by Susan Itell | Jul 21, 2016 | Uncategorized |
Thursday fun and today is no different especially when the sketch was crated by the SUPER FUN PAL, Maggie Mata. Maggie is always a smile maker, a “pick you up” type of person and I was super excited to play along with her fun sketch!
Below you will see the sketch and I encourage you to give it a try. Please pop over to the PPA Site and see what the other designers came up with and then look at all of the other amazing cards that people like YOU have submitted!
You will see in the line up at the end of the post all of the goodies that I used but you know how I feel about “sentiment stamp sets” – BLUE RIBBONS! This sentiment is from the Suite Sayings Set and wow, it is filled with great and useful sentiments!
The other star or should I say FUN is the festive and some call whimsical framelit from the Swirly Scribbles Framelits! I used the green glue to adhere them and then the simple PUNCH of a sweet flower from the Blossom Bunch Punch added instant depth and interest!
Stampin’ Up! has simply amazing DSP Paper and this one….Blooms & Bliss is just hands down gorgeous! Do you remember the other day that I shared with you at first I was not a fan of Sahara Sand? LOOK AT THE BASE of this card = Sahara Sand! (and I love it) 🙂
I say, thank you Maggie for this great sketch! This is what I would call a “formula” as just think of all different ways that you can interpret this sketch….I say….ENDLESS!!!
Below is your 411 for the card and I hope that you will also keep Maggie’s sketch for future cards!
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The colors are super fun in this card and I hope that this shows you how to showcase the beautiful paper that we have and simple “SHOW IT OFF”….a simple sentiment like I tucked in today along with a speed diecut…makes this a fun, special and practical card!
Please pop over to the Pals Paper Art Website and see all of the great ideas, and then I hope to see YOU in the gallery! Have a great day and please do something special for yourself….or someone else, it does make a difference!
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by Susan Itell | Jul 20, 2016 | Just Because..., Uncategorized |
It is wonderful to have a card that you can use all year long…perhaps change the color combination to reflect the time of year or change the colors to reflect the recipients personality!
Today, the color palette that I am using is a “SMILE” card for my dear Hannah…..I thought that she would enjoy a card from Mom and I knew that these colors would make her smile! 🙂 How can you not like this trio together: So Saffron, Pool Party & Watermelon Wonder!
The star of this sweet card is the Thoughtful Card is from the below bundle and YES, I would get the bundle to save the instant 10%. I think that one thing we all agree on is…WE LOVE OUR BUNCHES!!!
Envelope love is a true love for me and today with the help of the envelope punch board and the Subtles DSP Stack a simple and fun envelope was created. Trust me, once you get into the habit of making envelopes and also decorating your envelopes ~ you will never go back!
I say this for 2 reasons:
- It is super easy to do
- You will be proud of yourself, you will have that “inner glow” when the recipient is WOWED by your efforts!
Here is your 411 for now or for later….your choice! Again, create a file so you can easily go back and CASE away! Have fun with different colors. This would be a perfect Valentines Day Card and I will say….the thin stamp in this set can be used as a filler for many cards that we make and it would also be a great builder to do a plaid theme!
Remember that we are in the full swing of the Bonus Days…..“buy now…spend later” works for me!!!! I am loving’ having a “kitty” to spend in August. I know many of you are eyeing up that amazing bundle….(remember, that is just for a limited time)
Stay cool….please check on friends and neighbors if they are elderly and don’t forget your animals…..they too need to be comforted! I know that I will be up riding Oscar before 8 a.m. – it just gets too hot!
See you tomorrow….you will love it!
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by Susan Itell | Jul 19, 2016 | Thinking of you, Tips and Tricks!!!, Uncategorized |
Happy Tuesday and today is our day that we chat about tips and try to learn about different topics that revolve around stamping, organizing and basically “whatever” for this wonderful habit we have, STAMPING!
