Shades of green

Its no secret that I love to use green in my scrapbooking and cardmaking. All you have to do is look at my cardstock collection and notice that the green area is huge! I'm thrilled that Stampin' Up! has so many great colors of green and they work so well together. I used a www.colorq.blogspot.com challenge to jumpstart this card. I highly recommend them because sometimes putting colors together is the hardest part of a card or layout, plus they use Stampin' Up! colors both old and new.

In other news the holiday mini has gone live and is full of fabulous new products including our own scoring board called Simply Scored and its amazing! You all know how much I love a good tool and this one is a must have! The first class for the Stamp Club is Sept. 23 at 6:30pm please come prepared with 2-3 photos that will work well with calypso coral, basic grey, pool party and daffadil delight. If you can't find photos like this just convert them to black and white :) So excited for our first class of the year!

Punch Love

Hello and Happy Labour Day! I wanted to show a card that utilized some of the great punches from Stampin' Up! I had purchased the mini punch set last year and when I got them they were a little intimidating. They were small! How could use them on a card so that they wouldn't be lost on the front? Well after some flipping through the catelogue I came across a card similar to this. I used a different color scheme but essentially its the same card. The colors that I used were tangerine tango, melon mambo, pool party and black/white. I also used the itty bits stamp set that coordinates with the punch set.

Going Bold!

Hello! Its been a while! After a self imposed holiday I'm finally getting around to posting some cards. I promise I'll get back to regular stamping and posting soon. I was able to get my hands on a this fabulous doily background stamp that reminded me so much of my beloved medallion stamp. I used a bold color palette including tangerine tango, daffodile delight and a new in color, island indigo.

The die cut doily paper is actually a part of the specialty designer series paper set that I inked up with tangerine tango. It wasn't the right color for my card so I changed it! I love that Stampin' Up! has so many embellishments that can be altered to fit any card or scrapbooking page.

I'm also happy to announce that my Stamp Club is full for this season, I've got a very excited group of ladies that are geared up for the class season. If you or anyone else would like to join the group send me an email and I can get another group together. There are tons of benefits to the club including being a hostess, earning free product plus a free 2011-2012 Idea book and Catelogue, free classes every month, an evening out to learn new ideas and just have time to play and of course awesome Stampin' Up! products! My email is hilligas@mcsnet.ca and I hope to hear from you :)

old ideas, new supplies

Hello! Its been a while! A whole week in fact. I must apoligize, we've been in full summer swing and I've been tied up with VBS for the past 2 weeks. The first week was prep and the second was a whole lot of volunteering. My 2 younger kids participated and my oldest and I volunteered our time. Surprisingly I was the craft coordinator, lol!

But back to a semi scheduled life this week :) Today's card has a couple of features that I want to draw attention to. First of all the lollipop design came from the old idea book. Yup, even after the old catalogue retires you can keep it for oodles of inspiration. Secondly I've used new supplies like the colored embossing powder in melon mambo and some of the new in color, lucky limeade (my color was off when I took the photo but honest its lucky limeade!) I love making use of all the inspiration around me and mixing it up with new and old supplies.

There is a new promo out, a special price a new mini starter kit. http://www.stampinup.com/ca/enc/default.asp if you'd like more information or you'd like to sign up to be a demo, right now is a great time! Please contact me through the comments section here or via facebook.

turning a mistake into a card

Good morning! I hope that you've all had a great holiday weekend! Today's card got ruined while I was making it. Not that you'd notice now. I had just finished up my card and was very happy with it, I love the color combo and the embossing, then I took a sip of my water from my water cup with a straw...and promptly splashed 2 big drops of water on the red part of my card! Even after wiping it up it was drying darker than the rest of the card. So instead of throwing it away I took my brayer and inked it up with versamark, then rolled it over the entire embossed cardstock making the real water stain disappear plus it made the houndstooth embossing more prominant. What a save! So just beacuse you make a mistake doesn't mean you have to waste paper, sometimes just adding some stamping or adding a new embellishment can save the day, or the card in this case ;)

Two Step stamping

Happy Canada Day! Today is our nation's birthday as well as the first day of the new Stampin' Up! 2011-2012 catalogue. This card features a new hostess set called Simply Soft with both of the In Color collections, Wisteria Wonder and Concord crush. I found that these two colors complimented each other every well and were perfect for some two step stamping. Two step stamping has you stamp one image, usually a silloutte, in one color then stamping a solid image in a different color to create some depth to the total image. If you'd like to see the new catalogue or host your own workshop to get some great free products please contact me :) Have a great holiday weekend everyone!

color popped image

Hello and welcome back! Today's card I wanted to show a different technique with the stampin' pastels. All I did was stamp my image with Melon Mambo ink. Then I took my stampin' pastels and with my little sponge I smudged in some melon mambo pastels. I then added some umph with the new flirtatious designer series paper cut out with the top note die, and finished things off with an antique brad.

