Paper Pumpkin May 2016

Have you just signed up for My Paper Pumpkin? Did you know that as a current subscriber, you're eligible to purchase past kits? If you weren't a subscriber for the May Kit, you'll want to check this out! Then, when you're done, head over HERE and sign yourself up! You can then order this great manly kit (if still available) and have cards ready just in time for Father's Day!

Botanical Blooms Bundle by Stampin' Up!

Only available as a bundle until May 31st!

Get OUT of my head!

When Stampin' UP! demonstrators around the world got their first peek at the brand new 2016-2017 catalogue, I'm pretty sure a hush fell over the crowd...I'm also pretty sure that only lasted 3.2 seconds and then everyone started with the "OMG! Check out page 26! Did you SEE that adorable set on page 57? I can't EVEN with the cuteness of the RMH set this year!!"

I can tell you that the first thing *I* OMG'd over was the whole Pop of Pink Suite! I mean, come on! Stampin' UP! has to have been inside my head when they came up with that one!

Because...if you've known me for more than a minute, you KNOW that pink is my FAVOURITE colour! Right?

The Pop of Pink comes with :

• Specialty Designer Series Paper
• Designer Washi Tape
• and the ADORABLE Pop of Paradise Stamp Set (which is on order, or I'd show you!)
• It will also coordinate with the Melon Mambo and Basic Black Thick Bakers Twine 

How awesome is THAT?

Check it out:

Today's card should have been ready to go for the Paper Crafts Crew Sketch Challenge, but I've been travelling and time got away from me. Better late than never, right?

I started off with a  4 ¼" square base and added a layer of Pop of Pink DSP. Then I added one of the Pop of Pink DSP's with gold flecks in it - there's a second specialty sheet with gold polka dots. I layered some Basic Black and Melon Mambo Cardstocks and added another piece of Pop of Pink paper (the Melon Mambo pattern is what's on the back of the Basic Black piece).

I added a strip of Whisper White ¼" cotton ribbon (which is retiring - I'm selling my leftovers at my Open House) and then die cut a piece of Whisper White Cardstock using the Swirly Scribbles Thinlits (LOVE!!!) and sponged it in pink (DUH!). The wee birdie was stamped in Melon Mambo Ink and fussy cut (JOY!) and adhered using a Stampin' Dimensional.

The sentiment, from the current Ronald McDonald House Charities Set (which is carrying over - YAY!) was stamped in Basic Black on Whisper White, the ends were notched and I added some bling...because, well...bling!

What do you think?

STAMPS: Swirly Bird, Sprinkles of Life

INK: Melon Mambo, Basic Black

PAPERS: Whisper White, Basic Black and Melon Mambo Cardstock; Pop of Pink Specialty DSP

ACCESSORIES: Big Shot, Dies, Whisper White ¼" Cotton Ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals, Glue Dots

Happy Stampin'!

Wink of Stella Glitter Brush by Stampin' Up!

Did you know you could use the Wink of Stella pen as a blender pen?? How cool is THAT?

Things I learned while creating with the Watercolour Wishes Kit

If you remember, last week I was talking about the Watercolour Wishes Kit and how it was the perfect travelling kit because pretty much everything was in there and all you had to do was grab it and go!

I learned a few things...

• There are NO extra cardstock cutouts, so if you're a perfectionist take your time. The stamps are photopolymer, so you can see right where they're going, but there's still the possibility of a an "oops".

• There's a couple of extra adhesive die cuts, so you could add them in on any cards you choose.
• There's LOTS of extra sequins, wooden laser cut shapes, and Wahsi Tape, so go to town with those! :)

• While the block in the package is definitely suitable for all the images in the exclusive stamp set, you might like to have an "A" block for the teeny tiny hearts.
• There's good news and there's bad news. The good news is, the Watercolour Wishes Kit will still be available in the upcoming 2016-2017 catalogue. The bad news is, the price is going up. The good news is, you can order it NOW. The bad news is, you ONLY have until May 31st, so don't delay! I'll be placing an order on May 22nd, so if you'd like me to order the kit for you, let me know. 
• Once you're done making all the cards, you've got a handy little storage box to hold them! 

