Stamping my Art Out

Holiday Shopping in your Pajamas

I do enjoy shopping as much as the next person, but sometimes the crowds in the stores before Christmas are too much for me.  I've started doing some of my shopping online - that's how my husband would prefer to do ALL of his shopping!  Stampin' Up! is giving you a chance to snap up some bargains for the stampers and scrappers in your life - or for yourself!  At 30% - 50% off, you're sure to find lots of things you'd love to add to your paper-crafting supplies and tools.  Click on the link below to download the flyer.

Download Holidayextravaganza09

This sale will only last for one week - Nov. 30 is your final chance to take advantage of these great values.  Visit my web site to order, or call or email me. 

Carol Taggart

 

A Walk in the Park with a Great Friend

Okay, so my blog post title is a little corny, trying to get the pertinent information about this card squeezed into a single phrase.  But it is indeed another friendship card made with the Stampin' Up! Great Friend stamp set and the new Designer Series Paper, A Walk In the Park.  Both of these items can be found in the current Occasions Mini Catalog.  Click on the link in the right-hand column to view.

The color scheme is sophisticated, I suppose, with Basic Gray, Going Gray, and Whisper White, but softened by the Pink Pirouette and Regal Rose accents.  A little bit of embossing resist on the butterfly and some Crystal Effects in the centers of the flower add some shine.  There's some dimension, too, with the tiny molded flowers and the butterfly "in flight" on some foam dimensionals.  The frame behind the butterfly is sponged in pink using a mask I created with the new Sizzix Bigz XL Matchbox die --- a Stampin' Up! exclusive (see it in the mini catalog).  Look for a box or two created with the die next week.

How-To Make The Flowers:

• Punch out three little flowers using the Trio Flower Punch.

• Place the flowers on the foam mat from your Stamper's Tool Kit or the Mat Pack.  Using the larger ball end of the stylus tool, press into each petal of the flower.

• Flip the flower to the reverse side, and press down in the center with the ball of the stylus.

• Draw a pink dot in the center with a marker, add a drop of Crystal Effects and let dry well.

• Adhere to project with a very small dot of Mono Multipurpose Adhesive or a mini glue dot.

Designer Series Papers, 12"x12" Textured Card Stock and the new Specialty Papers are all being featured as part of the May Scrapbooking Promotion from Stampin' Up!  Buy three packages and get one FREE --- and you can mix and match the packs.  With so many beautiful designs and colors to choose one, it'll be easy to find four you love.  And don't delay.... chances are that these gorgeous papers will be gone before you know it, making way for new ones in the new catalog.

The members of my Stamper's Six Hostess Club as well as the guests at an in-home workshop last month all got to make this card as one of their free pojects.  You, too, can be a part of our stamping fun.  Contact me for details.  Even long-distance customers can be a part of the club, and hosting a long-distance "virtual" workshop could also be arranged.

Celebrate National Scrapbooking Month with Stampin' Up!

What a great way to start off your scrapbooking month -- three wonderful promotions from Stampin' Up!, all aimed at you, the scrapbooker/paper-crafter.

1.   Buy any three packs of Designer Series Paper (including the new Specialty Designer Series paper) or 12" x 12" textured card stock...... and get one FREE!  You can mix and match your packs, too.

2.  Become a Stampin' Up! demonstrator with all of the benefits that come with that title, for only $75 with a limited-time, scrapbooking Starter Kit!

3.  Buy the new Jumble alphabet stamp set (a sneak peek from the upcoming 2009-2010 Idea Book & Catalog) at 20% off.  See the alphabet by by clicking the link to open a pdf

Download Jumble_Alphabet_sneakpeek

With so many great offers to choose from, your scrapbooking possibilities are endless!  And as a Stampin' Up! demonstrator, your personal possibilities are endless, too.  Read the details here.

And as a personal goal, I want to complete two mini-scrapbook gifts and at least 10 pages of my own scrapbook during the month of May.  What's your goal?  No time like the present to record your past.  You'll be glad you did. 

I'll be sure to share the pages I complete with you on this blog, along with tips and techniques for your albums that incorporate Stampin' Up! accessories, tools, stamps, embellishments, inks and papers.  And I'd love to hear how YOU use your Stampin' Up! products in your scrapbooks.  Please share your tips and favorite tools or techniques with us in the comments section of this post or any during the month.

A Paper-Quilted Box

Strip Quilting (also known as string quilting) is the perfect way to use up narrow strips of fabric.  I have lots of strips of card stock and designer paper beside my paper trimmer after I've cut all of the layers for cards and scrapbook pages, so I decided to do a different pattern of "quilt".  The strips are layed in a random pattern in parallel and perpendicular lines onto the adhesive-covered base, then cut out with the Big Shot and the Top Note Die.

  Added into the mix is a layer of lightweight chipboard.  The Big Shot cuts through mulitiple layers with ease.  This is a sweet little box, which turned out to be very sturdy as well as pretty.

 

The flap shown here slides inside the box, allowing it to open and close many times and keeps the box closed securely.

