by Susan Itell | Apr 5, 2017 | Just Because..., Tips and Tricks!!!, Uncategorized |
Good Morning…Happy HUMP DAY and I have a funny for you to make your day start with a chuckle. I will get to that at the end of this sweet card…. if you have the time – read it as you will understand why I am late today!
I loved reading the comments from the post yesterday….about Mr. Elmer (I think Elmer would be a good animal name….just sayin’) and I wanted to share this card today and some thoughts about using Elmer with this type of project. (I am envisioning that a bunch of you went out and bought Elmer and are ready to SPRAY AWAY….but I want to share more thoughts/tips with you so you do not get frustrated.)
Today’s card is a note card size, 5″ X 3 1/2″ and I cut my own card stock because I wanted a vertical card. I I envisioned that covering the whole front panel with Pacific Blue would be perfect for this sweet card but I also knew that it needed something a bit more.
In the picture below you will see the faint white lines….where did that come from???? Well, 2 products – the whisper white craft ink and the Gorgeous Grunge stamp set.
Before I adhered the blue to the front panel I stamped it. Please remember that the craft ink takes a bit longer to dry so you will have to be patient or use your heat tool to set it up but the end result is fun.
I sponged the outer edges of the clouds in soft sky and popped some up and then adhered some flat. I think be doing both it gives more interest to your project.
Now HERE are the thoughts I have about Elmer on this kind of card….SIMPLE – be careful and know that the “stick factor for your fingers” is there are spaces on the outside of the cardstock that you are placing.
Darn, I love this bundle and I love that the framelits fit this perfectly with no worries of fussy cutting but you can see that there is an edge of white – no worries if you start with the 2nd piece first (the green one)….
WHEW…..I hope that this all made sense and at the end of the day that you can say – THIS IS ONE CUTE CARD. In my eyes it is…but the reality of it is…..it is all about this amazing bundle and the dies are so well thought out.
This weekend I will be able to see the NEW Catalog and I am really, really hoping that this is carried over…but remember, if it is – it probably will not be at the bundled price (saving 10%)….trust me, when I know and see….I will communicate as IF this is carried over…..I would HOP on it to get the 10% discount!
There you go…..I hope that this card “LIFTED” your day and this sentiment…..priceless and one that I think we all would use over and over because in life – we always have people that “lift us up”
Now to my saga……if you wish to skip it….I get it but you will find the products used at the way bottom to help you navigate. Thanks for your time and GO LIFT SOMEONE UP TODAY….as you all always lift me up!
Yesterday I was having some computer problems that my You Tube was not working correctly and I was super frustrated as I needed to get some links out for videos of my kits…..now picture this – it was about 5 pm my time and I am on the phone with fellow PAL, friend and my blog gu-ru Nicloe Watt.
We did a screen share and she was saying “they are working fine on my end – I can see them”.….they still were buffering…buffering on my end and while figuring it all out (REMEMBER – it is ME….the one that says that she is computer challenged) Nicole says, let’s update your browsers to Google Chrome…..I thought sounds good to me – (she’s the pro)…
Naturally I was all ears as we were doing a screen share and I believe anything that Nicole and her dear hubby tell me to do…..so I was clicking away and having a good old time…..then she said – let’s update this….now we’ll do this…..and I was feeling like an assistant to an Apple Executive and inside laughing because I thought  – this is kind of like how we believe what a GPS tells us….turn here – you have reached your destination.
While we were waiting for chrome to download Nicole said, let’s remove this….then the question was, “When was the last time you cleaned your cookies?” – Well….well – I said:  that is what you do at 350 for 10-12 minutes 😀 …then I said – Nicole – I have no clue how to do that…..well we did that and then removed some more…..then PRESTO CHROME was installed and it was time to get ride of the FOX… FIREFOX that I have used for years…..this was making me sad as I liked that little fox.
Nicole then said, to keep all of your familiar places that you go to regularly….we will click this before we delete the whole thing. THAT IS THE PART THAT IS ALWAYS SCARY…..it is that finale that scares me. WHEW…..we did it BUT one thing happened….and this is why I was LATE today…..
