What a fun gift idea!

I just got my December My Paper Pumpkin kit in the mail yesterday.  Talk about a fun birthday present for me!  Here is a video of what the project looks like this month.

Each month there are new goodies that arrive in your mailbox.  Think about giving this as a gift for the HOlidays.  You can give just 1 month, 3 months, 6 or a whole YEAR!  Contact me for information or go to my Stampin' Up! website

Toot- Toot-Tootsie

this is such a quick, fun gift idea if you need a small treat for an event or someone's birthday.  Easy to make a bunch ahead also!  

You can find a few websites with great tutorials for them.   

Tutorial!

I promised you a tutorial for the gift card holder from yesterday's post.  So, here it is.  I recreated the holder for the tutorial, so this is the finished project. Enjoy the file!

Gift Card tutorial

Catalog CASE

This fun project is a CASE from the new 2014-15 Idea Book and Catalog.  I have a goal to recreate more of the wonderful art samples in the book.  The reason it is called an IDEA BOOK is for stampers to get ideas. So, I will heed my own advice.  We made this at stamp club also.  

STAMPS:  Daydream Medallions, Teeny Tiny Wishes, Flower Shop, Petite Petals
COLORS:  Hello Honey, Chocolate chip, Pool Party
ACCESSORIES:  Hexagon punch,  Pansy Punch, Petite Petals punch, Floral Frames framelits

So if you liked that... stay tuned for tomorrow's post.  I will be sharing the tutorial for how to make this!

Father's Day club card

I always like to make cards that demonstrate how a certain stamp set can be used for another theme than they were intended for.  I saw this card in an email and knew I wanted to replicate it.  It uses the stamp set Something for Baby, but not for a baby card, but for Father's Day.  you could use it for a masculine birthday also.  

STAMPS: Something for Baby, Really Good Greetings
COLORS: Hello Honey, Mossy Meadow, Marina Mist
ACCESSORIES:  Hello Honey 3/8" satin ribbon, tag topper scalloped punch

Club cards

This first card is one of the cards the ladies did at card club a few weeks ago.  I have to admit, I borrowed the idea from someone else (don't remember who).  This uses the Envelope Punch Board to make this fun card. 

STAMPS: A Work of Art
COLORS: smoky slate, strawberry slush, blushing bride
ACCESSORIES: silver twine, label  bracket punch

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to all those dads everywhere!  I miss by dad terribly, as he passed away 12 years ago.  He is in my heart and I am grateful for the lessons I learned from him while he was alive.  In tribute to all those wonderful dads everywhere I share some of my My Digital Studio creations which have been given as gifts today to some pretty awesome dads!  The card at the top of the blog is one I made to send a few years ago to all the dads in my family; brothers, and uncles.  It was fun to reach out to all of them!

This next item is a fun, personalized gift for the dad in your life!

This one is for all those "SUPER" dads!  I hope you are spoiled and given the love you deserve.  

Now that you are totally hooked on My Digital Studio  GO GET IT FOR YOURSELF!  You can go get it here for FREE!  So what are you waiting for?  Oh - ya - I offer free training and personalized help for you whenever you need it.

more special order gifts

When I have customers who are far away who want to have personalized gifts but don't want to pay shipping, I typically create something for them in My Digital Studio.  This is very economical for everyone; I create the file and email it to them, they print it in whatever format they want.  This works for wedding invitations, shower invitations, gifts, and more.  These are a few of the designs I have created for myself and others.  

This first one was for my 25th anniversary last year.  

This sweet shower invitation was for my daughter in law.  It was easy to print off and we even used it for the Facebook event page photo.

I made this for an anniversary gift.  Super fun, simple, and easy to adapt to anyone!  

This last one was for some friends for their Facebook Event page photo.  These are quick to whip up and add a personalized touch to your event!  I use MDS to make my blog banners too!

wedding invites too

In this day and age, couples are trying to get away with cheaper weddings, and saving anywhere they can.  Digital invites is the answer!  I have created quite a few of them, but here are a couple of samples.  You can make them as fancy or simple as you like.

I like that I can send samples to the bride and groom and they can pick fonts and other items to personalize their invitation.

