Sunday, July 18, 2010

New Cattie Faves!

Well, it's been a while. A long while. And I most certainly didn't want to leave everyone hanging this long! I've been busy with retired stamping supply garage sales, open houses and tradeshow organizing! With the Open House, however, comes new catalogue product! I received all my new Designer Papers, punches, stamp sets, inks last Wednesday and I was like a kid at Christmas! My fave stamp sets, hands down, are Make a Monster, Just Believe and Greeting Card Kids. At my Open House last Thursday we used two of those stamp sets and everyone was thrilled with the sets, the cards, the accessories!

Make a Monster is one of the best children's stamp sets ever! I love seeing everyone, kids and adults alike, getting creative with this fun stamp set. I kept it relatively simple for the Open House, but I love how even a simple card with this set would bring a smile to a little one's face!


For the next card, we used some fun new accessories. The Dotted Ribbon Punch - which makes a paper ribbon of any colour for your projects! - and the Adhesive Pearls. No brads, no punches for these beauties. Just stick them on and you're all set! We have Adhesive Rhinestones - too.


More new cattie samples coming soon! I hope you've enjoyed these, I promise I'll be back soon and keep letting stamps bring out your creativity!






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Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Happy Canada Day :)

Tomorrow is a BIG day! BIG BIG day! Yes, the new catalogue becomes live which means we can order from it! But, even more importantly it our great nation's birthday. And to celebrate, I designed a Simply Adorned Charm insert just for this occasion. Actually, I can't tell a fib - I already had this insert designed as I used the same maple leaves on my sister's wedding invitations. But it was perfect for this very holiday.

This is what I just love about the Simply Adorned Charms. You can change out the inserts to match any occasion. It doesn't get much easier or creative than that! I can't wait wear my custom necklace tomorrow!

I hope all my Canadian readers have a fantastic Canada Day and all my US readers have a great 4th of July! Keep letting stamps bring out your creativity.






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How did I make my Charm insert?

Stamp Set: Autumn Harvest
Card stock: Very Vanilla
Ink: VersaMark, Soft Suede, Ruby Red and Soft Suede Stampin' Write Markers
Other Accessories: Stampin' Sponges, Heat Tool, Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder

Friday, June 25, 2010

The End of School is Here!

Well, actually it's been 'here' in our house for about 2 weeks because my daughter's preschool ends 2 weeks earlier than regular schools. But, now it's here for everyone! She's been at this preschool, Merrily We Go, for two years and they were really fantastic! So to say goodbye (as she's going to JK next year) I wanted to make them something personal. Since then I've heard that teacher's appreciate gift cards and don't want 'knick knacks'. I suppose they get a lot of knick knacks... but it kind of bothers me that we've become a society that would prefer a thoughtless gift like a gift card (because who's kidding who, anyone can go and buy a gift card on their way to, well, whatever) but this gift took me some time and effort to make. And it was most certainly made with love! I do think that the two teachers at this preschool would appreciate that. I hope so, anyways.

I made the teachers bookmarks using our Styled Vanilla Hodgepodge Hardware. Though this is a pretty easy project it does take some time because of the thicker layer of Crystal Effects on each side. This is to protect the image inside. I also decided to finally break open that package of Shimmery White card stock I've had for a few months (but wasn't using because it's too 'special' :p). I embossed with clear embossing powder so you can *just* see the shimmer through the flowers. Then I sponged overtop with my new fave colour combo, Rich Razzleberry and Baja Breeze. I added some retired felt flowers, some Chocolate Chip Taffeta Ribbon and Styled Vanilla Ribbon Slides. And voila, bookmarks! Do you see the shimmer in the close-up? I love this shimmery card stock!

Since I was making multiple bookmarks I just embossed and sponged a whole strip of cardstock. I made them two-sided so for each book mark I punched out two Designer Label inserts and adhered them together with a few Stampin' Dimensionals. After I made them I had enough card stock to make an insert for my Simply Adorned Charm! Love those charms :)

What would a handmade gift be without a handmade card? Since we're heading into the summer, I thought the Tropical Party stamp set was a perfect choice. I have done similar cards (idea is from Julie Buhler) but I went all out on this one with the sponging. My first attempt was actually pretty good :) I did the blue sponging with Bashful Blue and Tempting Turquoise. The green is just a thin layer of Old Olive. The sand is done with River Rock, Soft Suede and Early Espresso. Love it and hope the teacher's did too! The flowers and palm trees are cut out by hand so if you don't like cutting this card may not be for you ;)

So welcome summer and thank you to the wonderful teachers that so enriched my daughter's life the past two years!

Keep letting stamps bring out your creativity!






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How did I make my projects?

Bookmarks: Tropical Party Stamp Set, Shimmery White Card Stock, Versa Mark ink, Baja Breeze Ink, Rich Razzleberry Ink, Styled Vanilla Hodgepodge Hardware, Stampin' Dimensionals, Designer Label Punch, Chocolate Chip Taffeta Ribbon.