When I went to log in to type up my blog post for you…..I couldn’t remember my PASSWORD – I had 4 attempts….I tried, nope…I tried…nope – finally I was blocked out and had to reset it. When I went through that whole thing it said that I needed to wait 20 minutes before attempting to log back into the site….
Being impatient and really testing it…..it said I had 11 minutes left and I thought – this is crazy, I am just going to try again…..NOPE – it reset the damn thing to 20 minutes….so I thought – GOOD NIGHT COMPUTER.
I was able to go in and type responses from the post yesterday and I will say…..Chris R. from Iowa’s made me go to sleep with a smile on my face….it you did not see/read it  – and you need a pick me up…..please go back and do so as I can just see her face with the guy waving to her and then I bet after he drove past she told Teddy something funny!
The moral of the story is LIFE HAPPENS….it is about how we deal with it that counts. I adore Integrant Services and they keep me up and running for you…..I know that I drive them nuts and they probably laugh at my silly questions…..and I have been known to call them back after 5 minutes of hanging up and saying…..ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT ME…..they really are the best and I am grateful for their help!
So that’s my SAGA for the tardiness of your inbox fix….I sure hope that you still had your coffee without my post and that you have a FABULOUS day….see you tomorrow…..Mr Bunny is in the house!!!
Like this:
Like Loading...
by Susan Itell | Mar 21, 2017 | Just Because..., Tips and Tricks!!! |
Good morning! On Tuesday’s I like to share with you tips! You might be scratching your head saying….this is a card? Yep, you are right but I want to share with you a tip that totally GIVES YOU PERMISSION to get inspiration from others!
I cannot tell you how many time I hear, I just cannot come up with something of my own….and then I say – there is nothing wrong with CASEING (Copy And Share Everything) and getting inspiration from others….I do that…I hope that you do it and the way that I look at it is simple, it is a huge compliment to person that created it!
I will say that when a new catalog comes out – I go over it front to back…..then back to front….inside and out etc….but I will admit, I TOTALLY blew right past this bundle until I saw it blogged by Jeanie. Click here to see her post and her tips are SPOT ON.
Obviously this is a great tip….make sure that you look and then look again to see what others have done with it before you pass it by! This bundle is one that I BREEZED right by until I saw Jeanie’s super cute card….then I flipped to the page and said to myself….WHAT???? How did I miss that!
I hope that you popped to Jeanie’s post and took it all in as I said above, her directions are SPOT ON but there are (2) things that I added a twist to….you see – this is why CASEING is so fun – you can be inspired and then add or take away and PRESTO….you are happy…you feel great and trust me, I would feel great to receive this card!
- I added Stick It to the back of the So Saffron Card Stock….WHY????? Easy – it is a life saver and a time saver for me. This is a fabulous product that does wonders for adding adhesive without any mess. The other thing that I adore is the fact that it is NOT permanent until you rub it HARD….so re-positioning it is always a breeze until you get it “just right”
- I added color for the flower but the ideas are endless for this fun die. It is classic and one that will always be “In Style”
Enjoy the pictures as you can see how I am taking the weekend post of Paper Piecing….and showing you still another way to do a similar technique. This one is super fun because it is like a puzzle but the best part is that you already know what the pieces are….so getting them to fit is a cinch – the only thing that you need to do is decide on colors that you want!
You know by now, I love square cards and this one is a 4 1/4″ square and then the dimensions are the same for the focal part are the same as Jeanie used.
I added some white gel pen dots, (I love my dots) and then added some whited Bakers Twine to the left! I will say, I like to stagger the ends of the twine when I go to finish it off….it is an extra interest that makes it festive and fun. Here is another tip! Tie your bow separately and then adhere it with a glue dot – simple and works every time!
I think that we all over look the Envelope Punch Board. I have said this before….I actually feel guilty that for just $20.00 this does soooooooo much! If you are in doubt – go to Pinterest and type in Envelope Punch Board and you will be WOWED.
