by Susan Itell | May 29, 2016 | Uncategorized |
Good Morning (I think it is morning!!!) 😕 Well we are off the ship and back in Barcelona just for about 2 hours and next we are off to Zurich Switzerland until Wednesday…needless to say, we are very excited. Aidan’s family (Hannah’s sweetie) lives there so we decided – WHY NOT???? 😀
I have been editing your beautiful cards (quickly at the airport) and I truly hope that you are are thrilled with how I am showcasing them. If you do not see your card here today...PLEASE do not worry – I will be doing more days on the fabulous works of art that you all created.
My hopes were to use more days, only doing 6 at a time to take more time to add my personal comments but with my lack of technology the past week…I am really backed up and we have some EXCITING things happening this week…..(aka THE NEW CATALOG) so I am sharing more each time I do a Card Swap Post!
Please know in my heart that I am super PROUD of each of you and if you only see one picture of your card, please do not think that I do not think it is special – as it IS….there are some cards that speak for themselves and then there are others that I feel you benefit from other angles! 🙂
Card #1 – This card is SUNSHINE to the MAX….I adore the fact that Megan used (2) different DSP patterns to make this super clean and simple card! You will see another card made by her later this week (hopefully tomorrow) if the internet behaves in Zurich…..FUN card…..and I hope that YOU are having a “sunny day”, I miss my cyber friends!
Card #2 – The 1st thing that I want to share with you about Alyece is that I adore how she signs off to cards that I receive from her….“A BIG TEXAS HUG TO YOU” – this makes me BEAM!!!! Love the card she made – way to go for using sequins….something that I do not do often but it does give such a great effect! “THANK YOU” for participating in the swap!
Card #3 – Oh, butterflies – they always make you feel special! This is stunning and I took the 2nd picture for you to see the “FUN” under the butterfly. Joy – if you can….will you please leave a comment and let us know how you created this beautiful backdrop behind the butterfly!
Card #4 – Georgette Huff is an AMAZING and oh so gifted Cardmaker! Today is no different! Way to rock using your DSP….a gal after my own heart! I adnot, I have a card that Georgette made me ions ago that I adore so much and I just need to share it with you – she is one talented stamper!
Card #5 – YIPPEE…..it is a card from our dear and special Tricia. I was so happy that she was feeling up to making a card. Look at this beauty – using both DSP…and an embossing folder. The FUN flowers are from the Botanical Bundle and remember…..this is only available as a bundle through the 31st – after that you will have to purchase them a la carte !
Card #6 – Here is another Botanical Bloom beauty – they are really “strutting the runway” – that is because this is “keeper bundle” – again, another great example of using DSP to work for you! I am feeling a bit guilty that I have really been pushing this to you all….but heck – it works….what a great card full of fun and texture!
Card #7 – Sweet and Simple…just like I like it! This is a great example of how “less can work to your favor” – We are seeing a variety of DSP cards and also white space cards but the great thing is that they ALL WORK! I wanted to shoot a side view to share with you how the Linen Thread adhered by a glue dot can add just a “tad of dimension” to make it special!
Card #8 – The 1st thing that I instantly loved about this card was….It was a Crumb Cake Card. I think that we forget about the fact that we have Crumb Cake envelopes and this is just sooooo beautiful! The blues and the embellishments of pearls makes it so special.
Card #9 – Here comes that butterfly again….this one is the GIANT Swallowtail that always makes an impact. How special and on the next picture you can see how Toni brought a new interest to the card…..by cutting out the side of the butterfly! Fabulous and fun!
Card #10 – Well “HELLO” to you…..you know how I feel about die cut words – LOVE THEM and guess what – there are MORE in the new catalog…..YIPPEE!!!!! Clean and simple is this beauty! I wanted to take a 2nd picture so you can see clearly that Sandy also used an embossing folder! Just look how this makes the card come to life!
Card #11 – LOVE this sentiment as it is a true blue keeper! Again, another great example of using up DSP (yikes – I must have really scared you guys in using up your DSP). This card I needed to take (3) pictures as there are lots of details for you!. Lisa was so kind to share all of the measurements and as I said in the one picture, I will do a blog post on this technique and share with you the dimensions. Thanks for sharing Lisa! This is a fun card.
