by Susan Itell | Jun 16, 2017 | Uncategorized |
Good Morning….guess what is Sunday – YEP, It is Fathers Day and I have a quickie card idea that I CASED from Tami White. I thought was a cutie for Fathers Day! Who doesn’t like something that is quick and cute – all at the same time!
Last month, Tami White was the guest speaker for the PALS Monthly Webinar Meeting and she was fantastic. After the call I went to her blog and found this super cute card. I know that I do not do a bunch of Punch Art…..(because I am not the best at it…..just sayin’ ) but I always appreciate and am in awe of those that do it so naturally!
She did a great video showing the in’s and out’s of making this card….so I will not be going into the details – you can CLICK HERE and watch it…..very straight forward and below you will see the changes I made.
- I made the black a bit smaller, I like the look of a wee bit of black matting and then let the WHITE pop!
- I used vellum for the smoke and lightly sponged the Smoky Slate Ink
- I sponged the clouds in Soft Sky to give them a bit of depth
- The sentiment is from All Things Thanks Stamp Set…..I loved the font!
- The envelope FUN is from the Pick a Pattern DSP and a wee strip of Cherry Cobbler.
I hope that this made you smile and it was SUPER FAST to put together and after all….it’s a work of ART made from YOUR HEART so it will be loved!
See you tomorrow…….enjoy the day!
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by Susan Itell | Jun 15, 2017 | Uncategorized |
Good Thursday morning to you and are you ready to play a game this week? I sure hope so and I also hope that you pop over to the Tic Tac Toe Challenge Website to see what the other amazing designers came up with!
This is a FUN game that you can play each week and Thursdays are the magical day where we get to see a new Game Card! You can see that I went straight across today and at a 1st glance you might say….hmmmmm – that is a pretty boring card Susan but hold tight as I think that you are going to love this technique!
Here is the challenge for this week, I think that it is sooooo much fun to look at the different elements on the game board and then sit back and let you mind go wild with different thoughts of the products that you have and also trying to figure out a strategy to play….just have FUN!
My card today is all about a technique called “paper piecing” and it is like putting a puzzle together (you see…another good old fashion fun….a puzzle) but today I am going to be using a NEW product that Stampin’ Up! has in the new catalog that needs to be in your stash of adhesives as it is a time/frustration saver!
The Multipurpose Adhesive Sheets are just that – very multipurpose! To me they are huge time savers as you simply place a piece of card stock (about the size of the die as we do not need to waste any of this precious product) ,,,Place your die on top…run it through Mr. Big and PRESTO…you have adhesive on the back of the detailed “Happy Birthday” Diecut and your fingers are free from any adhesive!
The real star of the show for this technique is the Paper Piercing Tool aka…Mr. Pointy! This is a tool that I reach for daily and one that does not get mentioned a bunch. It “does the job” in helping pull off the release paper of the sheets and then you can stick it to the side of Mr. Pointy to keep it clean and move it to wherever you want it!
Let’s get to the pictures and it will all make sense…you know me – I love my pictures to help tell the story. Todays card is a 4 1/4″ square card that is a classic….just like the game of Tic-Tac-Toe! The Smokey Slate is a 4″ square and then the white is a wee bit smaller, 3 7/8″
I put the adhesive sheet on the white piece and then ran it through Mr. Big and you can see below the end result….this is where the FUN comes in.
I carefully removed the excess of the white as remember – you are going to PIECE that back in like a puzzle! Cut a sentiment one the same way with the adhesive sheet in So Saffron…..now have FUN!
You can see how Mr. Pointy is a handyman for you in the placement of this delicate die. You will have some “forgiveness” of the adhesive but once you get it and all of the “pieces of the puzzle” in place and give it a firm rub with the bone folder, YOU ARE SET!
The other star player in this post is the below bundle, Happy Birthday Gorgeous. Even though I did not use the stamp for todays post, this is one that you will want the bundle – WHY???? Easy…its a Birthday classic and you save an instant 10% – just look at that fun and festive font of the sentiments and the little “filler stamps”….a keeper!
