by Susan Itell | Aug 29, 2017 | Product Shares, Tips and Tricks!!!, Uncategorized |
Good Morning and boy…do I have a new tool that I love and I guess you might just need to do some retail therapy! You know me by now – when I find a product that makes things easier for me when I craft… I love to share my findings!
Trust me, I have tried…purchased…given away…and returned many “weapons” (as I like to call them) that are to help you with picking up small objects. I can hear many of you right now…saying – “I have this and I love it or that never happened to me” and trust me, I believe you and I get it.
I think when we craft we use what works for our personal needs. Everyone is different. I have had many products that I adored and then over time I found that they just did not hold up or perhaps my needs have changed etc…I am sure you can understand where I am coming from.
One thing that I always need to have in my work space is something to pick up small pieces of paper that I want to adhere…or a sequin…or even a super thing strip of paper that my fingers just can’t grab.
Here is my new friend, the Jewel Picker. (I giggle with the name) I have linked to the one that I purchased from Amazon but when I went to find the link for you last night I see that they have one with just “one end of picker” that is less expensive, here is that link.
Below you will see the picture (sorry for the shadows) I bet you are saying why do you have 2? Easy – after I tried it out I loved it so much that I bought another one to have in my “on the go bag” – a tip that I learned from Jeanie.
She is a hoot and boy when she hears – do you want to go and craft???? She has a bag packed and ready to rumble….a gal after my own heart!
I know that there are some people out there that do not care for Amazon (and I totally respect that) but the main reason that I share links to Amazon is out of convenience – they simply carry just about everything and it is easy for me to share with you.
I have tried many, many different “pick me up’ers” but this one had won my heart! There you go, a tip from me to you! 😀
NEW TOPIC: Holiday Catalog Product Share!
Yesterday I emailed everyone that has requested a Holiday Catalog Product Share so if you did NOT receive an email confirmation from me, please email me as it could have been a simple “miss on my end”
You still have time to get in the 1st wave of my Product Share so no worries if you have not emailed me.
The cut off for the first wave is this Sunday, September 3rd. I will be doing a 2nd wave of Product Shares but that not be until the 3rd week of September. I need to budget my time for my monthly kits so please if you want to get in with the 1st round, email me on or before September 3rd and please put in the subject line HOLIDAY PRODUCT SHARE so I can spot it quickly!
You can click here to see the Product Share offering for the new upcoming Catalog that comes out THIS Friday, September 1st!!! (woot-woot!!!) I get asked often to show my “tin” that I keep my swatch books in…so here you go! This little puppy has all of the Annual Catalog as well as the new upcoming Holiday Catalog in one tin!
When I think of the items that I use in my work area the most…these are on the TOP of the list…you will be amazed at how often you reach for them! They are simply the best! Everything you need is at your fingertips and it save so much “mess” in pulling out sheets of paper to see if they coordinate! They are share #1 of my offerings!
Product Shares are the best “bang for your buck” as you will be squealing when you see that Priority Mail package delivered to your door. It IS like Christmas because you have everything at your fingertips at a fraction of the price if you were to purchase them individually.
With the Holiday Catalog being such a “short selling season” – this is the way to go….Click here to see the offerings and email me if you want to get on a Product Share. You can also see the drop down box on my Blog Header.
Have a great day and I will see you in the morning…it is HUMP DAY!
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by Susan Itell | Aug 27, 2017 | Birthday, Watercoloring |
Good Sunday to you….I have what I think is a super special card for you and one that I do hope that you will not only CASE your little heart out but also think of me and my dear Aunt Jean when you use this stamp set! She is truly one in a million and a total inspiration to me.
I have shared with you that she is turning 90 and yesterday we made the trek to her daughters home to celebrate her 90th and her great-grand daughters 1st Birthday! That in itself was oh so special as think….we have totally 2 different spectrums of “life” – both making you smile and both making you realize the sheer beauty that life brings to us!
I will share with you the card I made for Virginia’s Birthday next week and I think that you will beam as much with that one as I hope you are doing right now when you see this card.
