by Susan Itell | May 26, 2015 | Tips and Tricks!!! |
Good Morning and if you are anything like me, you will be so confused all week with what day of the week it is! I adore the holidays but I always think I am on another day!
The countdown has begun…the NEW – AMAZING – FUN Catalog will be available one week from today! I say WOOT-WOOT and YIPPEE SKIPPEE but one thing that I know will make you super happy is to be organized and ready for the new catalog.
WHY??? I want you to have fun with the new goodies, but I also want you to make sure that you know what you have already and I know personally, if I am organized and know what I have – I make better choices and am not so overwhelmed (and also do not over spend!!!)
In yesterdays comments, Nancy asked for me to share with you my craft space. I will be happy to do a post on it and once the new catalog rolls out I will. It has been a "learn by trial and error" but it works for me!
I have a question for you…(now I am talking about your craft area)
What does being organized mean to you?
Here are a couple of thoughts that I have and perhaps they will ring a bell with you as well!
- CHANGE – we all seems to struggle with change but ultimately we embrace it and accept it…this will happen with the new catalog as well. We will be saying good-bye to some of our "old faithfuls" but also saying "hello" to some new friends.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with keeping your old friends (we know that sometimes they are the best….for me, I would not part with Petal Potpourri and also So You…just 2 of my best friends)
Because I am a demonstrator, I do separate the stamps that are being discontinued and I will pick the ones that I really, really like, and then the others, I separate and will sell them (I kinda feel like the movie Toy Story when Buzz Light Year was sold)
- PAPER – we all seem to have LOTS of paper….we LOVE our paper…we find it hard to PART with our PAPER….but here is a system that works for me and I hope that you find these tips helpful.
I do have a permanent section in my craft area for full sheets of paper but before I had them built in, this is what I used and I still use it for my scraps! Most of you can get by with 1 bin but I always found that I needed 2 when using it for both full sheets and for scraps.
Below you will see a bin that I am talking about. You can buy them at any office supply store, probably Walmart as well but I know that the office stores have them. You can see that hanging file folders fit right in. (There is also a lid that snaps on that will not crunch your paper, I never used that unless I was lugging my paper somewhere for a workshop etc…..)
Now my full sheets are in their "special homes" but I use these bins for my scraps. You can see that I put a piece of the specific color of paper in the file tab and then used the sticker with the corresponding name on it to label it.
You can click this – Download Stampin' Up! Color Files June 2015 that I have created for you. I hope that you find them helpful and you will see other ways that I use the labels for other products.
I use the Avery Labels #8167 (they are the return address size)…I love the easy of creating and printing from home! Please feel free to email me if you need to. You can see that I have added just about everything in the catalog that I would find labels to be handy for! (I told you I was type A)
I am a stickler for storage saving tips and tricks. I think that we often receive products that can be re-used again and again. I love the little plastic containers our buttons come in…in the below picture you can see how I have used them with the labels I made.
I like to use the 2 1/2" circle punch to pop out a color that coordinates with the product inside, and then use the 2" circle punch to pop out a white circle and then pop a label on it! In the catalog we have a catty that would hold all of these (I do not have it as I keep them out of sight in a drawer) but this would be super handy if you are short of space.
I will share with you in another post about how I like to store my 12 X 12 Designer Series Paper…..I am sorry that this post is so long…
I truly believe that if you find a system that works for you…than you will not only be happier, you will be more productive – and to me = a total WIN-WIN! It sometimes takes many tries on finding out what works…but to me, that is life!
It's TUESDAY and that means the WEEKLY DEALS – click here to see the goodies!!!! Please feel free to email me if you need any help!
I hope that you can pop back tomorrow as you will see who won the Monday Challenge as well as see the offerings I am doing for the Project Shares for the new catalog….there will be paper swatches, paper shares, ribbon shares and a fun card for YOU!