Below you can see that the envelope fun was created by using the Delightful Daisy DSP but to you notice….there is no So Saffron or Smoky Slate listed in the coordinating colors. I know that this seems super basic but please do not overlook paper that you have as sometime it is like a chameleon and just works! (another reason why the DSP Swatch Books are perfect companions for creating)
Sometimes a stamper just has to do what a stamper needs to do – KEEP GOING and it will all work out!
Well, there you go! This was FUN…right?!?!?! There is something so special about this clean and simple card when you hold it in person. Yesterday it was on my kitchen counter and my son said….“That’s a nice card” – then I ask him to look at it closer and he said – WOW….how did you get that in there….
I do hope that you will try this technique and you will also be thrilled with the ease of these new adhesive sheets. You can remember that I have blogged before using the Stick It Product but now we have our very own and it works GREAT!
Now you need to get your thinking cap on and see what product/project you can make with the Tic Tac Toe Challenge this week! It is super fun to play and if you need any help uploading your project – I will be happy to do so.
Here is a great thought and one that I hope you let sink in…just try a challenge – you have nothing to lose as you will be having some good old fashion “me time” and you will find it to be fun! If you have a crafty friend….email them and say – let’s try it….and you will love to see what she made and how she interpreted the challenge.
As we grew up we played games to have FUN….it is the same for this challenge – TO HAVE FUN! Now go have a FABULOUS day!
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by Susan Itell | Jun 13, 2017 | Step it up Sunday!, Uncategorized |
Yep…you read it right….we are stepping up Saturdays post to Tuesday! Life happens and I couldn’t have you not see how it was stepped up! Creating is the fun and easy thing about blogging….the time to sit and type, edit etc is the time drainer but I am back!
I have the “stepped up” card from my last post on Saturday so it is up to you…..side by side you decide! I have been in the trenches…the paper and ribbon trenches but I am thrilled to say that my 1st wave of Product Shares are out the door! (and I was glad to shut that door)
If you were in the 1st wave…you will need to do some stretching (I am warning you) because you will be doing the dance….the you know what dance…the HAPPY DANCE!
You can click here to see the card on Saturday…and then you can laugh at me as YEP….you are correct – todays card is in Soft Sky….not Pool Party like the one on Saturday. Now I ask you….am I the only one on this Island that does this? Clearly they are 2 different colors but I admit, when I grab this color I often do this and I did not discover it until after I had heat set the wood image! (Silly Susan!)
The floral star of the show is the below stamp set/bundle (FOR SURE I WOULD GET THE BUNDLE) and as I said before….I know that we have many florals but this one has it all…to me it is a very practical and useful stamp as there are lots of “fillers” – I love “fillers” as they allow you to tuck in here…..tuck there and the end result – a masterpiece.
Now to the POP Stamp……Tree Ring. This is an “A list” stamp…I invite you to go to pages 164 & 165 in the catalog and look at our background stamps. Background stamps make a huge difference with minimal effort. We have some new kids on the block and they are keepers. There were (2) on my first order…..can you guess what the other one is that I just “had to have”?
After using the stampin’ buddy and Versa Mark Ink….I heat set it with White Embossing Powder and the WOW happened! You never, ever get tired of heat embossing….it truly is magic before your eyes! Because this is such a large stamp…you easily have the ability to cover the whole front panel of a card, today I trimmed it to 4″ X 5 1/4″
I invite you to take a good look at the background stamps as they truly are a great “little something” to have to add a totally different feel for a card. Todays card is my pick…I just love the details in the wood and the white just pops the floral part!
I am just giddy about this arrangement. I think that it is fun to lay some of the elements flat…others POPPED up….just have fun. You know we what about the “classics” a bunch – today is no different can you see how the nesting circles and the stitched circles are perfect elements for this card.