Here is another TIP: I would write this down and tape it to the bottom of your Envelope Punch Board. For some reason there no dimensions for a 4 1/4″ square envelope…..here you go – take a 7 1/8″ Square and score and punch at the 3 5/8″ all the way around like you normally would do when making a custom envelope!
One more look at the beauty from a different angle! This is finding its way to Aunt Karen in North Carolina…..she is taking such amazing care of my Uncle George that I thought she would enjoy a simple card to pick her up! We all know what it is like for the care-giver….it is so exhausting because of the worry and constant running to and from the hospital.
I do not know about you …but – I think that there is something so classic and soothing to see a great with a pale pink. I do not use Pink Pirouette much so today…I thought – WHY NOT????
Thanks for popping in and I hope that you will come back tomorrow as I will share with you more ways to utilize this bundle. I think when you can see many options as to how to use a product….is a HUGE help – remember, I get it!!!! I am in the same boat that you are on…you have to see how it can work for you and your needs.
I think that you are going to like tomorrows post because if you are anything like me, a gift that is handmade always WINS!!!! Have a great day and I hope to see you in the morning!
Like this:
Like Loading...
by Susan Itell | Feb 14, 2017 | Tips and Tricks!!!, Uncategorized |
Here you go…..a video that will give you the ins and outs on how to condition your stamps to get a clean and crisp image each and every time. I think if you watch it….you will see the steps that I take to make sure my stamps are in the best condition to get a great stamp.
After you hit the play button go ahead and hit the you tube button therefore you can go directly to you tube and then subscribe, also hit the show more and you will see links (but I added then below as well)…..
Just remember, you need to give your stamps some “love” to make them work for you in the best possible way. Think about it this way….every stamp has a tendency to stamp a bit different ( I think you know what I mean) as there are some that are perfect from the start and then there are others that….frustrate you – just work with it!
Please go to You Tube and subscribe to my channel…I plan to keep continuing to add videos (now that we have a higher upload speed) I say YIPPEE!!!!!
When you view the video on You tube, you will see all of the links to the products I mentioned….but if you are viewing it from here –
Stampers Secret Weapon
MISTI Tool
Container for the absorbers
Absorber Towels
Versamark
Well…what do you think? Does it makes sense to you? Will you try it? To me, it is well worth doing this to have great stamped images! Thanks for popping in – see you in the morning!
p.s. – Happy Valentines Day!!!! Doing anything special?
Like this:
Like Loading...
by Susan Itell | Feb 7, 2017 | Tips and Tricks!!!, Uncategorized |
Tuesdays are becoming as fun and popular as my 2 day weekend post! I just love to share tips and ideas as we all have the same passion in stamping and we all love to learn from one another…possibly use it…possibly tweak it a bit….possibly share something completely different for us to learn!
Today is all about getting to know your stamps/bundles and stamp the images and place the dies (if it is a bundle) on a sheet of computer paper or our card stock. I do use the thin Whisper White card stock and then place the sheet in a plastic pocket and into a 3 ring binder it goes!
I think we all can agree that this is a great bundle and there is A LOT to….so…. GET TO KNOW your purchases ~ Take the time to condition your stamps…..cut the dies out and place them on a piece of paper….you are not only more likely to use it more but it will help jog your memory for odds and ends that you might use on other cards!
I am a HUGE believer in these magnetic sheets from Stamp-n-Storage…they are the best as they are SUPER STRONG and SUPER THICK. I always use my P-Touch Label Maker to label all of the details. I will share with you that I am learning as I go….as I always put the number of framelits on the sheet and I also label the item number and price so if it is ever to get discontinued, I have all of the information ready at my finger tips for selling them.
I know that this looks like it is a huge piece, but it really is a regular piece 8 1/2″ X 11′ and it has just about everything, even 1″ circles of the coordinating cardstock. On the right is a swatch book that I make up and sell with Product Shares and THEY ARE EVEN more of a lifesaver as I use DSP on all sorts of projects!
