New Hostess Code…new card for YOU!

by Susan Itell | Feb 2, 2016 | Uncategorized | 8 comments

Well….what the heck did that Ground Hog do this morning? I have to admit and I am sure that many of you might be surprised with this but….going to put myself out there to you….but going to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania is on my bucket list.

This might surprise you but today is a day that ever since I was young was special to me, Ground Hogs Day was a special day as it was my Granddads Birthday (on my Moms side). He past over 20 years ago but I have always been intrigued that people come out to this place in Pennsylvania to see if a Ground Hog sees his shadow! ( guess its the animal lover in me) 🙂

A new month…a new hostess code! You can find the Hostess Code in the right hand side of my blog but here it is KF2CTCEZ….please add this when you place an order that is $35.00+ and I will be glad to send you this card at the end of the month! I spent all day yesterday making the January Cards and WOW  – I was smiling….it is not only super cute…it warms my heart to send it to you.

If you order with my this month and your order is $75.00 or more you will receive a double whammy – this card and also a pack of It’s My Party Enamel Dots (which would be perfect for this fun card) and also (1) Blender Pen.

I try to pick items that are practical and I have been doing more and more coloring so I thought a fresh blender pen might be a great nudge for you to try water-coloring!

I have to admit…as you know that I am super simple…I was very proud of myself with this card. I really, really wanted to try to mask this flower and I did it! I was “out of my element” but it was really not bad at all….and the best thing was that I tried it….I did it…and I liked it!

This stamp set is a FREEBIE with an order of $50.00 as it is a Sale-A-Bration item and it is a layered stamp set…Super fun to play with and look at the possibilities it has! – The color combinations, the sentiment options….WOW – a fun and Free Stamp Set.

Enjoy the preview of the card….and I hope to send one to you! This looks like it is hard but it is soooo darn tootin’ easy and just think if the different sentiments that you can use to make this card all year long!

There is no way that you can mess up the stamping of this card….I used (3) colors to create the colors combination today. They were Melon Mambo, So Saffron and the Blushing Bride. The stamps have little arrows on them so you can get perfect placement each and every time.

I think that you can see that I am thinking Spring with my color choices…It looks like a Lilly Pulitzer print…so fun and fresh but the FUN polka dot makes and instant smile! I just adore our paper stacks and this Pear Pizzazz does the trick! These paper share are always so popular!

It’s Tuesday and you know what that means….a new batch of weekly deals. Click here to see the offerings –  I have my pick (well I think) as it is a toss up between the Crazy About You Stamp Set (as it is so versatile to use with many cards we make) or the Mini Treat Thinlit Die…..(as this is a fabulous die) I have blogged about this many times and to me it is a classic and all of the pieces that come with it are handy as well!

Enjoy your day and for those of you that are getting ready to get slammed with snow, I FEEL FOR YOU….trust me, I will be just fine if it does not snow again this year – we are in the big melt down! I hope to see you back here tomorrow….

I think that you can see that this stamp set would be a “keeper” for your stash….timeless, classic and beautiful and remember, with a $50.00 order you can pick this or any other Sale-a-Bration item….it is the best time of the year with Stampin’ Up!

New Month…time to house clean!

by Susan Itell | Feb 1, 2016 | Uncategorized | 15 comments

I am doing the Happy Dance as the calendar changed. I know that there are times that the calendar is going so fast gets the best of me but during the Winter, I love a new month as that means we are getting closer and closer to better weather and that makes me smile!

I have decided to do something new on my blog on the 1st day of the month….TIPS FOR HOUSE CLEANING in your work area…..a clean and functional work area means that you will be happy and productive and then you will smile and smiling if fun! (I can’t wait to hear Chris R’s comment….we love you Chris)

Today I want to talk about the Stampin’ Trimmer. If you do not have this, stop and click the button below and get one as it is a fabulous trimmer and you will never, ever regret it. I am talking from years of different trimmers and closets full of trimmers….I adore our trimmer but we need to understand that WE NEED to keep our trimmer prepared for what we do with it!

WHAT? What the heck are you talking about????

This month it is all about our trimmer! I know that the majority of us own one but are we prepared for emergencies? This is what I want you to do…take your trimmer and make sure the following….

• Is your blade sharp?
• Is your scoring blade still scoring a nice deep score line?
• Is the track cleaned out from bits of paper fibers?

These are all so important to make sure that you are maximizing all that this trimmer does! Yesterday I was cutting with my trimmer and I realized that I was not getting good cuts….SILLY SUSAN – I needed to change the blade.

So the moral of this story is…don’t be caught without having “key pieces” to the stampin’ trimmer on hand when you need them. It is one thing to call a stampin’ friend and ask to borrow a stamp set or some paper but REALLY…It would be a bit strange to call and say…..by any chance do you have a Stampin’ Trimmer Replacement Mat!?!?

