by Susan Itell | Mar 6, 2018 | Fun & Cute!, Super Easy, Uncategorized |
Morning!!! 🙂 …I think I should say, Good Afternoon!
Yep, it is Tuesday and yesterday did not happen but I know the delay will surely make you smile and also show you that minimal products can make a HUGE IMPACT.…as this IS my kinda card that I adore to create!
I actually created this card to be one of the offering of my monthly card kits but unfortunately with the “life” happenings…I need to hit the “pause button” on my kits ……so this is a great taste of the offerings that I do!
In November when I was at Salt Lake City for the On Stage Stampin’ Up! event…..I saw a card on display and I knew that I needed to snap a picture of it and CASE it. How stinkin’ cute and clean is this beauty? I invite you to think about this….it is all about the basics! (trimmer, big shot, nesting dies, white paper….punches)
For my Monthly Kits….I was going to offer ideas showcasing the Fruit Basket Bundle. Yep…it’s a keeper as it is a Photopolymer Stamp Set….plus the “bundled portion” is 4 punches and we know what that means….easy peasy as using a punch is super easy 🙂 …
One of the things that I adore about this card is the amount of “white space” that it has…as my Mom always said….you just can’t go wrong with white….always clean and classic …..and ALWAYS in style!
I made the squares with the Layering Squares Collection of Framelits….(a must have basic) for your stash. True….it is tricky with lining up the squares but that is what a handy ruler is for plus your own eyes! Having basic shapes like this make perfect layering a cinch….I adore the white on white effect of the squares….but you could also easily do a color for one of the squares!
A card design like this is always on trend and one that you can use OVER and OVER again…(a formula)! The best way to master this is to get the center row where you want it….and then you can eye-ball the rest! Just look at the simplicity of this – a blue ribbon winner…
The punches with this bundle make this a fast one to whip together and then the stamping is also a breeze as you can see through the stamps because of it being a Photopolymer Stamp. The beauty of this particular stamp/punch set it that it is very forgiving…..WHAT??????
Seriously, after you stamp the image the punch is smaller than the stamped image so it is a breeze to line up and punch – no worrying about getting is “just right” – it is just wonderful when things like this happen!
For me, this would be a card that you could make up in the masses (again, I was going to use this design for a kit) as I know….I know – there is a bunch of cutting of the squares….but think of it this way – it is a GREAT WAY to use up scraps and it is also something that you could work on to cut a bunch of….put them in baggies …..and then pull them out as needed!
I always have a “key” to work from…after you figure out the spacing….make sure you write it down (the measurements) or better yet, make a template and BAM – you are good to go!
I also encourage you to use a Stamp Postioner. I used the Stamparatus and it is a dream tool. I know that if you were not the smart/lucky stamper to have preordered it…you will have to wait until the new catalog comes out in June. (I’m sorry…as I warned you…..) It is SOOOOOOO worth the wait and we know…..June will be here before we know it!
It is a wonderful tool and one that Stampin’ Up! should be super proud of. As I have blogged many times before, I have many other stamp positioners but this one….BLUE RIBBON – why? …I adore the (2) plate system. I could go ahead and have it all ready to stamp the sentiment on the front….and have the other plate ready to rumble to stamp an inside sentiment! (Actually with the (2) plate system, you could line up up to (4) different stamps as you can easily remove a plate and flip it around)
How about the POP of color with the envelope? It is from the Tutti-Fruiti DSP 6 X 6 pack and I am sure many of you are thinking…..why didn’t you use the strawberry print paper?
Here me out….(I do have an answer for you)…
- I think with the classic feel of this card, that the strawberry print was a bit whimsical for the POP. I adore the boldness of the paper that I chose….does this make sense? I would love to get feedback – please feel free to leave a comment!
- The other reason was….I adore the flip side of the strawberry paper…the classic Night of Navy polka dots is in my alley of a fun, clean & simple print!
This is a sweet paper pack and I know when you see all of the bright colors and different shapes….it looks super busy but when you see them in person and allow yourself to think of how you could best use it for your style…you will see it is a great addition to our paper collection.
In closing, you can easily see that a fun and classic card CAN be created with a minimal amount of product. I invite you to cut up your scraps and get them organized on baggies so you are more likely to use shapes …
I also bet that many of you have punches in shapes in a variety of sizes…..see what you have and how you can use them. You just simply cannot go wrong with nesting collections of basic shapes (circles, squares, hearts etc….) They WILL BE a go-to for years and years!