Birthday cards

So, I hate to admit this in public, but I am a procrastinator!  I have great intentions, and even get things done most of the time, but when it comes to keeping up I get overwhelmed!  So birthday cards are my downfall.  I am a Stampin' Up! demonstrator for Pete's sake, I make tons of cards, right?  YES I do, but mailing them is hard for me for some reason.  So, in order to keep up with all the family birthdays (and there are almost 100 of them!) I send digital cards instead.

I post them to Facebook usually, but I email them also.  It is simple; I make one card design each year in  My Digital Studio, and then send that to EVERYONE for their birthday!  They love it, I look awesome! WIN- WIN!  Here are the past few years samples I sent.

This one I adjusted a template and personalized a bit for my taste.  

This one was also a template - I just changed the colors.  This shows you don't even have to be terribly creative to make this awesome program work for you!

These two were fabulous!  Last year I just made the same design and changed the monochromatic color.  The simple design of these two makes them stunning.  

Engagement announcements

When my son got his engagement photos done I told him I would help announce it to the world.  They decided not to use these ideas, but I wanted to share them with you anyway because they are so adorable!

This first one is just a photo as background with a few other poses lined up on the one side.  I love when photographers don't center their subjects!  It helps us creative souls out so much!  Thank you Beka Price Photography for the amazing photos.  Check out her blog here

Graduation gifts

Speaking of the last of my teaching Seminary, here are the gifts I gave to my graduating seniors. I took their favorite scripture and jazzed it up in MDS.  Some were harder than others, but all of them took less than about an hour to do all of them.  I just sent them to Sams Club to be printed, put them in a frame and in less than an afternoon, had their gifts ready to go.  

This one I used background paper which I bought the Designer Series Paper download for.  Then just added the text box.  DONE!

This sample I added a strip of DSP, a strip of a solid Cardstock, and a few stamps and done!  The fleur de lis pattern is one stamp, I copied and pasted multiples, and used the align tool to get them spaced evenly and locked them in place.  

This one added some embellishment flowers, ribbon, and buttons.  The tag shape is a punch that is included with the program itself.  

For this great monochromatic sample, I used an overlay stamp to give the argyle effect to the solid purple background.  The shape is a punched shape also.

This one was a breeze - just background stamp overlay, a few sparkly brads, a punched shape with a border added to it, and DONE!

Same simple process, picked the background paper, added a punched border, some brads from an add-on download and then a punched shape or two for the text box to sit on.  It is all like making layers!  SOO fun.. you'll LOVE IT!

Try it FREE by clicking this link HERE

Anniversary!

Today marks my daughter and son-in-law's 2nd anniversary.  I thought I would share the gift that she had me make for her to give him for Christmas.  She saw the quote in a bookstore and knew she didn't want to pay $30 for the plaque since I could make it for her.

The dates page is such a cute idea!  (thank you Pinterest)  I made one for Mike for our 25th anniversary last year too!

Summer time!

So, since it is summer, maybe I can get back on track.  I have lots of creative plans for the summer, including some fun events.  I will keep you all in the "know"  about them.  I hope to get back to blogging since I am down a responsibility.  I am no longer going to be teaching early morning seminary, so that drastically reduces my time commitments.  Not to say I am FREE: I still have to work 40 hours a week and am halfway through my online degree program.  I have 10 more classes to go after this one I am taking.  

With that said, I hope to be more active as your Stampin' Up! demonstrator/mentor.  I will start with sharing some MDS items I have created.  I love this digital paper-crafting program so much!  You really do need to have it!  It costs only $19.95 and comes with over 250 images, all the Stampin' Up!  colors in paper, ink, and some embellishments.  There are tons of templates, embellishments, and other great items to add all just for the small investment.  You can add other downloads to the program as they are released; Stampin' Up!  releases new ones EVERY TUESDAY!  My Digital Studio is truly a wonderful time saver.  

So, this week I will spotlight projects I have done lately!  Hang on for the ride of your life and see why YOU need to get this program.  Check out the specs and download your copy on my website HERE.  You can try it FREE for 30 days too!