Pop back in later this week and I'll share some of the completed cards with you. You're going to love them!

Do you have the Thinlits Treat Bag Die?

Here's an awesome alternative idea by Stampin' UP! Brandi Barnard:

Things I learned while visiting La Belle Province...

My daughter and I recently returned from a three day trip to Montreal and Québec City. It was great to get back (I was born and raised in Montreal) and visit with my sister. And seeing Québec was a treat since I hadn't been since 1991. We had a FABULOUS time and I learned a few things (some comparisons to Toronto included):

• Hand made gifts for teachers ensure your child is happy *grin*

• Road signs, road lines and traffic laws are merely suggestions - you're taking your own life in your hands if you choose to drive (or walk!) here.
• Your "concrete jungle" is worse than our "basketweave". 
• Listening to Google Maps give directions in English while you're driving in a FRENCH province is PAINFUL (to say the very least!).
• I love, love, LOVE speaking French! I learned to speak both English and French growing up and it was SO much fun to spend a few days speaking French again...and let's face it! I need the practice what with my whole plan to move to France!
• You thought Québec motorists were bad? The only thing worse than a Québec motorist is a Québec motorcyclist. The only thing worse than a Québec motorcyclist is that guy with the WIDE LOAD in the FAST lane trying to pass a semi! (you can't make this crap up - I swear!)
• I drive in Toronto traffic. It's pretty bad. Montreal traffic is WORSE!
• Everybody smokes. EVERY. BODY.
• You can buy wine and beer in the grocery store. In truth, I knew this...what I didn't know is that there was an ENTIRE aisle dedicated to beer and wine in the grocery store. 
• You can purchase gasoline at rest stops...but before you get back in your car, don't forget the wine! SERIOUSLY??

• If you DON'T know how to behave in a church, please don't embarrass yourself by going in. Taking a photo of yourself AND your wife shaking hands (I kid you not!) with the image of Jesus as you pass through the Holy Door in the year of Mercy is NOT ok.
• THIS is a thing. WHY is this a thing??

• Tire d'érable is a little bit of heaven on a stick

And the very LAST thing I learned while visiting La Belle Province:

• You can stamp ANYWHERE as long as you have the right tools/equipment. This Watercolour Wishes Kit was PERFECT for travelling! All I needed was the box and some adhesive and I was ready to go! EVERYTHING you need (except MONO) was in the box (including ink and a block).

Something Old, Something New...

I hope you're not expecting a wedding card, 'cause disappointed be you....

Yes, well...I never said I could rhyme - LOL!

I had such fun creating these cards - courtesy of inspiration from my friend Lyssa - and I couldn't wait to share it with you!

Something Old? The stamp set I used - it was part of the Sale-a-Bration promotion this year. I think I'll keep it because I just love it! Also the little Candy Dots that I attached to the sentiments. They're super cute, but unfortunately they're retiring. :(

Something New? It's not new to Stampin' UP! but I haven't really played with yet...let me tell you! Now that I have...I'll be ordering LOTS more of it! This metallic gold thread is AWESOME!

Something Borrowed? The idea from Lyssa of course! She's wonderful and shares SO much of herself with everyone. :)

Something Blue? The Pool Party Ink for the smallest flower.

What do you think?

STAMPS: Botanicals for You (from Sale-a-Bration)
INK: Pool Party, Hello Honey (retiring) and Cajun Craze
PAPERS: Hello Honey, Cajun Craze and Whisper White Cardstock
ACCESSORIES: Metallic Gold Thread, Glue Dots, Stampin' Dimensionals

Happy Stampin'!