Today lets get some chatter rolling on Cardstock and I have for you some tips about what I think is a GREAT way to get a taste of our cardstock paper!
Before I get to my #1 tip for you…I want to say that I only use Stampin’ Up! Paper and let me explain why. One of the things that I adore about Stampin’ Up! is the fact that everything coordinates. For this reason, it is just simply easy to stick with what we have as I know it will always match!
Years ago when I was a Creative Memories Consultant I would have customers call me and say, “Can I come by and get a couple of sheets of the blue paper that I always use….I am in the middle of doing a project and I ran out”
Then this would happen…..she would come over to the house with a scrap of the blue that she needed and it was not a CM Paper….it was something that she purchased somewhere else! She would be frustrated and there was nothing that I could do as how would I know where she purchased it?
Now let me say, I understand that there are sooooo many great choices out there from other companies etc…but it is just easier to stick with what I know we have and what we will always have to match up! (I hope that this makes sense) 🙂
Here you go! I think the BEST way for you to get the FULL FLAVOR of what we have is to purchase the individual color collections in the sample packs. Below you will see the BRIGHTS COLLECTION and in the store line up at the end of the post you will see them all.
Why I like this is the simple fact that you will get (2) sheets of every color and then you will quickly discover which colors you gravitate towards and then perhaps you might want a full pack of that certain color.
In the catalog where the paper is (pages 169 – 171) you will see in the boxes to the right of the collections, the 2nd down is the 8 1/2″ X 11″ assorted sheets for just $8.00. This works out to be .40 per sheet.
I just want you to know….YOU DO NOT NEED TO BUY EVERYTHING….because the truth of it is, YOU WILL NOT USE EVERYTHING! When I first stated with Stampin’ Up!, this is exactly what I did. As I learned the product and I decided to take my Stampin’ Up! love to a bigger step, I did order the colors in packs but you do not need to!
Next….I want to get to the next great and SUPER SMART thing that Stampin’ Up! did. When you look at the DSP Paper Collections (pages 172 – 174) you can see the DPS Papers and then look to the right and you will see the Cardstock Pack that coordinates to the DSP. Below you will see what I mean….I am showing you the Blooms & Bliss DSP and then the next picture you will see the Pack that works with it!
You get (8) sheets of each of the (3) colors offered. True, it is a bit cheaper (per sheet – .34) than the above but you are getting more and you are the one that needs to decide if you need that much paper! (again, hopefully this makes sense) 🙂
Well….there you go – my thoughts on how you can be a SMART SHOPPER and get a feel of the great offerings that we have. If you remember when I went away this winter….I did not take all of my paper bins….I purchased these assorted packs so I could have a little of everything and then when I returned home….I just shelved the sheets away that I did not use.
I hope that this has helped you decide a great strategic plan in how to build your paper inventory! Paper is a KEY and in my opinion a necessary part in making clean and simple cards! Paper adds so much…layers add so much!
Hopefully I was able to teach you another option in getting your supplies in order – have a fabulous day and please feel free to let me know how you love our cardstock!
Coordination is KEY and Stampin’ Up! has NAILED IT!
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by Susan Itell | Jul 18, 2016 | Uncategorized |
I am OVER THE MOON with the super cute names that you came up with and also that you liked the card…..but there was a WINNER… early in the comments….I laughed and laughed at the names!!!!
Sorry for the short post….but I was in Vermont and had a bunch of traffic coming home…..I quickly edited photos for you…and I am ready for a fun week ahead!
WOOT-WOOT to you and please let me know which card you would like…….I had a FABULOUS time away, yet bittersweet as Hannah was not with me but my JOY TANK was FILLED TO THE MAX being with friends…(both with 2 and 4 legs) – Enjoy some pictures of other dogs that won my heart!
Michelle is a fellow Pal and one amazing stamper that I am super proud to call her my friend! She too loves animals and I know that she will be thrilled with this card!