Card #12 – This is just one sweet Spring Card that can be used for so many different occasions. Change up the sentiment and you are good to go! The colors are so fun and let’s chat about that envelope…SUPER FUN….way to go in making the mailman smile! I adore how you stamped on the back of the envelope!
Well….there you go my friends! I hope that you have enjoyed this post and I hope that you know how proud I am of each and everyone of you! There will be more to come…not sure on the specific day but please be assured that I will share your work!
Here is a “HEADS UP” – if I were you…I would pop back tomorrow to see a “perk” that I am offering to you all personally! Here is a hint…I would check the “Bye-Bye” list as well as the “clearance rack” as you might be happy with placing an order with me before the new year starts on June 1st!
One thing that I highly urge you to look at are the bundles….remember, many of the stamp sets are carrying over but they will not be a bundle….so I say….take advantage now….(plus the one that I am offering you)
We are just getting ready to hop on a plane and John said, “This Airport is a pretty color” – my answer as I am typing as was as I can…and said, YEP – it is Mint Macarron!!!!!
See you….off to Switzerland!!!! 🙂
by Susan Itell | May 27, 2016 | Washi Tape Card Ideas |
Hello to all…it is Friday and this is the 1st time that I have had WIFI for me to blog to you. You have no idea how frustrating it has been in getting WIFI and the long story short is – I was super frustrated and sad to let you all down in not having your daily dose of fun and inspiration from me…but the below blurb about this post I typed in Word and then I am doing a quick “paste” to send it to you!
My intentions were great as I had soooooo many posts ready for you but without being able to edit pictures and sending posts out to lack of an internet connection…I am just going to have to make do with what I can. (looking on the bright side, I will be ready the week I get back) 🙂
We get back to Barcelona on Sunday so I will have lots of time to get posts scheduled so you should not have any delays! (again, sorry….as many of you remember, my time before leaving was filed with graduation fun so the time did not allow me to schedule ahead (I have learned a lesson)
Before we get to the card….I want to say that John and I are having a fabulous time and the weather has been perfect. We have been so welcomed by so many and it is great to meet other SUD from all over the world. I have some AMAZING pictures for you as I did participate in a card swap (25 cards and then 25 3-d’s) and I also took AMAZING pictures that others did….you will smile, promise!
Also, I sent out confirmations for my first wave of Product Shares on last Sunday (May 22nd) as well as confirmations to those that are participating in my June Stamp of the Month Kit. If you did not receive an email from either of these please EMAIL ME….and when I have the chance to get online (it will not be until Sunday May 29th) I will email you back.
Today’s card is a Washi Tape fun card. I know that many of you are a bit weary of using Washi Tape but let me tell you…the new Washi Tape in the new catalog is over the top fun and I think another thing that i love about it is that the width of it varies.
Just look at how easy this card is…it uses 3 different washi tapes all from the Affectionately Yours Washi Tape (5 rolls are in the set) and a simple diagonal pattern did the trick!
This is one of those cards that you really do not need me…you just need the Washi Tape, a stamp and the desire to have fun – now I think you can accomplish all of that…do you agree?
The Stamp of “THANKS” came from the Perfectly Wrapped Stamp Set. The funny thing is that this stamp set coordinates with a Project Kit (I have it and have not put it together yet) but I adore the stamp set on its own as it is so practical – (I think that I have already blogged about this 4 times.)
The flower came from (2) punches….The Flower Medallion and the Blossom Punch, both carried over in the new catalog and then the added touch of a white perfect accent was the “Cherry On Top” to this Flower fun!
One reason that I love working with Washi Tape is the fact that you can easily bend the tape around the back of the card before you POP it up. You could easily not POP it up but you know me….I love this effect!
Well my friends…there you go, many of been asking be to do a Washi Tape card and I think I can say…MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! I know you have Washi lying around…I challenge you to pull it out and put it to use! I know if I can…you can!
Thanks for popping in today and I need to say that I am “pinching myself” in being here with so many talented people. Everyone has been so sweet in introducing themselves to me when they see that I am a 1st time Achiever for the trip….I feel like a little fish in a Sea of big and experienced fish….but I am taking it all in….I thank you for your support!
By now….everyone should have received their swap cards…I am going to get them up as soon as I can. Darn, I am dealing with a double edged sword…not having technology is great but on the other hand…it feels so weird being so out of the loop!