We all know that Mr. Big is the best and also we have many great basics that compliment Mr. Big….when people ask where do I start with getting the dies/framelits…..I say start with the basic shapes!
Seeing it with the DSP is a smile maker….right!?!? Even though I had the wrong color today you can see that it blends. It is funny….when I see DSP Papers I immediately let me head go wild in thinking what stamps and themes of cards I will be using.
When you look at the catalog you can see that Stampin’ Up! already breaks the DSP down for you into “suites” – this Whole Lot Of Lovely starts on page 86 and I would really use the samples in the catalog to get you to really get to know the feel and colors that the DSP’s go towards.
Here you go…your PIN for the future! I think that we all know someone that would be thrilled to receive this card. The sentiments in this set are also so practical and super easy to use…a quick STAMP….then MR. BIG and you are done!
Well…that’s a wrap! I hope that both cards tickled your fancy and you can see that they both are keepers in many ways. Using the scored lines on Saturday is always a fun one to do and also it is creates a WOW with minimal effort but the heat embossing really POPS it up and I personally never get tired of the effect.
Tomorrow is a FUN day….as it is a Pals Blog Hop……so you know what that means, INSPIRATION TO THE MAX as there is so much talent and FUN out there! Have a great day, be safe with this heat wave we are having (sounds like a perfect day to stamp) and I hope to see you in the morning!
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by Susan Itell | Jun 8, 2017 | Uncategorized |
WOOT-WOOT….today is the debut of the Tic-Tac-Toe Challenge and it is going to be a FUN game for each of us to play on Thursdays! Please pop over to the website to see what the designers came up with and then I hope you take a good look at the game this week and give it a try!
I would LOVE IT if you would submit your take on the game….it is super easy to upload and if you need help – please email me and I will be happy to help you!
Here’s the Challenge that Team X came up with – don’t you just adore the design work for this new weekly Challenge….this was created by the oh so talented…..best husband/wife dream team (Brian and Nicole WATT) from Integrant Services…..hence the inspiration for todays card!
I admit, I thought that I was super clever by doing all of the squares on the board but I realized as I was typing this up I missed the stripes – SILLY SUSAN….this is sooooo much fun to play and I really feel that doing challenges are a GREAT way to help you develop a style.
I know that sounds crazy but it is true….just look at the guidelines and HAVE FUN! By having a guideline with a challenge…you can just throw everything out the door and just focus on the NOW (which is the fun game board) and just have fun and see what you end up with.
From the moment I say this catalog, I knew that this little quirky stamp…Watts of Occasions would be coming to Randall Lane. I love stamps like this because they are a bit “off the wall” and that means that they will make you smile. Just look at the different cards/projects that you could make with this sweet stamp set!
This big and bold DSP is from the Whole Lot of Lovely DSP collection and I think that the name suits it to a tee as it is a lovely collection of yummy prints! Stampin’ Up! does know how to rock it with their papers but remember, they are ALL BEAUTIFUL…but lets USE THEM …not collect them!!! 😀
When you look at this fun card you can see that it is my kinda card….SIMPLE! I used just the basic cardmaking elements and PRESTO a fun card that had me win the game in several ways!
These fun images on this stamp set are super easy to fussy cut out….best tip is JUST DO IT as once you start to cut…keep those scissors MOVING as I find when you stop and start is when you get little jagged edges….remember – it is a work of art from YOUR heart….please do not stress about perfection!
Today I chose to make my envelope with the Envelope Punch Board as you know me, I love it to be matching but you could have easily put this 4 1/4″ square card in a regular Stampin’ Up! Envelope and saved yourself the time and postage….but remember – this whole thing we do is FUN….so making it is a pleasure!
So….there you go! I thank YOU a WATT for popping onto my blog today! I do hope that you will see the fun takes on the game that the designers came up with and I sure hope that you will play along with the challenge. “PRESENT over PERFECTION” is the name of the crafting game so I personally challenge you to find the time and PLAY!
