, you will receive a number on the board.  Yep, that’s right, spend $25 and you could win $50!

    2.  New! Host a workshop with me in October and receive a free space.  I offer workshops in your home or workshops in a box for folks who live to far away for an in-home workshop.

    3.  Thinking of becoming a demonstrator?  Join my team and get 3 free numbers on the board!

    If the board fills up by October 1st, I will spin a second time for an extra $20 shopping spree! 

    So contact me at jennifer@nwstamper.com or shop online now to reserve your chance to win big!

  • Tons of Tools Card and Embellished Envelope

    Sunday was this month’s Technique Night with my meetup group and by request, I did a night that was focused on going over many of the tools you might encounter on your crafting journey including:

    • The BigShot
    • Aqua and Blender pens for water coloring
    • Crimpers
    • Bone Folders
    • Paper Piercing tools
    • Heat and Dry Embossing
    • the Crop-a-Dile for eyelet setting and hole punching
    • the Stamp-a-ma-jig for exact stamp image placement
    • Color spritzers
    • And paper punches

    So, we ended up using all of these tools on the following two projects.

    First we used a Whisper White envelope (since it uses the same type of paper as Whisper White CS, these envelopes take ink and stamping really well!) Trim off 1 1/4” from one of the short sides of the envelope.  Then we used the scallop edge punch on the smaller piece.  For the larger piece, we stamped and used the color spritzer to scatter Soft Suede ink on both sides of the envelope.  Then we ran the big piece through the crimper.  Watercolor the stamped image using the covers of classic ink pads and a watercolor pen, add a punched out scallop square, and adhere and you are pretty much done.  We punched two holes through both the top and bottom pieces of the envelope so we could run ribbon through to tie the envelope closed.

    Next we made this card:

    This card used the BigShot for making the dots on the white paper.  Then we used the brayer to lightly go over the dots to give them some color.  We did dry embossing on the Rich Razzleberry CS using some holes I punched out some Chipboard with the Simple Alphabet Dies for the BigShot.  We stamped the flower image from the Vintage Vogue stamp set, used the Stamp-a-ma-jig to place the text below the flower and then heat embossed using black embossing powder (don’t forget to use the embossing buddy to ensure you don’t get stray embossing powder flecks!).  Used the crop-a-dile to set the jumbo eyelet; and then finally used the super, awesome mat pack and paper piercer to punch the row of holes below the Rich Razzleberry CS.  Oh, and we used the bone folder and the groove in the paper cutter to score the card so we had a nice crisp fold.

    Whew!  That’s a lot of tools, but it was lots of fun.

    If you are interested in any of the tools used for these projects, you can get them now through my online store .  Plus –  if your total is $25 or more you will be entered into my drawing for a $50 gift certificate!

    My favorite tools are the BigShot and the Mat Pack.  What are yours?

  • A Handmade Wedding Book and Card

    I’m back!  I had such a blast in Vegas. This was my first vacation since having my son, and though I missed him, it was great to have adult time and he got some quality time with Grandma. We also lucked in to a crazy room upgrade – we got a room on the “50”th floor looking at the Bellagio fountains! Amazing!

    vegas hotel room view

    We were there for our friends wedding and so I had made them a book to save the photos and memories of this trip.  I got the supplies and learned the binding technique at a store demonstration when visiting my mom.  Now that I get how it works, I’m going to see if I can replicate it with Stampin’ Up! supplies.

    I had the book all ready to go, but still needed to make a card, so I took my supplies with me and planned to put it together in Vegas.  Well, I discovered when unpacking that I completely forgot my clear mounts!  So I had to get a little creative so I could mount my sentiment. Smile Turns out, if you are desperate, you can use the stamp case as a mount.  It doesn’t work as well as a clear block, but it will work!

    But in the end, I was able to pull together a card that I love and was so happy to give to them while celebrating this awesome time for them.

    Wedding Card Recipe:
    Stamps:     Baroque Motifs, Occasional Quotes
    Ink: Blushing Bride, Chocolate Chip
    Paper: Whisper White CS, Chocolate Chip CS, Blushing Bride CS
    Accessories: Adhesive Back Pearls, Victoria Crochet Trim Ribbon, Small Heart Punch

  • One thing I forgot about hotels is that they charge an arm and a leg for internet access. So watch for new blog posts when I’m back in the land of free internet this Sunday. I have more samples to share and just need to get them uploaded.

    I also will be updating the Stamping Roulette board as well with the recent orders. There are
    still spots available. Don’t miss your chance to win a $50 shopping spree!

  • Viva Las Vegas! A chance to win a $50 gift certificate

    2008 Sema Truck Show Las Vegas Sign My first vacation since my wonderful baby boy was born is almost here!  My husband and I will be traveling to Las Vegas to watch our very good friends get married.  This is extra special for me because it was my invitation to a night of rock climbing at a local gym that got my two friends to meet and now, look what happened!

    Of course while we are in Vegas we’ll be staying at one of the casino hotels and as I was thinking about this, I thought, why not share the Vegas fun on my blog!

    roulette boardIntroducing Stamping Roulette!

    So, here is how it works.  I have a modified Roulette board with each spot available for a name.  Here is how to play:

    • When you place a $25 order with me, you get a spot on the board.
    • Place a $50 order, you get two spots on the board, $75… you get the idea.
    • If you decide now is the time to join my team, you get 3 spots on the board just for signing up!

    Once the board is full, I’ll spin the wheel and where the ball lands gives the person on that number a $50 shopping spree!  That’s right, that $25 order could land you a $50 shopping spree.

    Bonus Spin:
    Since I’m feeling lucky – if we fill the board by Oct 1st, I will spin the wheel a second time and give away another $20 gift certificate.  Both online and offline orders count for this promotion.

    Visit my online store or email me at jennifer@nwstamper.com to pick your spot on the board!

  • Experimenting with the Stampin’ Up! Letterpress Dies

    As I mentioned last week, I received the new Letterpress Dies and made my first card using the method recommended on the packaging.  However, I’m not always good with rules and recommendations and so I had to start experimenting myself with how these dies worked with different inks, paper, and BigShot “sandwich” combinations.

    I wanted to share my results with you so you could try some of these ideas out yourself or avoid the methods that didn’t work so well.

    But first – a new sample using the bigger Trick or Treat letterpress die:

    The green ribbon in the Pumpkin Pie button is actually the 1/4” Old Olive grosgrain ribbon cut in half.  If you do this to thread through a button, I highly recommend using a needle to thread it through the holes.  I was using the “wet the end of the ribbon, twist, squint, shove, and hope enough gets through to grab with your fingernails” technique.  Lets just say the ribbon frays much more easily that way.

    Experimenting with Paper, Ink, and BigShot techniques

    Click Read More to see my experiments with the Letterpress dies including photos for the different papers, inks, and techniques I used. (more…)