Stampin’ hugs!
p.s. – I wish that you would see me…I am sitting in a tiny area waiting for the tender boat and I saw the GOLDEN SIGN – WIFI-ACCESS…., I smiled as I know I can reach out to you! John nudged me to take my laptop….I’m glad I did!!! 🙂
by Susan Itell | May 22, 2016 | Step it up Sunday!, Uncategorized |
Now please do not click me off….I know that there are no “Bells & Whistles” to this post BUT.….it is jazzed up a bit and sometimes you have a bit of extra time to why not?
I have a confession when I was making this…..“type A Susan” did not like the way that the dots were lined up so I decided to make lemonade and make it work! By adding the additional dots and making the overlay 1/4″ smaller….made it stepped up…a bit!
You can see that adding the extra row and overlapping the dots gave instant dimension, so fast yet so fun! I know that I have blogged a bunch about how I like to use fun foam when lifting a rather large image like this and yep, I did it today!
Trust me, dimensionals work great but again, type “A” me does not like saggy cards and using the fun foam eliminates that – I purchase it from Amazon and here is the link. I am sure that you can find it in craft stores but I like the thickness of this and using Fast Fuse or tear – n- tape works great!
I just adore this stamp and on June 1st when the new catalog rolls out, I will have a FUN challenge for you to see how well you know me and one person will win a stamp set from me….it is a keeper like this! 🙂
I have not made a bunch of posts using the below stamp set…but watch out, I am going to do so – with my son being a teacher, I thought that I could make some fun cards for him…this stamp set is so on trend and as I have said before the ideas are creative and endless
Here is your fun picture that you can save foe reference for the future, Yep, I used the envelope liner framelits and if you do not have it, you need it. So fast and easy!
The hour glass has turned over to get June 1st here – are you excited??? I am just excited to be able to share some ting that I want to teach – educate on….like the new framelits for squares, hearts etc….I was 1st thinking – wow, the ones that we have will be obsolete? Well…truth be told yes, they are walking the plank but “I GET IT” and I am excited to share with you the in’s and out’s of why Stampin’ Up! did this!
Enjoy the day,,,make some memories and make sure you laugh….the best medicine one could have!
by Susan Itell | May 21, 2016 | Simple Saturday, Uncategorized |
Here you go….SIMPLE it is today! Just call me “Simple Susan” – it doesn’t get any simpler than this! This weekend post might “DEFLATE” many of you but I hope that you can see the FUN way you can say thanks to someone!
The 2 stamps that I am showcasing today are the SUPER FABULOUS Watercolor Thanks Single Stamp (which is going bye-bye) and the Work of Art that has made it in the catalog for the next year!
You all know that Polka Dots make me smile so naturally this card makes me smile. It is a super simple one layer card that brings you back to your childhood with playing with paint and making “Ink Dots” – (I think that there are coloring books that you can dab ink in dots – sounds like great therapy!!!)
When you break down this stamp set…you can see the possibilities of making true works of Art….plus there is great sentiments!
The card size is a note card size and yep…I love them. I still find myself scratching my head why many of you do not like them. They are made from the thick cardstock and already pre-scored and have envelopes….20 for just $6.00, I ask you – how can you go wrong!?!?
There is not much to tell you about the ins and outs of this card as it is very obviously easy…but I encourage you to have FUN picking colors and try to stretch yourself and play with new color combinations.
Let’s go back and chat about this single stamp. You need it. It is a keeper. It is a classic. It is still available (well the last time I checked) and for just $9.00 you will thank me for nudging you to purchase this!
You have heard me say before that there are some stamps that would not leave Randall Lane, this is one of them. I truly love it and I wish that you could see how inked up the wood block is that it is on. (I like to say that this is a sign of being well-loved) 🙂
My feelings are…if there is something that you love…then why not use it over and over again? It’s kind of like clothes…the longer you keep them around, the better chance they will come back in style!!!!
Please make sure that you check out the retired and clearance racks. When May 31st comes – they are gone and please do not make the mistake in thinking that the retired stuff will just go to clearance…it usually does not work that way! I say if you want it – GET IT…..if it doesn’t make your heart pitter patter…..that’s great to – Go get inky with some toys you have!!!!
