by Susan Itell | Sep 28, 2014 | Christmas, Photopolymer Stamps |
I am so happy with today's post and I hope that you find it informative as well! When this set came out in the holiday catalog I knew that it would be a "home run"! I comes as a bundle and if I were you…this is the only way I would order it! This bundle is the stamp set and the punch…this way you'll save 15% right off the bat!
Several weeks ago my wonderful downline, Nancy Farrell sent me an email and said…."Here is a video that I think you will enjoy…it's a fun way to use the tree punch"…well she was right – this is the best trick to make trees of all sizes!
The inspiration came from SUD Deb Valder and you must click here and watch her video and then this whole card will come together like peanut butter and jelly! Not only is the video very informative, I adore Deb's enthusiasm…
Let's get going…I think that the new in color, Mossy Meadow is a beautiful color for the holiday's and the "little touch" of Gold Embossing makes this card special!
It's hip to be square and this card is no different…the is a 5" square card in Very Vanilla and then each layer is 1/4" smaller! Another thing that I loved about Debs video is that she used the "inside" of the layers to maximize your paper. I was able to pop out mossy meadow trees and have then them for the future!
After I stamped my trees and punched them out, I did something different than Deb did and I wanted to share it with you!
I always keep scraps (long strips) of card stock handy to do this trick with punches! I place a little adhesive on the end of the strip and then I have a "handle" to punch! This way you can re-use the piece and I find it super easy to get the "right size"
After you have your trees "just like you like them"…start to have fun with placement! You need at least 3 flat to the card at different heights and then you can play around with your forest and stampin' dimensionals!
Here's another tip…make sure that you stamp your sentiment before your forest gets to thick! It makes it to "risky" for perfect placement – especially when you are using the stamp-a-ma-jig! (you are…aren't you?)
The sentiment is from the hostess stamp set that is full of amazing sentiments with the font beng so fun! This is available until October 31st and with an event or a single order of $300.00 this is yours! Please email me and we will carve out a plan on how you can earn this!
Did you like the touch of the ribbon! This ribbon is the Cherry Cobbler 1" Liinen Ribbon from the Holiday Catalog. This is a great example of how the simple touch of color and texture did the trick!
Making the envelope was easy-peasy with the Envelope Punch Board and then envelpe received "double love" with the In Color Designer Series Paper in Mossy Meadow and then I added and extra tree and sentiment to the front!
I adhered the tree with "Green Glue" to the tree on the envelope and I find it to go thru the mail "just fine" – I ask the post office to hand-stamp the card so it does not go through the machine! (It pays to be nice to your local post office….homemade cookies goes a long way…!!!)
Well….how do you like this? John is always a great shoulder for advice…and when I showed him before I typed my post…he was all smiles! I hope that you make a forest of your own and have fun! Super easy, super versatile and oh, so cute!
Many thanks for the comments yesterday on my "fast food" friends…they are so much fun to make! This is the time of the year when there are many craft shows etc…and these are going to be popular! Next week I will share the next "fast food" die that Stampin' Up! has…
Please feel free to email me if you have any questions or simply want to chat….I am thrilled that so many are enjoying the September Stamp of the Month Kit…I am receiving great feedback and I hope that you will consider the kit for October!
Enjoy the day….thanks for popping in!
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by Susan Itell | Aug 16, 2014 | Christmas, New Product, SNEAK PEEK!!! |
Yesterday I shared with you a fun card using the star framelit and I told you that today I will be doing another card with this framelit and also a NEW stamp set that is sold as a bundle ( just for this promotion until the end of August) and this bundle can be your FREE with a purchase of a Big Shot!
Even though the NEW products from the Catalog are not available until the 28th, you can purchase this special stamp set and framlit NOW…it is called Bright & Beautiful! (love the name)
Please see the stamp & framelit sets that you can get for free. If you do not have a Big Shot, this is the best opportunity to purchase one. Click here and you can see the options and you can also order!