This strip, the replacement mat is important to have cleaned as it will help you with having clean and crisp cuts. I love to use the piercing tools to clean out paper fibers in it and also you can flip it over and use a fresh side….BUT – if you are like me and have flipped over both sides….and you do not have an extra on hand…you are out of luck! It will get worn out with heavy usage.

I get asked, “How often do you change your blade”? WOW – that is a super hard question to answer as it truly all depends on how much you use it. I have (2) trimmers and what I do is put a small sticky note on the bottom with the date of when I changed it. The blade for me is the item I change the most.

I hope that this makes you aware of keeping some “extras”, just in case! It will save you a bunch of frustration and then you will be a true Girl Scout and be prepared!

Now go find your Stampin’ Trimmer and take a look at it and then if you do not have extras on hand…..order them – you do not have to go crazy with them, just have (1) extra of the below. I realize that there are many other accessories for the Stampin’ Trimmer, I did not mention them as for me –  being a clean and simple Girl Scout…these are what I think is needed…..

I have some sad news for you…the Mom in my community lost her battle with cancer on Friday. I am still pinching myself that when I reached out to you for support, the support came in – this in itself is such a gift. She is now in peace and not having to battle. The family is hanging in there…please do something kind for someone today and also never be afraid to say a simple…”love you”

Let’s STEP IT UP….a wee bit!

by Susan Itell | Jan 31, 2016 | Uncategorized | 16 comments

Here you go….the STEPPED UP version of yesterday’s card…There are just a couple of changes but I think that my vote is for this one….what do you think? I do not think that you could go wrong with either one but I am leaning towards this one! Please leave me a comment and let me know which card suits your fancy!

I hope that you are not getting tired of these 2 day posts and if you want a switch up…PLEASE let me know – you know me, I aim to please and if you have not subscribed to my blog, please do so on the right side bar so you do not miss a daily dose of Susan fun!

The biggest difference is that I matted the lots of labels framelits! Here is a GREAT TIP…..it is TOTALLY worth the investment to purchase the “nestling dies” – what do I mean? The ones that are graduated…like these!

Do you remember that yesterday I share with you that I would reveal why I used the 1/4″ strip of blushing bride? – well…the below photo should shed light to you….there are always things we have up our sleeves….isn’t creating just the best!

I also shared with you that the hardest thing to do is to match the darn flower up with the punch….well, I was just lazy and I am so glad that many of you caught this! The best video (besides having Jeannie do it for you) is from Connie Stewart – I adore her! ( I am sorry that I have searched and searched and cannot find the video/link) – hopefully someone that is reading this might have it and share.

***** Here is the link – it will be the BEST thing you have learned today!!!!****** Thank you Barbara….you made me smile and I am sure a whole bunch more!

You can see that I covered up the lines from where the paper bumped up to it with both the strip of paper and then the Bakers Twine…just call me  sneaky Susan! ( I always love magicians)!

What in the world would I do without the white gel pen…I ALWAYS have a back up…just in case! Please do not stress about dots and dashes….REALLY – I think that we all have other things in our lives to worry about than that! Just DO IT!!!!!

I just love this color combination! For the framelit area I did pop it up with dimensionals so for the lower right flower leaf, I doubled a dimensional to keep the balance! I just wish that you could hold this in your hand as it is truly a beautiful card.

The lining is the same as yesterday, why not? It works perfectly! There you go my friends….another weekend of fun! You could easily change up the sentiments with a variety of choices….I am really, really warming up to the blender pens…they are super easy and I am giving it a “Scouts try” in using them…and I am liking them!

I appreciate your comments and thoughts….please let me know how you like it. This is a great stamp set and it is wonderful to be able to use just (1) stamp set to get the job done!

Enjoy the day….John and I have been working our tails off trying to make it easier on the horses to get out! Yesterday was the 1st day for 8 days that they went out and trust me…..they were fresh as firecrackers! It is a beautiful sight to see them play in the snow!

Until tomorrow…we have some “House Cleaning and Tips” to go over!

A “subtle” Simple Saturday!

by Susan Itell | Jan 30, 2016 | Uncategorized | 10 comments

YIPPEE – the weekend and WE ARE M E L T I N G…this crazy weather – this time last week 36+ inches of snow and the forecast for Monday is to be 62 degrees – CRAZY!!!!

Why did I say this is a “subtle” Simple Saturday = EASY…..the colors of ink I used today are all from the subtles collection…they are Blushing Bride, So Saffron and Pear Pizzazz!

I must toot my horn, I really like this card…I had no clue what to do with you (and I shared with you that I have been in a creating slump) so I turned to the Annual Catalog for inspiration and there is was on page 8!

The stamp set is and has been one of my favorites (so much that I was going to use it my monthly card kit) .The one thing that I love about this set is the details…the artist work in these stamps are sooooo detailed – it’s hard to make a card look bad!

For today’s card I used the blender pens with the colors I mentioned above. We all know that over the holidays the rage was…coloring books for adults – they have proven to be a relaxing thing to do as it helps you let your inner self out!