There you go….a clean and simple card that is SUPER duplicatable so I say….go to it! This stamp set will be one that you will use over and over as it is a basic…and the sentiments…. – super fun and the font is a keeper as well. Remember, these are key questions that I ask myself when I decide if I am going to invest in a stamp and the other thing….I only pick stamps/bundles for my kits that I believe in…..
Now to my weekend….do you remember I talked about the WIND on the East Coast? Well…..let me tell you – we were smart ladies and did not leave home until 11 a.m. as the wind did get better. We did what we should have done….checked the advisories…..checked the main highways for accidents etc…..plus we had 8 husbands looking after us to make sure that it was safe to leave…..
We left at 11 – made a stop for a fun lunch and guess what…..we were about 1hr. 15 minutes from the Philadelphia area and BAM…..we hit SNOW…yep…SNOW that came from no where and the PA Turnpike was one hot mess….we used out navigation systems for different routes….only to have roads with fallen trees on them….closed roads because of accidents….just one thing after another.
We ended up getting to the hotel at 7:30 Friday night…..missed our Museum ticket/tour….but all thankful to be safe! We stayed in the hotel and talked into the wee hours of Saturday morning like we were on a slumber party….all 8 of us! The next day…..POOF – still windy but the temperatures rose and everything melted!
We went to the Garden Show on Saturday night and it was FABULOUS – it was the opening night and the theme was the 70’s – music was GREAT and the Village People preformed (yep…now that is dating ourselves) and there were (2) of the originals from 4 decades! They were a hoot and the last song…..yep, YMCA – I wish that you would have seen all of the amazing costumes!
For my Dad….we went to the Doctors yesterday and on Thursday they will be doing a procedure to get him ready for hopefully the bigger surgery. I hope to see you back here tomorrow…..if not – it will be Thursday as I will be sitting waiting for many hours!
I hope that this post inspired you and I do love this bundle…so fresh and fun…..have a GREAT DAY and many thanks for popping into my little blog of “me”! Below the paw print, you will see the supplies I used!
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by Susan Itell | Mar 2, 2018 | 3-D Projects, masking, Super Easy |
Good Friday to all and I hope that you have had a great week! If you live on the East Coast….I say – no need to do your hair as we are to have SUPER HIGH WINDS…..50 – 60 mph! I think the weatherman thinks we are in Kansas…..poor Daisy, she will grumpy today as pigs are sweet little swines that are rather picky about the weather!
Do you remember Monday’s post? Well if not…how about CLICKIN’ HERE….and you will see this super sweet Note Card that I made with the Hanging Garden Stamp Set and the Stampin’ Blends! You know I love projects like this and I hope that you find this post helpful! As my sweet Mom always said…..it’s all about the presentation….and I hope that this shines that to you!
As I said on Monday, I knew that this would be a stamp set that would live on Randall Lane….WHY????? The way that it was sketched….I adore all of the sketchy lines and the endless options of coloring! Even though the “subject” images of the stamps are not super dynamic and fun (just being honest after all, they are just baskets) I knew that this would “dress up wonderfully”….and the sentiments are great!
This is something that you need to think of when you are looking at stamps that you wish to make the investment with. I invite you to ask yourself this questions…
- Will it be a classic and timeless set that you will reach for now….and in the future?
- Are the sentiments and fonts ones that you will use over and over?
- Can you use the images/sentiments with other stamps that you already have?
- Can you envision at least 3 different ways that you could use the stamp set?
I say, if you get in the habit of looking at a stamp and then asking yourself these questions (and probably more) you will be making wiser investments, Trust me….I am just like YOU as I have many…and I mean MANY stamps that I have bought impulsively and they are just sitting (many not even inked).
It happens to us all but I think that the more that you craft and the more that you find and develop a style you get more comfortable with selecting your purchased. This IS one thing that I have become better at as there are just too many great crafty products out there on the market that I like to purchase!
Today I wanted to just use the stamp set above…(Monday I also used the Hostess Stamp set, Yay You ) and today….I want to show…..perhaps entice you to think OUT OF THE BOX…and actually MAKE A BOX to gift a fabulous gift that would be soooooooooo well received by the lucky recipient!
Let’s face it…we all love to craft (dah….that’s why you are here) and one thing that we love to do is not only make things with our hands…but to do the next – GIVE … GIFT THEM AWAY to the ones that are super special to us! There is just nothing like a handmade gift!