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by Susan Itell | Apr 8, 2015 | 3-D Projects, Organizational Tips, PALS Blog Hops, Tips and Tricks!!! |
Welcome to the Pals Blog Hop for April where every day is Earth Day. This month we are showcasing projects that use recycled, reused or other earth inspired elements and colors. We hope you enjoy the Pals creative projects.
You may just be starting the blog hop or may have come from Benjaman Turner at He Stamps, #13 on the Pals Hop. If you get off track at any time, the full lineup below will help you move along from blog to blog so you see all the projects.
If you follow my blog, (and I hope you do)….I broke my ankle in January. My Stamp Area is upstairs and the steps and I were not the best of friends.
I have a FABULOUS and supportive husband but the family room quickly became my Stamp area….he is very patient but I felt like I had to have some sort of order so I turned to a Kleenex Box and the rest is history!
I hope that this box of tricks is an inspiration to you and you look around your home to see what you can use…re-use and find a purpose for! We all have hidden gems out there and I hope that you like my gem!
I know that we all know what the size of a Kleenex Box is…but hang on to your Stampin' supples as I think that you are going to be shocked with all that I have in here…
This is full of the basic, must haves that we use all the time for creating works of Art from our Heart – to me these ARE to goodies that make me roll when I sit down to create.
I like to think of it as a kitchen, when you have the proper utensils, the cooking process goes so much smoother…and just like equipping a kitchen – it takes time, it is an investment but here is my take on the "must haves" for making me roll with my projects!
(These are in no particular order, I am just peaking in my box and typing away!)
- Stampin' Scrub (Once you get use to using this – you'll never be without it)
- Craft Scissors (I know…and indulgence – but SOOOOOO worth it – you'll never regret it….actually I bet you'll buy another within 6 months – I keep one for paper and one for ribbon)
- Stamp-A-Ma-Jig (no sighing here….try it – you'll LOVE IT)
- Adhesive Remover (Simply the best, especially if you use the "green glue" a bunch)
- Project Life Journaling Pens (these are the best to write with in your cards…they do not smear one bit!)
- White Gel Pen (what would I do without my trusty friend)
These are the Stampin' Up! Products that were a supporting actress to my box of fun!
- 1-3/8" Circle Punch ( to make the hole for the boxes)
- Blushing Bride 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock
- Blushing Bride 1-1/4" Striped Grosgrain Ribbon
- Itty Bitty Accents Punch Pack (A MUST HAVE!!!)
- Flower Pot Designer Series Paper
- Perfect Print Alphabet Bigz Die
- Vanilla Coaster Board (I adore this and used it to "lift up" my letters, this is what I used to make my Easter Baskets. It is overlooked in the catalog but sure does come in handy!)
Non Stampin' Up Things in my box of tricks!
- Mechanical Pencil (I think the lead is softer making it super easy to erase
- Magic Rub Eraser (a simple eraser that you can buy at any office store)
- A Good Ruler (I like one that is clear and one that goes down to 1/8" marks
- A note pad (I always like to have scratch paper to write note and tips for my postings)
As the saying goes….THAT'S ALL FOLKS! You have a bunch of hopping to do – go and be a sponge and take it all in!
The next stop is Beth McCullough at Stamping Mom, #15 on the Pals Blog Hop! Thanks for visiting; I hope to see you on next month’s Pals Hop!
- Michelle Gleeson at StampinMojo
- Lynn Kolcun at Stamping with Avery' s Owlery
- Amy Hoptay at Inking of You
- Becky Volpp at inkblossomwithbecky.com
- Natalie Bradley at Soiree by Natalie Bradley
- Jackie Diediker at Stampin' Jackie
- Maggie Mata at Maggie Made Cards
- Kim Jolley at Stampin' Artfully
- Mary Fish at Stampin' Pretty
- Candy Ford at Stamp Candy
- Karen Hallam at Karen's Stampin' Site
- Lisa Ann Bernard at Queen B Creations
- Benjaman Turner at He Stamps
- Susan Itell at Simple Stampin
- Beth McCullough at Stamping Mom
- Jane Knudsen at see jane stamp
- Kerry Willard Bray at Peonies and Paper Chains
WHEW…..there are a BUNCH OF GOODIES in my box…you can see the scrolling goodies below! Remember, this week Stampin' Up! is offering FREE SHIPPING for anything….no matter if it is one item or 50 items!
