by Susan Itell | Jan 2, 2016 | Simple Saturday, Uncategorized |
YIPPEE SKIPPEE….we are starting off the New Year with a Simple Saturday post for you!
For those of you that are not familiar with my weekend posts, here is the scoop!
Simple Saturday = I will share with you a card that is just that….SIMPLE!
Step it Up Sunday = The card from Saturday with some “stepped up elements”
You all have seemed to enjoy these 2 day post so I say….why not keep them! I know that you have seen this type of card before from me, but today I am showcasing a new sentiment from a sentiment stamp set that will be available starting Tuesday, January 5th.
I love it….I know that there are some quirky sayings….but I think that they are FUN and the font…..YEP, a keeper! It is called Greatest Greetings!
Sentiment stamps sets are your friends. Quick, simple and fun sentiments like these are just the perfect added accent for your cards! I admit, I have been cutting paper for paper swatches and there are little scraps that sometimes I just can’t find it in me to purge! So…the moral of the story is that I am putting them to great use!
When I find a card like this I make a bunch of them…WHY? I say why not – it is great to have a stash ready when you need one.
The scraps I used were from the Have a Cuppa paper 6 X 6 stack. I simply stamped the image that I needed on the little scrap of paper and then did a quick fussy cut.
This is really super easy to do and I used the green glue to adhere them. Remember, If you are worried that you will have oozing…just put the glue down and let it set up before you add the paper!
Yep, I did use the Stamp-a-ma-jig as I love it and I find it to be the perfect tool when your stamp set is not a photpolymer one. You can see in the picture below that this stamp has a sentiment on it already….no worries, mask it off!
This is a great stamp and being that it is a single stamp, it is a great value. Just think of all of the different sentiments that you could use! I have used this sooooooo much that I feel like I need to pay Stampin’ Up! as wow – a great value! I have used it for birthdays, think of yous, get well, anniversary etc…..
For the flowers, I used the aqua painters….darn, I hope that you start using them – they really are a great tool and I know that I realize that many of you are still apprehensive about them but JUST GO FOR IT! Just grab a paper towel, squeeze the ink pad and grab some ink and HAVE FUN!
Remember…a great finishing touch and a touch that one ALWAYS ADMIRES AND APPRECIATES….a lined envelope! Today I am using the envelope liner framelits with a piece of Bermuda Bay Dots from the Paper Stack! I adore these stacks and I realize that they are $$$$$$ for you to get all of the collections, this is why that I have them on my product share…..they are amazing as they compliment our DSP papers!
Well…there you go….the 1st of the year and I hope that you like it! Pop back tomorrow for the stepped up version as well as the dimensions for the cards this weekend! I love it and I know that you would surely make someone smile with it!
My heart and “joy tank” was filled to the max with your comments from yesterdays post. I deeply appreciate you taking your time to read such a long post but I do hope you know that this is a GREAT thing that we do!
I know that you enjoy the “fur babies” – look who I found…..little “Mr. Perfect” – he is simply the best! It was funny – I woke up in the middle of the night and he was not in our bed…..I woke John up…he worried – he went outside….he came in and said – he will be fine…I still worried…..then I went searching…..YEP, snug as a bug in a rug with Hannah…..sorry for the bad picture but I just couldn’t resist sharing!
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by Susan Itell | Jan 1, 2016 | Uncategorized |
Happy New Year to all!
p.s. – grab a cup of coffee or perhaps a Mimosa (It’s a holiday) as this is long…but I hope it touches your heart strings! No pictures…just some words from my heart!
Yesterday was a fabulous day for me…I spent the afternoon at the barn watching Hannah ride and it actually was a decent weather day after having so many wet and dreary days. She rode 4 horses so I was there for many hours and during that time I had some amazing “me time” for reflection. When I am at the barn…all worries seem to go away and it is a wonderful and peaceful time for myself.
First, many thanks for all of the great comments yesterday and please know that I do cherish each and every one of your sweet words. Here is to a great year for all of us and I apologize in advance if I am rambling on but there are many points that I want to share with you and hopefully you can see where I am coming from and adapt some into your life and they also knew their own personal limits. It’s OK to say…..no, I just cannot do it!
In November I shared with you that Jennifer McQuire spearheaded a “Kindness Campaign”. You can click here to see the wrap up of the campaign but in short she shared, showed and challenged people to share handmade kindness in different forms.