I personally LOVE the aqua painter but I am warming up to the blender pen (this is opposite for most of you)….you know me, sometimes I am slow getting out of the gate!

Let’s get to it! I have some great pictures for you and I am super excited for you to see what I did tomorrow…This is a card that you could easily stamp a WHOLE BUNCH…and then have fun mixing fun color combinations! This is something that I would do while sitting and waiting for an appointment or at a horse show – fussy cut and color!

I am going to be totally honest with you…..for me, the hardest part of this card for me was figuring out how to get the pansy punch to get the right cut! SILLY SUSAN! The flower matches up perfectly with the Pansy Punch and doing a quick fussy cut of the leaves is really not a big deal!

Coloring is FUN…coloring is RELAXING! By all means I am not a pro at this but this is what I do….I just do a go over with the color once and then I go back over where there are black lines and add another layer of color to make it a bit darker!

I adhered 2 of them flay using the “green” glue and then the other I POPPED up with dimensionals! OOPS…I totally forgot to talk about the Lots of Labels Framelits…. you can click on the link as I totally forgot to list in in the line up at the end of the post.  This was such an important part to this card and again, SILLY SUSAN!

In the above photo do you see the strip of blushing bride? Pop back tomorrow as I will share with you the whys and hows. Because I felt that the white was off balance, I scored thin lines…..this is something that I like to do – fast , fun and effective!

The finale, a fun envelope! This paper is from the Birthday Bouquet from the Occasion Catalog – this is a beautiful collection of paper. I will say that I was NOT a fan of Sahara Sand when I first started stampin’…..but it is a great neutral color that makes other colors POP! I high;y encourage you to try it if you have not already used it!

The month is coming to a close and WOW, what a great month it has been. Sale-a-bration is the best time of the year for getting not only free goodies but also to take advantage of getting lots of free product with the started kit. Please feel free to email me and I would love to help you see that getting a discount is fun each and every day!

See you tomorrow…..it will be the stepped up version of today’s card….please share my love of paper crafting and positive energy with your family and friends….word of month and referrals are the best way to grow…..and I thank you in advance, until tomorrow!

Happy+ Simple = SMILE!!!

by Susan Itell | Jan 29, 2016 | Uncategorized | 13 comments

Here is a “happy” card for you today! I find that I tend to send a bunch of encouragement/thinking of you cards and I admit…I feel like I have been in a “slump” with creating so I needed to make a special card for a friend and I just could not find the mojo….(does this happen to YOU???? Please say yes so I do not think I am the only one)

This week at Freshly Made Sketches, the challenge fits this card to a tee! I was super happy to see that Karren chose the sentiment to be the focal part…I just love the “clean team”. Sentiments are powerful and letting a sentiment shine is so easy and sends a powerful message!

I reached for the Annual Catalog and was hoping to find the “perfect” stamp….and there is was, Hello, Life! I know that bought this stamp set for this specific sentiment, I love Big and Bold sentiments and this does the trick!

I thought to myself…what is the one thing that makes me happy when I stamp….HEAT EMBOSSING – I will say that I do not do this technique often but I will say…that I can still remember the very 1st time I heat embossed….I was over the moon WOWED!

Seeing the “melting effect” is amazing….and I will say that the 2 colors I use for heat embossing the most are the clear (like I did today) or the white embossing powder – you just simply can not go wrong with white!

Do you all know how to heat emboss? The reason I am asking is that I am the 1st to know that I have been on the other side and hearing “lingo” etc….and thinking…what the heck are they talking about???? Please feel free to reach out to me or leave a comment if you would like to see a video on the in’s and out’s of heat embossing…..

This is a 4 1/4″ square card…and YEP, it will fit in our regular envelope but you know me….I love to make my own envelopes! I think that doing this is not only easy, but it is the icing  on the cake! The envelope punch board is soooo darn tootin’ easy to use.

Did you notice that I covered the entire front of the card with the DSP from the Have a Cuppa DSP Stack? This is again something that I do not often do but it does make an impact! It is a subtle pattern so letting this shine – works!

I lined the outer flap of the envelope with another paper from the Have a Cuppa DSP Stack….and I used the blender pen (another product that I do not use a ton) but I like it for this as it is not too dark and does the trick!

The FUN that I did today that is different for me is that I used the fun foam to cut out flowers from the Botanical Bundle! I am just lovin’ this stuff and yep, it goes thru the big shot like butter and it makes a perfect cut, just love it – what do you think?

I am amazed at how much I am having fun with the fun foam. It is exciting to be able to find and explore other products that make creating fun! The real gem is the Big Shot – now this is a product that is a MUST HAVE for crafting…..it cuts through just about anything! LOVE IT!

I hope that you have a “Happy Day” today…this has been a crazy week on the East Coast but it can only get better! I am out the door this morning to help my friend that has a leg injury do grocery…errands…..lunch and laughter – a day that I need and I know that we will have fun and my “joy tank” will be filled up!

You know what is tomorrow…..Simple Saturday….stay tuned – you will smile!