I think that if you follow a bunch of blogs, you can see “hands down” that this is a tool that we all just love and would not be without! ! I have a funny story for you…the first time I used it I thought I had totally ruined the plates as they naturally got all scratched up and I was so worried…I still think of this each time I use it!
You are getting a double whammy as I am going to showcase 2 different cards using these framelits and stamp set! Let’s go!
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mage © {Year}
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For the above card…I used the largest Star Framelit and took a piece of Very Vanilla folded over and ran it through the Big Shot – shaped cards are so fun and different.
Using a piece of scraps of very vanilla – stamped the image in Mossy Meadow and then used the coordinationg framelit…PRESTO!!! I think that this color is going to be my "go to" Holiday Color…I love it and I think that it will be stunning with the satin ribbon!
Now here is the fun part…after you cut out the star which is soooo fast and easy with the Big Shot… use a piercing tool – make a hole in the center of the star so you can see then middle when it is flipped over.
Take the star to the simply scored tool upside down and line up the points into a groove and carefully score! HOW EASY! (You can see that I was a bit off on one side but in the end it does not matter)
Fold to the inside of the points to give it the depth/3 D effect! FUN right!!! Last year my dear friend Brian King did something like this and I never gave it a try but when I saw this stamp set…it spoke to me…try it!!!
To adhere it all I did was use mini glue dots at the end of each point and then I stacked up (3) stampin’ Dimensionals on top of each other for the center in case “gravity” through mailing would make it sink!
Now to card #2 – I used again the Mossy Meadow for the stamped image and then cut out a larger one to mat it! The size of the overall card is 5” square card and then using the super fun neutral of crumb cake – today’s card is coming together!
I used the same technique that I did for the star (one the 1st card) The fun embellishment of the pearls was a perfect touch for both cards. Remember, it is so much easier to use the piercing tool to “lift” up the pearls and adhesive (saves a bunch of frustration!)
When I looked at the card I felt it still needed something…I wasn’t sure if the white gel pen would be the right answer and be too stark but it works perfectly. I often get asked about my dashes – the best advise I can give you it JUST DO IT…do not worry if they are not the same length etc…the end result will be “just fine”!
The sentiment is from the NEW stamp set called Endless Wishes and it is available for you to order from starting August 28th! This stamp set was a limited edition last year and sold out and there were lots of “Sad Stampers” but I am thrilled that they have it in the catalog this year!
After making my own envelope with the help of the Punch Board, I lined it with the fun paper from the Trim the Tree Paper Stack….YES – there is a new paper stack and I am thrilled…these gems make life oober easy!
INTERSTING TIP: – I have used 3 different shade of green for this card but the end result is…IT WORKED! There are times that you need to “tweek” colors to make it work for the project you are working on.
WHAT DO I MEAN? Well I stamped the sentiment with Old Olive instead of the Mossy Meadow…WHY??? It would have been too dark on the crumb cake (if I used the Mossy Meadow) – and this looks like the perfect match!
For the envelope liner…the coordinating color (for the new paper stack) showed it to be garden green but because the print was so small I tried it against the card and it looks "just fine”
Well…you like? I was happy and it is hard to believe that we will be working with Holiday Stamps….I think that the selection of sets in the Holiday Catalog are super-duper!
If you are currently not working with a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator and would like to receive a catalog, please email me and I will be happy to mail you a catalog and also work with you!
Please feel free to email me if you have any questions about this post and also with the promotion of the Big Shot! It truly is an amazing tool that is a one time investment that makes our job easy!
Enjoy the day and thanks for popping by – until tomorrow!
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by Susan Itell | Jun 25, 2014 | Christmas |
CHRISTMAS!
Can you believe that 1/2 of the year is already over!?!? I say WOWZERS so I had to kick off the reminder to you with a Christmas Card! This is my kind of card….simple but has a big and bold WOW to it! For those of you that are new to Stampin' Up! we will be having a holiday catalog which will be available to order August 1st.