It'll be fun to give a little gift in a box that will be kept and used as much as the gift inside.

Hello again.  Here I am once more to share one of the cards I received in a recent swap.  Swaps are a wonderful way to gather new ideas, see layouts, embellishments and color combinations that perhaps would never have occurred to you.  Today I am happy to share a card stamped by Vikki Wilson.
It uses the same stamp from Yummy as both of the cards on yesterday's post.  The frame and the words are all on the same stamp.  But Vikki achieved a different look by coloring the image with three different markets.  TIP:  You could also stamp just the frame and use an entirely different greeting inside by using this method.

The designer papers are once again from Delicate Dots, and the color scheme Vikki chose was one you'll see repeated often as I show you these cards.  That's because Stampin' Up! has taken the guess work out of picking a color combination;  the papers do it for us.  Here you see Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue and So Saffron.  Aren't they like a breath of fresh, Spring air?

Aren't they just Yummy?

 Today I'm happy to share two cards done by two stampers named Deb!  First, pictured above, is a card by Deb Valder.  It's yummy colors are Chocolate Chip, Baja Breeze, and Whisper White.  Deb's creation features the Top Note Bigz die for the Big Shot, as well as grosgrain ribbon, a half pearl from the Pretties Kit, and felt flowers from Flower Fusion Too.

The second Yummy card I want to show you was stamped by Deb Paisie.  Although it, too, features the Top Note die for the Big Shot, its look is entirely different.  The middle layer of Deb's card is from the Delicate Dots Designer Series Paper, and it peeks through the vellum die cut, which was sponged with brown ink to give it a very soft, vintage look.  The flower at the top/right is also a die cut- from the Bird w/ Leaves and Flower Bigz Die.

Both Yummy and the Delicate Dots paper are items you can choose for free during Sale-a-Bration, going on NOW!  And if you order online during the month of February, you will also receive a free Spring-Summer 2009 Idea Book and Catalog.  That's an additional free gift for you.  Don't you just love Sale-a-Bration?

Botanical Blooms

Today's guest artist is Claudine Dunn, from Taneytown, MD.  Her card incorporates two SAB stamp sets (Botanical Blooms and Congrats) and one of the ribbons from the ribbon bundle you might choose as your free gift during Sale-a-Bration.  Yes, that's right.  This year you have a choice of four stamp sets, a pack of Designer Series Paper, and a Ribbon Bundle.  Good new is that the colors and many of the images coordinate with one another.  Best news is that they are free with a $50 purchase.  Be sure to see them all by clicking on the Sale-a-Bration link at the top of the right-hand column.

Details on this pretty pastel card:

Bashful Blue, Certainly Celery, Apricot Appeal, Whisper White;  silver brads, sponge
The outlines of the blooms and the greeting are stamped with Basic Gray ink.  Botanical Blooms is a two-step stamp set, so the flowers don't need to be colored in with pastels, markers, pencils, blender pens or watercolors (although you could do that).  You can just stamp them to color them in!  Fast and easy, and so very pretty, as you can see from Claudine's card.

Polka Dot Punches - Hearts and Scallops

I'm happy to share another creation by a guest artist, Connie Heisey.  Connie is my neighbor, my friend, and my upline and mentor in Stampin' Up! 

The details:
Chocolate Chip, Certainly Celery, So Saffron, Very Vanilla

DSP: Delicate Dots

Stamp: Polka Dot Punches

Accessories and embellishments:  Gold Brads, piercing tool and mat from Crafter's Tool kit, taffeta ribbon, gold embossing powder, scalloped border punch, new Full Heart punch

This little detail picture (click on it to see it full size) will give you an idea of how those dots look when embossed.  In my opinion, that's a must.  And the punched dot border that Connie chose to use around the Certainly Celery square is a perfect compliment to the raised dots. 

When I first saw this stamp set, it reminded me of old punched tin ornaments and panels used on antique furniture.  Those always appealed to me, and that's probably the reason that this is my favorite of the four Sale-a-Bration stamp sets.

Which one do you like best?  I'll be sharing samples of all of them in the next few weeks, so be sure to visit again.

Polka Dots are so Romantic!

Perhaps not.  But when you see them in this elegant, sophisticated wedding card created by my friend Cindy Fodor, you'll have to agree that they are indeed very romantic.

Can you see all of the lovely details that Cindy used?  The heart was embossed with white embossing powder on Chocolate Chip ink and punched out with the new Full Heart punch.  (One might say that they were made for each other.  Doesn't that sound more romantic than "coordinating"?)

The little card has images faintly stamped with the floral image from the same set, and it has been sponged to give it a vintage look.  The spiral punch and the tiny clip give it lots of texture.

The background paper is from the SAB free gift, Delicate Dots.  There's taffeta ribbon and an embossed greeting (also with dots!!).  The word stamps are both from another SAB set, Congrats.

Thank you, Cindy, for the beautiful card, and for allowing me to share it with my blog readers.  I know they've enjoyed seeing it.

I'll have another card by a guest artist tomorrow.