I reached out to my downline and asked them if they wanted to share the kindness and my reward to them was a pack of dimensionals each week in November if they sent out cards that they made….”just because” – I was thrilled that some did 2 weeks….several did all 4….others did 1 , some were not able to take on the challenge… the point of it is…they tried.
I am not one that like to set New Years Resolutions as I find that they simply do not work for me BUT I am hoping to inspire you to look at the year ahead and see how YOU can share handmade kindness in whatever form works for you!
In November John and I went away to Austin, TX and had a wonderful time. One day we hiked for hours and talked and talked about how simple just walking is but also how rewarding it is…it was peaceful and fun. During that time I talked to him about Jennifer’s Handmade Kindness Challenge and he could hear in my voice the importance it was for me to have him “get it”.
It was then that we decided to do a handmade kindness towards each other in the family for a Christmas Gift. When we brought this up to the kids at Thanksgiving they thought I was nuts and said, “Mom…you are the creative one….we know what you will do – but what could we do” – I tried to share with them many if the talents that they had etc…but I did not want to put “ideas” into their heads.
I basically said, if you want to do it…great….if not, no biggie…I just thought it was a fun idea and one that would be special as we all know handmade gifts are simply the best.
On Christmas Day I had no idea if any of them took the thought from Thanksgiving to heart but they did and I was touched….I actually cried as my heart was filled with joy and happiness that the “GET IT” – they tried…they accomplished…they felt rewarded.
WHY AM I TELLING YOU THIS?
Easy…I want each of you to know that YOU have a gift. If you are already popping onto my blog than you already love to paper craft and I know that there are many of you that also love to do many other things as well…THESE ARE ALL SPECIAL GIFTS….please share them with others!
What did my family do?….here is a quick run down, trust me, I was so touched…
John – He went on our property and handpicked tall walking sticks and cleaned/sanded them down roughly and then attached a simple tag (well, he stole some tags from my stash) but the message was perfect. ” As you travel through the trails of life, I am always there to help you along” Love, Dad The kids LOVED it and I melted – what a fabulous idea and what a great memento for them. They are proudly in their rooms and I know that they were so touched.
WIll – He is my oldest and the teacher! He has such a patient and calming personality. He took the time to draw each of us ADORABLE pictures with “coupons” for us…mine was to organize my spice cupboard, help me for an afternoon in the barn and have “us time” together for him to help me with my computer.
James – Ever since James was a little tyke I said, “If there were more James’ in the world, this world would be a happier place” At 25 years old…that statement still stays true – he is one sweet person! James made each of us “trivets” with wine-corks. We always save out wine-corks and he cut them in half and strategically made them into a beautiful piece of art.
Hannah – Remember that she was in Switzerland and returned home very late on the 23rd – I totally thought that she would “bag this concept” but she did and surprised all of us! In a way she stretched it a bit as some of her goodness was purchased at hand crafted markets but she also added her own touch which touched us all….for me, she read me a beautiful message about “us” and her thankfulness for the opportunity we have given her etc….and then she had me close my eyes and said, I am giving you a Swiss Bank Account…..it was a pig with a Swiss Flag on it (a piggie bank)
HANG TIGHT…..I AM GOING TO WRAP THIS UP….JUST A BIT LONGER!
Over this year I have dealt with 2 broken ankles (well, the same one twice and ultimately surgery) and I have had issues with my eyes that have probably been more frustrating than my ankle. I have not share with you much about my eyes but I can say that it made me realize that we cannot take things for granted and that we need to know that there is always someone else out there dealing with their “OWN STUFF”
I had laser surgery on the 14th on one eye and the other last Monday. I am doing great and I am thankful that I am in the right direction as it was frustrating and scary but it did teach me not to take things for granted.
I was SOOOOOO touched that when I reached out to you to help a local Mom of 4….SOOOOOOO many of you sent me cards….books….a handmade prayer shawl to give to her – now that is what I call AMAZING ACTS OF KINDNESS….you have no idea how touched she was…she feels like there are “angels” from all over thinking, praying and just showing a side of kindness that unfortunately our world does not see enough of! She is stable and was able to be at home for Christmas and she thanks you for your sweetness.
In closing, my wish for each of you is a wonderful and blessed New Year ahead. Yesterday when I woke up and turned on the TV while I was working on product shares…I simply had to TURN IT OFF as it was all about the terrible things that have happened to our world in the past year!
