Step it up Sunday!

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Happy Sunday! Did you watch the Belmonts Stakes yesterday? I was so excited….What an amazing story – horses are incredible animals; the training and discipline these horses a this level is unreal. What a run….John and I were rooting him on – he is a magnificent animal with a huge heart! This sure did make my weekend!

Well, I must admit….there is a huge difference in the cards this weekend BUT.…both are great – it all comes down to time! That word "TIME" gets the best of us many times. I did learn a lesson and I cannot wait to share it with you.

Here is yesterday's card….clean and classic to the max, a "Susan Card" and one that I make often for family and friends….so versatile and you can switch up the DSP to the persons personality – makes a super gift! Please click here to yesterdays post

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Now to the Stepped up version…fresh, fun and special. I added the NEW fabulous stamp set that I know is going to be a HUGE HIT…it is called Garden In Bloom. Just looked at these stamps, beautiful and the sentiments – WOWZERS….so special.

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With this stamp set, It can be used as a single stamp or as I used it today I double stamped it. In the below picture you will see what I am talking about. (I am sorry if I am so basic but I do think that there are many that are not sure what "double stamping" is…and I want you to know…it is fun and gives a great effect!!!)

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The basic way I did the card is the same…using a notecard and the fabulous Larger Than Life Alphabet Stamp Set….this stamp set has a HUGE impact and is simply timeless. Today I skipped the embossed lines on the side of the card….and just stamped away with some super sweet flowers!

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Yesterday I stamped the "S" right on the layer of whisper white…today I used a piece of scraps and stamped it and then ran it through the Big Shot with the Deco Labels Framelits. I also did it with the Blushing Bride and then adhere them to the back to POP it up! 

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I do think that this is a fun look…with the flowers and the simple monogram! In the new catalog we have many great options that can be used in place of the flowers….I am thinking butterflies….bees…..dragon flies….more endless idea!

Now to the part that I wanted to share with you….yesterday, I used the FABULOUS English Garden Paper for the envelope (this is simply one fantastic – out of the ballpark pack of paper and I was thinking as I was going over what I wanted to share with you this weekend that the flowers that I did on the card would compliment perfectly….

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Guess what….I did not like it…..here is a picture of it and I hope that you can see my point. I wanted to share it with you and then share with you the solid Blushing Bride embossed with the FUN Polka Dot Folder! I hope that you can see how much easier it is on your eye with the simplicity of the below!

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You see….there are times that we change our mind, we tweak midway through…and the end result is….a great card that YOU made! I hope that this weekend fun brought a smile to your face!

On Tuesday I blogged about the great incentive for a hobby stamper. If I were you I would pick these stamp sets as your free ones….they are super sets and just think – These (2) stamp sets would be $71.00 and you can get them for FREE.

Kicking tires is fun…and it is a wonderful opportunity for you….email me….or better yet, get your shopping list out and go to town….you can click here to get going!

Can't wait for tomorrow…..I will share with you the results from the polls! WOOT-WOOT!

 

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Show & Tell Saturday!

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Good Morning! I hope that you do not hit that big CLICK ME OFF button when you see how incredibly "Plain Jane" this card is but when you look at it and think of it…it is a classic and it is a GREAT way to make up thank you notes for graduate, friends and YOU!

Make sure that you pop back tomorrow to see how I "stepped it up"…for those of you that need a bit more pizazz. To me, I am "just fine" the way it is but I think you will smile tomorrow!

Before we get going…the post that I did yesterday has been SOOOOOO much fun! I am looking forward to seeing the "end result" of votes so if you did not see it yesterday, please click here and give us your feedback! (I will post the results on Monday)

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Let's get to this simple gem! The star of the show is the Stamp Set, Larger than Life! True is a pricey one but it does come with all of the alphabet as well as the numbers (many times they are sold separately and if that was the case…it would add up to this) This is a classic…one that is timeless!

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  • The base is the FUN Whisper White Note Card….one of my all time favorites!
  • The White stamped piece is 1/4 smaller = 3 1/4" X 5 3/4" TIP: – Because I am "type A" I found the center of this piece and placed a pencil dot before I stamped the image!

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  • A simple "flip over" and then scored at all sides is the classic touch…..
  • A mat of Mossy Meadow makes the initial POP!

Time to talk about this AMAZING Liner Paper, English Garden…..just look at this INCREDIBLE paper…the colors are just beautiful and I am excited for you to see tomorrow's as I think it accents the paper perfectly!