Another thing that I did to switch it up a bit today was to mask one of the plants for some of the cards (just to make some of them a bit different!)…..but these cards are so fun and practical. I stamped the 2 different sentiments of 1/2″ strips of paper and then the inside sentiments from this stamp set are perfect…or you can easily leave them blank!
I say….WOW – what a practical gift and when you break it down…..it is also super affordable. As I shared on Monday, the notecards are so affordable being just $6.00….and making the box…..from a sheet of paper….!!!! You can handle that….
Now how about the 411 of how to make this box…..well, here you go – super easy….and there is no doubt about it…YOU CAN DO IT!
- Old Olive Cardstock – 8″ X 11″
- Score on the 8″side (shorter) at 2″ & 6″ I do use and suggest the Simply Scored Tool….I always think that leave a deeper impression than the trimmer…again, it is a basic tool that we all need and will use!
- Turn Paper to the 11″ side (longer) and score at 4 1/2″ & 6 1/2″
- Fold In and use Bone Folder to give a great crease
- Cut in the scored lines (look at picture) and it really does help to taper in as shown (makes a much cleaner final product)
- Use Tear & Tape as shown and fold in sides
You can easily stop here….but what is another 10 minutes?!?! To add some finishing and WOW touches….. add a panel of the basket fun of these notecards to the front of the box. The DSP that I used is from the Tutti Fruit DSP 6 X 6 stack…. and I invite you to always look deep into your DSP Stash as this project….is sooooooo basic that we have many papers that would color coordinate!
Here are the dimensions that I did for the decorating of the outside of the box! (I knew you would want them….I hope that you can see that these little extra touches really do make a difference)
- The stripe DSP is 3 3/4″ X 4 1/4″
- The White piece is 3 1/4″ X 3″
- The Old Olive mat is 3 3/8″ X 3 1/8″
I had to laugh about the packaging…..I bought these bags last year and when I received them I thought…they are HUGE….but they are perfect for this! I tucked in my box of love and tied a sweet bow with the Old Olive Chevron Ribbon and BAM….a simple yet great finishing touch! (These bags are super sturdy and this presentation is just easy and fun).
It goes to show you…,you can make Lemonade with things that you do not use that you have bought! After I jazzed up the box…I took my scissors and WACKED off the excess of the bag and POOF – I loved it….how about YOU!!! I would love to hear your thoughts…..
I broke down the cost for the “guts” of how much it would cost to make up these 20 cards/envelopes….YEP….this box fit a complete set of notecards! The total is $9.49 and here is how I came up with that….
- Notecards and Envelopes – $6.00
- Bag – .36
- 5 Sheets of White – $1.15
- 6 Sheets of Old Olive – $1.98
There you go….something for you to think about making! I challenge you to go to your stamps and see which stamps that you already own that you can make up a bunch of cards! Next, I would HIT THAT PAW PRINT below and order this stamp set if you do not already have it….also order some of the bags and notecards….(all products are found below and you can click away).
Over the weekend you could go ahead and cut the white paper to the size that you will be stamping on…(3 1/4″ X 4 3/4″) and then the mat (3 3/8″ X 4 7/8″) and start to color etc…..remember, PACE YOURSELF and then you will not get overwhelmed with doing a task.
This concept makes a fabulous gift and one that you could start at any time of the year…..and then when that BIG HOLIDAY rolls around that you do not know what to give to the person that has everything…..you are ready….as a gift from your heart always wins!
Enjoy the weekend and be safe today. I will be “un-plugged” for the weekend as one of my dearest friends is celebrating her 60th. There are 8 of us going to the great city of Philadelphia for the weekend to do some fun things….the opening of the Philadelphia Flower Show, a museum exhibit, the Italian Market, great foods….a needlepoint store that I adore…..2 amazing garden and decorating stores in different sweet towns along the way…just an agenda of anything goes!
Many thanks for the well wishes for my dear Dad…..he is doing super-de-duper but honestly a bit stir crazy as he has to have care 24-7 until he can go to a Cardiologist Specialist…..that appt. is on Monday – so Monday will be a big day for seeing the next step! Keeping him down is like keeping me down, a hard thing to do! I have all of his meals ready for him while I sneak away…..at least it is a comfort that he is well and safe with care he respects!
I will see you on Monday with some more inspiration….(well, I hope so at least)….and maybe some pictures from the weekend. Be safe in whatever you are up to and please remember to take some of that well needed and deserved “me time” that we all need.
