Christmas With Kits

Hi Stampers!

Do you want to give out handmade cards, but worry you don't have enough time?  Feel overwhelmed trying to come up with a design and then figuring out what supplies you need?  Kits to the rescue!

Stampin' Up! has some premade kits that come with everything you need and include assembly instructions.  Check them out:

 

To You & Yours Shaker Cards Project Kit

 

This kit makes 6 each of 3 designs; a star, an ornament, and the tree pictured above. Very sparkly and interactive!

 

Oh What Fun Tag Project Kit

 

This kit makes 30 tags, some of which I'll be mounting onto Real Red Cardstock to make cards. Note: I didn't use the recommended stamp set from the catalogue, but instead chose sentiments from a variety of stamp sets I already had.

Interested in making some of these projects?  Contact me to set up a class or to order a kit to make on your own, or with your friends.

If those aren't quite the style you were looking for, here's another option.  I got together with some demo friends and we each came up with our own kit ideas.   Check back to see photos of those projects in my next post!

Go stamp something!
Diane

Time to retire...

I love to use Naturals White and Naturals Ivory cardstock. They're a heavier weight which is nice for post cards or simple single layer cards, and they can stand up to colouring techniques that use water or blender pens. When I saw they were on the retiring list I immediately placed an order so I could stockpile them for future projects!

Here's the Naturals Ivory card I made tonight:
 

 

I used the retiring stamp sets Pleasant Poppies and Bloom with Hope (for the sentiment). But for me the star of this project is the Naturals Ivory used for all three layers. It's a nice solid base, and you can see it held up well to heat embossing, watercolouring and sponging. I also think the subtle speckling of the cardstock adds something to the overall look. 

The stems are coloured with a Pear Pizzazz Stampin'  Write Marker, the flowers are watercoloured with an Aqua Painter and Cherry Cobbler and Real Red Ink Pads.  The background is sponged with a little bit of Soft Sky Ink. Happy Birthday is stamped with Pear Pizzazz and punched out with the Modern Label Punch. 

What are you going to miss?  Head over to The Paper Plunge to see what some of my stamping friends are sad to see retire :(

Go stamp something!
Diane

Vellum Valentine

I just love the new stamp set, Hey, Valentine from the Occasions Catalogue. When I heard that this week's challenge at The Paper Plunge was to use vellum, I knew right away I would be using this set.

This is a simple open top box made with an 8 1/4 by 4 1/4 piece of card stock vellum. It's scored at 2 1/2 horizontally, and 2, 4, 6, and 8 vertically. It's stamped with the adorable fox image, heat embossed in black, and coloured with Blendabilities. 

Here's a photo without the lamp on so you can see how the tea light (battery powered) shines through the image a bit better. 

Don't you love it!?!  Pull out some vellum and make one for your #1 Valentine. Then head over to The Paper Plunge for some more great vellum ideas. 

Go stamp something!

Diane 

Blendabilities Technique

Hi Stampers!

This week's challenge on The Paper Plunge is to use a technique on your project. Here's what I made:

I stamped the congratulations image from the stamp set Bravo in VersaMark ink, then heat embossed it with white embossing powder. Next I coloured over the embossed image with Blendabilities alcohol markers.  It really pops against the black cardstock!  Lastly, I heat embossed the tiny star from Many Merry Stars with gold embossing powder to dress up the background. 

No matter how many times I've done it before, it's still so exciting to watch the dull powder change as if my magic to that melted, glossy finish. What's your favourite technique?  Add your creation to the challenge at The Paper Plunge.

Go stamp something!

Diane

New Dies for the Big Shot!

So the new Occasions Catalogue and Sale-a-bration are both here!

Today I want to show you something I made with my favourite bundle from the Occasions Catalogue:

The colours used on this card are Night of Navy and Whisper White card stock, and Lost Lagoon, Basic Black and Silver Encore ink. 

The bundle saves you 15% and includes the stamp set Celebrate Today and the Balloon framelits. Here's what they look like:

 

This is my entry for this week's challenge on The Paper Plunge. Head over to see what the rest of the design team has come up with using their Big Shots. We'd love it if you played along too!  What do you love to create with your Big Shot?

Get stamping!

Diane