July 29 & 30/2017 Christmas in July

Well there ARE only 21 Saturdays left until Christmas so it is indeed time to get started on cards for this year!  The BigShots were smoking while we prepared these cards!! 
Lots of dies were used, some of the new In Colors, as well as new ribbons and even a brand new stamp set (with coordinating dies) – ‘Carols of Christmas’.  It will be in the Holiday Mini catalogue that comes out in September BUT… if you want to start working with it right away, you will be able to purchase it and the dies separately or as a bundle on August 1.  Just let me know as soon as you can.  I think it is going to be very popular which can possibly lead to back orders – just sayin’.
These two cards feature the dies and one of the stamps from the set. 

                         

These are the clean and simple ones – but oh so pretty!
                             
                            
                     

And a couple that are sort of ‘vintagey’ (making up my own words!).
                                     

July 10 & 12/2017 3 Quick Cards

Well… this time they weren’t really all that quick.  I did a lot of die cutting ahead of time to make things go a little faster, but I got a little carried away this time. 

I really liked the colours and the layouts and basically all the cards.  They look pretty clean and simple but just took a little longer than usual to put together.

                                   

 

                                                   

June 24/2017 A One Day Stamp Retreat

An entire day of stamping! What could be better?  Oh yes… enjoying a pot luck lunch too!!  And that is what we did.  Some worked on their own projects and some worked on one of the new kits that Stampin’ Up! has in the Annual Catalogue – Soft Sayings.
                                    
One of the kit makers didn’t even bother with the Stampin’ Up! ideas, but just started creating on her own, (right Lillian?)!  Horrors!!  Not me – not enough imagination!!!  I just revamped the 3 1/2 x 5 cards by creating them as suggested and then matting and layering them on to regular sized card bases.
                              
                               
Everyone also had the option to make a quick project – a Calendar Easel Card that fits into a regular envelope.  I used the retired DSP ‘Inside the Lines’, but everyone else used the new ‘Just Add Color’ Specialty DSP.
                                       
We had lots of fun, so much so that I am planning another All Day Stamping Retreat for October!  Date to be confirmed but I am hoping for October 28. 

June 12 & 14/2017 3 Quick Cards

With Father’s Day happening this month I wanted to make sure everyone had some masculine cards on hand. 

                                          

 

                                   

June 3 & 4/2017 It’s a New Catalogue Open House!

There were treats, door prizes, new samples to have a look at, new product to check out, the new Annual Catalogue to leaf through and of course….  STAMPING!!

Everyone created a card choosing colors from the Color Theory Suite – Old Olive, Dapper Denim, Berry Burst or Crushed Curry.  The designer paper was from the Color Theory paper stack, the stamps used were from the new ‘Colorful Seasons’ set and the die cut flowers were from the new ‘Seasonal Layers Thinlits Dies’.  (You can get the stamp set and dies as a bundle and save 10%.)  The Old Olive and Crushed Curry ribbon was the new Mini Chevron and the Berry Burst was the new Finely Woven ribbon.  New, New, New!!

There was also a bookmark to create to mark your place in the new catalogue.  It was stamped with all the new 2017-2019 In Colours and had a ribbon to match.

                                         

May 28 & 30/2017 Playing with Watercolour Pencils

As part of this 4 card class, everyone received their own pack of Stampin’ Up! Watercolour Pencils, a blender pen and a case to hold everything in.  Then we played! 
Using parchment paper as a palette and the blender pen we watercoloured inside lines made with white embossing powder.
                                     
Then we lightly used the blender pen on an image stamped on Designer Series Paper.
                                    
Stampin’ Up! had conveniently come out with Designer Series Paper that was just black and white designs allowing us to colour ‘Inside the Lines’.  (Blender pen again.)
                                     
And our last card used Stampin’ Up!’s Watercolour paper and with that we were able to use an aquapen to blend the colours.

                         

May 8 & 10/2017 3 Quick Cards

A little dry embossing, some quick cuts with a lacy die and making good use of Designer Paper that Stampin’ Up! coordinates so well with our ink and paper.  I certainly couldn’t do that on my own!!