by Susan Itell | Nov 26, 2016 | Christmas, Simple Saturday |
Before we get going on this super card…here is a run down of our Turkey Day…we are kinda boring….kinda silly that we do weird things….but one thing that is for sure – we have fun. I just love having everyone home!
I am still STUFFED from the feast…how about you? We had an absolutely fabulous day on Thursday…starting off with all of us running/walking the 5 K Turkey Trot~ I must say, I was super proud of all of us and I am glad that we did it….just in time to come home and gobble homemade gooey, yummy sticky buns and a wonderful Strata while taking the the remainder of the Macy’s Day Parade.
After the parade…everyone in my family know not to ask me to do anything while the dog show is on…I get such a HOOT out of watching it and every year I say, “There should be a Dog show for rescues” as our beautiful misfits would strut the runway!
Then…out the door we go and Hannah and I went down to the barn and yep, I received the lecture….”Mom….Oscar is just too fat….you really need to cut back his food” and then my response is…..”He sure is cute, isn’t he” He is my little “Teletubbie”!!!
Then to Football…a puzzle (and YEP, we completed a 1,000 piece puzzle together)…and then we get ready to eat – it is a L O N G day but once we finally sit…WE SIT…we yack away and eat way too much and then there is no room for dessert. That is what Friday is for!!! 🙂
O.k – ENOUGH….we need to get to this super cute card! This is going to be a fun 2-day post for you as today I am doing “Simple Saturday” but tomorrow I will be showcasing a card that I received at a swap in Atlanta that will be the “Stepped up version” of today’s card!
I can honestly say that I sure have used this stamp set to the MAX and I do not think that any of us would disagree that it is a keeper!
This stamp is also 25% off with the Stitched from the Heart Sale and remember, these stamps that are in this sale are only until November 30th…which YIKES – that is Wednesday ~ The clear mount is just $15.00! Remember to click on the image in the Stitched from the Heart to get that wonderful sale price!
I have a confession…a confession of an honest Demonstrator ~ I totally overlooked these beautiful Acetate Papers. They are in the Annual Catalog and is called Fabulous Foil Designer Acetate.
They are simply beautiful and you get (6) sheets in a pack. The one side looks gold (like I am showing you today) and the other side is silver – I say BRILLIANT! Where have I been? These are so beautiful and I love the different patterns!
I am sure that many of you are saying….”Susan, this does not look SIMPLE” – well…you are wrong. This is a super simple card to whip up and it has an impressive WOW factor.
Think about this…you will get (6) cards of decorative acetate from one sheet of paper (cutting it at 4” X 5 ¼”)…therefore you would be able to make 36 cards from one pack of this paper.
We all know that heat embossing gives you a double whammy….(1) an instant gratification from within as we all love the “feel good” of heat embossing and (2) the lucky recipient is going to think that you are AMAZING (well, you are) because of the sheer WOW factor of this card.
Remember, the key to success with heat embossing is:
- Use the Stampin’ Buddy as this will take off any static or oils that you might have on your hand to insure that you get a good, clean & crisp image.
- Have an inexpensive paintbrush handy so if you see some “stray pieces” – you can flick them off.
- Have your heat tool GOOD AND HOT before you start your setting of the embossed image.
The rest is very straightforward ~ using good old speed tools that get the job done. I used the Oval Framelits and then the trimmer to cut the banner.
The acetate paper seems to cling right to the card stock but I did use a strip of fast fuse down the center of the banner to hold it in place.
Here is another tip….I think that when you heat emboss…you often get a bit of warping. Do not let this stress you as you can do things to make it POOF – go away! I mounted it on a larger scalloped oval and you can never tell that there was any warping!
I am really lovin’ my gold “loops” – I think that this is the 3rd card that I have down this to. I put a generous amount of Fast fuse to the back of my oval and then simply make fun loops…easy peasy!
You can see that I POPPED up the sentiment. I chose to use fun foam to give it a super firm feel but you could easily use stampin’ dimensionals. I purchase fun foam in sheets wherever I can find it the best bargain and yep – you can run it through the Big Shot with a die with no worries.
Well, there you go! One SIMPLE card that you could EASILY MASS PRODUCE!
Remember the tip I shared with you with the swap card that I made for Atlanta – when you are heat embossing…do not take the time to stamp – sprinkle the embossing powder – then heat set it ~ DO IT IN BATCHES as it saves a BUNCH of time!