Beach Card: Tropical Party and Teeny Tiny Wishes Stamp Sets, Tempting Turquoise, Rose Red, Pumpkin Pie and Whisper White Card Stock, Island Floral Designer Series Paper, Pumpkin Pie, Rose Red, Tempting Turquoise, Bashful Blue, River Rock, Soft Suede and Early Espresso Ink, Scallop Trim Punch, Scallop Oval Punch, Large Oval Punch, Scallop Circle Punch, and 1-3/8" Circle Punch, 1/4" Tempting Turquoise Grosgrain Ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Another Sneak Peak through a Sketch Challenge

I love sketch challenges. Only because I love doing lots of different layouts and I like trying new ones out with my cards. That's probably one of my favorite parts of paper crafting. I've been following the Pals Paper Arts for a few months now. I always want to participate in their challenges but usually by the time my kids allow me to complete the challenge it's already the next week. :p This week, by some miracle (and simultaneous naps!) I was able to complete the challenge!

The Pals Paper Arts challenges aren't always sketch challenges. Sometimes they are colour challenges, other times they are inspiration from a photo challenges. But as it happens, this week's challenge *was* a sketch challenge (see sketch on the left). Since we're nearing the new cattie debut I thought I'd throw in another Sneak Peak! I used the gorgeous new Greenhouse Gala Designer Paper and the Artistic Etchings stamp set. I also got my Marina Mist 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon today and just *had* to break it out for this card. I thought the #4 element was a perfect spot for the ribbon. You'll notice I rotated the sketch to suit my Eiffel Tower image.


I am LOVING the Marina Mist colour as well as Daffodil Delight - what a gorgeous colour. To all those mourning the loss of Summer Sun, I promise, you'll get over it when you see this yummy new yellow!

Hope this sketch gets your creative juices flowing and this card gets you even more excited about the new cattie (as though that's even possible!). Remember to keep letting stamps bring out your creativity!






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Monday, June 21, 2010

Hostess Appreciation Part 2 & Another Sneak Peak

For my Hostess Appreciation Party last week I wanted to give all my hostesses something special. Getting inspiration from our Stampin' Girls Convention I made all of them one of a kind customized notepads. They were demo'd by a sideline, Jenn Nusbaum, and when I saw them I just knew I'd have to do them for my hostesses. I'll have a tutorial on that coming soon! But better yet, I used our new Level 1 Hostess Set Because I Care (from the 2010/2011 IB&C) to make 6 similar but different cards. I'll be honest, when I first saw this set I wasn't sure. Actually, who am I kidding. I did not like it. At all. But then I saw some samples. And then I CASEd one of my sideline's cards and I made the card in this post. And I fell in love ;)


To make my cards I just pulled out 6 different pre-cut cards I had used in stamp-a-stacks earlier in the year. I didn't want to have to colour the big bloom on all the cards in because, well, I was making 14 cards! So I decided to spot colour them, a technique where you colour just selected parts of the image. And you know what? It turned out so well! Add a little glitter into the middle of the bud and voila - gorgeous cards that are all the same, but just a little different! I'm definitely going to do this again and challenge you to do so as well! Make 2, 4, 6, or more similar but different cards! It's a great way to get those creative juices flowing AND make a bunch of cards ;) And if you leave them without a greeting, you can customize them as occasions come along!


Did you know that to earn this stamp set all you have to do is host a workshop with sales of only $200? It's a Level 1 Hostess Set! You could also simply act as your own hostess, place an order online of $200 or more and earn it! What an easy way to earn a gorgeous stamp set FREE! I'm booking August and September so contact me today to book your stampin' party.


Finally, a party isn't a party without some awesome food! We had champagne to start the evening off. Then we had some Chocolate Peanut Butter Mounds, Deluxe Brownie Tarts, Chocolate Covered Gummi Bears (yuuuummmm!) and some fresh fruit. But the best treat I had for my hostesses were gourmet cupcakes made by a local mompreneur, My Little Cupcakes. All I can say is yum yum yum yum yum! Even though I shouldn't indulge in them (my little guy has a severe milk allergy and I'm nursing him so that means no dairy for me - boooo!) I just couldn't resist! All cupcakes I've had from My Little Cupcakes are delish, but the chocolate icing is just to die for! Don't tell me this picture doesn't make you want to reach through the screen and grab a cupcake (or maybe all of them?) LOL!


I hope that this post has inspired you to try to make several but different cards and keep letting stamps bring out your creativity!