Click here to see the "carry over" list of products from last year. There are some real keepers in this group and I am excited to see the new products later this summer! I was super happy that this stamp set is still available as it's a beauty!
It's hard for me to say that I hope this post gets you in the festive mood (I am sure that many of you are laughing) but if the 2nd half of the year goes like the 1st part…we better start pacing ourselves in preparing for the holiday season.
I can honestly say even though I have no idea what the new stamps will be…but I would be tickled for this to be a card that I would send out ! Let's get to it!
- The over all size of the card is from Crumb cake and the size is a 5" square card! The very vanilla layer is just 1/4" smaller and then the Always Artichoke is just a smidge smaller….that's 1 8' to me! (This color combination is always a favorite of mine for the holidays – there is something so warm and comforting about it)
- As you can see in the below picture, I do not waste paper whenever possible! I highly encourage you do try this…it becomes a habit and you will always be happy that you are not always going for full sheets of paper!
- Simply layer the card stock as shown and then I took a piece of the NEW Gold Satin Ribbon and adhered it to the back and then made a simple loop and then ties a very small piece of lineb thread around the center part – easy and beautiful!
TIP/COMMENT – We all know that Stampin' Up! came out with lots of new ribbon this year (yeah!!!!!) but I will say that when I saw this satin ribbon…there was an immediate WOW – it is luscious and is great to work with – remember today is the last day to order from my ribbon and paper share…I strongly say if there are 3 ribbons that I would order they would be…
- This satin ribbon…WHY??? it's beautiful and ties like a dream!
- The cotton ribbon – WHY??? the colors are spectacular and it is the easiest to tie (even for me!!!)
- The 1 1/4" Grosgrain – WHY??? you are probably thinking exactly what I was thinking…there is no way that I would ever use a whole roll but when you see how it jazzes up a project – WOW
Click here and see my Ribbon Share and you can see how practical and affordable it is to get these above ribbons…this way you can "play" with them and see what works for your style of crafting before investing in a whole roll (sounds familiar)
- Heat Embossing is like Christmas to me…I still get as excited every time I do this technique…it's like "magic" and I feel like a real artist at heart! Isn't this just beautiful in the gold? I stamped the image using versa mark (a must) and then used the gold embossing powder over before hearting it with the heat tool…..I just smile every time I see the powder turn to the shiny finished product!
- Stampin' Ups! Vellum has a great weight to it and it is a breeze to "fussy cut" out…the raised part from the embossing makes it so easy and actually very forgiving. The hardest thing with working with vellum is adhering it to your project as you can always see the adhesive.
TIP: To conquer this problem, look at your project and see a place that you can add some sort of embellishment …like here, I used the small pearls! This allowed me to place a glue dot underneath and you will never see it.
- After using the pearls I looked at it and thought…this is a special card…and some more pearls are in order! I rarely use the pearls that are "connected together" on the sheet and this just did that special touch to the ribbon….love it!
- You know what's left to do….the envelope! The handy envelope punch board made it a breeze and then the gorgeous liner came from the Gold Soiree Designer Series Paper Pack…just beautiful!
I know that I always try to make cards for a purpose and guess what? This card has a purpose now! Every year my family goes to my dear friends home for Christmas Eve and we have the most amazing dinner, friendship and lots of laughter. We have been getting together for over 20 years.
My dear friend Emma goes "all out" as she loves this celebration of the 4 families! It was truly a highlight for my Mom as she always looked so forward to this special evening!
I thought it would be fun to send her a Christmas Card letting her know how special it is for our family to spend it with them each year and how we are looking forward to another year of memories!
Well….I hope that this card brought some cheer to your heart! When I hold this card in my hands I know that my Mom would have adored it…she would say – "It is so simple yet so classic" and it is indeed! Beautiful does not mean complicated!
