by Susan Itell | Jun 15, 2015 | Super Easy, Thank You |
Good Monday morning to all…anyone up for a challenge? I was thinking….hmmm what could I throw your way that would be different, would make you “scratch your head”, what would make you stretch a bit!
Why do I do this? EASY PEASY…I truly believe that doing challenges helps you develop your own inner style. It is funny, when I try to do something a bit different…I find it to be frustrating and then I always go back to my clean and simple style….that works for me!
Today’s challenge: Make a project and use a sentiment 3 or more times (same sentiment)…you can do it…I know you can! Please email me your project and then on Wednesday morning I will share the winners card/project and they will win a banner punch! (I use random.org to pick)
Let’s get to this sweet card…confession time, I very rarely use the banner punch and when I saw the card on page #93 in the catalog, I thought – WHY NOT???? Do you remember that 2 years ago the banner punch was a Sale-a-bration item? (That is your luck as I have an extra one that I would love to send your way)
I am just NUTS over the new Designer Series Paper Stacks. The prints are just “spot on” and I did no stamping today….just a POP using the banner punch with the Brights Designer Series Stack. (I will be offering WAVE #2 of Product Shares tomorrow)
A quick POP of a dimensional on each of them….placed them on a curve – PRESTO! The thick Bakers Twine (another new great product) created the perfect little simple bling and a glue dot held it right in place. Did you notice that I knotted the ends of the bakers twine…just a little something different!
The size of the card is the notecard, you know that is once on my all time favorites…remember they also come in crumb cake and WOW what a value, 20 cards and envelopes for just $5.95
Remember I shared with you that I am going to do at least 3 or more blog postings on the new stamps I share with you….well this is #2 post. It is from the stamp set One Big Meaning (remember the weekend blog post was using this!) and it is a must have set for thank you’s!
You know what was my special friend to make this card? The Stamp-a-ma-jig…I know – I know….I can see many of your faces (Jeanie….your one of them) that just simply does not use it…I am the very first to admit that we all like certain tolls and we all have ones that we do not card for!
I would imagine that most of you do not like the stamp-a-ma-jig because you are not exactly sure how to use it…it is like riding a bike…get a stamp out…some ink…some scrap paper and practice – practice practice!
I hope that this sweet little card touched your heart today and that you can see that less is best! I did not realize this until just now….but I was confused with the days! Today is Monday, so today is the last day for the weekly deals!
I shared with you that I am traveling….I honestly do not know what day it is but today I will be at the airport to head home and I am looking forward to logging on and reading your comments over the past several days and responding to emails. (that wait time at airports is just too long)
I do hope that you play this "TRIPLE PLAY" challenge….go find a sentiment and have fun! Email me your work of art from your heart by Tuesday at 9 p.m. eastern and on Wednesday I will announce who won and share their card!
You all continue to make me smile and make me realize that what I do makes a difference to me…and a difference to you! I am THRILLED to say that the first wave of product shares are OUT THE DOOR!!!! Woot-Woot – I felt like I was working at Jo Ann Fabrics cutting ribbon!!!
Unitl tomorrow!
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by Susan Itell | Jun 13, 2015 | Show and Tell Saturday, Super Easy, Thank You |
It's the weekend and that means a day fun post that I like to do for you all! Today is a "simpler" version and please pop back tomorrow to see another clean and simple card….just "stepped up a bit"!
Hopefully this super simple layout will inspire you to use your Designer Series Paper. (I know you all have it….and some of you have LOTS of it) Today's paper is a beautiful new DSP called English Garden and it's a keeper!
The colors are just stunning and the richness of the prints make it stand alone like I am showcasing today! The over all size of the card is fun…a 3 1/2" X 6 1/2" card and today I am using the NEW heavy weight paper…and I LOVE IT! I ti s amazing the difference it makes and if you are layering, have no fear – it makes perfectly!
Now we must talk about this stamp set…it is a keeper as well. You can never have too many thank you sentiment stamp set and this one I know will be very inky at my house! I must admit, when I first stamped it I thought I did not get an even impression and since I was using the stamp-a-jig I stamped it again…but it is the way the stamp is made! (Silly Susan)
Can't you see a multitude of great projects made with this set? Remember, my goal with the new stamp sets is to share with you at least 3 different posts on a given stamp set…this way – you can see the versatility of your purchases.
Having an "odd size" card always make the recipient feel special…think about it – if you opened your mailbox and saw a normal size card or an odd size card, I am sure we both know which one you would open first. The envelope punch board makes life sooo darn easy!
You can see in the below photo, I carried bit the DSP and the sentiment to my envelope….such a simple thing to do but it carries soooo much!
I know that many of you have shared with me your struggle with using DSP…just go for it and let it be the focal part…we have so many great papers – go ahead and show them off!
The tip that I can give you is…purchase the bakers twine in as many colors as you like…it is sooooooo affordable but at the same time it is over the moon effective! I simply took 3 pieces and tied a super simple bow (just like your shoe…that's my speed)
Well that's it – one super simple yet clean card that carried a huge punch! I hope to see you back tomorrow for the "stepped up versions"…I think that you will like that as much as this card!
