by Susan Itell | Aug 1, 2014 | Uncategorized |
Today is a great day for several reasons…it's Friday…the remaining Blendabilities are now available (woot-woot) and today starts an exciting promotion that Stampin' Up is offering for the Big Shot! WOW…so much to take in so lets go!
This fun card is so classic and crisp! I used the new Smoky Slate Blendabilities for this simple card and you know how I feel about these single stamps….love them! This one is appropriately called Snap Shot and it is one for you! WHY? You can put just about any sentiment with it to make it work for your needs!
I am having fun playing with these blendabilities and I am learning each and every-time I use them! The best tip is WORK IN A SMALL AREA….and be PATIENT because if you do this….YOU'LL HAVE FUN!
I know that it is hard to see in the pictures but I used the Large Polka Dot Embossing Folder for the top layered black piece! Trust me on this one…when you see this in person, it is one cute card! So fun because it is so simple!
After I played and had fun with the new markers…I punched a simple hole on the side of the camera and simply placed a small piece of Black Ribbon and used a piece of sticky tape to anchor it and then the stampin' dimensionals did the trick!
Remember that I have been sharing with you colors that I do not use a bunch…and today is Black. I use Black all the time as an accent color but I forget to use the boldness of black as the base of a card and WOW – it looks sharp!
This card will look super with a BOLD color and let the "neutrals" of the camera make the statement! I chose not to put a sentiment on the card and let the sentiment shine on the outside of the envelope. I just love doing this…TIP – stamp the ends first and then go back and do the center! Much more forgiving doing it this way! The stamp set is called Hi There!
The Back To Black DSP seemed to be the PERFECT fit for this card…I am just crazy about this paper! I works perfect for today's card!
The texture of the embossing folder is just perfect. Darn, I wish that you could see it better!
Now to an exciting promotion that Stampin Up! is offering and it is all about my main man…"Mr. Big Shot" This is one tool that is a must and I love what my daughter Hannah says to me….Now she is super smart and says to me…."Mom, I cannot figure out how that simple black thing does so much"
I know…I know…..it is an expense but it is an expense that you will never regret! Now check out this super offer!
Buy A Big Shot and get a FREE Bundle
or
If you already have a Big Shot take 15% off on the selected bundles!
Click here to see the bundles and put them right into a shopping cart! This really is a great value and I would definately make sure that you order reaches $150.00 so you will also be able to take advantage of a Hostess Benefit = $25.00 worth of FREE product or I personally have more people take advantage of the "Hostess only" stamps (pages 237 – 240) in the catalog!
Do the math and you will see that you will be in a win-win situation with this deal! You can get the great Big Shot and then you can choose one of the above 5 bundles for FREE!!!! I say woot-woot! Click here to see a quick video on the Big Shot!
Please email me if you have questions about the card…the Big Shot Promotion…..want to figure out how you can be a cyber hostess…..or if it is just to say hi!
I thank you for having a cup of coffee with me! Another reason I am happy today….as a Demonstrator I can order from the Holiday Catalog Pre-order!!!
Until tomorrow!
by Susan Itell | Jul 31, 2014 | Thinking of you |
It's a good thing that I had this card prepared for you because you can call me Silly Susan! Thursday's are the days for the Pals Paper Arts Challenge and it is my week to submit a card! As one of the designers, we are to submit our cards to Cindy Hall, a great PAL that always takes cares of this!
Our cut off is Tuesday's at noon and I was oober proud of myself that I had my card ready for her on Monday! Today I received an email saying…did you remember that we are "off" tomorrow because of having 5 Thursdays this month….so Silly Susan – but I am already prepared for next week!
This week I am trying to share with you colors that I have not used in a while! Daffodil Delight was probably my most used colors (and Melon Mambo) a close 2nd when I first started stamping and I do not know why it has been on the back burner lately! We need a sunny color like this to brighten our day!
I still have not played enough with the blendabilities but I was pleased with this card today! I can say, the best video that I can relate to about quick tips is from Mary Fish. Please click here to see it! I think the reason why I can relate to it is – IT IS SIMPLE!
The blendabilites are so fun! I have always loved to "color" and these are just plain fun in trying to figure out the whole usage of using all of the colors and getting the blending "just right" All of the colors wil be available tomorrow…that deserves a woot-woot!
One thing that I do like about using these markers is…you can use just plain old whisper white paper! Remember, these are alcohol based markers so you want to work on a small section at a time and then keep going over to get the right colors.
When I first started to play with the markers, I did not listen to that advice and I was frustrated with the end result. Going over small areas at a time WORKS and you will be happy with the end result! Also, the easiest way to put the caps back on the markers is to lay them flat and then push the lid on.
The other "star" to this card is the simple embossing folder, Fancy Fan! A quick run through the Big Shot does the quickest and most effective texture for a mere $7.95! WOW!
The stamp set is a Hostess Set called, Bloom with Hope and it is just beautiful and a perfect stamp to use these new markers.I would love the opportunity to help you get this hostess set, between the 2 of us – we can figure out a great game plan and you will be super happy! Please email me and we will put our thinking caps on!