Hello Baby

It's hip to be square, right? I sure hope so, because today's sketch is SQUARE! I don't often make square cards because we don't carry square envelopes, but then, you can always MAKE your own custom sized envelope using the Envelope Punch Board. However, this card is so pretty, you won't want to hide it away! :)

Ordinarily, when I photograph my cards, I crop them in tight so you aren't bombarded with visual clutter when you're looking at them. In this case, my bear Jack was peeking into the shot, so I decided to leave him there and tell you about him!

Jack was the bear that I received on my very first Christmas. I was only 6 months old, so I don't remember, but my parents have told me that he's been with me every since. He's had his ears ripped off (and sewn back on) and his whole head came off at one point (it was sewn back on too). And I'm pretty sure that his eyes and nose (metal buttons with a shank that are simply sewn into him) wouldn't even come CLOSE to passing any safety tests we have today. I'm pretty sure I'll keep him forever. He's old, but he's well loved. :)

And since I received him as a baby, I thought he was appropriate for a photo of a baby card. You agree, right?

Now...on to the card! I started off with a base of Tip Top Taupe. I meant to cut it to create a 5 ½" square card, but I wasn't paying attention when I made the cut, so the card ended up being 5 ¼" square. The Very Vanilla layer is 5 ⅛" square and the Sweet Lil' Things Designer Series Paper is 4 ½" square.

Then I added the Very Vanilla circle and two little onesies. The ribbon is Hello Honey Striped Cotton. In order to wrap it around the card, I punched a slot using the Curvy Corner Trio Punch. The slot wasn't quite wide enough, so I slid the punch down a bit to make it a little wider in order to accommodate the width of the ribbon.

The sentiment is from Teeny Tiny Wishes, one of the most versatile sets in our catalogue. There's something for pretty much ANY occasion!

This card also fits the baby theme from GDP003.

That's all for now! You can check out the rest of the crew here.

What do you think?

STAMPS: Something for Baby, Teeny Tiny Wishes
INK: Soft Sky, Tip Top Taupe
PAPERS: Tip Top Taupe and Very Vanilla Cardstock; Sweet Lil' Things DSP
ACCESSORIES: Big Shot, Dies, Striped Cotton Ribbon, Markers, Sponges, Stampin' Dimensionals

Happy Stampin'!

TIC-TAC-TOE

Today's sketch will let you go back to your childhood and let you play a game of Tic-Tac-Toe! How fun is THAT??

What would YOU choose? Since there's still a couple of days till Christmas, I decided to go with the middle line - Winter Theme, Your Favourite Holiday Colour, Stripes.

I took a little bit of liberty with the "stripes", but I figured since the words were in a straight line, it would work - LOL! And my favourite holiday colour is blue. Who remembers scrapbooking when you picked the outfits your children would wear based on the colour of the papers you bought??

I created this card for my Christmas Boot Camp Class back in November. During that class we created 17 (!!!) cards and this was one of them. I CASEd (Copy And Share Everything) it from the Stampin' UP! Holiday Catalogue and made it my own. In the catalogue, the designer used one of our note cards (these are available in both Whisper White and Crumb Cake) and I stepped it up a bit by using a standard size card and adding a few more layers.

The little snowmen are SO much fun! And don't worry! If you haven't ordered them yet, there's STILL time! And, they'll be available through the spring as well as they're on the inside back page of the Occasions Catalogue. Did you get yours yet?

That's all for now! You can check out the rest of the crew here.

And if I don't speak to you between now and Friday - 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

What do you think?

STAMPS: Snow Friends
INK: Basic Black, Island Indigo, Garden Green, Real Red, Soft Suede
PAPERS: Pool Party, Crumb Cake and Whisper White Cardstock; Home for Christmas DSP
ACCESSORIES: Big Shot, Dies, Markers, Stampin' Dimensionals, Fine Tip Glue Pen

Happy Stampin'!

Let it SNOW!