Please feel free to leave me a comment. How do you feel about using DSO as a foal part…are you comfortable with it? How about giving it a try – is a fun and fast way to whip up a card!
Until tomorrow!
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by Susan Itell | Jun 4, 2015 | Super Easy |
Woot-woot….I just love a color challenge and today is a fun palette of colors with the Pals Paper Art and how about it – wanta play! Please go for it and if you need help uploading it, email me and I will be happy to help you through the process.
You can see that the color calls for our old faithful….so today I substituted the NEW in color, Watermelon Wonder. I used Very Vanilla as my neutral and I love the soft effect even with the boldness of the Watermelon.
While typing this post it made me realize that I forgot to announce who won the Monday Challenge….I will do that tomorrow and show you the adorable card she made. I think you all like having color challenges – I find them to be fun.
Guess where this idea came from…the best place to get fantastic ideas….the new catalog!!! (page 105). I often get my inspiration for many of my card ideas from the catalog and I encourage you to give it a try.
I am thrilled that Stampin' Up! kept this fantastic Stamp Set, Six Sided Sampler. I used it several weeks ago and you all seemed to enjoy it, I hope that this one makes you inspired as well. Do you see…it is a bundle – here comes another WOOT-WOOT….that means you instantly save 15%!
Let's get to it – this is a "Susan Card"…when I say that, to me it is a representation of the style of cards that I like to make…super clean, super simple yet classic! This would be an easy card to make a bunch of and leave off the sentiment until you know what you need!
Confession time…(I always share with you when I have made a mistake)…when the stamp set Georgous Grunge came out…I clearly that it was the worst stamp set in the whole wide world….
I remember being on a conference call with the PALS when it 1st came out and that was one of their favorites…(I did not get it!!!) but once I did not take it so "literally" and learned from other talented stampers…less is best – use it as an accent and this is what I did today!
I "stamped off" in the Soft Suede to make it a bit softer and I adore the look. I thought why not do the butterfly the same way…BINGO – it worked!
Here is a great tip, you can see that I adhered one hexagon down and the other 4 are popped up with Stampin' Vitamins,..I took the 4 that I popped up and used a piece of sticky strip to hold them tight together and then put the dimensionals on…this way it looks like a solid piece (hope this makes sense)
Lastly, the envelope…how perfect is this to do…use the honeycomb embossing folder to make the envelope smile – it made me smile, how about you?
With all of the focus on the New Catalog, please do not forget to check out the weekly deals – I love it when there are punches offered. You know I say they are SPEED TOOLS….that is key to making clean and simple cards!
I must say…I ADORE YOU ALL – I sat down before I went to count sheep and read your comments from yesterday's post…I think that it is wonderful that we all chime in and share…that's what it is all about and that's why I love what I do! Chris R. – you can make a smile happen to anyone…..LOVED your comment!
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by Susan Itell | May 25, 2015 | Super Easy |
Good Morning and Happy Memorial Day! I know that many of you have been missing the Monday personal challenges that I like to do….so here you go! I think the theme is super fun!
What are the guidelines??? Easy and have FUN with it! All you need to do is make a card/project using a color from each of the Color Families that we have in Stampin’ Up!
I know that you are going to have fun with this one. Here is my take on the challenge and I am using one of my favorite stamps….the single stamp that is appropriately called “Watercolor Thank You” and I am doing the HAPPY DANCE as it is carried over in the new catalog!
Why do I adore this stamp?
EASY = it is a single stamp = a great price!
FAST = what a cinch to whip up!
CLASSIC = “Thank You” is always necessary and always in style!
Here are the colors that I used and the Color Families that they are from!
NEUTRALS – Whisper White (the card base & I used the note card size…love this size)
BRIGHTS – Pacific Point (the sentiment was stamped in this)
SUBTLES – Soft Sky (the background used with the Aqua Painter…so easy to do…just swish…swish…DONE!)
REGALS – Crushed Curry (the punched flowers from the Itty Bity Accents Punch)
IN COLOR – Lost Lagoon (the centers of the flowers made with the 1/8” hand-held punch and the mat behind the stamped piece)
This is a “Susan Card to the MAX” – I just love everything about it and the best thing is ….it is SUPER fast, SUPER fun and the color ideas are endless!
So how about giving this a try….you can use whatever stamp your little heart desires and all you need to do is use an ink or paper from each of the color groups! You will have FUN!
All you have to do is email me your FUN WORK OF ART and one person will win! Here comes a WOOT-WOOT! Please email me by tomorrow night (Tuesday by 9 p.m.) and on Wednesday I will announce the winner!
What will you win??? You’ll LOVE it…..it will be a swatch ring that I make with all of the colors of paper that Stampin’ Up! offers including the NEW In Colors!
This week is a FUN week of posts for me….
Tuesday – An organization post that will make you smile as I will be sharing a PDF that will make you be an organized Queen/King and also the NEW weekly deals!
Wednesday – The post that many of you have been emailing me about, My Paper Swatches, Paper and Ribbon Share…woot-woot – lots of goodies without breaking the bank!