If you do not already subscribe to my blog….please do so! (look to the right of the sidebar) I am a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator that loves to stamp, inspire and share my love of paper crafting….fun times….tips and trick – heck basically everything about life! Now go have a FABULOUS DAY!
p.s. – After you subscribe to my blog….hop over to the Tic-Tac-Toe Challenge Website and subscribe to that as well…this way you will get notifications when there is a new board to play with as well as notifications for the weekly winners….
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by Susan Itell | Jun 6, 2017 | Uncategorized |
Good Tuesday morning to you! Are you ready for a TIP for your TUESDAY??? Well I hope that you are ready to be a sponge and try to look at color in a different way! I have a bunch to cover today as I have this tip….a “funny” that kinda goes with the color tip and then a “lower lip hanger” for you….my dear Milo fractured his leg.
One thing is for sure…never a dull moment on Randall Lane!
Let’s chat about color! We all have certain colors that we gravitate to 😀 ….and then we have those colors that get neglected 😕 …Here is a great chart to reference to and a great motivator to give you that nudge….(hint-hint) to try and GET OUT OF THAT “COLOR BOX” that we tend to get ourselves in!
I love it that Stampin’ Up! comes out with 5 new colors each year. The In Colors will be with us for 2 years so we get lots of time to play! I personally am thrilled with the In Colors this year and the Lemon Lime Twist is my favorite out of the group of 5! I just love the clear, crisp POP that it gives.
When Stampin’ Up! comes out with new colors….I say get them. One thing that is fabulous about Stampin’ Up! products is…THEY MATCH! That might seem like a very broad base statement but it is soooooo true and it will be a huge help to you when you create. Trust me, there is something so “freeing” to know that this paper coordinates with that paper….this ink will coordinate with that DSP etc….
Here are the color combinations that caught my eye from the above chart….but 1st – a funny for you!
On Saturday John was helping me make up the Card Swatches on a Ring for the Product Share and he had an audience! Just look at the 3 dogs – PRICELESS! I was on the other side in the Kitchen and I wish that you would have heard him talking.
He would say – ROSIE….we are on ROSE RED now…..and then this is what I loved….he popped out into the kitchen and said – “You know – these are really great as there would be no way that I could decide by looking at the Catalog” – I just smiled and said – thank you! I will say that I love being able to pull forward the swatches to see how colors work together.
I will be offering another Product Share the week of June 19th so I encourage you to grab one of these….they truly are a great tool.
Now super quick to Milo, Mr Perfect. When we rescued him almost 2 years ago he was given a great opportunity as someone had shot his front leg and a Vet in South Carolina saved him….rehabbed him until he became an Itell.
His little leg is a bit deformed from the injury and surgery. I guess you can say that he has a permanent limp but it never slows him down. Sunday I noticed that he was not himself. Yesterday I needed to leave him at the Vets and YEP, he has a fracture. It appears to be in the same place where he had the initial surgery and I am hoping the Vet in South Carolina will send up his xrays from before.
He goes back on Thursday and time will tell. It is just sad that my little buddy is down and out. That makes me sad but I am glad that he has a great Vet!
I will be back tomorrow with a NEW card for you! I know many of you like my fur babies stories and this one caught me in left field!
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by Susan Itell | Jun 3, 2017 | Tips and Tricks!!!, Uncategorized |
Happy Saturday to all! I have been getting lots of great feedback about the new catalog and I am just thrilled. It is always so exciting when we have the opportunity to play with new toys….you see – we will ALWAYS be young at heart and the great thing about having a hobby like this is the fact that you are good to go with ideas for Birthdays, Mothers Day, the Holidays etc….as we always have newbies that we just want to have.
With getting something new like this beautiful 233 page Catalog there are times that it is just hard to get used to, hard to take it all in. I am hoping that I am going to help you with some ideas that I like to use as guess what – I am just like you…it takes a while to get in the groove with where things are.