This IS the BEST TIME to stock up – THANK YOU Stampin' Up! Enjoy the hop (wowzers, this is always a fun day) and I hope to see you tomorrow!
Please feel free to leave me a comment and let me know what you think or email me if I can help you!
p.s. – I am leaving to meet Hannah at a horse show for 4 days later this week….guess what is going with me? – My box….as it is great to have sooooo much…….soooo portable!
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by Susan Itell | Mar 30, 2015 | Congratulations, Embossing Folders, Tips and Tricks!!! |
Well my friends…it's going to happen again this week, the end of another month. Darn I swear that the older I get the faster that darn calendar spins around. You know what March 31st is as well, the end of Sale-a-bration.
I am not going to go over all of the "why's and favorites" that I have…as you have heard me and other SUD's many, many times but I will say – that this is the best time to stock up on staples and also take advantage of the Clearance Rack.Between staples and clearance goodies, I am sure you will hit that magic threshold for a freebie!
(I truly thought I had bought all of the Cherry Cobbler 1" Sheer Ribbon left in the world but I see it is still available!) This is BEAUTIFUL ribbon and do you remember when I did the Advent Boxes? One roll will do all 25 boxes…(trust me – I did many) and for that fact the 25 days Photopolymer Stamp Set will do the trick for a fun project next year.
Let's get going on today's fun and bright card and more importantly….the challenge for the week! Remember, this is a personal challenge that I throw out to you…why??? I want you to pull out your supplies and have fun and also help you learn to step out of a comfort zone, I know you can do it!
Today's personal challenge is to use (2) solid pieces of card stock and a DSP as the "bulk" of our card….this is for all of you I CAN'T USE MY DSP as it is so beautiful….I know you are out there….(trust me – SU will come out with even more incredible paper and then you will want that!!!!) yes, I will be doing the color swatches with the next catalog.
This is a fun and festive card that could be used for a graduation, a promotion, a simple "Way to go" (that is what I am using it for). It is from the stamp set called Bravo! and I truly love this one in the photopolymer so it makes is a breeze for exact placement. This is a BIG stamp set and has so many great sentiments for so many occasions.
I wanted to make the sentiment pop out like a bookmark and against the paper, I think it did the trick! Here are a couple of tips and tricks that I want to share with you – hopefully you will find them useful for projects!
- When you use 2 colors like I have done today, adhere them together with sticky strip BEFORE you run it through the Big Shot with an embossing folder, this way your points will always be perfectly aligned and also your adhesive is already on!
- Don't be afraid to mix up and bring lots of different colors and textures to your projects. The best thing is that Stampin' Up's products all match, from our paper – to our ribbons – to our ink pens…you are always guaranteed to have a "closet full of matching items"
- Have fun with trim, ribbon and please try getting use to using Bakers Twine…we have it is sooo many colors and it is super affordable…play around and do something festive and fun like I did today, it will be remembered by the recipient!
Having fun with color is a reflection of who you are. For example, this print "speaks to me" and I find it easy to use where as the Something Borrowed DSP is absolutely beautiful, but I would have a hard time having an idea POP into my head…I guess what I am saying it try different things!
Another great tip…NEVER EVER SKIMP ON STAMPIN' DIMENSIONALS – these are not only super affordable, they truly are the best on the market and they do the job! Having a "lift" on your card adds an instant WOW factor….so the moral of the story….never run out of these!
The biggest Stampin Crisis is…running out of Whisper White Paper, Stampin' Dimensionals and adhesive…the worst – so making sure your pantry is stocked is soooo important!
Getting back to the stocking up point….remember we are going to be saying bye-bye to the in colors: Strawberry Slush, Baked Brown Sugar, Coastal Cabana, Pistachio Pudding and Crisp Cantaloupe. Saying goodbye is hard and you know once it gets closer to the new catalog, these are going to be swooped up!
