Decor Elements Are AWESOME!

July 1 is the day that you can order from the new Decor Elements line! Stampin' Up! has released phase 1 of this new product line and it is AWESOME!

Here is what I have done with mine...

This is the small Happiness. I applied it to a black 11" x 14" frame. I then took 3 sheets of 8-1/2" x 11" paper in Taken with Teal, Basic Black, and Whisper White to make the background. I then used Summer Sun to mat the photo. This is my husband and I on our 10th wedding anniversary trip to Vegas.

This one was a little more difficult. If you look at the brochure - you will notice that I actually did it wrong! But I like it just the same - and you wouldn't have known I did it wrong, had I not just told you! :P This is the Together Forever frame in chocolate. It measures 12-1/2" x 12-1/2". It was my first vinyl piece I had to work with, and found it a little frustrating. I think I was being a bit impatient because I couldn't wait to get it done! I then added the M monogram to the center. The alphabets come with a uppercase and lowercase - so I still have a lower case m to play with! I didn't want to put this one directly on my wall - so I painted a piece of canvas with some acrylic paint and a splash of River Rock reinker! Yummy! My next task will be to find ribbon that coordinates to run along the right and left side and to string from the top so I can hang it up.

I have Manhattan flowers in Kraft and Chocolate, and the small Family to put on my walls - but a fresh coat of paint is needed first.

I especially love that these are affordable! The alphabets are $3.95 each, the Together Forever frame is $11.95, the small Happiness is $4.95. I like too that you can get different sizes in some of them. I'm not sure I could use a medium happiness that measures 5-3/4" x 30"! But the small 2-2/5" x 12-1/2" worked great!

Ready to try your own? Check out the brochure and let me know what you'd like to try! Remember - you can use these on so much more than just your walls!

Faux Fun!

This technique is called Faux Alligator Skin. You can click the name for a tutorial from Jackie Topa. I didn't have an alligator stamp - but I did have a snake. It's from Stampin' Up! 1991. My friend Kim gave him to me, along with like 500 other stamps that got this whole obsession started! *Hi Kim!* So, I made snake skin in lieu of Alligator Skin! Mind you, I don't know if snake skin really looks like this - because I want nothing to do with a snake. So just go with me on this one. :)
And here is a purse I made with the same technique. I guess the purse could be Alligator, or Snake, or cheap patent leather? Fun!
Short directions: Take a piece of black card stock. Cover it with VersaMark ink. Sprinkle black embossing powder all over it. Use an object to "draw" lines in the embossing powder. Then apply heat with your heat gun until the embossing powder has melted. Done!

Scallop Punch Daisy

I saw these cute scallop punch daisies on Splitcoaststampers.com, and had to try them. I must say... they are super easy and fun!

I punched a scallop out of Whisper White card stock, and a 1-1/4" circle out of Apricot Appeal. I cut the scallop punch after each round - almost to the center. Then I attached the circle to the center of the flower using some Snail Adhesive. I then pushed every other petal down a little so that the petals weren't so flat.

Then, I stamped an image from the Circle of Friendship set (soon to retire) and used my 1/4" circle punch to get just the center of the image that says "just for you". I used the Build A Brad kit to construct the center piece. Fun!

The stem is a piece of Certainly Celery ribbon that has been tied to form the leaf on the stem. The flower is attached to the card and ribbon using a glue dot - to make it pop more!

The cards I used are Soft Sky and Purely Pomegranate Love Notes. Yay me! I'm using them before they retire!

Super quick, and super cute! You can dress these flowers up or down depending on your project. I can see these all over some scrapbook pages or more cards!

Here is a close up picture of the flower.

Wanted!

I think this has to be the easiest, and cheapest gift I have EVER made! OK, so it's a gift for me - but that's not to say I couldn't make more. In fact, I think I will make some of these for some craft fairs that are soon approaching! Just don't tell them my secrets, OK?! :o)

I found this More Mustard color apron at the Dollar Tree a while back. Now I'm kicking myself that I only picked up 1!! What was I thinking?

I wanted to stamp on it - but I wasn't sure what. So today, I just went with whatever grabbed me first. The Wanted stamp set jumped out and grabbed my arm! Just kidding. But it was the first one that caught my eye. I love this set! It is so versatile. Even if you don't like western/boho theme, there are so many options with this set.