Super Bowl Sunday AND Sale-a-Bration Kick-Off

Well it is indeed a wonderful day to be alive - and a Steelers fan - and a Stampin' Up! demonstrator!  The sun is shining, the sky is clear, the temps are rising, the ice is melting.
I know that many of you will be watching the big game later today, and you won't have time for doing much stamping or web surfing or online shopping.  But when you finally DO get time to read this article, I hope you'll take advantage of all that Sale-a-Bration has to offer.

To Kick Off the event, I'd like to share a card I made using a stamp set and Designer Series Paper that you can get for FREE!  The paper is called Delicate Dots. and the stamp set is Polka Dot Punches.
Both are new releases and are not for sale --- they're free during the Sale-a-Bration event (Feb. 1 - March 31).  You can choose one free gift from the Sale-a-Bration mini-catalog with every $50 purchase of merchandise from the 2009 Spring-Summer Idea Book & Catalog.  Don't have those catalogs?  Not to worry -- check them out by clicking on the links in the right-hand column.

I made this card for a Sale-a-Bration swap I joined.  I will be sharing many of the cards I received in the swap in the coming weeks.  They are such great designs that I want you to enjoy them as much as I do.

The stripes in the DSP are white, Bashful Blue, Certainly Celery, So Saffron, and Sahara Sand.  So those are the colors I chose for the card -- and I used them all.  The flower medallions were such fun to make that I made loads of them and then used up scraps of the DSP to make some alternative designs for the card.

The little flower sits on a folded piece of celery narrow grosgrain ribbon and then on a So Saffron 1 3/4" circle (also punched out, of course).

  Notice how easy it was to make the flower - the Five-Petal Punch made it possible for me to punch out dozens of the flowers after I stamped and embossed them.  Image how difficult that would have been without the punch.

I did make one more card with the same materials and mounted the accent strip and flower on a Bashful Blue card.  I'll show you that one later in the month.

Hope you'll check back often to see more wonderful samples of Sale-a-Bration artwork done by guest artists and myself.

And Good Luck to the Pittsburgh Steelers!!

Let Them Eat Cake - Birthday Cupcakes

Another fun image in the Crazy For Cupcakes rubber stamp set is this platter piled high with yummy cupcakes.

It's one of the Stampin' Up! stamp sets on sale this month (20% off with a $20 purchase).  Read the details here.

In addition to Crazy for Cupcakes, I used the Think Happy Thoughts stamp "Happy Birthday" stamp.  I go to that stamp set very frequently, because the greetings can be easily punched out with a 1 3/8" circle punch, embellished with an imaged punched out with a 3/4" punch, and layered onto the Scalloped Circle punched medallion.

There's a coordinating Cupcake wheel, too, which added some very subtle background texture to the front, and a bold border to the inside.  And of course, the Riding Hood Red 5/8" striped Grosgrain ribbon coordinates perfectly with the Bella Rose DSP I used for the Scalloped Circle and the mat for the plate of cupcakes.

I'll be posting more birthday cards in the next few days, so I hope you'll enjoy them all.

Happy Birthday Cupcakes

Guess who's celebrating a birthday?   It's Stampin' Up!  Yes, Stampin' Up! celebrates 20 years this year, and this month's special promotion includes 20% off of several popular birthday rubber stamp sets, after a purchase of $20 in regularly priced catalog merchandise.

All of the details can be found here.  Visit my Stampin' Up! website and click on Shop Now to purchase yours today.

Crazy for Cupcakes is one of the featured sets, and I love how much fun it is to use.  Today I'm sharing the first card I complete with it.

It's a Gate-Fold card, as I hope you can see in the photo to the left.

The base color is Pink Pirouette, and the accent papers are both from the Bella Rose Designer Series Paper.  Even the ribbon coordinates - it's Riding Hood Red 5/8" Striped Grosgrain Ribbon.

Below is a detail photo showing how the cupcake sparkles.  The coloring was done with a Pretty In Pink marker and then shaded with an Aquapainter and the Riding Hood Red ink pad.  But to add the special "icing on the cake", so to speak, I pulled out my favorite glitter, Dazzling Diamonds.

I applied the glitter with a Two-Way Glue Pen.  The sprinkles were given some added dimension with Crystal Effects, which also served as the glue for the glitter.

    

Make Stamping your Business for only $99

There's just one more month left on this unbelievable offer from Stampin' Up!  Become a member of my team for the low starter price kit price of $99.  And you can choose your own specialty kit, too, depending on your personal interest.

• Stamp - Focused
• Scrapbook - Focused
• Home Decor - Focused

As an Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator, you can run your business to suit your needs.  You'll have the support of your team leader and team mates, as well as fantastic training opportunities through Stampin' Up!

For stamping and scrapbooking customers who already have a large collection of Stampin' Up! products, and for former SU! demonstrators who are interested in returning to active status, one of these three kits will be just what you need to get you started in a wonderful new career, add to the family income,  a chance to buy all of your Stampin' Up! products at a discount, meet new friends with common interests, and so much more.

Contact me for more details, and I'll chat with you and answer any questions you might have.