Please feel free to email me and click here to see the Weekly Specials…..(woot-woot for the envelope liner framelits and the square framelits – my top 2 picks) Remember, have the basic tools and your projects will come together in a snap!
Enjoy the day…..please email me if you want any ribbon or paper…and until tomorrow!
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by Susan Itell | Dec 28, 2013 | Birthday, Christmas |
These past several days have been FUN…a WHIRLWIND….but FANTASTIC and….
I missed my daily blogging…and I missed YOU!!!
Let me give you a quick recap…we had a fabulous Christmas and it is magical to have all of the peeps home chirping under the same roof…we have done everything and nothing all at the same time! When I say this, I mean – we have just enjoyed each other…no time schedules…no expectations….lots of cooking…game playing….sitting watching silly movies etc…
On Christmas Eve (in the morning) my Dad fell and I had to take him to an urgent care – he is fine but at 82 and has had hip replacements, you can not take a chance! Unfortunately he did not make it to Emma's for our special night but it is doing great!
After going here and there and having multiple things come up on Christmas Eve…I simply could not get my blog ready for you! This is the card I was going to share with you on Christmas morning and I decided to go ahead and share it with you as I think that it is super cute!
One of my childhood friends, John Hershey, has the luck of having his birthday on Christmas Day! I always felt sorry for him when I was a child as I felt he was always "ripped off" for gifts!
Now as we both turned the magical age of "50" this year, I view it very differently…a true gift! He is the last of the "friends" for this year in turning 50…many of us that turned 50 this year have known each other all of our lives…when I think about it – it is pretty special that so many of us were born and raised in our town and that we have all stayed here!!! There is something special about a small town!
Enough babbling…let's get to it!
- The size of this card is 5" X 7" – I thought for a milestone birthday, John deserved a special card! Because I was not exactly sure of the "placement" with the sentiments, I did use a piece of paper just 1/8" smaller and it worked perfectly!!!
- The sentiments came from the Sassy Salutations Stamp Set and this is a "keeper one" – just adore the whimsical feel of the font! Using the Stamp-a-ma-jig for perfect placement…this came together easy-peasy! The colors of ink that I used were Gumball Green and Real Red!
- The focal 50th came from the Memorable Moments Stamp Set and this stamp set sure does come in handy when you want a specific number etc…..
- LOVE framelits and WOW – doesn't this work perfectly! These are from the Labels Collection Framelits…and it is super fun to layer different sizes to create a special WOW effect! A quick "stitch" around the edges gives is a fun and festive feel!!!
- You can see that I used my Stampin' Vitamins…aka – Stampin' Dimensionals in LOTS of place – these little wonders truly make a HUGE difference to a card…
- Have you checked out the Clearance Rack??? well if not CLICK HERE and see the fun and savings! I used the Holiday Collection Framelit Dies and yep! they are on sale!!! There are some stamp sets that get retired but I hang onto them and this one….Scentsational Season Stamp Set is one that I love and now I am happy to see that the framelits are on sale! For $14.99 – I say WOOT-WOOT!!!
- You know how I made the envelope…..the envelope punch board to the rescue! Use that simple guide…find the card size…cut your paper…punch – score = DONE!
This card is a great "formula" to use for a multitude of cards…doing a "repeat" of a sentiment is always a great focal part and also if you did it on a tone on tone – the result would be super and then let the POP come from the center stamp!
I'll do a card this way on my blog in the future! Remember, when you are paper crafting…there is no magical wand to what works…just roll with what feels comfortable to you!!!
I hope that you are having a wonderful holiday season with family and friends….I have missed my "cyber friends" and a BIG hugs to each one of you!
Please share my blog with your friends…I am SUPER excited for you to see the NEW catalog….I will be posting new cards using these new goodies! Thanks for popping by and…..
Until tomorrow!!!!
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by Susan Itell | Dec 23, 2013 | 3-D Projects, Christmas |
This IS Santa's BIG WEEK!!!