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Friday, June 18, 2010

Hostess Appreciation Part 1 & Sneak Peak

Last night I held my (hopefully) annual Hostess Appreciation Night. Without hostesses I wouldn't have a business and this was my little way of saying 'thank you' to them. The evening started off with some champagne, followed by two WOW 3D make-and-takes, fantastic door prizes and finally we had some yummy treats! We used all new DSP's, a brand new stamp set, a new punch and new 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon. I love that ribbon! Today I'll show you the projects my hostesses made. I'm still trying to figure out how I've lived without Early Espresso all this time so that's what my hostesses stamped with! They were also my first customers to get a sneak peak at the new cattie!

The first project we made was an altered coaster picture frame. We used the brand new Newsprint DSP and Artistic Etchings stamp set. We also used the new adhesive rhinestones - LOVED those rhinestones when they were in the Eggcellent Easter Kits and I'm so glad they are going to be a permanent fixture in the new cattie :) The frame is held together with the Early Espresso 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon. This ribbon is so yummy - I think it's my new favourite!


That gorgeous medallion is part of the Artistic Etchings Stamp Set and it's perfectly punched out with the 1-3/4" circle punch. So how did I get such a big scallop to mat it? With the new 2-3/8" Scallop Circle Punch!!!


How cool is this Newsprint DSP? Yes, the map and sheet music is part of that awesome DSP! I can't wait to use it on cards and scrapbook pages!

The second project we made was this super cute Milk Carton with DSP carnation. I got my inspiration from a fellow sideline - Janet Sanii. We used the Greenhouse Gala DSP. This DSP has a mod retro feel to it and I LOVE it. Love the colours, the patters, everything! The carnation was made with 6 2-3/8" scallop circles. I'll be back with a tutorial another day - hopefully I won't forget :p They're super easy to make but involve crumpling up DSP which none of my hostesses wanted to do! They said the paper was much too pretty to crinkle up. I can't say I disagree... but the final product is worth it.

Finally, I made all the hostesses cards with the 2010/2011 Level 1 Hostess Set Because I Care as well as a little gift but I'll be back with that in the next post or this one would just get too long! You may be wondering how you could take part of this soiree next year. It's simple - book a stampin' party with me and you've got an automatic invite!

Hope you've enjoyed these sneak peaks and I'll be back with more sneak peaks soon! Keep letting stamps bring out your creativity,

Monday, June 14, 2010

Mini Starter Kit @ only $119 and New Cattie Preview

This month - meaning only 'til June 30th - you can join Stampin' Up! for only $119 with the Mini Starter Kit! In your Mini Starter Kit you get Sneak Peak products, new colour products, AND you'll get a box of the 2010/2011 catalogues in July! Everything to get you started in your new business! It's a value of over $220 for only $119 + PST. These Mini Kits don't come along too often so if you've been thinking about joining, now's the time to do it! There's no commitment after you've joined, no risk. But as a member of my team, Creativity Ink, you'll get support from me my fantastic uplines in taking your business where you want to take it. Whether that's as a hobbyist, a part time demo or a full time demo like me! I'm part of one of the largest demo teams in Canada and having that experience and support to draw upon has been great!

Why join now? Well this upcoming SU! year is so exciting. New colours. New In Colours. And an awesome new catalogue with some of the best stamp sets and accessories I've seen in a long time! With all this excitement it's the the best time to join! And then you can get 20% (or more) off on all your stampin' supplies! The card below highlights on of the great new Level 1 Hostess Sets - Because I Care - and new colours. I'm also lovin' that I can get all the new colours and returing In Colors in markers (can you say YAY for Baja Breeze in a marker?!?!?!). And the embossing on the Cherry Cobbler is using the Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder - love it! I have to say that I got my idea for this card from a great sideline - Jo-Ann Pullen!



What's included in the Mini Kit? Everything below. And stamp sets/inks are customizable!

Item Description Price
117050

Watercolor Trio stamp set (wood-mount)

$30.95
118571

I {Heart} Hearts stamp set (clear-mount)

$22.95
118486

Clear-Mount Block C

$8.95
116978

Homemade single stamp*

$10.95
100730

Whisper White card stock (8-1/2" x 11")

$9.25
119706

Brights Collection assorted card stock (8-1/2" x 11")*

$8.50
115656

Melon Mambo Classic Stampin' Pad

$7.25
119667

Daffodil Delight Classic Stampin' Pad*

$7.25
115658

Rich Razzleberry Classic Stampin' Pad

$7.25
100814

Tempting Turquoise Classic Stampin' Pad

$7.25
119261

Basic Black 1/8" taffeta ribbon*

$8.25
121620

Color Coach*

$18.95
104332

SNAIL Adhesive

$9.75

Retail value of products in kit

$157.50


*Sneak peek items!

The Mini Starter Kit also includes the same business supplies that are in the standard Starter Kit; no alternative selections can be made for business items. Contents are listed below:

  • Getting Started DVD
  • Getting Started Guide
  • Guest Invitation Postcards (100)
  • 2009-2010 Idea Book & Catalogue (8)
  • Summer Mini Catalogue (8)
  • To My Hostess Envelopes (10)
  • Recruit Folders (5)
  • Recruit Brochures (20)
  • Hostess Brochure (20)
  • Hostess Benefits Form (10)
  • Customer Order Form (50)
So contact me (stampingmonica@gmail.com) today to order your own Mini Starter Kit or Join Now using password 'stampingwithmonica'. You won't regret it!