If you are anything like me….you can have the tendency of beating yourself up that “me time” could be used in doing other things but the reality of it is…..we do need it and we only have once chance……go and make a difference….make someone smile…..do a random act of kindness….we all have so much to give and to be thankful for…..and I thank you for spending a bit of your time with me in popping onto my blog!
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by Susan Itell | Feb 28, 2018 | Paper Pumpkin, Uncategorized |
HHD to you….(Happy Hump Day)…
Tuesdays are the “happening…scoop days” at the Stampin’ Up! home office when they announce a weekly update to Demonstrators . Yesterday when I hopped on I saw something interesting…actually very interesting as it was a HUGE HIT for Paper Pumpkin!
Let’s back up…..do you remember when I blogged that I was able to see a sneak peak while at On Stage for the next Month’s offering…..well – IT WAS THIS ONE pictured below!
When I saw this I did the HAPPY DANCE….yep, right there in front of many, I did the HAPPY DANCE and then immediately went into my Paper Pumpkin account and change the little 1 that I get monthly…..to 12 kits!
Rumor has it, that TODAY – Stampin’ Up! will be offering this below kit to CURRENT Paper Pumpkin Subscribers. You know how things go with limited quantities of products….THEY GO ZOOM!
If you are not a current Paper Pumpkin Customer…..you need to sign up…..even if it is just for a month to take advantage of this. CLICK HERE for a 1 month subscription which is just $20.00 and then hopefully you will be able to take advantage of this oh so special kit!
Like I shared with you above, I bought a BUNCH of these and had a ball! I made so many of them and beamed with joy with each and everyone I gave away to family, friends and downline.
They made the perfect finishing touch to gifts, table settings and even a gift card holder! I know that I plan to take advantage of purchasing more not only for my own personal use next year….but also for a gift!
I had so many rave reviews over these gems that after I read the weekly updates….I thought – what a PERFECT GIFT to give to someone. I already know that they are super cute and I ask you…..what can you get for $20.00 that brings so many smiles and joy!
Remember, you need to be a current Paper Pumpkin Customer to take advantage of this and who knows how many will be offered! Just be ready …..below in blue is the blurb in our weekly update!
- Hurray! One of your favorite Paper Pumpkin kits, Back in Plaid, will be available while supplies last to Paper Pumpkin subscribers only beginning tomorrow, February 28. We will also be sending out this announcement to all subscribers on February 28 via our monthly Paper Pumpkin email.
I hopped on Pinterest to share with you samples from this kit……CLICK HERE…but I think that it is pretty obvious – it’s a keeper! My fingers are crossed for both me and you….and that we will be able to snag some of these!
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by Susan Itell | Feb 26, 2018 | Stampin' Blends, Super Easy, Uncategorized |
Good Morning and happy new week!
Last “Hump Day” did not happen because of “life” (my sweet Dad has been having some health issues) and then I typed up everything for Friday to hit the publish button….and POOF it was all gone…….I was super sad and just tried to shrug it off as I was away and just had to do one of those …..deep breaths….“OH NO” and not let it get the best of me….so the moral of this story is…..I have a cutie for you today!
These hanging basket images are from the Hanging Garden Stamp Set that made it’s Stampin’ Up! debut in the Occasions Catalog! I have been itchin’ to play with it as I knew that it would be a dream to color and today I used the Stampin’ Blends. This image would also be wonderful to use the Aqua Painter with and watercolor but the ease and speed of the blends is what I reached for today!
I used the super affordable Whisper White Notecards & Envelopes to create this sweet card. These truly are a great bang for your buck as you get 20 precut and scored cards & envelopes for just $6.00 and don’t forget…they also come in Very Vanilla!
I like this size of a card as they are a perfect size (3 1/2″ X 5″) to write a quick note. This size also make a fabulous gift to give to someone as a gift. I do not know about you but….if someone gave me some notecards like this….I would not only be touched…I would be doing the happy dance….(BIG time!!!)
You really do not need me today for this card…but hang tight…..you are going to get me as I have some measurements and ideas for you. I want you to look at this as a “formula”…hang tight and hear me out. You already know that the notecards are super affordable…I invite you to see the impact that paper and layers do to “make” this sweet card special.
Paper DOES make a difference and if you are not comfortable with using paper with layers….I encourage you to have a little chat with yourself….and do it! I know that there are many out there that cringe and say…I feel like I am wasting it. Trust me crafters….we waste MANY, MANY other things and do not think anything about it.