Now I realize that these have been around for sometime but I just HAD to share "my Santa makings" for my Holiday Table! I am using them at each place setting and no doubt they will be a hit!
Yesterday I pointed out to you a product that is on the Clearance Rack…the Sweater Trim….LOVE IT – but highlight of this post is A MUST FOR YOU!!! It is still on the clearance rack and seriously, I would click here and order it today!
It is called Petal Die Bigz L Die...and for just under $20.00 – you will be amazed at all of the different things you can do! Please click here and here for other 3 D projects that I have done with it! Just because it is on clearance…this is one product that I would never part with as I love all of the goodies it can make!
I was inspired my my dear Stampin' friend Jeannie as every time we talked on the phone she said she was busy making these Santa's for her husbands office party! I was so excited to see them and then when I did….I was WOW….and then when she said she made 28 I was like REALLY WOW – you are my hero!
If you do searches for this Santa, there are many versions… – here is what I used for this this adorable Santa…my hope is to give you some tips and tricks that will make this come to life for you… it is super cute and it is easy…it just is much easier to make a bunch of them…and once you have a method – it all makes sense!
Trust me, next year I will be making these for holiday shows that I do….just think of the ideas you use….put candy inside, money, a gift card, a Christmas Message….the sky is the limit! The colors I used were the ones that would work for me in my home….Cherry Cobbler, Very Vanilla, Always Artichoke and Blushing Bride!
I totally recommend that you use sticky strip when you do projects like this! You need this strong hold! When you go to make one of these dear Santa's you will need to cut (2) cones out….fold at the score lines and use Sticky Strip to hold them together! TIP ALERT: take a sheet of 8 1/2 X 11 paper and cut 1 1/2" off the long side, then cut that at the 5 1/2" mark and you can cut (2) from one sheet of paper and still have a nice strip of leftover for later!
I used 8" of the Old Olive 1/8" taffets Ribbon and did a simple knot…Look at the nes]xt picture and you will see a super quick and easy way to put this on the cone! After you have it all adhered – take scissors and snip the end off and then drop the knotted ribbon in….I used a letter opener to push it through – EASY-PEASY!!!!
To make the Beard…I cut a piece of Very Vanilla 1 3/8" tall and a bit wider than the base of the box…I then took this peice to the box and drew a pencil line for the size….a simplt snip – snip and I have a template! DO THIS….it wll make it go sooo much faster!
Next I ran this through Mr. Big Shot withe The Pretty Prints Embossing Folder! When this came out….I was on the fence with it but I cannot get over how versatile it is….such a beautiful folder and I have used it time and time fr projects!
After you run it through, take a 1" piece of blushing bride and after putting Stick Strip on the bases….simple put the piece of blushing bride and then you can simply take a part of scissors and snip it "in line"
So easy….do not stress – once you have cut the shape – simply peel off the adhesive and adhere to the cone!
The super simple "mustache" came from the Bird Builder Punch and then the nose was a quick pop from the 1/2" circle punch! You can see how having basics can be a HUGE help in making something that "appears" hard to actually be easy!
The eyes were from a ordinary hole punch but a quick and easy tip….put the adhesive on the paper BEFORE you punch and then simply "punch them onto your finger" and it makes it soooo darn tootin' easy to place!
The brim of the hat and accents were super easy! I loved using the Gold Metallic Paper and I took a sliver of the Cherry Cobbler and then using the word window punch – easy!
The "holly" was from the Bird Punch as well and I snipped off a bit – adhered it to the back – added some "berries" and then the bling was from the basic pearls – I thought that this gave it a wonderful, classic touch!
The top of the hat was another great punch, Boho Blossoms! This gave it the finale that it deserves! I know that this is a super hard post to "take it all in" but it really is a great 3-D project! I had soooo much fun making them that I can hardly wait for Christmas dinner to be here!!!