I should have typed this up before I gave the card away but “life” was in the way so I am going from my head but I am thinking that perhaps I should do a video on it as it is super easy and fun. Just think of all of the endless possibilities we have with paper and colors of ink to re-create this over and over! you know what I call is…..“a keeper” The stamp set – Happiest of Days is the star of the show today.
The over all size of the card is a 4 1/4″ square (I adore this size) and today I did make a custom envelope with the envelope punch board but if you did not want to make your own envelope you could use on of our regular envelopes and it would be “just fine” and not require additional postage.
Here comes that “broken record” that I say over and over….but here you go AGAIN….
You just can’t go wrong with the basics
I invite you to LOOK at this card and see that there are minimal products used and the ket factor…basic shapes! I am tellin’ you – you just cannot go wrong! With the help of the trimmer, Mr. Big and framelits…a fun card is whipped together in no time!
Now let’s chat about the stamped image! This is what I like to do…stamp it on a piece of scrap Thick Whisper White and then cut it out using the framelit. I will say RIGHT OF THE BAT…I use my Stamp-a-ma-Jig for perfect placement when creating a card like this.
When you look at the stamp image in the set you can see that there are 3 gifts on that particular stamp…I actually used a small post it to eliminate that gift when I stamped but using the stamp-a-ma-jig made it super easy to see right where I wanted all of the placement of stamps.
You can see that the “cake” image appears to be behind the gifts…this was made by doing a fast mask of the polka dot gift I was able to put my mask down and then stamp the cake image! I simply stamped the cake on a small post it and fussy cut it out.
Using the Aqua Painter I did a quick wash of color to make the colors POP with the fun DSP that I used. The DSP Strip is just 1″ wide and isn’t it amazing that just this minimal piece of DSP sets the tone for the whole card!
Here is a picture for you to PIN and hopefully re-create! I just adore using layers of paper as layers of paper are a minimal expense with a maximum end result. I hope that this card has “brightened your day” and I would love to hear what you think of it!
I think that many of us are intimidated with the technique of masking and I even admit, I doubt myself as which one to mask but just remember, the image that you want to be in front is the one that you will make a mask of.
Here is a bit of advice, find some “me time” and take a stamp set and play…that IS the best way to learn and feel comfortable!
Here are some pictures from yesterday! I ask you….is she one beautiful person? Is was a joy to see her so happy having family from all over to be there together celebrating such a special milestone. My daughter Hannah is blest to live close to her and I am proud of Hannah for checking in and snagging a lunch or dinner with her.
Here is a funny…..about 2 months ago Hannah was going to Raleigh to see Aunt Jean for dinner and she said, “Hannah – how about if you just come to my house and then we will decide where to go”…well she did and that day the 2 of them sat around and she showed Hannah some of her old Text Books that she had while going to Chapel Hill years ago…and being the “science nerd” that Hannah is…she asked if she could borrow them.
After their “show and tell of the past” Aunt Jean said, let’s get an Uber and go downtown for dinner. Hannah looked at her with amazement and said ok – where are we going…Aunt Jean said, “I”ll call for one” and she picked up her I Phone and got an Uber herself…..I say = AMAZING!
Now go have a fantastic day and take a moment to smile when you think of someone that has inspired you in your life! We all have them…we just need to find the “me time” to sit and reflect….do it, you’ll be glad that you did. I can honestly say that 7 hours in the car for 3 hours of fun…..was well worth it and my “joy tank” is filled!
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by Susan Itell | Aug 25, 2017 | Fun & Cute! |
Good Friday to you! Now this week FLEW by but it was a great week! Today I have for you the icing on the cake! WHAT??? Let me back up!
On Wednesday and Thursday I shared with you cards that I made for friends and today I am sharing with you how I put it all together! It’s kinda like Peanut Butter and Jelly….there’s nothing better!
I like…no, I LOVE to coordinate things. To me, it is the icing on the cake and when you have the right products – it works! I know to many that this might be something that seem like a lot of work and effort but to me, it is fun!