Today’s post is a “check in” with tips to help you navigate as there is so much to see and take note of. My hopes are that you will have your coffee with me and leave ready to grab that catalog and take it all in !
Before we get into some tips, if you are not currently working with a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator or if for some reason you are my customer and you have not received your very own catalog, please shoot me an email and I will be happy to send one to you.
We all know that the computer is a fabulous tool in showing us things – IN THE INSTANT – but again, if you are like me….there is nothing like having a catalog in your hands to be able to flip through.
Let’s get going!
- The first thing that I like to do is to take my catalog to an Office Max/Staples etc….and have them make my catalog into a spiral bound catalog with Clear Covers on the front and the back of the catalog. This costs around $3.00 and it is worth every penny. This way your catalog will lay flat, it is easier to flip through and with all of the hard use it gets in the year – it protects it.
- I like to take a highlighter and flip through the entire catalog and highlight the stamps I have. I do this all through the catalog as well as in the Stamp Index (page 224). I love the index and reference to it just about daily. To me, it has everything right there…the stamp name, page number to flip to and it is a quick visual to see what I have.
- Now starts the fun part. The ultimate Wish List. I first go through all of the Bundles because these are the source of the instant 10% off and then I get an additional 25% off…(you see – a great reason to be a demonstrator – who doesn’t like discounted things). Here is a list of the Bundle and Save in this catalog but pop back tomorrow and I will have another tool for you to make it easier to “take in”. Bundles are great, bundles save us money. Please remember that Stampin’ Up! does not keep them as bundles forever so when you see a bundle, I would purchase it then.
- Take a piece of paper, (I always like a memo pad) and make 3 columns. I break it into A,B & C lists. Naturally the “A’s” are stamps that are the ones that I JUST HAVE TO HAVE….like the This Little Piggy and Crafting Forever. After I write down these then I go to the “B” list – these are stamps that I really want…..but will try to contain myself from that initial purchase. The “C’s” – they are stamps that I just want to sit back and watch…a great example of this is the Best Birds – I did not purchase that until last month. This stamp set it a great example of why it is good to purchase bundles. It now is NOT a bundle now, so you would need to purchase the framelits separately now.
- Time for the NEW DSP, Ribbons and Embellishments – The best tip I can give you is to purchase a share. Many Demonstrators offer shares and they really are the best bang for your buck for many reasons. To me you are able to have the buffet without feeling stuffed. There are always so many new things and “I get it” – we want them but then the reality of the price hits us – that is why the shares are the way to go…this way you can invest in more stamp sets and/or tools. Please remember that my 1st wave of the product share is available through tomorrow and then I will offer another one, but it will not be until later in the month!
- Time to flip to page 206…PUNCHES! Let’s face it…punches are fast, punches are easy to work with and punches JUST WORK! True we are blessed that we have so many amazing framelits and thinlits but there is just something about a punch that does the job. You are not going to like what I am going to say….but here it goes. Buy punches, they make things easy. Before I became a SUD I belonged to a Stamp Club. Every month I would order (1) punch – by doing it this way I built up my supply and trust me, I still have many from years and years!
- Last flip for today….go to page 220….Host Sets! There are some KEEPERS here….right? I received some yesterday and I am excited to get inky with them. I think that most people think that they need to have a “home event” to earn these….Well I am here to tell you….NOPE, not true. YES – you could have an event in your home…you could have a cyber event with me…you could easily have me get a host code for you….or you can get one free from me by purchasing (3) bundles from me on my online store and then you let me know which one you would like. (this offer is only good for (3) bundles from the same catalog) 😛
Ok stampers…..that is it from me today – this was a (2) cup of coffee day but I hope that it helped you! My hands have been cutting and cutting for the shares and they are coming together….a busy but fun time for all of us as we love new toys!
I hope to see you tomorrow….have a great day and enjoy the sunshine! Below you will see some of the products that I chatted about….also the group of host stamps….easy – buy 3 (bundles) and get 1 free (host stamp)…..an offer from me for your support! 😀
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