Remember….this is a craft, a FUN thing that we do….so why not make it special and just add layers! It truly is as simple as that as it is an extra touch that takes your card from….a great one to a WOW one.
The other key factor is the sentiment. Choosing the right sentiment also takes a card to a new level. You all know that I am goo-goo over sentiments and truth be told…I often purchase a stamp set JUST BECAUSE of the sentiment and this stamp set, Yay You is a perfect example of that!
This stamp set is a Hostess one…and it is only $10.00 plus it is a photopolymer…..a doubly whammy of goodness! I think that you can easily see the fun and unique stamps and sentiments in this set. I think that it is chocked full of uplifting and unique sentiments….something that we all need more of in this world!
Things to remember if you are going to be CASEING this sweetie….use the Memento Black Ink when using the stampin’ blends! WHY??? Simple – you need to use it because it is formulated to work with an alcohol based marker like the blends. I am giddy about these markers for many reasons but by far the first one is the ease and speed of them.
As I have said many, many times….I get it – you all see the $$$$ of them and are fearful that you would make the investment for them and not know how to use them….and then this one that I hear all of the time…..I do not know how to blend?
Here you go again….YOU DO NOT NEED TO KNOW HOW TO BLEND….how about this – give yourself a break and be gentle to yourself...just have FUN and color. There is NO BLENDING here at all with this card….I just colored and I had FUN!
Another thing to remember….when you use the blends – IT WILL BLEED through the paper, that it totally normal so you will want to make sure that you have a scratch piece of paper underneath so you do not ruin your work surface!
When you use an alcohol based marker you do not get lines of streaking like you would with the Stampin’ Write Markers. Please do not get me wrong, I have them and I do use them but I would never enjoy coloring with them like I do with these.
Think about it in this way…we all have shoes – we have some shoes that are just the favorites….that when you wear them you could walk and walk…and then there are others that you really like but they just aren’t as comfy…..that’s how I feel about the blends.
For me, coloring is relaxing. Do you remember when you were little and the excitement you have when you got to dive into a NEW box of Crayons? I can still remember the WOW that I saw with all of the pretty colors lined up and I was excited but I didn’t want to mess up the pretty box.
As kids – we got over that and played with the crayons and this is how I look at an alcohol based marker.They just open up a whole new world of fun and YEP, I am happy that Stampin’ Up! has them and I do hope that the continue to come out with more colors.
Right now we have 12 color families. Each marker has a light and a dark. The majority of the time…I just color with the light and if there are any “sketchy” black lines that the stamp has in it….I take the dark marker and use it where the black lines are….that’s MY LEVEL OF BLENDING….
It truly is as simple as that. I have shared with you that I have made the plunge of making an investment with Copic Markers as Stampin’ Up! did not have an Alcohol Based marker until now …and trust me – I have spent a bunch of $$$$$ with them but I can also say…..I do not regret it one bit as I love them.
I have 2 complete sets of the blends as I have one in my work area and another in a grab and go bag that has stamped images in it. I often take that with me if I know that I will be waiting (like at an appt) as practicing is the best way to get comfortable!
You can get the WHOLE complete set right now for just $99 and then pick 2 stamp sets that tickle your fancy……the ultimate bundle during Sale-A-Bration.I know that you get super scared when you hear the word or think about the concept of joining Stamp Up! so how about this….just email me and I will be happy to talk to you about it.
It is nothing more that you taking advantage of a sale.
Yep – all of the Blends for $99 ships for free and you pick any 2 stamps!
Over this past weekend…I spent time with 2 amazing women that also happen to be downline but more importantly, I am proud to call them friends. We stamped….colored….cut….played and just had fun! Below my sweet little Milo went with me and let me tell you….he is amazing….staying up late with us and hearing all of the laughter!
Unfortunately I have had some “trying times” over the past several weeks with my Dad and his health. He is doing better but I knew that I needed this time away and it was the best medicine a doctor could ever order. In reflection as I drove home….I felt very blessed that this wonderful little thing that I do…..called Stampin’ Up! has allowed me to meet people from all over.
In April….there are 7 of us going away for a fun getaway that you would think we are kids going to Disney. Yep, that works for me and I am super excited for our time together!
Back to reality and as I opened up my computer….I saw over 300 emails…..let’s all have a great day and please remember, just have FUN with the wonderful thing that we have in common…..making cards and making people smile.
It DOES make a difference and so do you!
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