I am looking forward to another year of inspiration and “sheer goodness from my heart” to help you accomplish your goals. I am so proud to be a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator and to have so many cyber friends all over.
I know that my wonderful Mom is looking down on me and proud of me. It was after her passing and after all of the cards that were sent to her during her illness that I knew that what I am doing DOES make a difference!
Please try to share the kindness that I know each of us have inside of us. It is so easy. It doesn’t have to be complicated. It doesn’t have to have a price tag on it. It just has to come from YOU.…
HAPPY NEW YEAR MY FRIENDS!
Let’s continue to SHARE HANDMADE KINDNESS as it does make a difference!
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by Susan Itell | Dec 31, 2015 | Uncategorized |
WOOT-WOOT.…we have a winner! The winner of the BIG DADDY SET OF MARKERS is…..
Way to go my friend! Many thanks to all that ordered this month and it was my pleasure to share with you an AWESOME and oh so PRACTICAL GIFT!
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by Susan Itell | Dec 31, 2015 | Uncategorized |
Are you in disbelief as I am with today being the last day of 2015?
I know that we often say to new parents to enjoy their children while they are young as they grow up soooo fast but I am thinking that the calendar rolls even faster when we are adults?
Does anyone else feel that way or am I on an Island by myself?
Today is the last day for you to have an opportunity to win the BIG DADDY OF MARKERS…from me, this was one of the very first things I purchased when I became a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator. It is a dream machine to have all of the markers in the Neutrals, Brights, Regals and Subtles Collections!
Please click here to see the blog posting about the scoop on how you can have a chance to win this and also a handmade card from me!
I did something fun and different this month so you will have the opportunity to win “tickets” (which means more opportunities to win) and tonight I will share with you the winner….
The cut off time to order from me for this offering is 9 p.m. Eastern Time today (good luck and I know that the lucky winner will be thrilled) – I think that this product is a key product for what we do!
In ending the year I wanted to share with you a couple of products that I have learned over this past year that I could not be without!
Sometimes it simply takes time to let it sink in….sometimes it is sheer inspiration from others but whatever it is – I wanted to share with you a couple of products that Stampin’ Up! has that I have become to love this year!
- Bakers Twine – I adore it…very easy to use and it works for just about everything…not only is it affordable it gives a great effect with doubling or even tripling it with a simple bow! (glue dots work great to adhere)
- Glue Dots – Where in the world have I been with not loving these gems?!?!? I will say that I have gone through so many boxes of these and would not be without them!
- Tear & Tape Adhesive – a product that once you try it….you will always need to have (2) rolls on hand! It is a dream machine for 3-D projects but I also use it for layered cards that are heavy or a watercolor card that I want it to lay super flat!
- Fast Fuse – This is the BIGGEST TURN OF TIDE for me this year…I totally admit – I disliked it immensely (you can see that I could have used another word but I always told my children not to use that word) as I found it to be SOOOO frustrating but once I learned how to use it…I LOVED IT. It is SUPER-DUPER strong, perfect for 3-D’s but I also use it a bunch on cards for my go-to adhesive.It really is a great bargain…look at how much is on the refill…a super adhesive after you get over that LOVE/?ATE relationship with it!
- Thick Whisper White Cardstock – there is not much to say about this as THANK YOU STAMPIN UP!…..once you use it, you will never go back! I adore it, use it for all of my Stamp of the Month Kits….would not be without it!
- Project Life Journaling Pens – this one will surprise you….but I need to be honest with you. I am amazed at how many cards/notes I receive that the pen bleeds through the top of the card while going through the mail. It is all about the pen. When we go to the time to make a “work of art from our heart”, it is important to use a pen that will be smudge proof. This pen is all that. It will not smear.
- Craft Scissors – (page 168 in the catalog # 108360)….I totally forgot to mention these and I remembered after I put the links for products below. I admit, they are expensive but trust me, it will be the BEST $30.00 you will spend. They cut like butter and I bet after you have these, you will order anther pair for cutting ribbon. It took me forever to justify buying them and trust me, each and every time I use them I think to myself, why did I not get these sooner!?!?! (Silly Susan)
I hope that you have found these comments useful and insightful. The end result is that you need to work with products that work for you, If you do not like it…it will not work for you…that is o.k. – we all see things differently.