I hope to have you a part of my team and keep letting stamps bring out your creativity!






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How did I make my card?
Stamp Set: Because I Care (2010/2011 Level 1 Hostess Set)
Card Stock: Crumb Cake, Cherry Cobbler, Early Espresso, Whisper White (100730)
Ink: Early Espresso, Cherry Cobbler, Marina Mist Stampin' Write
Accessories: Modern Label Punch (116630), 1-1/4" Square Punch (104400), Stampin' Dimensionals (104430), Big Shot (113439), Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder (2010/2011 Sneak Peak)

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Simple Saturday - Shadowing

This technique was actually the second technique we did at our May Stamper's Groups. It's a pretty simple technique, but I really like the effect it has. We focused on masculine cards so I used the Extreme Guitar stamp - because what guy hasn't dreamed at some point or another that he was a rockstar! And I'm willing to bet that a few of us know a couple of guys that think they are rockstars ;)

For this technique you want to use a solid image - not line art - because it just won't show up the same and have the same effect. First you stamp the image in Whisper White Craft Ink on a coloured card stock. Let dry. Craft ink can take 10 or more minutes to dry and you want to make sure that it's completely dry before proceeding to the next step. I used my heat tool to dry mine so it was dry quickly. For the next step, you need to use your Stamp-a-ma-jig. Using the imaging sheet, line up your stamp image (so in my case, Mr. Rocker) just slightly off from the original image. I moved mine a little bit to the right. Remove imaging sheet, ink stamp in the colour of your card stock (the one stamped with your image) and stamp your image again. Stamping over the Whisper White ink with ink in the colour of the card stock gives your image a nice shadow!

For my background I used my Textured Lattice Embossing Folder (love the look of this folder - doesn't look too exciting in the Mini but it's one of my faves now!) to emboss my card stock, I punched out 6 squares and adhered with Dimensionals. I love this look and it makes for a fast, easy background :)

Hope this simple card gets your creative juices flowing and keep letting stamps bring out your creativity.






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How did I make my card?

Stamp Sets: Extreme Guitar (115328), Teeny Tiny Wishes (115370)
Card Stock: Basic Grey (108692), Night of Navy (100867), Whisper White (100730)
Ink: Basic Grey (109120), Whisper White Craft Ink (101731), Night of Navy (102977)
Accessories: Stamp-a-ma-Jig (101049), Modern Label Punch (116630), 1-3/8" Square Punch (103375), Stampin' Dimensionals (104430), Big Shot (113439), Textured Lattice Embossing Folder (119976)

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge 142

Well, I haven't *completely* lost my mojo. But with two kids running around (well, okay, running and crawling - but I wish my youngest was running...) sometimes I need a mojo boost. So I thought I'd try the Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge for this week to get my creative juices flowing. I also finally decided to use my new colour samples. I've hesitated to use them because, well, I only had one sheet of each! But with my preorder coming tomorrow I don't feel the same need to ration it ;) I used my three fave colours from the new core colours - Early Espresso, Marina Mist and Cherry Cobbler. Yum... hmmmm I suddenly feel like having cherry pie with a latte ;) This week's sketch can be seen to the right.

My cards (yeah, I made TWO! But they are just mini cards...) aren't exactly like the sketch, but close enough ;) I used my current go-to set, Sweet Scoops in the Summer Mini, and the Beautiful Wings Embosslit. I did stamp with Chocolate Chip ink because I don't have my new inks yet - tomorrow can't come fast enough, lol! - but I still think tey look pretty good! I just love how these three colours go together. That said I can't wait to use my Rich Razzleberry with Marina Mist and Baja Breeze with Early Espresso! Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow ;)

Well, the kiddies are calling (or more like whining) and I need to finish up the end of year teachers gifts. Wait 'til you see these beauties - Hodgepodge Hardware bookmarks! But for now, keep letting stamps bring out your creativity!






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How did I make my projects?

Stamp Set: Sweet Scoops (117078, wood mount, or 120078, clear mount)
Card Stock: Early Espresso, Cherry Cobbler, Marina Mist (all coming July 1st!), Whisper White (100730)
Ink: Chocolate Chip (100908)
Accessories: Chocolate Chip 5/8" Satin Ribbon (117287), Two-way Glue Pen (100425), Dazzling Diamonds Glitter (102023), Scallop Trim Border Punch (coming July 1st!), Stampin' Dimensionals (104430), Big Shot (113439), Beautiful Wings Embosslit

Saturday, June 5, 2010

Is This Really NOT Metal?