OH. MY. GOSH. If you thought the snowmen from a few weeks ago were cute, this adorable little penguin will do you in for SURE! Another Paper Crafts Crew Sketch was just the ticket for this little guy.

We started off with a base of Smoky Slate and added a strip of the polka dot DSP from the Neutrals Paper Stack. That was followed by layers of varying sizes in Night of Navy, Smoky Slate and Whisper White.

The (completely adorable) penguin was stamped in Basic Black and his little feet and beak were coloured in using the Pumpkin Pie Marker. His hat was stamped in Real Read and a touch of glitter was added using Dazzling Details.

You can check out the rest of the crew here.

What do you think?


STAMPS: Snow Place
INK: Basic Black, Real Red, Versamark
PAPERS: Smoky Slate, Night of Navy and Whisper White Cardstock; Neutrals DSP
ACCESSORIES: Big Shot, Die Cuts, Markers, Dazzling Details, Stampin' Dimensionals


Happy Stampin'!

TOTALLY AWESOME!!

Recently, I got together with 250 of my closest friends *wink* at a Stampin' UP! event known as "On Stage". There we learned about new stamps and new products, got a sneak peek at the upcoming Occasions Catalogue - I can't WAIT to show you - and got to play with some new toys tools that Stampin' UP! is introducing with the new catalogue.

One of the new stamp sets that I just know you're going to LOVE is Grateful Bunch. Check this out!

Paper Crafts Crew

GDP 002

I started off the Paper Crafts Crew sketch and then went over to the GDP blog to see what was up over there. In a really strange coincidence, the sketch was almost the same except flipped - pretty cool!

So I used the same set and the same colours for both cards. It's not a TOTALLY different look, but you can see the differences in using different sketches.

The flowers are all fussy cut, but you'll be pleased to know that all the smaller flowers have a coordinating punch that you can use  (I didn't have it when I created the card, but I do now *grin*).

And oh my gosh! Can I just say I can't believe how long it took me to order the GORGEOUS Farmers Market Designer Series Paper? If you don't have it yet, you SERIOUSLY need to order it! The colours are so rich and vibrant - it'll be the perfect addition to all your spring cards.

That's it for today! You can check out the rest of the crew here.

What do you think?


STAMPS: Grateful Bunch
INK: Blackberry Bliss and Mossy Meadow
PAPERS: Very Vanilla and Blackberry Bliss Cardstock; Farmers Market DSP
ACCESSORIES: Banner Punch, Stampin' Dimensionals, Basic Rhinestones, Fine Tip Glue Pen


Happy Stampin'!

Merry Christmas!

Tomorrow is class day! It's also the first day of Fair December, so it should be exciting! I'll help my daughter set up at the Fair in the morning and then spend a couple of hours with her, then it's home for an afternoon class and Team Meeting - PHEW! I just wore myself out thinking about it!!

If you're still counting (and haven't fainted dead away just thinking about it!), there's only 21 days till Christmas! That's right - a mere THREE weeks! Are you ready??

Today's card is another quick and easy one (because you KNOW you've got a last minute party that's going to come up and you're GOING to NEED a card!) and should have you ready to go in under 10 minutes!

You'll start off with a base of Cherry Cobbler Cardstock. Before you add your Old Olive layer, you'll adhere the Designer Series Papers from Season of Cheer and Merry Moments at an angle and then snip them off so they're the right length. Doing this AFTER they're stuck down takes the guesswork out of it and doesn't leave you wondering if you've trimmed the pieces too short.

Your trees will be stamped in Old Olive Ink onto Old Olive Cardstock (using the tree image from Lots of Joy) and punched out using the Tree Punch found in the annual catalogue. One tree was adhered with SNAIL and the second was adhered using Stampin' Dimensionals.

The sentiment was stamped using Cherry Cobbler Ink and the whole image/sentiment panel was adhered to the card front using Stampin' Dimensionals.


What do you think?