I couldn't resist to try the envelope with the blendabilites and it worked GREAT! Just slip a piece of scrap paper in and you are GOOD TO GO! Here comes another woot-woot!
The liner was from the Neutrals Designer Series Paper Stack…back to my motto – when in doubt…pull them out! I use these all the time!
I cannot believe that tomorrow it is August 1st! WOW – It is exciting for Demonstrators! We get to order a preview from the holiday catalog…..YEAH!!!! It is super cute and super clean….just like the big catalog!
Please remember that I will be mailing you a new Holiday Catalog if you have ordered from me in the past year! I am equally as excited as you are to get the goodies!
I am so glad that I pulled out this beautiful bright color of daffodil delight…its a fun color that makes you happy!
Have a happy day and until tomorrow!
p.s. – remember…TODAY is the LAST day for you to take advantage of the buy 3 get 1 free DSP….click here to see the paper selections!
by Susan Itell | Jul 30, 2014 | Birthday |
This fun post today is for my dear little (well he's not so little anymore) godson who LOVES baseball….heck – he likes all sports and is always involved in them but this year he "graduated" to the Pony League and his team from little old Hagerstown, MD made it to the World Series and they traveled all the way to California!
Talk about the Field of Dreams! He was sooooo excited as he should have been and they did fantantic and ending up 4th. Can you imagine how this "gang of boys" felt with this incredible honor – a memory that they will have a lifetime!
I am sure when they arrive back to Maryland tonight they are going to be excited…but they have to be exhausting! I honestly could not keep track of all of the games they played. I bet they will sleep for days!
One thing that he will love when he walks into his home is BIG FAT YUMMY CUPCAKES and this card from John and I!
The timing on this punch being on sale this week is perfect! You have heard me blog before that this one is on my "A list" as it is one that I "go to" often! Click here to see the goodies on sale this week.
Also this week…I shared with you that I was going to S T R E T C H myself and try to use colors that I do not do often…today it is Smoky Slate. I really do not know why as it is a fabulous neutral and it looks great with brights as strawberry slush, tempting turquoise!
This is a super fast card to pull together but it still has a great WOW factor! The overall size of the card is a 5" square and then the real red is 4 3/4" and then the white is 4 1/4" and then I ran it through the Big Shot with the Large Polka Dot Embossing Folder (love this gem)
The white circle was from the #6 framelit and then the neutral designer series paper in the polka dots was with the #7 framelit. I decided to heat emboss the "frosting" on the cupcake to give it texture and shine! When I put this piece on the card I felt like it still needed something else!
That something was a thin sliver of real red paper using the paper trimmer (love that tool) and then a simple piece of a scrap ribbon and a quick "loop" did the trick! A super quick stitch around the edge was th finale that was needed!
No envelope today as I am putting this card on their kitchen island with a big plate of cupcakes and he loves drinking milk out of those little milk containers you can get at 7-11…and I know there will be a smile on his face!
Remember that you only have until tomorrow to take advantage of the buy 3 get 1 free of DSP! Click here to see the offerings…but….I will say – you will be happy with the great Big Shot Promotion that Stampin' Up! is offering in August.
I know that this is an expensive tool but it is a tool of necessity for what we do in card making! It is one of those one time investment that will be guaranteed for lifetime!
Have a great day and go make someone smile…I know that Mark will be when he gets home…until tomorrow!
p.s. – a quick tip! Remember to save your paper when you can! I am famous for using punches to maximize my paper….why not??? It's going to be covered up and no one else will know but you and I!
by Susan Itell | Jul 29, 2014 | Tips and Tricks!!! |
Today is a “happy card” and it is a card that I sent to Susan Hayes for winning the Blog Candy! That was a FUN 2 days of posts…I am enjoying going back and making comments to everyone’s happiness and joys that they experience!
I have a question for you…do you ever create a card and then look at it and smile and say – WOW…I really like this!!! Well…if you are like me and do this sometimes – this is one that I sure did this with this card!
I was so happy with it that I decided to make this my “thank you” card for those great people that placed orders with me in July! I know that you will love it and when you see it in person – you will be smiling!
My inspiration came from Pinterest (we all love pinterest) and it was from a SUD, Angela McCay from in 2012. Click here to see her post. The minute I saw it I smiled and knew I had to take a try on making it!
This card is about as simple as it gets! This is also one of my favorite "flower stamp sets" – Flower Shop and when it was unveiled eons ago…I knew it was going to find a way to my home.
I will say that I did become a bit frustrated with it when I had this LOVE/HATE relationship with the stamped image and then punching it out! (Does this ring a bell to anyone else???)
Want a tip?!? My dear and patient friend Jeanie came to my rescue when she knew how frustrated I was. The tip is to stamp your image and then find out where the punch will do it's job and then use a sharpie marker and put a dot! (hope this makes sense – look at the below picture)
The card is a 5" square and the "vase" was made from the #7 circle framelit. At first, I embossed the "vase" and then when I was putting it together I felt it was to much….so into my scraps it went and I went for the easy way….super clean!