Faux Metal. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this technique but it's always intimidated me. Why? I'm not entirely sure! After all, I've done Cracked Glass which is very similar but more complicated. Well, atleast I think so. Plus that Glassy Glaze Enamel Embossing Powder sure made a mess in my kitchen ;) But after seeing some fab samples, I bit the bullet and decided that it's the PERFECT technique for my masculine-themed technique clubs in May. I found a great, simple Faux Metal Tutorial on Splitcoast that I followed and after I did my first card (because many other followed ;) ) I wondered what had taken me so long!

Although in the tutorial they cut out their shapes, I thought that the Motorcycle single stamp in the Summer Mini would look really really neat in silver embossing powder. Now this stamp has lots of detail, so it took 6 layers of silver embossing powder and a couple of re-do's to get it just right. But I'm somewhat of a perfectionist ;) A couple of tricks I learned along the way:
1) Work quickly when stamping your image in the hot embossing powder - liquefied powder gets cool quickly making it hard to get a crisp image.
2) Push your stamp in HARD and if it's a more detailed larger stamp apply pressure all around.
3) Make sure you have a well inked VersaMark pad. You can buy reinker from my SU! Online Store if yours is getting a bit dry. You want to get a lot of embossing powder on that card!
4) Find an old wood cutting board to put your card stock on while embossing. It gets hot quickly and having melted embossing powder on your fingers is no fun. Trust me :p
5) When adhering your image to its mat, use Dimensionals or Sticky Strip... It will be a bit curved and SNAIL/Glue Sticks just won't do.

Seems like a lot of tips but don't get scared like I did... It really is easy! And totally worth the effect. On this card I also used the Presto Patterns Designer Series Paper which is REALLY cool! It is glossy white and has a few 'invisible' patterns that are 'magically' revealed when colour is added with sponges/brayer or with Smooch Spritz. So you can make it any colour you want! How cool is that?!?!?! In this case I sponged on some Night of Navy and Bordering Blue. To give it a bit of extra shimmer I misted it with the Vanilla Smooch Spritz from the current Mini Catalog. I think any Dad would love this card for Father's Day :) Interested in learning these more complex techniques and you're in the Ottawa area? Contact me at stampingmonica@gmail.com to learn about joining my Technique Clubs starting in August. I still have a few spots available.

We did another project but I'll save that for another day. This Faux Metal technique has me really excited and this post is long enough ;) Stay tuned...

And keep letting stamps bring out your creativity!






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How did I make my project?

Stamp Set: Motorcycle (117657)
Card stock: Bordering Blue (102630), Basic Black (102851), Basic Grey (108692), Presto Patterns Specialty Designer Series Paper (117175)
Ink: VersaMark (102283), Bordering Blue (102265), Night of Navy (103181)
Accessories: Vanilla Shimmer Smooch Spritz (118172), Silver Brads (104336), Stampin' Sponges (101160), Silver Stampin' Emboss Powder (109131), Heat Tool (100005), Paper-Piercing Tool (116631), Mat Pack (105826), Stampin' Dimensionals (104430)

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Retiring Stamp Set and Accessory Lists are Here!

The time has come for some of our favorite stamp sets and accessories to retire and make room for new ones. Stampin' Up! has released the Last Chance stamp set and accessories lists. Be sure to get yours before they are gone forever! Click the following link to see the retiring stamps: Stamp Set Last Chance List. These stamps are available through June 30th.

With the Color Renovation, there are also many fantastic accessories retiring. Some at 50% off! But accessories are while supplies last! So be sure to order your favorites as soon as possible! You can place your order at my Online Store 24/7!

The card to the right uses two of my favorite stamp sets, Warm Words and Animal Crackers. I'll be sad to see them go! So versatile and easy to use :) This card also uses on of my favorite retiring colors, Close to Cocoa. Though line art can be tricky I love this stamp set because you can do 'spot coloring' with it easily. What is spot coloring? It's when you choose specific areas to color on your image, instead of coloring the whole image. In this case I chose the spots ;) on the giraffe.

I'm looking forward to sharing some more of my favorite retiring stamp sets with you in the coming weeks. Keep letting stamps bring out your creativity!






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How did I make my project?
Stamp Sets: Animal Crackers, Warm Words
Card Stock: Certainly Celery, So Saffron, Confetti White
Ink: Close to Cocoa, So Saffron Stampin' Write Marker
Accessories: Stampin' Dimensionals

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Simply Adorned, Simply Beautiful!

Have you seen the new Stampin' Up! Simply Adorned chains and charms? What makes this jewelery so special? YOU decide what it looks like! Available in 5 sizes, these charms open up so that you can insert your own hand stamped image! Talk about customizable and versatile. Going to a birthday party? You can go with a bright and cheery insert. Going to a wedding? Use a simple flower. Any event, any outfit, same but different necklace or bracelet!