I am a gal that adores wrapping gifts no matter what the value of the gift is. To me, there is nothing like the feeling you have when you are given a beautifully packaged gift/goodie or to give one that is beautiful like these are. Trust me, you remember it and for those that are getting it remember as well!
We have fabulous packaging right at our fingertips at Stampin’ Up! I like to think of it as a game and I have a huge stash of fru-fru but it is the kinda fru-fru that makes me smile!
If you receive a stamp from me from rewards or even a product share….I try to always make it a bit special as “I get it”…we all like to feel and see something fun and festive! Who doesn’t like “happy mail” or a little something special left unexpectedly on ones desk!?
What’s inside of this sweet bag? YUM, some of my big, soft and chewy Ginger Cookies! I wrap them first in saran wrap and then slide them into this sweet and festive bag!
The ribbon…..you have from 2 spectrums…the black and white stripe is a NEWBIE in the upcoming catalog and then other narrow stripe ribbon is in the clearance rack (it is only $3.60!)
You see….you will find treasures everywhere and you bet that this ribbon will be re-purposed for another project. I do that all of the time and I am sure that the people receiving this will as well! New kids on the block make a splash and the seasoned kids in the clearance rack still are shining bright!
So the moral of this story is to look high and low…make a place in your home to stash your packaging fru-fru! Having a fun assortment of goodies ready at your fingertips makes it super easy and fun to take a little something….and make it a really BIG something!
See you in the morning!
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by Susan Itell | Aug 24, 2017 | Uncategorized |
How about this fresh and fun card for you today! Thursday fun with the Tic-Tac-Toe Challenge and this super fun new DSP just makes this card a breeze to whip up in a jif but the fun factor still high!
Here’s the game board….and today I went straight across…Gold, Oval & Bling. I ask you….when you look at these game boards…do you just STOP what you are doing and let your mind go wild with thinking what you have and which way you would play the game?
My adorable god-daughter left today to go to college….where has the time gone! I went over last night to give her one last squeeze and the post that you will see tomorrow! You know me by now, I love to make things coordinate so you will just have to pop back tomorrow to see how I pulled everything together! (it is super cute)
We are just about a week away from the new catalog and let’s quickly chat about this new DSP below, Year of Cheer – isn’t it amazing! I just get giddy about plaids and ginghams…but this has a “bling” of foils in this specialty paper making it super unique.
I admit that it is hard to get pictures of quality with the foils but I think that you can see that this gold and white paper is just super…WOW! This in itself makes the card but adding the Oval Framelits in both the black and gold (you know I love my layers) makes the focal stamp just POP!
I added Fast Fuse adhesive to the back of the oval and then after wrapping the gold thread around my hand…I pushed it into the adhesive and flipped it over and then fru-fru the gold thread to get it “just where I wanted it”….works each and every time! The clear dew drops were in my craft stash and I thought that they would be the perfect bit of fun bling!
I have blogged before with this stamp set, Going Far and it still makes me smile! I just love the font of this sentiment and it was PERFECT for a card wishing someone well as they go off to college!
If you are just getting going with watercoloring, this is a perfect stamp set to get your feet wet with….very fast and very forgiving for a beginner!
One more peek from a different angle! I just love vertical cards and when you see what I paired it with tomorrow I think that you will agree that it was a great duo. It’s all about the little things we do…..maybe it might take a wee bit more time – but trust me, it is sooooo worth the effort!
Here is ME wishing YOU “good luck” in playing with me this week in the challenge….trust me, I know that you are out there….yep YOU – pull out some of that stash that you have…find some me time and play! My hopes are that you will post it in the gallery but even if you do not….please find some time to play!
It is funny, I have people that email me their pictures of what their interpretation of the game is….and as much as I wish that they would put it up in the gallery at the challenge site but they do not for that silly ‘fear factor” that we all seem to have hiding inside of us…..(trust me, I get it as I have been there too) I am ok with it as I am just happy as can be that they played with paper….I call it BTE!