As long as the embossing powder is on paper, you can then heat set a bunch at a time. I am all about saving time!
I hope to see you back here tomorrow as I have a beauty for you and then I think that you will see that this version is truly “Simple” I am always in awe with the amazing talent out there.
I felt blessed to get this swap card and I knew that the minute I saw it, I was going to CASE it.
Enjoy the day, hopefully find some time to make some “me time” to create. I am one that simply will not deal with the crazy crowds…home works just fine for me!
Also…you know what today is ~ Small Business Saturday, so……I am a small business…and I would LOVE for you to shop with me!!! (just saying!!!!!) Whatever you do today, be safe, have fun, make memories and do not sweat the small stuff!
Stampin’ hugs!
p.s. – I ADORED the comments about Millie and Alyece, I am so glad that they brought “joy” to you…because my JOY TANK is full full from them….and I will do a search for that shirt that Millie had on…I have had lots of emails! I loved their spirit and true love of life!
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by Susan Itell | Nov 12, 2016 | Christmas, Simple Saturday |
It’s back….our weekend posts that you all seem to love and enjoy! To me, this framelit is the most unique framelit that Stampin’ Up! has ever made and I admit, it was NOT on my “A List” when the catalog first came out…but once I saw the potential and sheer FUN of it, I hit that “buy me button” and I am super happy that I did!
This is about as easy as it comes and I do hope that you will pop back tomorrow to see what I did to step it up! I think that you are going to like it!
You cannot go wrong with the classics, Real Red and White are as good as it gets! This card hits that “inner Santa” within up and a smile comes instantly!
I admit, I did NOT purchase this as a bundle and I keep 2nd guessing myself but I have not “caved in” as I thought that all I needed and would use were the framelits. Below you will see in the products that I used, I share with you both ways, the bundle and then just the framelits.
Here is a tip…after you cut dear old Santa out…flip it over and use the green glue and just “dot it” on and you will be good to go. Let it “set up” a bit so when you flip it over you will be able to have a clean and clear hold.
The sentiment is from the Oh, What Fun Photopolymer Set that is in the annual catalog, it is filed with great clean, fun and classic sentiments that will be a help to many Holiday projects!
I know that it is super hard to see…but I HEAT EMBOSSED the red. HOW???? After stamping it in the real red… (I used the stamp-a-ma-jig) I stamped it with versa mark and then sprinkled clear embossing folder and heat set it. Tomorrow I will share with you how you do not need to do this “double stamp” method, especially since it is a photopolymer set.
Let’s quickly chat about the envelope – I ADORE the DSP Stacks and this Real Rad is from the Brights Collection. I think that the patterns are “spot on” and also it is always a great “go to” when you need a quick accent and do not feel like searching for the perfect DSP.
I had a FABULOUS day yesterday and we hit a weekly low of just over 2 hours for lunch with Aunt Jean and my Dad – we went to this fun local dimer and had some good old fashion southern cookin’….collard greens and all! It was a great day and it was wonderful to see Hannah ride….she rocked it as it has been months since she has shown.
Today will be another fun day…lots of riding and I am scouting out super cute dogs to show you all on Monday! There are some cuties and today the BUS is coming….WHAT BUS???? The rescue that my dear and perfect Milo came from will be having a bus of dogs coming to Raleigh.
I highly encourage you to click here and see the wonderful work that these 2 amazing men have done and continue to do – placing over 9,000 dogs….AMAZING!!! When I saw Ron, he immediately said to me, Susan, how is Milo doing….I bet that it has been at lease 6 months since I have seen him and to me, it is wonderful that he has such a personal touch of loving and caring for his dogs.
I admit, there are (2) dogs that I have my eye on from the website….you know me, if my heart pitter-patters….I might have a friend riding home with me tomorrow! 😀 As my card says Oh, What fun!
Have a great day and I hope that you will pop back for tomorrows Step it up Sunday!
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by Susan Itell | Oct 15, 2016 | Birthday, Masculine, Simple Saturday |
Good October 15th to all….this is a special day for ME (the Mom) because it is my MIDDLE PEEPS 26th Birthday (James) – as a Mom…I adore when it is one of the Peeps Birthday. I always knew that I wanted to be a Mom….and when I was blessed to me able to have my 3 peeps…I am a happy and blessed person!
Below you will see a super simple yet fun masculine card ~ you will have to pop back tomorrow to see the stepped up version and then you decide…not only which one “tickled your fancy” but also – which one did I give to James!?!?