This is what I gave my seminary students as my parting gift for them to remember our 2 years together.  I shared my love of my savior Jesus Christ and the need for Him in our lives.  

I used a photo as my background and added a text box, changed a few fonts in that box to add some variety, and VOILA!  I will really miss these young adults every morning at 6:15.  (I will NOT miss being up and teaching that early however!)

Fun gift idea using a favorite stamp set of mine.  Every once in a while I find a stamp set that I love to come back to time and time again.  Blue Ribbon is one of those for me.  I have to stop myself from using it all the time, but the images are just fun for so many occasions.  This is a self stick note holder I made for a workshop.  She wanted to have a project for a teacher gift.  What teacher doesn't' like self stick notes???

STAMPS:  Blue Ribbon

COLORS: Daffodil Delight, Old Olive

ACCESSORIES:  2 3/8" scallop circle punch, 1 3/4" circle punch, Daffodil Delight seam binding ribbon, Modern Medley DSP

Another Bundle sample

This is another bundle in the Occasions Catalog.  This one is pennants!  I LOVE it.  I am forever trying to recreate this look of pennants (it is HUGE right now).  BUT I end up whittling away a whole piece of cardstock trying to get the ends to look even.  Well, Stampin' Up!  came up with a solution JUST FOR ME!   The Perfect Pennants bundle.  

STAMPS: Perfect Pennants

COLORS:  Pool Party, Calypso Coral, Real Red

ACCESSORIES:  I Am Me DSP, Perfect Pennants framelits, 1/2" circle punch

Bundle LOVE!

I simply LOVE it when Stampin' Up!  bundles stamps with a punch or framelits.  It makes creating so simple.  This is one perfect example of a simple card using a bundle from the 2014 Occasions Catalog.  

It uses the stamp set Petite Petals and the coordinating Petite Petals Punch.  

I chose a simple color palette and did a very simple technique called stamping off.  You stamp your image first on scratch paper, then on the paper you are using for your card.  This is how I created the background for this monochromatic card using Midnight Muse ink.  I stamped a few flowers with full strength ink and punched them out with the coordinating punch to add a 3-D look.  Wrap a piece of matching ribbon around the bottom, stamp the sentiment, pop a few pearl jewels on the flowers and it's done!

STAMPS:  Petite Petals, Express Yourself (hostess set)

COLORS: Midnight Muse

ACCESSORIES:  Midnight Muse stitched satin ribbon, Petite Petals punch, Pearl jewels

Thank you for the inspiration for the card Debbie Henderson!

Gum Slider

This is a fun gift for a friend when you aren't sure how to say Happy Birthday.  You can add this to a gift and let it act as the tag, or just give a little treat to someone special.  This is called a gum slider.  It gets it name because you slide out the gum from inside using the ribbon.  I first made some of these for Christmas in a Santa design (I'll show them later)  But this one was for December stamp club.  

You make a wrap for the gum which you attach around the outside of the gum.  Then you punch a hole in the top and string your ribbon through the hole you punched and tie it.  To insert the gum, you push down the ribbon inside the holder you have made and that is how you are able to pull the gum out of the middle.   

This sample uses the BEST of BIRTHDAY's set.  These are only available until April 30, 2014.  If you purchase 6 sets of the "BEST OF" sets, you get to choose a FREE one from the Idea Book and Catalog.  

STAMPS:  Best of Birthdays

COLORS:  Strawberry Slush, Coastal Cabana

ACCESSORIES:  Chevron Textured impressions folder, 1 3/4" scalloped circle punch, 1 3/8 circle punch, 2012-14 In color markers

Sale A Bration started TODAY!

This is the card I swapped with the SUDSOL group for the Sale a Bration sets.  I loved this little set called See Ya Later.  I wanted to play up on the sentiment of the gray skies and used Basic Gray as one of the focal colors.  

Ask me how you can get this awesome stamp set FREE!  with a $50 purchase.  From now until March 31 when you spend $50 you get to choose an item for free from the special catalog.  I will show you more FREE items later.  