Darn, I miss having a Lab in the house…and this gorgeous guy stole my heart!
When you hear the expression of “small world”, this dog was a “bus buddy” with my sweet Milo.(remember, we rescued him and this dog was in the groups of dogs that Milo was in…..out of 16 dogs…..I know of 4 of them!)
There are no words other than….life is GREAT!
This guy NEVER moved…..so cute!
Horses would walk past this guy…and he would simply move his head (never lifting it up)….I just LOVE dogs!
LIFE is good…LIFE is GREAT!
The “security duo”
To end this fun….there are simply no words – super cute but……(trust me, this would never be me!!!)
I look forward to tomorrow, a Tuesday tip…..focusing on paper! Many thanks for the great comments…I have a BUNCH of great names for dogs and I will say “Tug” stole my heart.
It was probably something that you “had to be there” but he was a HOOT….his head turned S L O W L Y each time someone walked past him on his golf cart…darn, that would be a great life….just sittin’….seeing beautiful animals…being in a beautiful place…..and having people come talk to you! Life is great….see you tomorrow!
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by Susan Itell | Jul 17, 2016 | Step it up Sunday!, Thank You, Uncategorized |
*****UPDATE**** – I have sat at the hotel this morning going back to posts over this week and responding to many comments….I apologize that I am behind on that but if you wish to go back….please do so, I so appreciate and value your comments! LOVE your responses for today with the Dogs Name….this is super fun~ off to the Horse Show!
Good Morning and I hope that you are having a fantastic weekend! Here you go with the Step It Up Sunday card and right out of the gate – THIS IS MY PICK for our 2 day challenge!
Please read to the end of the post and I will give one person a chance to win this card (or yesterday’s if you prefer) with a fun “guess for you” and also a story behind the makings of the card!
The main difference between the 2 cards this weekend is that today I stamped the “thank you” in Versa Mark across the diagonal of the card~ this is super fun, super easy to do BUT you need to promise me that you will not stress in getting them lined up perfectly – JUST DO IT!
Several weeks ago I used Versa Mark to stamp and I had many questions about why did I do that rather than stamping in the same color? I guess the best answer I can give you is that certain colors (in my opinion) look better with the versamark than stamping it with the tone on tone.
We know that we use versamark when we heat emboss but when doing it in this fashion as I did today…it is nothing more than a simple stamp. The versamark just dries on its own with no smearing etc…
I personally love the look that this shows today. I would invite you to try it on a scrap piece of cardstock – first stamp it in the Sweet Sugarplum and then stamp it with the versamark and see which one you like better! I often do this will papers as I will say sometimes I like the versamark, sometimes I like the ink!
The other difference I did today was the mat of black paper – a simple yet effective POP factor! A POP of Black or a dark paper always adds interest.
Here you go…the thing that you love….dimensions! Please case away as it is a super cute card and you can have a ton of fun with different colors.
- The base is a 4 ¼” Thick Whisper White Card
- The Sweet Sugarplum is a 3 7/8” square and then stamped with the “thank you” in versamark. The best tip that I can give you is….GO FOR IT! True, it is easier to do this method if your stamp is a photopolymer as you can “see through it” which makes it easier. I also used a piece of computer paper to put under the square as it keeps your work surface tidier.
- The Jar of adorable flowers is made with scraps (love this about this bundle) and the colors that I used were Basic Gray for the jar, Soft Sky (stamped off) for the water, the flowers were stamped with Sweet Sugarplum (the larger flower stamped off once) and then the smaller flower was stamped full strength!
- The little accents on the flower were stamped with good old basic black.
- For the linen thread, I ran a line of Fast Fuse against the back of the jar and then I wrapped the twine around. A simple bow was added to the front and secured with a glue dot!
- Just like yesterday, the envelope was made with the envelope punch board…love that piece of plastic!
So…do you have a favorite? I would love to hear your thoughts! Now to a story about this card.