Best Therapy Ever
I’m having a bit of therapy today…Jeanie and I are heading to Annapolis to see Ramsey…Jeanie is getting sad that school is going to start and Ramsey is sad that her daughter left for college…..so sometimes friends just have to help friends thru the times……STAMP THERAPY! Looking forward to a day of creativity, laughter and memories!
I will see you in the morning….have a great day and go and make someone smile!
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by Susan Itell | Aug 23, 2017 | Just Because..., Thinking of you, Uncategorized |
Hi there, did you miss me? We have soooooo much to catch up on and 1st – how was the eclipse?
I was here on Randall Lane and it was exciting, (well I guess) Daisy was in the air conditioning (in the tack room) …Arnold and Oscar were in their stalls and the dogs and I went back and forth from the TV to the outside with my DIY Cereal Box Glasses! (I should have taken a selfie)
I shared with you that me and my new friends on Interstate 95 South had fun on Friday but let me tell you, we had more friends coming home on Sunday! (hats off to all of you that have to deal with traffic….it stresses me!)
I bet you are thinking…what the heck is she talking about with this title of the blog today! Well….let me explain. I have been in the “stampin’ trenches” trying to get my kit completed and WOW – they look amazing (if I must say so myself) but my kits are a big part of what I do so that’s what I have been up to! (and….if this is the trenches…I am lucky!)
Last week I shared with you that when I create, I try to make them go in stride with current “life happenings” and this is what I am talking about…1,2 & 3! (and…I have 1,2 3 photos for you!)
Today’s card (which is super sweet) and tomorrow’s card (which is super sweet, again!) goes with Friday’s project…(which is super yummy) and you will see why the post is named this!
I also shared with you some videos of some of my favorites in the new upcoming catalog, and YEP….I really, REALLY love this bundle! If you missed this video…please treat yourself to this “fun watch” (this is a fantastic bundle of fun!)
By the end of the week, this blog title will make sense to you! Today I am meeting a “special someone” a very dear friend that I want to write her a note to say “thank you” and with…..(well , #3 on Friday)
This bundle will go ALL YEAR LONG….just a simple change of colors and POOF – an instant card! I know that Jennie is a very clean and modern person so I challenged myself to play with classic colors that are both “style and fresh” I think that I accomplished both!
The color scheme is Sahara Sand, Very Vanilla and good old Whisper White! I ask you….how can you go wrong….(let me answer for you…YOU CAN’T)
I cut the colors to a 3′ X 3″ square and then put the Multipurpose Adhesive Sheets – (a life saver) as there is an adhesive backing on the flip side of the card stock and again, POOF…it sticks!
I did not make an envelope today because it will go with Friday’s post and then you will see that “it all makes sense” We are very fortunate to be able to take a project and add it along with some great packaging…and make a really, REALLY special gift!
The ease of these framelits makes this not only a super fun & classic card but it actually allows you to make many cards as all you do is swap out the inside pieces and PRESTO you have another card! Today I just used the outer shell but the other pieces will easily make another card/project so you can see – endless possibilities!
It is so much easier to go ahead and cut this whole die out with the multipurpose adhesive from the start (even if you do not use the inside pieces on the project) because WHEN you need to use the pieces….PRESTO – they are there ready for you to just peel off!
Did you see the great sentiment? We all have loved this bundle, Lovely Inside & Out Bundle….the ability to be able to snip-out the words and use them in the fashion that I am today is a win-win…super fast and effective!
I am a HUGE lover of “fonts and die sentiments” and I think that you can see that YEP, a single word can be super effective! I actually cut several of them and stacked them up, again, super easy with the adhesive sheets.
I know that it is hard to tell in the picture but the 1st layer of “friend” is out of Sahara Sand and then I stacked the rest in white. Having that off set a wee bit made a great effect.
That’s it for today….a super sweet and simple square card that will make someone smile! That is just the way I like it! I know that one thing that we all have in common…we like to craft, we like to make things with our hands!
Trust me, I “get it” as I am the same way but that darn way but I also know that the “time thing” also gets in out way – I think you can see….this is a timeless card…..(a keeper…a classic) 😆
Have a great day….see you in the morning – time to play a game!!!!
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