STAMPS: Lots of Joy
INK: Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive
PAPERS: Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive and Whisper White Cardstock; Merry Moments and Season of Cheer DSP
ACCESSORIES: Tree Punch, Stampin' Dimensionals


Happy Stampin'!

Noel

Recently, Stampin' UP! announced that there would now be retiring lists for each of the catalogues throughout the year. As a demonstrator, this is great news as it allows me to sell off retired product immediately without having to wait a year for the next same catalogue to be published. As a stamper who loves her stuff, I'm sad.

The Happy Scenes Set is retiring. :( The GOOD news is that the Hearth and Home Thinlits Dies will continue to be available through the Occasions Catalogue and you're just going to LOVE the new set that goes with it! Yes, I've seen it. No, I can't show you. Sorry. So...you can either bundle it now and have a stamp set that you can use all year...or bundle it on January 5th, 2016 and have an equally amazing set to play with. SO many options!

Today's card (which we'll also be doing in class on Dec. 5th), started off with a base of Cherry Cobbler Cardstock. I added a layer of Very Vanilla and then a layer of Home for Christmas Designer Series Paper. Banners were created using Cherry Cobbler and Mossy Meadow Cardstock.

I created a tag using Very Vanilla Cardstock and stamped the tree image from Happy Scenes using Mossy Meadow Ink. The "Noel" was stamped in Cherry Cobbler Ink. I added a length of Natural Chevron Ribbon which was tied with a piece of Linen Thread. The tag was then attached to the front of the card using Stampin' Dimensionals.

The finishing touch was two Home for Christmas Enamel Dots.

What do you think?

STAMPS: Happy Scenes
INK: Mossy Meadow and Cherry Cobbler
PAPERS: Cherry Cobbler, Mossy Meadow and Very Vanilla Cardstock; Home for Christmas DSP
ACCESSORIES: Ribbon, Linen Thread, Enamel Dots, Stampin' Dimensionals

Happy Stampin'!

On a recent trip around the internet...

You know how that happens, right? You start off in your email and then a link takes you to a blog and then that blog takes you to Pinterest and then Pinterest takes you to another blog and then...well, you know how it goes!

So...on a recent trip around the internet, I discovered a new challenge blog called the Global Design Project. They're on week #11, but I decided to go back to week #1 for the colours I used on today's card. The colours were: Smoky Slate, So Saffron and Pink Pirouette.

So Saffron and Pink Pirouette always make me think of baby cards, so that's the direction I took. How to incorporate Smoky Slate though? Stamp it off, of course! You can *barely* see it behind the sentiment on the tag (I stamped off twice) and on the hangers (I stamped off once). It's soft and muted and goes perfectly with the other two colours!

I started off with a So Saffron base and added a layer of Very Vanilla. Then I cut a piece of Pink Pirouette and ran it through the Big Shot using the Softly Falling Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, which you'll be pleased to know is NOT retiring from the Holiday Catalogue and is in fact featured on pages 8-9 of the Occasions Catalogue.

The label on the front started out being a Christmas tag for my upcoming class on Dec. 5th, but I just didn't like the way it was coming together...so I repurposed it and am THRILLED with the result! The corners and ribbon slots were punched with the Curvy Trio Corner Punch, which will also be returning in the Occasions Catalogue.

I stamped the little onesies in So Saffron and Pink Pirouette and cut them (along with the hangers) using the matching die set and my Big Shot. You can purchase the Baby Bundle HERE and save 15% through our bundle and save opportunity.

You can check out the rest of the crew here.

What do you think?

STAMPS: Something for Baby. Petite Pairs
INK: Smoky Slate, So Saffron, Pink Pirouette
PAPERS: Very Vanilla, So Saffron and Pink Pirouette Cardstock
ACCESSORIES: Big Shot, Dies, Punch, Ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals

Happy Stampin'!

Get your shop on!

Here we go!!

Click on the image above and it will take you to the list of sale items that will be available at up to 50% off during the

Online Extravaganza!