Here is a shot of the die cuts. Aren’t they just adorable? I take the time to use paper that works with the DSP as again, this makes it so much easier when you sit down to have some “me time” I do hope that you try this with a bundle that you have. I cannot tell you how many times I have had to pick up a catalog and flip through looking for a specific shape.
I find that having a visual makes it so much easier for me and also I find that I use my stamps / bundle more once I have gone through this condition/play thing.
Is there anyone else out there that has stamps that they have never used….these poor guys just sitting on the shelf because you were super excited to get them when they first came out but then you keep looking at it and say – what am I going to do with this?!?!?
Now the next 2 pictures will show you the stamps…..and next Tuesday I will share with you a video on how I condition my stamps for ultimate coverage. I cannot tell you how frustrating it is to pull out a new stamp and get all excited, only to have it not stamp clean and crisp!
For this reason, this is another reason why I create these sheets….do I do them for all of my stamps/bundle – NO. I usually do them for the ones that have lots of shapes/images or also the very detailed ones. When you have a stamp that has a very flat image like these ice creams….they can be super frustrating to get a good crisp image BUT IT CAN BE DONE…..just like anything else in life, you have to take the time and patience to make it work for you!
Next Tuesday, I am hoping that you will gain some insight on how to make a clearer, sharp stamp…..each and every time!
Look how clean and crisp the sentiments are….it is because I condition my stamps and by taking the time in doing sheets like this – I can have then all ready to go when I need to stamp in a hurry. I know that you will enjoy the video next week, I have not made it yet but I really want you to see how you can do it.
I do have a MISTI and I do love it, but all of these images were done with a good old acrylic blocks! YOU an have success and great coverage.
Well, there you go! Do you like this idea?
I bet that many of you think I am nuts to do this….but honestly it has all of my stamps ready to go with a great stamp and I have a better idea of the die cuts! I am tellin’ you – try it with a big stamp set like this one because there are so many elements to this great bundle and then having this quick reference will be a life-saver…trust me!
I am sure that you have some 3 ring binders floating around your home and if not, go to the dollar store. I do like sliding these down clear plastic sleeves that fit a 3 ring binder this way you can flick through and see what you have!
Tomorrow is the Pals Blog hop and I hope that you will POP on in and then HOP…HOP….HOP to lots of inspiration! Have a super day and have fun organizing……you will smile!
Like this:
Like Loading...
by Susan Itell | Jan 31, 2017 | Tips and Tricks!!! |
Good Tuesday morning and before we get to this very short post I want to say a big THANK YOU for the great “shout outs” of the post yesterday! Jeanie was tickled (as she should be) and wait to you see the other talent that I have on my Top Dogs Team! My hopes are to do a Blog Hop with my gals as they are amazing!
O.k – here you go…..I am going to let the video do all of the work today as I think that I covered it rather well. Adding love to the back of your envelopes is so easy and it really does not take much time or product….trust me on this one – the end result is well worth the effort!
Here you go…Enjoy!
I will do more videos about envelopes as I think that some of you are still not super comfortable with the Envelope Punch Board….that’s ok as I have a confession….I had that piece of plastic for probably 6 months before I figured it out. The moral of the story was simple – if I would have just watched a video….I would have NAILED IT from the start!
No I know that I will never win an Academy Award on my videos but that’s fine~ I just shoot them and go….be gentle on me but I hope that you find the video helpful!
Enjoy that day and please feel free to email me if you have any questions!
Here is the link of you are going right from You Tube, this way you will be able to see the links for the products used (tap on the show more tab) and while you are there….do me a favor and subscribe to my You Tube Channel so you will not miss future Academy Award shows! 🙂
Like this:
Like Loading...
by Susan Itell | Jan 17, 2017 | Tips and Tricks!!!, Uncategorized |
Good Morning and wowza…yesterday’s comments were sooooo much fun!
I just get such a kick out of the fun we have and isn’t it just wonderful that we are all “adults” and still have just FUN together over something as silly as a Hey, Chick Stamp Set!