For my first charm I went with the 1" x 1-1/4" charm - a size that works for me - and turned to one of my favorite and most versatile stamp sets - Vintage Vogue. That small flower is the perfect size for this charm. A little bit of Rock and Roll with Crushed Curry and Rich Razzleberry, a few Old Olive leaves and voila! A perfect casual necklace, just right for any summer event. What I especially love about the charms is that they have beveled glass on the front for a fancier look and flat glass on the back. You can have the same image on both sides, different images, or just an image on the front. Customizable, beautiful, simple, YOU!

The chains are available in two lengths (24" and 34") and are a beautiful vintagey silvery pewter. I got the 24" length because I don't like my chains too long. But this weekend I saw another demonstrator with the 34" chain doubled up and let me tell you, it looked AWESOME! Guess what's going on my next order ;)

Hope you've enjoyed reading a bit about Simply Adorned Charms and what they're all about! I can't wait to make more inserts for mine!

Keep letting stamps bring out your creativity!






Click HERE to order Stampin' Up! Products online 24/7!


How did I make my project?
Stamp set: Vintage Vogue (wood mount 117690, clear mount 118598)
Card stock: Whisper White (100730)
Ink: Rich Razzleberry (115658), Crushed Curry (115659), Old Olive (102277)
Accessories: Simply Adorned Chain 24" ( 116800), Simply Adorned Charm 1" x 1-1/4" (116798)

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Easy Masculine Cards

Sometimes masculine cards are hard to make. We don't always have the right stamp set... let's face it, most men don't want a bouquet of flowers on their card ;) So what about not using a stamp set? How about using punches to make a background? I CASEd this card from Mary Fish - one of my fave stampers out there!

I used the Curly Label Punch to punch out a bunch of labels out of textured Crushed Curry card stock and arranged them in a neat geometric pattern on backing card stock, in this case Close to Cocoa.

Finally I tied a Blue Brocade ribbon around the card and for a little something extra I put a Whisper White Jumbo Grommet on top. To make it a Father's Day card, I used the greeting from Teeny Tiny Wishes. And voila, a simple masculine card!

You can do this technique with many other punches and shapes! And a masculine card may not be as hard to come up with as you thought :) Or come to my Cards and Cupcakes Stamp Party on June 2nd to learn other fun techniques, including other punch techniques!

Keep letting stamps bring out your creativity!

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

April 2010 Stamper's Group Projects

Last month I decided to focus on mosaic type cards. We did a quilting technique - GREAT for using left over DSPs - and the Brick Wall Technique. Both are fairly simple to do but leave a lasting impression on the receiver of your beautiful card!

The DSP quilting simply involves punching out numerous squares of coordinating DSP using any size square punch. I used the 1-3/8" Square Punch for my card and Razzleberry Lemonade DSP. Then organize and adhere in whatever fashion you like to your card. You can do a accent strip or a full background. Or for added punch you can adhere to cardstock and run through your Big Shot using a die such as the Top Note, Scallop Circle or in my case, the Scallop Square die. I love this die because it's clear so you can see where you're positioning your card stock. And it's so versatile! It's 4-3/8" x 4-3/8" so I made this card 5-1/4" x 5-1/4" so that it fits. But you can cut it in half, 3/4 or whatever dimension you like to use on a standard sized 5-1/2" x 4-1/4" card. The scallops add a beautiful accent to any card quickly and easily. And because this die is a Bigz die, it will cut through various materials including chipboard, metal, wood and fabric!

For this card, we also used the Stained Glass Technique to add the flower to the card without taking away from our beautiful DSP background. We didn't emboss the flower, just stamped in Basic Black Ink. But it worked very well regardless! I love the way this card turned out and will be giving it to my Mom and Mother-in-Law for Mother's Day :) Stampin' Up! materials used on this card include
*Stamp sets: Asian Artistry (Hostess Level II set) and Teeny Tiny Wishes, Awash with Flowers
*Card stock: Bermuda Bay, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White, Vellum Card Stock, Razzleberry Lemonade DSP
*Ink: Basic Black Ink, Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, Rich Razzleberry, Crushed Curry and Melon Mambo Stampin' Write Markers
*Accessories: Big Shot, Scallop Square Die, Stampin' Dimensionals, 1-3/8" Square Punch, Paper Piercer, Mat Pack, Soft Subtles Brads, Scallop Oval Punch, Wide Oval Punch