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  • Big Shot to the rescue and the Envelope Liner framelit – BAM….done!

For all of you amazing Product Share people….I feel like a 3 armed wall paper hanger, busy cutting and getting everything "Just Susan right" for you! It is such an exciting time…and I adore seeing the new products.

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I am waiting for "my" order to come in….I placed the Product Share and had it expedited (But I did add 3 stamp sets as I could not wait)…you'll see one tomorrow!

Let's all have a great day! Yesterday was a scary one for us….as our wonderful  – "Norman" our Beagle simply could not get up….after taking him to the vets…he has full blown Lyme's….(and we use Frontline)….he is home and comfortable….very scary and even though he is not out of the woods….please check your animals for ticks!

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I adore him….he had a very bad prior life before he became an "Itell" – Until tomorrow!

p.s. – Please do not let anyone tell you there is something wrong with "Plain Jane" – she is a classic!

 

 

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Fun Friday!

Ok…I was a SUPER HAPPY STAMPER yesterday when my boxes came from Stampin' Up! (well, they could have been there first thing in the morning but I'll take 3 p.m.) and I am a GIRL ON THE GO….cutting paper and ribbon for the Product share BUT…there is one thing that the catalog seriously does not do justice…

THE NEW PAPER…

I wish you could have seen me…I was  just going full steam ahead …going – oh my gosh…look at this…and then out came another pack of paper….and then there was a louder squeal of excitement….the poor dogs looked at me like I was crazy…(The only thing that could have been better was if Chris R would have been there)NOW THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A HOOT!

I said that today I was going to share with you my picks of favorites but I thought let's do something INTERACTIVE and FUN…it will be interesting to see your thoughts.

Get your catalog…Grab a cup of coffee & a piece of paper and pen….below you will see 10 questions pertaining to the new catalog and I thought it would be great to get feedback from you with your picks!

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Please leave a comment and just list down the question number and the answer you pick (just one…) and then on Monday I will share with you the picks!

This will be super fun…and then it will be fun to look back at the picks a month from now and see if we have changed our thoughts once we see lots of fun projects made.

I already have changed my mind on a couple of things but on Monday I will share with you my "first – gut choices" when I read these. (and then tell you which ones I might have changed my mind after having them in my hands!)

1 – Which of these Sentiments Stamp Sets "speak " to you?

  1. Happy Happenings (page 103)
  2. One Big Meeting (page 16)
  3. That Thing You Did (page 97)
  4. Me = Grateful (page 17)
  5. Over the Rainbow (page 21)

2. Which new Background Stamp "tops" your wish list?

  1. Watercolor Wash (page 129)
  2. Brushstrokes (page 128)
  3. Dots for Days (page 129)
  4. It's Wild (page101)
  5. Definitely Dahlia (page 129)

3. Which Floral or Garden Stamp Set will you "pick" first for your Stamping Garden?

  1. Garden in Bloom (page 119)
  2. Wild about Flowers (page 74)
  3. Birthday Blossoms (page 8)
  4. Gift From the Garden (page 81)
  5. Remarkable You (page112)

4. As of right now, which new In Color is your favorite? (page 3)

  1. Watermelon Wonder
  2. Mint Macarin
  3. Cucumber Crush
  4. Tip Top Taupe
  5. Delightful Dijon

5. Which DSP is most likely to earn "Best in Show?"

  1. English Garden (page 142)
  2. Timeless Elegance (page 143)
  3. Merry Moments (page 143)
  4. Farmers Market (page 143)
  5. Go Wild Paper Stack ( page 144)

6. Which "punch" makes you the most "punchy" to own?

  1. Banner Triple Punch (page 165)
  2. Tree Builder Punch (page 167)
  3. Gift Bag Punch Board (page 150)
  4. Washi Label Punch (page166)
  5. Medium Star Punch (page 166)

7. Which is the best "kit & kaboodle?"

  1. Tin of Cards & Tin if Cards Stamp Set (page 152)
  2. Watercolor Wishes (page 155)
  3. Cottage Greetings Card Kit (page 154)
  4. All Boxed Up (page 154)
  5. Build a Banner (page155)

8. Which New Ribbon has you "spinning your reels?" (pages 158-159)

  1. 1" Dotted Lace Trim in the 2015-2017 In Colors
  2. New Colors for the 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon
  3. Thick Baker'sTwine
  4. Metallic Thread (gold and silver)
  5. 2014-2016 Cotton 5/8" Stripe In Color Ribbon