Simply Birthday

Hello and happy Wednesday! Today is my kids' first day of summer vacation so it seemed appropriate to do a quick and simple birthday card. This stamp set is from the new Hostess sets from the 2011-2012 Stampin' Up! catalogue called Happiest Birthday Wishes. There have been some big changes to the hostess program, all amazing changes for you the hostess! You now get more choice in free product as well as *more* free products! If you'd like to host a workshop with me please contact me through the comment section here or through my facebook page.

For this card I used some of the new In color collection, Island Indigo combined with real red and crumb cake. I took my sheet of Island Indigo and ran it through my big shot to emboss it with simple polka dots. This card took literally minutes to create and I love that!

last chance items

Good morning! We're into the home stretch of the old Stampin' Up! catalogue period and I wanted to showcase some of the great desginer series papers from there. This one was one of my favorites by far, I'm a huge fan of Baja Breeze but this paper, Elegant Soiree, made me love Soft Suede! Don't worry this stamp set isn't retiring, but the paper is! If you'd like to get your hands on some click here

http://www.stampinup.com/ECWeb/CategoryPage.aspx?categoryid=737

The colors used on this card are Night of Navy, Soft Suede and Baja Breeze (cardstock & inks)

Have a great day!

Hello Monday!!

Hello and sorry that I didn't post on Friday, it was my daughter's birthday and I was going crazy planning things. Today's post isn't a card, surprise!! I did a layout with the new designer series paper availible July 1st. I love this paper, it was so pretty and works for so many things. I paired with some old retired rubons from Stampin' Up!'s last year's clearance rack. Its always a good idea to check out the clearance rack for great deals on great products, they don't have an expiry date so its all good!

Remember that this Thursday I'm having a new catalogue open house at 10 am at my house, feel free to come check out some of the new punches, papers, colors and stamps! Childcare and snacks provided :)

Triple layer punch

Happy Thursday to you all! I wanted to showcase a new type of punch that Stampin' Up! has come up with. Its called a triple layer punch and its availible in 2 designs in the Summer Mini Catalogue. I decided to get the flower punch which is super versitle. It punches out 3 different designs in one tool, very cool if you ask me! Here I just layered it up with so saffron, perfect plum and wild wasabi, then I ran the whole sheet through my big shot to emboss everything. I love how it turned out! Stay tuned tomorrow for a layout featuring the new Flirtatous Designer Series paper which will be availible to order July 1.

Hello Calypso Coral!

Hello Wednesday! Sorry for the delay, blogger wasn't letting me upload a photo. Our last new In Color is called Calypso Coral and its just beautiful! Here I combined it with pool party and rich razzleberry. Notice that the Happy Birthday sentiment is different? Well its one of the new stamp sets that will be availble July 1. Stampin' Up! really outdid themselves with some fabulous new birthday sets this year, there are 4 on my wish list!

Speaking of the new catalogue, if you'd like to come and check out the new catty and the new colors, I'm hosting an open house on June 30th, please check out my facebook page and rvsp if you are coming, I'd love to see you!

Let me introduce...Pool Party

Hello and welcome! It seems only fitting on the first day that I've had sunshine to introduce you to the second to last In Color for this season. Its called Pool Party and its a beautiful addition to the green/blue spectrum. I kept this card simple with only 2 colors of cardstock, I then used my SU! wheel to add a subtle background with versamark. Tomorrow I'll showcase the last In Color color and stay tuned this week for some sneaks of some of the new designer series papers!

Welcome Island Indigo!

Good Monday morning to you! I hope that you've had a wonderful weekend! Today's card is showcaseing another one of the new In Colors called Island Indigo. While this photo makes it look close to pacific point, its really got more teal in the color. Here I've paired it up with one of last year's In Colors, Peach Parfait. Stay tuned for the other new colors this week!

If there are any stamps or accessories that you'd like to order before they retire check them out here
http://www.stampinup.com/ECWeb/CategoryPage.aspx?categoryID=737
and let me know, I'll put in an order for you :) Have a great Monday!

Welcome Lucky Limeade and a new punch & stamp set

Happy Friday! Today's card is a double whammy of new sneakies. I used another one of the new In Color called Lucky Limeade. I adore green and honestly have more green cardstock in my scrapbooking stash than any other colors. But this one is fabulous because it just pops without being overwhelming. I also got the privilage to preorder a couple of new stamps and punches from the new Idea Book & Catelogue debuting July 1, 2011. This pennent punch and coordinating stamp set caught my eye right away because I love banners! If you look closely you'll notice 2 other new In Color colors...I'll introduce you to them next week ;) have a great weekend!

Wisteria Wonder Sneak!

Hello! How many of you have been patiently or not so patiently waiting for some sneakies of the new In Color colors? Well the wait is over! Say welcome to the new purple in the Stampin' Up! color palette, Wisteria Wonder. I totally fell in love with this color because the purple is just so pretty! Plus it goes so well with Concord Crush, my other purple love. Here I used the On the grow stamp set from the Summer mini and did a bit of blender pen coloring. I added some certainly celery and a pop of black. Come back tomorrow for another color!