When I received this “limited edition” bundle that YOU will be able to order starting August 2nd I went head over heels creating cards to post for you over the next several weeks.
Below is you pin-pic for you to save for a rainy day….I recommend you to do this….have a file that keeps the in’s and out’s of cards for you to make in the future!
Several days ago, I decided to head north to a horse show and I saw today’s card and said to myself – this would be a perfect card for a Sunday as I could easily whip up one for Saturday (yesterday’s post) I am super excited for this bundle and I know that many of you are excited as well.
Now for some fun…I ADORE going to horse shows because I get to see my “horse friends” and at shows there are ALWAYS a ton of adorable dogs! I simple cannot stop myself from taking pictures of adorable dogs but this one…made my heart skip a beat because of his priceless expression!
Leave me a comment and guess what his name is…I will give you a hint, as I know that there are so many options – it is a form of transportation and it is 2 words…when you hear it – you will say, THAT IS A HOOT OF A NAME. If no one guesses it, I will randomly pick the most cleaver guess.
Thank you for popping in and thank you for doing what we all LOVE to do, share handmade kindness. I am ALWAYS amazed at how a simple gesture of a handmade card with a heartfelt note can make a difference…I THANK YOU for making a difference to me!
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by Susan Itell | Jul 16, 2016 | Simple Saturday, Thank You, Uncategorized |
It is the weekend and that means that it is time for a 2 day post that you all have seemed to love….for those of you that are NEW….welcome and let me share with you what I do on the weekends!
On Saturday, I share with you a card and I call it Simple Saturday…as you know me – Simple Susan and then tomorrow I will try to STEP up the card and we call that Step It Up Sunday! If you have not already done so, please subscribe to my blog so you do not miss a dose of fun! You can do so on the right side of my blog!
This super sweet and classic Mason Jar is from the Jar of Love Bundle! True you could purchase this set a la carte but that would be silly as purchasing it as bundle will mean that you get an instant 10% off and we all live a deal! I invite you to LOOK at all of the amazing elements to this bundle…
I know that many of you do not have all of the colors of ink pads and that is great….you need to “build up” you inventory to see what works for you …and what does not tickle your fancy.
Today’s card, I am just using the sweet sugarplum for the color of the flowers (it looks like 2 different ink colors, right?….HOW DID I DO IT? Easy – I just stamped off the ink to get it lighter and then used the next stamp “full strength” to give the depth!
I know that many of you might be saying….why in the world did you use this new Thoughtful Branches for just the “Thank You” – I know that it seems silly but tomorrow it will make sense to you…so hang tight!
Remember that the below bundle is available for you to purchase on August 2nd – 31st (WHILE SUPPLIES LAST) and if you click here you will see another post I did earlier in the week using it! (I call this a keeper)
This is a 4 1/4″ Square Card (square cards make me 🙂 and you can see that I am keeping this super simple today. The flowers that are in this bundle are sweet and super easy to make…WHY???? They are labeled with an arrow so you know exactly how to place them (also – this is a photopolymer stamp….so even easier)
That wonderful Envelope Punch Board is the shining star in making the envelope today. I admit, when Stampin’ Up! came out with Envelope Paper I was a bit skeptical as I thought that because it was a bit thinner, it would not hold up…but I was wrong. To me, it adds a fun twist from a white envelope and the color allows you to still easily read with a black pen!
You all know that I am a firm believer in our trimmer as our trimmer allows you to cut and score BUT.…I will say that I prefer to use the Simply Scored to get a super deep scoring like I have done on this card…this is a technique that I do often but one that I never get tired of.
There are many times that I think, do you get tired of seeing the same techniques? I hope not because I hope that you can see that there are so many different cards that we make and send and if you have something that WORKS??? why not do it again and again!
I am excited to share with you tomorrow what I did….enjoy the day and please come back tomorrow as I will share with you the measurements so you can CASE away!
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