9. Which Stampin' Rewards Host Set (pages 179-182) makes you want to PARTY?

  1. Happy Birthday, Everyone
  2. Best Thoughts
  3. Floral Wings
  4. A Whole Lot of Lovely
  5. Silhouettes & Scripts

10. Which product gets the award for "Most Improved"

  1. Thicker Whisper White Cardstock
  2. Tear and Tape Adhesive
  3. Envelope Weight Paper  (In Color & Neutrals)

I hope that you found this fun. I don't know about you….but it takes me a while to get used to where things are in the new catalog…(I ADORE the layout of this catalog) and this FUN FRIDAY helped you get to know more of the products!

You know that I have said endless times that I adore being a PAL! Mary Fish offers super fun cyber monthly meetings (if you which to hop on) and 2 weeks ago we had a "Catalog Stroll"….and I am sharing 10 of the questions that we all answered…there is power in the numbers and when you get a bunch of crazed stampers….the FUN is over the top!

It is always so interesting to see how others look at the new products and how they view them. This is another reason that I adore being a PAL….I feel the support and the fun as a group! Have fun…and I look forward to tallying them up!

Rewind to the beginning if the week, the Monday personal challenge….the random winner was Robyn Carter and WOWZERS…..what an adorable card….she had fun with the Regals Collection – love the layout…very fun and fresh! I will send her a ring of swatches…all 50 pieces of solid cardstock that we have! The best "speed tool" one can have!

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Let's have a great day and I cannot wait to see what you all pick! This is a GREAT way to get a feel of what is going to be "Hot"….the PALS had a blast for over 2 hours chatting up a storm…we support each other, we work with each other – we have fun!

It’s a challenge day!!!

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Woot-woot….I just love a color challenge and today is a fun palette of colors with the Pals Paper Art and how about it – wanta play! Please go for it and if you need help uploading it, email me and I will be happy to help you through the process.

You can see that the color calls for our old faithful….so today I substituted the NEW in color, Watermelon Wonder. I used Very Vanilla as my neutral and I love the soft effect even with the boldness of the Watermelon.

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While typing this post it made me realize that I forgot to announce who won the Monday Challenge….I will do that tomorrow and show you the adorable card she made. I think you all like having color challenges – I find them to be fun.

Guess where this idea came from…the best place to get fantastic ideas….the new catalog!!! (page 105). I often get my inspiration for many of my card ideas from the catalog and I encourage you to give it a try.

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I am thrilled that Stampin' Up! kept this fantastic Stamp Set, Six Sided Sampler. I used it several weeks ago and you all seemed to enjoy it, I hope that this one makes you inspired as well. Do you see…it is a bundle – here comes another WOOT-WOOT….that means you instantly save 15%!

Let's get to it – this is a "Susan Card"…when I say that, to me it is a representation of the style of cards that I like to make…super clean, super simple yet classic! This would be an easy card to make a bunch of and leave off the sentiment until you know what you need!

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Confession time…(I always share with you when I have made a mistake)…when the stamp set Georgous Grunge came out…I clearly that it was the worst stamp set in the whole wide world….

I remember being on a conference call with the PALS when it 1st came out and that was one of their favorites…(I did not get it!!!) but once I did not take it so "literally" and learned from other talented stampers…less is best – use it as an accent and this is what I did today!

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I "stamped off" in the Soft Suede to make it a bit softer and I adore the look. I thought why not do the butterfly the same way…BINGO – it worked!

Here is a great tip, you can see that I adhered one hexagon down and the other 4 are popped up with Stampin' Vitamins,..I took the 4 that I popped up and used a piece of sticky strip to hold them tight together and then put the dimensionals on…this way it looks like a solid piece (hope this makes sense)

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Lastly, the envelope…how perfect is this to do…use the honeycomb embossing folder to make the envelope smile – it made me smile, how about you?

With all of the focus on the New Catalog, please do not forget to check out the weekly deals – I love it when there are punches offered. You know I say they are SPEED TOOLS….that is key to making clean and simple cards!

I must say…I ADORE YOU ALL – I sat down before I went to count sheep and read your comments from yesterday's post…I think that it is wonderful that we all chime in and share…that's what it is all about and that's why I love what I do! Chris R. – you can make a smile happen to anyone…..LOVED your comment!

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