STAMPS:  See Ya Later

COLORS: Basic Gray, Raspberry Ripple

ACCESSORIES:  Retired impressions folder, Stitched Satin ribbon, 1 3/4" circle punch, Deco Labels framelits

I needed a quick card to give to a friend who was leaving.  So, I pulled out the Washi Tape that is SUPER fast and FUN to use.  I thought of a good masculine color pallet and knew Real Red and Basic Black would be perfect for this 18 year old.

Grunge up the card a bit, slap some Washi Tape on it, and stamp a sweet sentiment ....

Quick card with a pop of Pool Party!  You might be asking how I punched out the sentiment.  Well, I used my Chalk Talk Framelits and only cut one side, then cropped it up with the other side and the framelit.  Bam!  Custom Made cutting.

STAMPS: Glorious Grunge, Yippee Skippee

COLORS: Real Red, Pool Party, Basic Black

ACCESSORIES:  Chalk Talk Framelits, retired SEason of Style Washi Tape, Epic This and That Washi Tape, and Retro Fresh This and That Washi Tape

Do you Washi?

I have only recently been turned on to Washi tape.  All I can say is, "what was I waiting for????"  

Stampin Up! has some wonderful coordinated sets of it for purchase.  It makes for such fun, quick cards.  This card is one we made at December's stamp club and I took the idea right from another demonstrator but changed the sentiment.  I have another version to show you tomorrow!  

STAMPS:  Glorious Grunge, Label Love

COLOR: Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive

ACCESSORIES:  retired Season of Style Washi Tape, Artisan Label punch, Bracket Label punch

Another Chalk Talk card

I really love this set for all occasions.  It is so well rounded and can be dressed up or down.  I saw this card idea from demonstrator Debbie Henderson.  I nearly copied it exactly  how she did the card.  I loved the color pallet, and tried to do another one, but did not like the results.  I will be trying to replicate with other colors or patterns for a less elegant look.  I wanted a card for my club that could be used for a birthday, anniversary, baby birth, or wedding.  This one fit the bill!  I really think you all need that Chalk Talk bundle I shared on Sunday!  SO GO RUN to my store and get one for yourself HERE TODAY!

Stampin' Up! Gift Bow Die Gift Card Holder video

Here is Julie Davidson's video tutorial how to make the card I shared yesterday.  I hope you get inspired!

Gift card holder or slider card.  I copied this card from Julie Davidson a wonderful demonstrator.  She has a great tutorial video on YouTube.  I will share that tomorrow!  You can use this for a fun birthday card or any other event you need a gift for. 

The stamp set I used is called Chalk Talk and it has matching framelits that cut out the designs with precision.  If you want simple cards that look stunning - you need to get them!

New products - Favorite Things

Everyone seems to be on the "favorite things" bandwagon, so I thought I would jump right on!  I am going to share a few of my favorite new products from the new Occasions Catalog.  I don't have many of them yet, but as I get them I will share a project done with them.  Enjoy the ride through the highlights.  If you want a copy of this catalog, leave me a message in the comments section.  You can also see all the products by clicking the link on the right side bar or HERE for the Occasions Catalog pdf.  

On with the SHOW!

1 - BUNDLES - there are 4 framelits/stamp set bundles.  My favorite SO FAR is the Perfectly Pennants

2 - MORE BUNDLES! - hey, anytime you can get a deal on something, I am ON BOARD.  Buy purchasing a stamp set WITH a punch or framelit set, Stampin' Up! discounts the price.  My favorite punch bundle would have to be the Petite Petals. It matches very well with the Flower Shop set (which is another fav of mine!)

3 - PUNCHES - so, Stampin' Up!  out-did itself again with a new style of punch.. I guess not a new STYLE per se, but a new type - TAG TOPPERS.  There are 2 of them and I can't decide which is my favorite - so you get BOTH!

                                              

4- IMPRESSIONS FOLDERS - There are 3 new patterns!  Scallops, Arrows, and an AMPERSAND!  I love it - and so will you!

5 - CARRY OVER ITEMS - There are so many items carried over from the Holiday Catalog.  Here is the carry over list.  Some items I am happy to see in this catalog are the punches:  

     

and the Silver 1/8" ribbon.