Here is a funny for you….as I said above that I adore those scissors…Santa brought both of my boys a pair of Craft Scissors for Christmas. Actually my oldest son that is a teacher already had a pair and actually asked for another pair as he loves them so much he wanted one at school and one at home. My other son wanted them as he says that it is frustrating to never find a sharp pair of scissors at work….see what happens when their Mom is a SUD….they get used to my products….(smart kids)!
I wish each of you a happy and healthy New Years. Please be safe…we are doing the tradition, staying at home…having a great dinner….hopefully someone will play scrabble with me….but being at the most important place….HOME!
Please feel free to leave a comment about the items I have highlighted and give me some “keepers” of yours…..these are just products that I have really reached for more this year than last year!
p.s. – you know that I would never…EVER be without my Green Glue and Stampin Dimensionals…these products I have used for many, many years and are MUST HAVES!
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by Susan Itell | Dec 30, 2015 | Sale-A-Bration, Uncategorized |
Yep….I hope that I did it to you today ~ are you smiling? This is about as easy as it can ever get! A single layer note-card with a super cute stamp set from the FREEBIES in the Sale-a bration…and yep – this time next week this stamp set can be yours FREE with a $50.00 order!
Stampin’ Up! is doing something different this year, they are teasing us….pushing us and then offering more! WHAT AM I TALKING ABOUT?
There are several items that are available for the 1st half of the Sale-a-bration time….and then they will be gone….so the moral of the story is – this is one that you need to have as this stamp set is only available until February 15th!
I love this stamp set and it is also available in French so the “bonjour” is equally as fun! Trust me, you will be seeing me blog with this one in another post!
Being able to do a single layer card is often a challenge but this was super easy! Remember, sometimes we over think things too much and less is really best!
The below envelope liner is from a Sale-a-bration offering, a super fun DSP pack that will surely put you in the mood for Spring as it is super fun and fresh!
One thing that I forget to talk about is our new Black Ink….if you do not have it yet, PLEASE put this on you “to order list” as it is a DREAM MACHINE to stamp with! It is soooo crisp and always gives great coverage.
Well I hope that I have put a little “sunshine in your life today” as YOU always bring the sun to me! Please feel free to leave me a comment with how you like this simple card!
Until tomorrow!
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by Susan Itell | Dec 28, 2015 | SNEAK PEEK!!!, Uncategorized |
Good morning to all…if you follow my blog regularly than you already know that I consider myself “computer challenge” so you know that there was a “hiccup” on my end in your post yesterday….I am still learning the new platform but I am sorry and I hope that you read yesterday’s post as it was filled with ideas from me about the stamp choices out there plus the winner!
Today is a sneak peak of the FUN that is coming your way with the SALE~A ~BRATION….is this paper FUN or what!?!? It can be yours for every $50.00 order starting in January and this is a super fun collection of a new DSP for just a limited time!
I know that many of you are afraid of using a big and bold statement of a busy DSP…but I think that you can see that it works today! I am also showing you a sentiment (I ADORE die cut sentiments) and this is from the Annual Catalog and I think that we have all forgotten it…..(you can see it in the store below) but hang tight to see a twist that I did!
We are all super blessed to learn from many talented stampers and I just adore Jennifer McQuire…..she shared on a blog post that she uses craft foam to cut sentiments so I tried it and I loved it! It was super easy to cut with the Big Shot and I used the good old “green glue” to adhere them together…..
The envelope liner framelit was the perfect touch to the finale to make this a card of WOW! I love it, how about YOU? The other MUST HAVE in my opinion is the triple banner punch – I know that you can easily cut you own banners, but this is so easy and if you have a piece of paper that is not exactly the right size, no worries….just line it up and you are good to go!
The other “sneak peak” is a stamp set that is also a bundle….so here comes a WOOT-WOOT.…and I know that you will need to have it – a great stamp…plus a matching punch is the bonus – and fabulous sentiments!
I adore the fact that you can stamp the flowers and the PUNCH in ONE PUNCH!
I hope that this is getting you excited for the new catalog but also do not forget that there are definite keepers like the Hello You Framelits…oldies but goodies!
Enjoy the day and again, I apologize for not setting up the post yesterday like normal…but I do hope that you read it and learn from it! Way to go for winning…please send me your address and I will send you your goodies!
Change and I do not go hand in hand…but I am trying and it will be all good! Have a FABULOUS DAY!
p.s. – please do not forget to read yesterdays post as I really gave a lot of tips and ideas of my feelings of the different stamps we have….you can imagine that I was sad when the work I put into that post did not post like I wanted it to !
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