Remember when we have chatted about the basic shapes? – A circle, square, rectangle etc…..worked again for this card! I let the BIG numbers a focal point to the card and you can see that they are POPPED UP?
I just love using “fun foam sheets” and these are a breeze to cut out just like you would do with Card Stock. To me, it adds that extra special POP!
Don’t be afraid to make a fun and bold statement using a mixture of patterns from a variety of papers! The stars are from the Warm & Cheer (Holiday Catalog) and the fun black crosshatch is from Playful Pallette DSP Stack!
This is a PRIME EXAMPLE of why I adore paper swatches when I do Product Shares….you can FLIP through paper offerings and let your mind go wandering to find the look you are going for!
Clean lines…yet still masculine and I love the sentiment from the Birthday Fiesta Stamp Set. This is another example as when you look at a stamp set…at 1st glance you might say….“This is to whimsical….or this is to detailed and specific”…but what I was looking for was a great Birthday Sentiment that would be great for a age for this age….BINGO!!!!
I only used the sentiment but below you will see that bundle that goes with this fun stamp set! This Lama is adorable but please do not overlook the fun and festive banners. These would work great with many different themed cards!
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What do you think? A great and festive card (in my opinion) and I know that James will love it! Earlier this week I had a call from Hannah saying that she was having a hard time a perfect card….I said. “WHY” ~ I adored her answer…it will be a tough act to follow when I see the cards that you make (I melted – as she knows that I love what I do) 🙂
I am excited for today. James is home for the weekend and one thing that I have ALWAYS and it is STILL TRUE…
“If there were more James’ in the world, our world would be a happier place”
I deeply mean that. He is a wonderful young man and always has been a joy. He has the heart of gold and is so kind. His kindness and all around “happy nature” is always a breath of fresh air. He is our peep that has had some medical issues but I can say that I am in awe of his determination and commitment to learn how he can deal and take care of himself.
I am happy today….I am blessed to be a Mom and I look forward to having my peep home! He is the BIGGEST HELPER to me and John as he loves to be our “fixer” – we are doing fence posts….he is going to trim the upper branches of limbs that get in my way when I ride the horses….and just be here…home – it doesn’t get any better than that!
Have a GREAT day….and I hope to see you tomorrow for our SUNDAY FUN!!!!
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by Susan Itell | Oct 8, 2016 | Simple Saturday |
WOW – it feels GREAT to be back on our weekend posts! I think that I have a clean and classic card for you that hopefully will make you smile. I know….I know, I am a clean and classic gal. To many, it might be boring but to me ~ I think that it carries a BIG STATEMENT….
I hope that you will pop back tomorrow to see what I do to make some changes (I admit, I have not created it yet….and I hope that I can make it stepped up as I really like this)
This 2 Bundles/Stamps were the special ingredients to make this simple card. I invite you to look at the sets and see that there are elements that are timeless. I was actually on the fence about both of them and then when I sat down and looked at the details….I felt like I was on THE VOICE and HIT THAT BUTTON (p.s. – I love show) 🙂
I admit that when I first saw that Santa framelit, I did not “get it” but once I could see and appreciate the details I thought BRILLIANT – what a fun card! You will see me posting about this in the future.
Below you will see some close up pictures of the details! This framelit that cuts out the details is just FUN and placing a piece of Real Red behind it make the POP happen in a second! LOVE IT and I will use it for many other clean, simple and classic cards!
The other element that is a keeper is the Real Red Bakers Twine…..this is a duo that is fabulous as it is perfect for Christmas but it will be great for Valentines as well and guess what – it can be yours FREE with a $75.00+ order with me this month.
The envelope liner makes the card come to life and it sets the tone for the card. I admit, I miss the envelope liner framelit that we used to have…..so I have to do my best in sharing you an easy way to make FUN happen. FUN happens when you just try to make things different. People do notice….if you have not tried it – do it….and I am sure that your friends will comment on what a beautiful envelope you sent!
See you tomorrow – I hope that I can make you happy! I have a HAPPY….actually – SUPER HAPPY story to share with you! My heart was skipping many beats at the golf tournament yesterday and I cannot wait to share it with you…!
Have a great day, please continue keep the Hurricane Matthew victims in your thoughts and prayers. See you in the morning!