Get those fingers ready to FLY!!

Are you ready for this??

It's time for the Stampin' UP! Online Extravaganza!

It happens once a year and it starts this Monday, November 23rd, 2015

There will be a ONE DAY sale on Monday (these items will only be available at the discounted price on Monday) and ANOTHER ONE DAY sale on the following Monday, November 30th.

There is a LIMITED QUANTITY of each item available at the sale price, so you'll want to figure out what you want and order it ASAP.

I'll post the list of what will be available in TOMORROW'S blog post, so get your pen and paper ready.

When placing your online order, be sure to use hostess code: KG6JCVP9 in order to be eligible for FREE STUFF!

Happy Stampin'!

It's a MOJO kinda day!

Well...actually, it was a MOJO kinda day on Monday which is what got me started creating all the Christmas cards for my upcoming class on Saturday December 5th (you're coming, right?), but I had some other awesomeness to put up first. So...this had to wait till today.

And, if you're keeping track...only 35 more days till Christmas. That's just five weeks...no pressure!

Today's card is quick and easy. so you should be able to whip up a batch of them in no time flat. Especially if you take advantage of my "cut to size" offer when you purchase your card making supplies from me. That's right! When you purchase everything you need to create one of the cards I've featured, I'll personally cut all the pieces to the required sizes. All you'll have to do is stamp and assemble.

You'll start off with a base of Old Olive Cardstock and add a layer of Designer Series Paper from the Merry Moment Pack (which, unlike the paper on Wednesday's card, should be available until April of 2016). The next layer is Real Red Cardstock and the "tag" was created using a different DSP from the same Merry Moments Pack.

Then I punched a 2 ½" circle and adhered the word "merry" which I cut using the Christmas Greetings dies. I then stamped the rest of the sentiment using the Holly Jolly Greetings Stamp Set. These two items can be paired together and purchased as a BUNDLE for a savings of 15%.

The circle was adhered to the front of the card using Stampin' Dimensionals.

What do you think?

STAMPS: Holly Jolly Greetings
INK: Old Olive
PAPERS: Old Olive, Real Red and Whisper White Cardstock; Merry Moments DSP
ACCESSORIES: Big Shot, Die, Stamp-a-majig, Ribbon, Hand Held Stapler, Stampin' Dimensionals

Happy Stampin'!

WYSIWYG

Good morning and Happy Wednesday! If you're checking the calendar, there's only 37 more days till Christmas! YIKES!

Today's card is NOT a Christmas card (there'll be one later this week), but it's what I like to call a WYSIWYG card - which basically means I use whatever supplies are in my immediate reach to create.

Check it out:

Since I was working on Christmas cards, this card is a Real Red Base with a layer of Designer Series Paper from the Season of Cheer Pack currently available in the Holiday Catalogue (but ONLY while quantities last!) and the Bohemian Borders Stamp Set available in the annual 2015-2016 Catalogue. I also used the Crazy for You Stamp Set and Dies (again, in the annual catalogue).

Old Olive was used for stamping the sentiment and it was used along with Island Indigo and Real Red to stamp the border images.

I ran the "Thanks" sentiment through the Big Shot and adhered it with our new (and simply AMAZING) fine tip glue pen.

You can check out the rest of the crew here.

What do you think?


STAMPS: Bohemian Borders, Crazy for You
INK: Real Red, Old Olive and Island Indigo
PAPERS: Real Red, Old Olive and Whisper White Cardstock; Season of Cheer DSP
ACCESSORIES: Big Shot, Dies, Fine Tip Glue Pen


Happy Stampin'!

Weekly Deals!

Get a jump start on your last minute Christmas gifts/cards with this week's deals. Click HERE to start shopping now and be sure to use Hostess Code: KG6JCVP9 before checking out to be eligible to win an exclusive never before seen Stampin' UP! set or a $25 voucher towards your next order of $75 or more.