I am going to have my morning coffee re-reading and commenting on the FABULOUS comments yesterday and we will come up with a “hum-dinger” of a name. I typed the below post earlier as I knew that I needed to have a minor “fix from the doctors” yesterday but what I was not aware of was…I lost the entire day as I needed to rest – all is good and I will be myself today (I sure hope so) I am excited for you to read this post and I hope that the lightbulb goes off! Please chime in with comments!
I hope that this post will make you think and share comments….this is how we all learn and grow!
I admit, I love photopolymer stamps. They are by far the stamp preference for me as I love the ability to “see though” where I am stamping. I also admit when Stampin’ Up! came out with their 1st photopolymer stamp I thought that they were the silliest thing out there and that there was NO WAY that people would buy them or actually like them 🙂
Boy, was I wrong. I believe that some of you do not care for them because you are not getting a clean, crisp image when stamping. I truly hope that we can get some good comments going on about the preference of stamps and it what I just mentioned was the way that you feel!
If so…THIS POST IS FOR YOU!!!!!
I was in the same boat….let’s call it the frustration boat of stamping. I will make this super simple so you will “get it” and then understand where I am coming from….
When you buy a new pair of shoes…
you need to “break them in” before they become comfortable.
There is no way that you would take a brand new pair of shoes and walk for hours in them without your feet feeling the pain – I WANT YOU TO THINK ABOUT YOUR STAMPS in the same fashion! You need to “break them in and condition them” and also USE THE PROPER HELPERS to get that prestige, crisp stamp!
I have been on this boat MANY times and there are still times that I am there but when that happens I tell myself to SLOW DOWN and make sure that I have taken the steps to make my stamps work for me in the best possible way!
When I get a new photopolymer stamp…this is what I do!
- Place it on a block and then take my absorber cleaning cloth and rub it back and forth a BUNCH (I think that this scruffs off any residue from the manufacturing of the stamp). If you do not use the absorber cloths than use your Stampin’ Mist and Stampin’ Scrub to do the same trick!
- Next, I ink it up with the versamark pad and then stamp images on scrap paper. I clean and repeat this probably 2 times. You will be able to see how clean and crisp the image it that is why I do it several times until I get the right look.
- Make sure that you are stamping on a Stampin’ Pierce Mat or I think better yet, I use this gem from Amazon….the Stamper’s Secret Weapon (don’t you love that name) Let me clarify…I do use the Stampin’ Up! Mat when I am on the go but I honestly prefer the Stampers Secret Weapon for my daily stamping because it is bigger…..it is as simple as that!
- After you have conditioned it with the cleaning and the versamark….take it to an ink pad and give it a test drive. I never take a stamp out of the container and trust that my first stamp will be perfect, just like breaking in shoes…it needs to time and TLC! 🙂
I bet it you try this you will be very pleased. It sounds like it is a lot of work but it really isn’t and it really does not take much time at all. Heck, the way that I look at it is that you will spend more time and waste more with being frustrated than do these steps and being prepared.
I will say that I do the same with my clear mount stamps as well. It’s kind of once you get in the habit, it becomes 2nd nature to you.
One ? that I bet you are thinking…..do I have to do this every time I go to use a stamp? The short answer is NO….but I will say that it you find a stamp that is not stamping to your liking, go back and do the steps and also make sure that your inkpads are inked properly!
I personally find that I do not have to re-ink my colors often but I do need to re-ink the black pad often. You are the only one that can gauge how often you use a color etc…
Well NOW you can hit that Amazon button and purchase the great masking paper that I talked about and also the Stampers Secret Weapon – I truly like to share with you things that I have found that work for me but remember, these are just mere suggestions of what seems to work for me.
I know that it would be super beneficial to do a video for you. I will try…..darn I wish that there were more hours in a day! Have a fabulous day and I look forward to seeing you back here tomorrow!
Stampin’ hugs to all….
Like this:
Like Loading...