I hope that this cheery card put a smile on your face and I do hope that you will be able to carve out some time today and try this personal challenge, you can email me your card and I will randomly pick a winner and let you know tomorrow ….
Let's have a great week…Hannah had a great birthday (even though I was sad that we were not together) but she will be coming home this weekend so what better way to celebrate than with Easter!
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by Susan Itell | Mar 12, 2015 | 3-D Projects, Easter, Tips and Tricks!!! |
Good Morning! I hope that you enjoyed the PALS blog hop yesterday….wowzers, there sure is a lot of fabulous talent and inspiration out there. I will say that seeing everyones post sure did make be feel like Spring IS REALLY going to be around the corner!
Here is one of the baskets I shared with you yesterday. Please click here if you want to go back and see that post. I just love beings able to use both the DSP and Solid Card Stock!
Here are some tips and tricks to make this be a successful and fun project! Please feel free to email me if you have specific questions that I am not going over. It is my goal to help you see how much fun they are!
The Vanilla Coaster Board is KEY. You know that I have blogged about this before as I think that it is the best to for cutting out the thinlit words….click here to see that post.
You get (8) sheets that are 6" x 12" and you can cut it down to 4 1/2" X 8 1/4" to make the baskets. You will have plenty of extras to cut out sentiments.
You will have to cut (2) bases for each basket and then the same for how you wish to decorate it. I like to use the scalloped edge for the "girls" and the straight edge for the "guys"
You can see below that I used sticky strip. You can use whatever you like but I always recommend sticky strip for 3D projects. It really is super strong and convenient!
Let's touch on the "brads" and the "pearls"…you will see below that I took a pencil line to mark the half way point for both the box and the rim.
I then met them together and you can pierce a hole or if you have a super strong hole punch…that does the trick as well! I just love this finishing touch!
I hope that you are smiling. I just love them and I am looking forward to filling them with all sorts of goodies. The ideas are endless, you can easily put candy…a gift…a gift card…a small flower and then cover the top with fru-fru grass.
Wouldn't they be adorable to use as a centerpiece this way with a bunch of differnet baskets and coordination colors! Just love them!
You will see all of the various products that I used to make these goodies. You can click on the photo and you will be directed to the product and view it.
If you order the Berry Basket Die from me, I will be glad to send you (2) pieces of Vanilla Coaster Board as well as a print and coordinating card stock to make a basket.
I realize that this die is an investment, but trust me – you will get so much joy from making these for your family and friends. It is one tough, sturdy basket! You will be close to the mark to pick a Sale-A-Bration item, so please order wisely to maximize your earnings!
I do hope that these types of posts help you….pop back tomorrow, you are in for a treat!
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by Susan Itell | Feb 18, 2015 | 3-D Projects, Birthday, Tips and Tricks!!! |
Today is a super special day to me, it is my wonderful Dad's 84th Birthday and I know that when he opens this card up today he is going to burst out laughing!
Now by now you know that I am a clean and simple gal but there are just times that you have to put a bit more into it for certain occasions and for certain people! Today is one of those days! I had a TON of fun making this card and if you remember yesterday's post…I said I was going to CASE a card….well here you go!
I made a boo-boo by not measuring everything before I mailed it but I have a TON of pictures and you can always email me and I will do my best!
The card base is the good old A-2 in Crumb cake and then I simply used the Hardwood stamp and inked it up in Soft Suede to stamp just the front of the card!
The framelit is from the On Film Collection and I find this to be a very useful set for many different cards we make. The "Polaroid" look is so fun and easy to use with all sorts of layouts.
The real star of the show is the From the Herd Stamp Set….it is just too darn funny! I just went to town with the Blendabilities and simply had fun! These markers are like potato chips….once you get going on them….you've just gotta have more – LOVE THEM!