I hope that you are smiling from this post and I will be sure to take a picture of my table on Christmas Day! PLEASE email me if you have any questions about this post….it is a really fun one to make up and the best thing is…..it has a HUGE WOW FACTOR! Super cute!
I hope that you are ready for the holiday! It is HERE…if you are not ( and I am NOT in many ways but it is…what it is!!!! Just roll with it!
My last "peep" is flying home Christmas Eve…can't wait!!!! Tomorrow's post is HIS CARD on his bed when he goes to sleep….a little note from Mom and Dad letting him know we are soooo happy to have him home!
Let's have fun this week…it will be a busy one and I am going to be a "bit quieter" to have fun with the family….enjoy your day and …
Until tomorrow!
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by Susan Itell | Dec 22, 2013 | 3-D Projects, Christmas, Super Easy |
Is this super cute or what! Sometimes it is fun to make a “simple gift” like cash or a check…be hidden and when they see the gift…they are really getting a 2 for 1!!!
Who wouldn’t love to get “cash” & have a bunch of M & M’s at the same time!
Good Old Fashion Mason Jars are the simple trick to this post!
I originally saw this idea on a post that Catherine Pooler had shared and she used the washi tape but I wanted to do something a bit different and I cannot believe how easy and fun this is….I know you are going to want to making these….so head over to the grocery store and get some jars!
Wouldn’t this be just adorable at Valentines and tuck a special “love note”
and then use conversation hearts or red candy hearts!!!
Let’s get to the fun!
The key to this fun is a “toilet paper” roll or you could use a paper towel roll and cut it in half! I used the Season of Style Paper Stacks and this works perfectly! I am sure that all rolls might be a bit different in size…but this was a quick 4” cut and then adhere it around and you are good to go!
TIP ALERT: Use your bone folder to help loosen up the fibers in the paper…our paper is fantastic and doing this will make it very soft and easy to work with! It will adhere much easier!
I simple put the decorated roll in the Mason Jar…filled it with M & M’s before adding the money…this way it is “anchored” a bit…and then easy-peasy…fill the jar up and you are good to go! You have “hidden the gift”!!!
Decorating the top could not have been easier! The 2 ½” Circle Punch works PERFECTLY….I just love it when things like this happen!!! So easy….so fast…DONE!
For the rim…I had plenty of leftover paper from the piece and a ¼” cut fits perfectly around the edge! Once again….can you say easy!
The card is a 3 X 3 card and I used the Gumball Green at 2 ¾” (I thought that this color looked better with the M & M’s) and then the fun reindeer is from the Very Merry Tags Stamp Set (I used soft Suede). A simple punch of a cherry cobbler for the nose and then the simple yet effective “Susan Dots” using the white gel pen!
Did you see the Cherry Cobbler Sweater Trim…I adore this and for just $3.59 for a roll….LOVE IT!!! – it is in the CLEARANCE RACK….click here and check out all of the goodies…..
I hope that this post will make you smile like it makes me smile! I have had soooo much fun making them and I just came up with the idea of doing one for my “dog sitter” and I think I am going to fill it with little dog bones…she will love it!!!
It is fun to think out of the box….there are times that it is just easier to let someone pick out what they want but making them feel extra special in how it is presented is truly the "icing on the cake" I hope that this post inspires you to have some fun making someone smile!
I thank you for having your coffee with me…I thank you for your comments…I thank you for inspiring me each and every day!!!!
As always, I am an email away with any questions! This is such a special time of the year….I truly wish each and everyone joy and happiness…..and fun of course!!!!
Huge stampin' hugs your way and until tomorrow!
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Several weeks ago my wonderful downline, Nancy Farrell sent me an email and said…."Here is a video that I think you will enjoy…it's a fun way to use the tree punch"…well she was right – this is the best trick to make trees of all sizes!
Well….how do you like this? John is always a great shoulder for advice…and when I showed him before I typed my post…he was all smiles! I hope that you make a forest of your own and have fun! Super easy, super versatile and oh, so cute!