Thursday – The Pals Paper Art Challenge
Friday – The "must haves" in my opinion to get ready for the new catalog and my top picks for "must haves" from the new catalog in supplies….
Saturday – Show and Tell Saturday (Part #1 of a 2 day post)
Sunday – Step It Up Sunday (Part #2 of the weekend post)
You know what I say to you…a BIG THANK YOU! Hope to see you back…..tomorrow!
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by Susan Itell | May 23, 2015 | Masculine, Show and Tell Saturday, Super Easy |
Happy Weekend….here is the 1st of the weekend posts for you! Father's Day is right around the corner and I know that we all seem to struggle with masculine cards so…….here you go! This is a very fast card to whip up!
Today I have made this for a Fathers Day Card as I stamped the inside of the card with that sentiment but this layout could also be stamped with a "way to go"….for someone that did something great…or a retirement etc….remember, think out of the box to maximize your stamp sets!
I shared when you when I blogged about this stamp set before, I was on the fence about purchasing it as I was afraid if it was retired etc…but GREAT NEWS – it is being carried over and I am thrilled as this is a wonderful masculine set.
This card is a 5" square Card in Very Vanilla and then the layers are in Always Artichoke and the oh so handsome paper from the Adventure Awaits Paper Stack!
TIP!!! – If you are interested in purchasing this stamp set….I would do it BEFORE the new catalog launches and go ahead and purchase it as a bundle as this paper stack will be retiring and it is a KEEPER for masculine cards…you can see in the scrolling store at the end of the post. Also, remember to use this hostess code K3VX2TKD and hopefully you will win the hostess rewards (wouldn't that be a woot-woot)
Using the stampin' trimmer and some scraps, I simply cut 1 1/2" squares and then stamped the shoes – EASY-PEASY! To get the alignment, I adhered the center one and then did the sides – then you know…..out came the marker and some simple dashes did the trick!
Going back to the scrap bin (don't we just LOVE using up scraps) I stamped the sentiment and then POPPED it out with the Modern Label Punch, (again, our punches are certainly SPEED TOOLS in my opinion!).
I also popped one out with the Always Artichoke and then cut that in half and mounted it behind the sentiment! The addition of the candy dots seemed fitting today!
Making the custom envelope is a cinch with the Envelope Punch Board…for basically $20.00, how can you go wrong? It is such a lifesaver and time-saver when making odd size cards! Simply follow the measurement chart to find what size of paper you need and then punch and score away!
I told you that this was quick! To me it is quick but also a simple masculine WOW! I hope that you pop back tomorrow to see what I have come up with to give it a bit of change, I think that you will like it!
Here is a picture of my dear old man Eddie….this is just priceless. It has been beautiful on the East Coast but the evenings have been chilly. Eddie shivers…and in the evenings he likes to have a coat on!
He adores toys…and is very protective of them (it is funny, I swear he knows them by name) – this is "Mr. Monkey"…we were fixing dinner and then going to watch a movie…when we came into the family room…here is what we found, Eddie and Mr Monkey front and center for a great evening! I hope this makes you smile as much as I did!
Enjoy your day and go make some memories!
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by Susan Itell | May 12, 2015 | Super Easy, Thank You |
Good Morning and I hope that you do not click me off with this being such a super simple card….hopefully that you know me as simple makes me roll!!! I have tried many (and still do) different styles with my designing but I always feel like I come to my comfort = simple & clean!
The card today is a whisper white note card (but this could easily be an A-2 card) if you prefer…"Thanks" is so easy with this super quick card!
I did the "Susan go-to" by cutting a smaller piece just 1/4" smaller and then let the (2) simple stamps and the Aqua Painters do their trick!
If you do not own the aqua painters, I highly suggest that you purchase them…not only are they super easy to use, you will be surprised as your inner Picasso will be unveiled in no time. Today I did not use water color paper as I barely used the Aqua Painters as my touch was super light…and the paper did not warp!
I used the Memento Blank Ink to stamp the images and the placement was super easy for me as I have both of these stamps in the photopolymer….(you can see that the Mother's Love comes in all 3 mounts)
You can see that I used the simply scored to emboss simple lines to the edges – a easy technique that literally takes seconds! Did you notice the little trio dots….these take seconds and make a great touch!
I did use a good amount of dimensionals to make sure that I had the look I was going for…when in doubt with dimensionals – use more….they are sooooo affordable yet carry such a WOW factor!
I thank you for your time…I know that we all lead very busy lives but I thank you and what would make me super happy is….please share my blog with family and friends – referrals are the best and I blog everyday and to make sure that you stay in the loop, please subscribe to my blog so you will get a daily dose of simple fun!
Tuesday is a GREAT day….as it is when the new weekly deals will be unveiled!….Please click here to see what is up this week – What is your favorite? I am super happy that Stampin' Up! does this, is the best to have this to look forward to each and every week!
My pick…hmmmmm – that is hard but if you do not have the in color markers, now is the time for them….that ribbon is gorgeous but then….if you do not have the hexagon punch, what can I say – our punches are the best and are the key to quick, clean and simple!
Enjoy your day, make some memories and I hope that you try a simple card as simple works and never goes out of style – a true classic!
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