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by Susan Itell | Sep 17, 2016 | Fall Cards, Simple Saturday |
Woot-woot…the weekend is here and that means that it is time for our 2 day post! Today is Simple Saturday and then POP back tomorrow to see Step It Up Sunday and the changes I make to this card!
I know that the first day of Autumn is right around the corner but for today – it is IN THE HOUSE today on my blog! I ADORE this time of the year and each year I play an “eye spy” on certain trees in the area that are always sooooo beautiful when the color changes – we are a way from that time but I like to get excited for the color!
This stamp set is in the annual catalog and it is simply beautiful! Just look at the detail on the images….simply FALL AT IT’S BEST! I was thrilled that it was carried over and I hope it is around for many, many more years! There are matching framelits….which makes if a breeze to stamp and cut!
Do you remember last weekend I shared with you how I soften the fibers in the paper? Well today I did the same ~ I balled up the paper…..worked it with the bone folder…..balled it up again and then smoothed it out, a quick stamp, a run through Mr. Big Shot – we are good to go! Just look are the soft texture – LOVE IT!
I know that I have not blogged a bunch with this stamp set below…but hang tight, my creative engine is just getting started! This might appear to be a Fall set but I see it as a super versatile one….HAVE FUN WITH COLOR and you can change the whole feel of the card!
The sentiment I used here is the TOPS, it seems to be perfect for Fall/Thanksgiving but I would encourage you to think out of the box and use it ALL YEAR LONG!
Now I say…WOW, I know that I would be beaming to receive this! The colors, the texture, the gorgeous envelope…say no more! One thing that I want to make sure I point out is…The card is on Sahara Sand Card Stock – that’s right…a bit different but the end result comes out to a super fall card! I invite you to play with other colors for your bases!
I hope to see you front and center tomorrow to see what is up my sleeve with Step it Up Sunday! I know that a sale on the clearance rack brings out the best in us…..things are being depleted so make sure that you get on in the savings!
Have a SUPER Saturday and see you in the morning!
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by Susan Itell | Sep 10, 2016 | Simple Saturday, Uncategorized |
Good Morning and I hope that you have enjoyed the past (2) days of the “parade of beauties”…I know that you all enjoy seeing all types of work and so do I – that is why I love to participate in swaps….you always can find a “nugget” that you will use in the future! 🙂
I have been a “busy stampin’….cutting, wrapping, counting lady” trying to get all of your Produce Shares out the door to you and I am happy to say that even though I did not meet my ultimate goal of yesterday, all if them will be out today!
Let’s get to this card…it is a clean and simple card and I hope that you will pop back tomorrow to see the changes I made and then I will also share with you the dimensions and tips & tricks!
I have already used this stamp set and as I like to say…..it’s a keeper! I can remember that when I first became a demonstrator….I asked my upline and friend, Mary Fish….“How do you know what to buy?” – I will always remember her wisdom, when in doubt between 2 stamp sets….go for the the “sentiments one” This stamp set is a great example of a keeper! Love the variety of fonts….
In the below picture, can you see that the leave has some texture to it? Pop back tomorrow and I will share with you the secret that I love to do with leaves! You can see that this really is super simple….it all get back to “having the basic tools” and also being smart when you purchase your framelits…..Today I have used (3) – they are are classics that will be used for many, many projects!
Could you guess the (3) framelits before peeking below….well the leaf one is a given but the Delightful Dijon one is from the Christmas Pines….and yep, I listed it as a bundle because you need both as this is just a very classic, well thought out stamp bundle! Just think out of the box and use your framelits in other ways like I did here today!
I admit, I forget about the Tags & Labels framelits….but this works GREAT for sentiments!
I think that you all have been lovin’ the DSP in the new catalog – it is really beautiful and I was thrilled that this paper coordinates with Very Vanilla – ( it is a great change up and adds an instant warmth)
Have fun with mixing up the DSP – I thought, WHY NOT????? It is the same color family and I think that it adds a fun interest to the card. I wish that you could hold this in your hand as the dimension and “feel” of the card is just great but oh so easy! I really had no idea what to make for you all today but I needed a card for someone to letting her know that I am thinking of her….and it worked!
I hope that this simple card brought a smile to your face and also showed you that it is “ok” to use DSP in a BOLD way. This IS a bold paper but it works great! I think somethings we shy away….I say – GO FOR IT and BE BOLD!
Please pop back tomorrow to see what is up me sleeve! Enjoy your day….go and make someone smile!
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