Our second card used the Brick Wall technique. I altered it a bit by stamping directly on Whisper White card stock, not patterned paper. We also drew the grid on the back of the card as I didn't want to see it on the front. We stamped using the beautiful 2010-2011 IB&C Sneak Peak stamp set, Awash with Flowers! It's a gorgeous 2-step stamp set that will surely be a hot seller from the new cattie. A little tip - when you cut apart your card front make sure to keep it organized on a dark piece of card stock or mat so that you don't have a crazy puzzle to deal with later ;) And don't worry if you don't cut your card apart perfectly straight - I didn't and I think it still looks pretty good ;) Lastly, the bricks on my card are 1" x 0.5". So I had to make sure that my 'brick wall' measurements prior to cutting were a multiple of 0.5" (in this case 4" x 3.5"). Make sure you do the same or it won't look right when you draw your bricks. The Stampin' Up! products we used for this card include:
*Stamp set: Awash With Flowers
*Card stock: Bordering Blue, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White
*Ink: Chocolate Chip, So Saffron, Pretty in Pink, Bashful Blue, Old Olive, Old Olive Stampin' Write
*Accessories: Stamp-a-ma-jig, Eyelet Border Punch, Bashful Blue 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon

These stamper's groups are so much fun and you get to learn so many new techniques! I'll be starting new groups in August and/or September. Be sure to let me know if you'd like join one. You can contact me anytime at stampingmonica@gmail.com! Hope to see you at a group, class or workshop soon and keep letting stamps bring out your creativity!

Monday, May 3, 2010

It's a Garage Sale AND YOU can Earn SU! product!

Okay, so it's not 'til July! But I've gotta start planning sometime right? So here are the important dates:

Saturday July 10th - Sneak Peak Garage Sale for Consignors - 7-10
Sunday July 11th - Retired Product Garage Sale - ALL day
Monday July 12th - Retired Product Garage Sale - 1-9

Thursday July 15th - New Cattie Open House #1 - 7:30 - 10
Saturday July 17th - New Cattie Open House #2 - 1 - 4

WHY am I talking about this stuff now? Because it involves YOU! This isn't just a garage sale for MY retired product. I know I'm not the only one who hoardes DSP like nobody's business. And I KNOW I won't be the only one who has retired card stock, ink, markers, etc. to sell when the new colours start with the 2010/2011 Catalogue. So here's the deal!

*You can consign your RETIRED SU! product (stamp sets, punches, card stock, DSP, ribbon and other accessories) with me. You can also consign any non-SU! products you'd like to sell. You must submit a list of everything and the products to me by June 30th (so that I have time to price and organize everything). I will be setting the prices for all product.

*You get a SU! Credit Voucher from me for the 100% of the product sold redeemable towards SU! product by December 31st, 2010 OR 40% of what you make in CASH to use as you please! If you choose the Credit Voucher option this is how it will work:
1) You MUST redeem your Credit Voucher by December 31st, 2010.
2) Your Credit Voucher will go towards SU! product. So if you earn a Credit Voucher for $20, this will go towards your purchase+shipping+taxes. Any amount exceeding this can be paid as per the usual methods (cash, cheque or credit card). Please e-mail me for any clarification :)
3) You cannot purchase a Gift Certificate with your earnings. You must use it for current SU! product by December 31st.

*You have two options for unsold items.
1) Keep them consigned with me for a period of THREE months for sale at my Open Houses and online afterwards. You can again keep 100% of the earnings to use towards SU! product (I'll give you a Credit Voucher valid for 6 months from issue) OR take 40% of what you make in CASH.
2) I can give them back to you.

You may be wondering WHY you'd consign with me and not just sell it yourself. There's power in numbers. This will be a BIG event and that will draw many people. It's also much easier to do it through me than list everything yourself. I've done it and between all the photos and then the no-shows when you set up appointments, it can be a frustrating and lengthy process. So consign your things with me and let me do all the work!

Hope this all makes sense! E-mail me at stampingmonica@gmail.com for your Consignment Contract and let's make this a success for you AND me!

Keep letting stamps bring out your creativity!

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Island Oasis Scrapbook in a Day Class

Or more like an afternoon!

I know how hard it is to get around to actually making a scrapbook. So come make a 6"x6" tropical themed scrapbook on June 6th, 2010 and be ready for your beautiful summer shots ahead of the game!


The new Summer Mini, starting May 1st, has beautiful tropical themed stamps, DSP and cute Green Olive Polka Dot 6"x6" albums. At this class, you'll come and make your 20 6"x6" pages for all your summer photos. You'll also get to use the Big Shot for some of your elements! We'll also be using the Tropical Party stamp set pictured to the left.

What:
Island Oasis Scrapbook in a Day Class
When:
Sunday June 6th
Registration:
12:30 PM
Class:
1-5 PM
Where:
Monica's Stampin' Room in Stittsville

Light refreshments, tea, coffee and water will be provided.