A little bit of Owls

I have to admit that I wasn't too crazy about the owl craze of the last couple of years but they are totally growing on me! In fact this little bitty owl was the reason that I bought this stamp set. He's just so cute! Here I stamped the owls 3 times, once in Early Espresso, once in pumpkin pie and once in Tangerine Tango. Then I used SU!'s little heart punch and punched out the tummies of the colored owls. I then used SU! dimensionals to add them to the Early Espresso owls. A bit of wild wasabi paper and ribbon finish it off nicely.

Summer Mini love

Hello and welcome back! For those that check the Stampin' Up! website regularly you know that the summer mini is in full swing! There were so many great sets that I loved from this mini that I had a hard time choosing just a couple of sets to buy. This was one of the ones that hit my radar. I loved that it could be used for masculine birthdays and Father's Day just to name a few. This card was created with Tangerine Tango (my new favorite orange!) Marina Mist and Early Espresso. I love how the baker's twine (in Early Espresso) adds a nice little touch. Remember the summer mini goes till August 31, 2011. If you'd like to book a workshop or a card class at your house please leave me a message on facebook or in the comment section here :) Have a great day!

Retiring stamps

Good Monday morning! I hope that everyone had a great weekend. A week or so ago Stampin' Up! came out with their list of retiring stamps and accessories. As sad as I was to have some of my stamps retire that doesn't mean that they still can't be loved! this stamp set is one of them. If you want to check out the retiring list please check here:

http://www.stampinup.com/ECWeb/CategoryPage.aspx?categoryID=737

This card was made with crumb cake, tangerine tango and pacific point. I aslo used one of the hostess sets from the Summer mini, a personal favorite, and a jumbo wheel that's retiring as well.

Stay tuned this week for sneaks of the new Stampin' Up! 2011-2012 Idea book & Catelogue as well as the *new* 2011-2013 In colors! They are absolutely gorgeous and you won't want to miss them!

Anyone wanting to place a last minute order for any retiring items please let me know via facebook or the comment section here :)

a favorite baby card

I'm such a sucker for simple cards with a punch! This card does the trick for me. I finally got a chance to use one of my hostess stamps and I've been dying to try out this cutie sleeper stamp. I basically stamped it on whisper white, colored in the little heart and then cut it out. I added crystal effects all over the sleeper and let it dry. After it was dry I added SU! dimensionals and popped it up, adding a baby sentiment was the finishing touch. This card is great for either a boy or a girl and great to have on hand.

medallion wedding card

I'm huge fan of the medallion background stamp. Its so usable for any occasion. Here I versamarked it and stamped on baja breeze cardstock. Then I stamped a congratulations sentiment on so saffron cardstock, punched it out with the extra large label punch. To get perfect alignment I always flip my punch over so that I can line things up easier. I added a bit of early espresso satin ribbon and a few SU! adhesive pearls and I was done. So cute so easy, just the way I like it.

simple does it all

What I love about Stampin' Up! is that you can create any kind of card with our supplies. If you like vintage you can do it. If you like kid friendly cards (hello treat cups!) you can do it. If you'd like to do masculine, girly girly or just plain elegant, you can do it. I'm a fan of all kinds of stamping but sometimes I just love to do a simple card. This one fit my bill for a fast birthday card. I punched out 6 butterflies, 2 of each pattern or solid cardstock and attached one of each to each other, but only in the middle. I then gently lifted the wings of each butterfly to create some dimension. I then added a cute little baker's twine bow (early espresso) and a stamped birthday greeting. Very easy, very fun and stunning. Colors used were wild wasabi, certianly celery and pear pizzazz.

SU! treat cups

Hello! Welcome back, I promise to try and post more regularly. With May almost behind us I'm hoping that June will slow down a bit (ha!) This card was one that I had made for a card class that I taught. I'm totally in love with these treat cups and there are so many possiblities for the stamp set that coordinates with it. I used real red, baja breeze and some of our super cute baker's twine. The treats inside are chocolate covered pomagranite seeds (yummy!) But you can use anything. Happy stamping!

A unique baby card

Happy Friday!! I had all these great intentions of posting this week but blogger had other plans. Apparently I wasn't the only one who had problems. I wanted to share this super cute baby card that I made for my sister in law who is expecting a little girl in a few weeks time. I wanted to do something different that I hadn't done before. So I played around with Stampin' Up!'s treat cups. These are way cute and super easy to use. This card was made with Early Espresso, cameo coral and very vanilla cardstock. Because I knew that my sil would want to save the card I didn't put any treats in the cup, but I did add some glitter and micro beads.

If you are one of the ladies that signed up to take my card class tonight you'll get to play with these fun treat cups too! I'll be posting a workshop and class schedule soon so that you can plan for the next ones :) if anyone wants to book a workshop please leave a comment and I'll get back to you. Have a great weekend!

Welcome!!

Thanks for coming to my new Stampin' Up! blog. I'll be posting a few new cards weekly along with all the Stampin' Up! specials. There will also be postings of the upcoming classes and workshops that I'll be teaching at. So please bookmark my blog and I'll do my best to entertain and inspire you :)