The other "clean thing" I did was not to fru-fru the insides of the flowers…true that would be super cute to have pearls…perhaps some glitz but I thought using good old paper and the 1/2" punch did the trick! Again…less is best!
My stampin vitamins, the stampin' dimensionals were the other easy-peasy touch to the card. I first glued the 4 flowers down with the "green glue" as I adore the "wiggle room" it gives to us and then I put 2 dimensionals together to give it a bigger boost! Woot-Woot!
The simple sentiment of "hello" did the trick – remember to use the Embossing Buddy to "prep" the surface before you use the versa mark and stamp the image! Another tip for you is to have a paint brush handy so if you get some extra embossing powder on that won't flick off…a quick swipe with a paint brush does the trick.
I adore how our white embossing powder comes to life. The is so simple and it truly took no time to make! These are the kind of cards that I like to make LOTS OF….mass producing is fun when you know that end result will be super rewarding!
Please leave me a message and let me know how you like this! I am trying to S T R E T C H myself by using colors that I do not usually use…like this – Wild Wasabi…how about challenging yourself and making a project this week with a color you do not use often!
I am getting super excited to be able to order some of the new products from the Holiday catalog! It is a super cute catalog and please know that of you have ordered from me in the past year…I will automatically send you a catalog as soon as I get them myself!
If you do not currently work with a SDU I would be honored to help you! Please email me and I will mail you a catalog. I think that it is very clear that I love my passion for Stampin' Up! and I just continue to grow and learn…
Remember, the time-frame to take advantage of the buy 3 get 1 free Designer Paper offer is coming to an end…click here to see the papers being offered and you know that today is Tuesday – click here to see the special this great company is offering!
Thanks for popping by, please email me if you have any specific questions and I thank you for sharing my love of stamping and blogging with your family and friends!
Until tomorrow!
by Susan Itell | Jul 28, 2014 | Blog Candy, Make it MINE Monday |
Today is a double whammy….the Monday challenge that seems to be a "happy thing" for many of you and also the WINNER of the 2 day blog candy winner!
On Mondays, I only work until noon so my goal is to go back and post comments to the incredibly up-lifing comments that you all left…thank you!
And the winner is………SUSAN HAYES!!!!!
Today's joy is reflecting on the many ways I have been blessed.
Over the 2 days I had 196 comments on my blog and email and I hope that you were inspired by the comments! I was smiling from ear to ear as I read them! Being "happy and experiencing joy" is something that IS in our control…lets make it a goal to have it be in our daily routines of life!
Please email me and these goodies will be in the mail to you and I hope that you enjoy (I know you will) and I thank you for your comment!
Now to the Monday Challenge! I hope that you give it a try! I feel like I wimped out by using a flower but I just love this die! Other Ideas that you could use….hearts – stars – I am sure that you have something totally different in mind and I can't wait to see yours! Please email me!
Back to the basics…look at it – see what you have to work with and GO FOR IT! I truly believe that if YOU challenge yourself to do sketches, you will learn so much about your personal style and what works and what stresses you….(now we do not want stress!!!)
We are on the last week of July (yikes – can you believe it) and this means that this is your last week to take advantage of the but 3 get 1 free of the DSP…click here to see the offerings that you can choose from!
I adore this clean and classic paper….Back to Black – it looks soooooo classic with a POP of bright color! So glad that SU paired the white and black together!
I receive many emails from you that you are afraid to use the DSP as a BIG focal point to a card…and even though I am clean and simple – I hope that shows you that it works! YOU can do it….and I know you can!
I know that these Bigz Dies can be $$$ but I encourage you to look at the big picture of the longevity and usefulness of them! I adore the fact that you can change the colors to match what YOU want and it create a WOW factor in a crank of a BIG SHOT!
We need to have a little talk about the sentiment! This is a MUST HAVE….why??? Sentiments that are practical like this set will be your lifesaver to add that special touch that will be the finishing touch…I always remember when I asked Mary Fish about what stamps to purchase….when in doubt – BUY the sentiments!
Look below and let the sentiments open your mind to how they can work for you! I find these "little sentiments" work for just about any card!
As you can see…this is a very basic card…but once again, the lift of the Stampin' Dimensinals are the key to making this card. I call them my Stampin' Vitamins and I always make sure that I am NEVER without them! They add the touch that we all look for!
Envelope time….my favorite! From the very 1st photo you can see that I lined the outside of the envelope…easy…done & fun….but I did also add the sentiment to the from of the card! Why not? I already had the stamp all "inked up"!
I hope that this post has put a smile on your face as I know it did mine! This was a "peanut butter and jelly " thing….and it is one that can use different DSP and different colors that the end result is WOW….
There are no words that can convey to you how touched I was with the great comments! I am looking forward to commenting on your comments! (now say that 3 x's)
I adore Stampin' Up! and I am thankful that the internet allows us to connect….like Bridget and I! That was a great time and I love the emails I receive from many that I wish we could all meet!
A huge WOOT-WOOT to Susan Hayes for winning the blog candy and I thank all of you for taking your time to leave a comment!
My goal was to bring JOY and bring HAPPINESS to your weekend!
Until tomorrow!