I did add a retired product…the fun eyes (I just could not resist) but you will see in the below pictures, I did have to adjust the height of my shaker to a "double layer" of the dimensional strips because the eyes were too tall (hope that this makes sense)
These next 3 pictures will help you towards the end result. I do hope that you will try to make a shaker card – they are super fun and festive.
You do not have to use this framelit…any shape will work! For the confetti inside, I just POPPED out some star confetti from our super punch! Our Window Sheets are a great product to have on hand…."just in case" – just like I needed them today for this card!
Look at the side and you will see that I covered the sides with a thin piece of black paper….see next picture for comments! Live and Learn!
I know that there are so many pictures, but pictures do help me and I hope that they help you as well! I know that this card brought me so much joy to make and I know that my Dad will love it, appreciate it and most of all treasure it. (He keeps all of the cards I make him)
Whew...I hope that I gave you a good idea of how to do this! Darn, I wish we were together…it would make things soooooo much easier to show in person!
A couple of tips & thoughts….
- just do it – go ahead and try a shaker card…they are fun to play with and I can guarantee you that you will be shaking it all around after you make one!
- play and have fun with the Blendabilites…you can not mess anything up. They are a great product and I think Stampin' Up! is so smart for bringing them into the product line.
- They are ALWAYS special people on our lives that deserve a fun and perhaps more time consuming card….HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAY!
Enjoy the day, please remember that you can click on the scrolling list of products below to order any of the supplies I used today. Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions!
Make it a special day!
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by Susan Itell | Feb 13, 2015 | Thank You, Tips and Tricks!!! |
Good Morning! I decided yesterday to be focus and get caught up on the Thank Yous that I needed to get out to all of my wonderful friends that have sent the most yummiest dinners to us!
You have heard me take about the "Iguana's" before….well all of my lizard friends + more have been dropping a dinner off to John's office every 3 days since my fall (as we live in the boonies) and it is easier to drop it off in town so I am finally all caught up with the thank yous!
This card is sooooo darn tootin' cute and I will say, the darn camera does not do it justice at all! I told you that I was not going to do anymore heart cards….but I just could not resist as it was fitting that I needed to make more of the Top Note Chocolate Boxes!
Let's get going…..(please…please CASE this one as it is so fun to make!) Before we get going….I adore this sentiment and I must say….to me this sentiment is worth the Sale-A-Bration level as There is ALWAYS something to be thankful for!
It is called, You Brighten my Day (such an appropriate name)
- The card is a 4 /4" card in Whisper White
- The Crisp Cantaloupe is 4 1/8" square and then using the Hearts Framelits, (#4) I cut it out….(This is why I LOVE this card – you get a really BANG for your BUCK…as it really uses the paper)
- The Black piece is a 4" Square and I used the same #4 framelit to cut out the heart!
- "Piecing" the (2) together using Sticky Strip… I then used the Heart Embossing folder as shown to add the special touch!
- Layering this over the already "cut out" piece makes it a win-win with minimizing paper!
- The sentiment….WOW – isn't it just the best….was a cinch to pop out as we have a punch that fits it perfectly (thank you Stampin' Up!) Adding dimensional to the back and the simple flower was all that was needed!
- Well…not to fast – the envelope! = SUPER CUTE! I used the Lullaby DSP and also stamped the front with the cute sentiment from the Lots of Thanks Stamp Set (I also did this in the inside)
Well…as the saying goes…that's all folks! Well….can you see you trying this? I think that this technique would be great with all sorts of framelits that we have…I say "TRY IT..YOU MIGHT LIKE IT"
Today is a GREAT day for me as my middle "peep" drove home from Raleigh, NC last night for the weekend. It will be a joy to wake up having him home.
There is one thing that I always say about James…..it is….."If there were more James' in the world, this world would be a better place" – I truly mean that as he is the keeper of all keepers!
Please feel free to email me if you need any assistance….and feel free to leave me a comment and let me know what you think of the card today! I am excited to make other cards with this technique!
Thanks for popping in and tomorrow is Show & Tell – I hop you pop back!
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