There are three options for this class:

Option A

*One package of Island Oasis Designer Series Paper
*One Old Olive Polka Dot 6"x6" album with 10 page protectors
*All other materials needed to complete your pages.
COST: $60

Option B

*One package of Island Oasis Designer Series Paper
*One Old Olive Polka Dot 6"x6" album with 10 page protectors
*All other materials needed to complete your pages.
*Tropical Party Stamp Set (Wood Mount) @ 20% off - to use at the class
COST: $85

Option C

*One package of Island Oasis Designer Series Paper
*One Old Olive Polka Dot 6"x6" album with 10 page protectors
*All other materials needed to complete your pages.
*Tropical Party Stamp Set (Clear Mount) @ 20% off - to use at the class
COST: $80

Space is limited. All registrations and fees are needed by May 18th to ensure all materials arrive in time for the class. Add an additional Old Olive Polka Dot Album and materials for a second album for only $42. Please note: If you add an album, please note that you'll get all the materials to make your album but you may not have time to put it together. Stamping can be done here, but cutting (etc.) will have to be done on your own time.

Please bring with you adhesive, bone folder and scissors. Label all your stampin' tools!

You can register by e-mailing me at stampingmonica@gmail.com or through Paypal. Can't make it? E-mail me for a kit-to-go!

Island Oasis Class Options


Add a Second Album (no DSP included)


Please note: If you add an album, you'll get all the materials to make your album but you will not have time to put it together at the class. Stamping can be done here, but cutting (etc.) will have to be done on your own time.

Please e-mail me with any questions. Hope to see you at this fun class! And keep letting stamps bring out your creativity!

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Fundraiser Cards

Last Friday February 19th I held the I {Heart} Hearts for Haitian Relief Fundraiser at my home. Stampin' Up! is donating $2 from each I {Heart} Hearts stamp set sold until February 28th. Their donations are going to the Red Cross.

To aid this effort I held my own fundraiser where we did 3 cards for a $5 donation. My commissions from any orders placed were also donated. As a group we decided to donate directly to an orphanage in Haiti that desperately needs our help after the devastating earthquake. God's Littlest Angels is a wonderful organization that were more than happy to help.

The I {Heart} Hearts stamp set is all heart ;) But it's very versatile as the cards below demonstrate. I can't wait to make more cards with it!

I was inspired to make this card by my wonderful upline Marlayne Hardy who demo'd this card on a local TV station. I love the Scallop Border Trim Punch and if you love it too you can earn it through Sale-a-Bration until March 31st!

I LOVE this card with the Sending Love Specialty DSP. It is in the Occasions Mini - but only until April 30, 2010!

I LOVE the gorgeous Sweet Pea Stitched Felt - also in the Occasions Mini! So cute and adds such a nice touch to our cards.


Thanks for reading and keep letting stamps bring out your creativity!

Thursday, February 18, 2010

My First Pals Paper Arts Challenge

For some inspiration and to keep me stamping (rather than only cutting paper to get ready for all my clubs, classes and stamp-a-stacks) I thought that participating in some online card challenges would be a good idea. I've been following Mary Fish's Blog and she's not only one of the top US Stampin' Up! demos but is also a contributor to Pals Paper Arts. She posted about their KISS (Keep It Simple, Sweetie) challenge this week and I thought this was a perfect challenge for me! I've recently found that I can't just make simple cards anymore... I'm always focused on embellishments, layers, etc. So yes, this was the challenge for me :)

For this challenge I chose the retired Prehistoric Pals stamp set. It's still one of my fave kids' stamp sets and I'm so sad it retired last year. But it works SO well on white space and it's easy to make a cute, simple card with it. The card below is actually a party invitation. Are you wondering where I got the "Let's Party" stamp? It's not SU!... One of my pre-demo big box store purchases ;)

Hope you like it - let me know what you think of my KISS Challenge entry! And remember to keep letting stamps bring out your creativity!

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Haitian Earthquake Relief Fundraiser Sneak Peak #2

I'm back today with Sneak Peak #2 for the Fundraiser set to take place this Friday February 19th at 7:30. These aren't your standard simple cards - I wanted to make these cards really special for this event.



Although the I {Heart} Hearts stamp set wasn't originally on my wish list I am SOOOO glad I got it! I love it and it's much more versatile than you'd think. Come to my fundraiser on Friday and you'll see what I mean!

Keep letting stamps bring out your creativity!

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Haitian Earthquake Relief Fundraiser Sneak Peak #1

I have two cards designed for this week's fundraiser. I'd have 3 but, well, my 9 1/2 month old doesn't like sleeping and I wanted the third card to be just as nice as the first two ;) So I'll do that when I'm feeling a bit more awake - hopefully tomorrow. These cards aren't just your regular, simple cards. They use lots of fun embellishments, DSP's and (IMO) are just gorgeous! For a $5 donation, this is an event not to be missed :)

In the coming days I'll have sneak peaks of the cards so you can see what you'll be missing if you don't come. ;) ;) ;) Here's Sneak Peak #1. Using lots of Sending Love DSP (with glitter already on it) and a simple 3D butterfly using the Butterfly Punch (blog post on how to make that is coming soon!).


More info on this fundraiser is found HERE and on my Facebook Group. Please RSVP on Facebook or at stampingmonica@gmail.com.

Hope to see you there and keep letting stamps bring out your creativity!