Stampin’ hugs….
p.s. – please do not forget to use the hostess code found on the upper right of my blog to be able to have me send you a handmade card ($35.00+) order or both – a roll of Tear-n-Tape and the card with a ($75.00)+ order!
by Susan Itell | May 20, 2016 | Tips and Tricks!!!, Uncategorized |
Good Morning! Today I wanted to share with you some tips…some thoughts…to make you be ahead of the game when the magical date of June 1st rolls around (I know that we are all super excited and the time will ZOOM by)
I would grab that cup of coffee and read this post and hopefully it will help you…there are LOTS of great goodies in this new catalog…but we do not need EVERYTHING…that would be super silly and also that is why I offer a Product Share so you can get a taste of the huge buffet!
I do hope that this post help you with some thoughts for you to think about when looking at the new catalog! 🙂
- Grab a piece of paper and use it as your wish list. What I like to do is make a column of an “A list” and then a “B list”. I do this for stamps and then also for tools/framelits.
- When you are going through the catalog, take note of the bundles….as you will receive an instant 10% off by purchasing them together (yep, it used to be 15% but now it is 10%) 😥 – Many times I have written down the wrong number and was sad when my order came in and I did not use the “bundle number” so make sure you have the correct numbers and don’t be a Silly Susan!
- By now we all know that June 1st is the magical date and I highly suggest to “BE READY” to avoid any unforeseen back orders etc…we all get so excited and there are going to be some “HOT ITEMS” (I think) so I would not wait. I will do another post on the items that I think are going to be HOT! 🙂
- In the new catalog you will see that Stampin’ Up! grouped together a cardstock pack to coordinate with the Designer Series Paper. This is a brilliant as you will get (8) sheets in 3 different colors to work together with the Designer Series Paper (look on page 142 & 143 of the current catalog to see what I am talking about) This is a great way to have a nice selection of complementary colors for you to USE UP that DSP (you know how passionate I am able this)
- For those of you that are NEW to Stampin’ Up!…I think that the best way to get to know our cardstock is to purchase the individual collections in the assorted packs as you will get (2) sheets of each color for just $8.00 a collection – this way you can really see what paper colors you use more often before making a purchase of a whole pack.
- Speaking of the cardstock….the other thing that I truly feel is the best is to purchase from me the cardstock on a ring – I have everything all labeled for you – click here to see the product share offerings and it is #4 – I literally use it daily as I like to pull out color combinations and it stays tidy as it is on a ring!
- Stamp Pads – I do not think anyone will disagree with this….Stampin’ Up! has AMAZING ink pads that are a firm foam which makes a great stamp each and every time. If you can, I would purchase the ink pads as a collection as you will save money but I totally get that this might not be practical for many. I can remember when I first started I purchased them a la carte and then “caved in” as I would see a sample and did not have that color.
- Ink Refills – I HIGHLY suggest that you purchase a refill when you get an ink pad. They really do come in handy and trust me, there is nothing more frustrating to be in the middle of a project to find out that you need more coverage and you do not have the refill – it is worth its weigh in gold…again, it is more economical to purchase them them as a collection rather than a la carte…but always know, there are options for you to do what works for YOU!
Wow….I think that this has given you a lot to think about. Please feel free to email me if you have further questions or please leave a comment and I am sure that our great “cyber family” will be there to help you get the answer!
I might have “spotty internet” while I am away. I am excited to go and get to meet other Stampin’ Up! people…..John does not know 1 person….and I know 4 people…but hoping to meet a WHOLE BUNCH!
I promise to you that I will be a sponge and take it all in and share with you pictures….stories….and ideas! I must admit…I am a bit nervous about going as I am very happy at home. It has been funny…each one of the “peeps” have been in touch several times yesterday just “checking in” with questions like….you do have your passport….you do need to get converters for you phone and laptop….you do know where you are going one you get to Barcelona etc….
We are blessed to have peeps that I think are concerned about their parents being away like we are about to do! All 3 of them have traveled abroad and are very comfortable etc…they are just looking out for us – so John and I will be leaving Williamsport and we will be like 2 kids going to the circus!
This is the 1st time that John and I have been away together for this long….we have always said that once the peeps were through college, it was time for us – here is to our first venture! I cannot wait to make you feel like you are there with me…..I will keep you in the loop and share…share….share!
I will try to be a giraffe and spread my vision. I truly love what I do! 🙂