I took my Chocolate Chip Craft Ink, and Elegant Eggplant Craft Ink and went to town randomly stamping on my apron. I love to stamp randomly. No one will know if you didn't mean to put that horse in that spot - nor will they know if you had a choice on where to put it. Just do it!

After I stamped my images, I used my heat gun on each area for a few seconds to heat set the images to the fabric. You could actually see the image shrink a little when it got hot! Kind of fun! Then I tossed the apron into the drier for 2 minutes to be sure the images were set. Done!

Seriously, who knew how cute a plain apron could be? Let me know if you try one!

Birthday Wishes

Here is a card using the soon to be retired Purely Pomegranate Love Note and the Circle of Friendship Stamp set. The stamp set will be available until August 10, but the Love Notes are only available while supplies last when the discontinued accessories list is posted on July 21. So if you want to add any of the In-Colors to your collection, get 'em now while you still can!

The Circle of Friendship set is part of the eScape bundle that is available until June 30. The bundle includes 30 Love Notes (in Soft Sky, Purely Pomegranate, and Very Vanilla), a roll of Very Vanilla ribbon, a Classic Stamp pad in Rose Red, and the Circle of Friendship stamp set.

We used the 1" circle punch to create a hole for the stamp to peek through to the front of the card. The ribbon is White Taffeta. And we faux embossed the front of our card using 1" circles in Purely Pomegranate. Add a couple birthday candles, and you've got a simple, cute, and fun card that you can't buy at any store!

Decor Elements brochure!

The new Decor Elements product line will available July 1! Ready to see more? Here is the link to the brochure! Be sure to come back and tell me what you think!! My demo pre-order arrives today. I'll be back with photos as soon as I can get them on my walls, photo frames, and anywhere else they might end up!

Backorder Report

For those of you who are placing orders this week, here is what is available but won't ship with your order yet:

104401: The 1-3/8" Circle punch will begin shipping the week of July 7, 2008.

Decor Elements is coming soon!

Stampin' Up! has announced a new product line. I am so excited!!

Introducing Décor Elements™. . . Stampin’ Up!®’s new addition to our Definitely Decorative® product line! Our Décor Elements designs coordinate with many of our exciting products, so you can combine them to make beautiful, handcrafted home décor pieces. Personalize your surroundings with a variety of exclusive images designed to create a customized, unique space. With our self-adhesive vinyl elements (which are easy to apply and remove), you’ll discover how easy and cost effective it can be to do your own decorating!

Here is a little sneak peek at some Decor Elements that you can add to your home on July 1st...

Want to see more?

Super cute, huh?!

I will be back later this week with a brochure that you can download and drool over for a while. You will be able to order these great products July 1st.

New stuff coming soon!

I just completed a training course from Stampin' Up! about an awesome new product line that we will be offering beginning July 1st. I can't wait to share it with you - but you'll have to wait until I get my samples (check back tomorrow for a possible sneak peek!).

In the meantime. Would you do me a favor and answer my new poll? It's over on the right side of the screen.

This will help me tailor my workshops and classes to better suit you and your desires!

Fresh Cut

These cards were made using the brand new Fresh Cut set. It is a great set. Perfect for quick cards, but yet you can also put more technique into it if you desire. I used a Very Vanilla Love Note card, and a bit of River Rock double stitched ribbon, and River Rock ink. The River Rock will be retiring - so get it while you can!

This is one of the cards that we will be making at the Out with the old, In with the new celebration.

This is the same set, but I used the Fresh Cut Notes. These are 4"x4" die cute notes that have a pretty flower cut into the middle. You can pull the flower petals off to reveal the inside of the card, or leave them attached like I did here. I rolled the edges of the petals up a little so they weren't flat. After stamping the background image, I sponged Apricot Appeal Classic ink over the top, and added a flower using my Five Petal punch.
You can get 15 of the die cut notes with envelopes for $5.00 when you purchase the stamp set. Or you can purchase the notes by themselves for $8.95. The stamp set is $21.95.

Na na na na, Na na na na, Hey Hey Hey, Goodbye!

After years of dedicated service, the following stamp sets from the Spring-Summer Collection are ready for retirement! These sets are available until August 10. They will NOT be joining us in the Fall-Winter Idea Book & Catalog. So check your wish list and get them before they are gone!

Forever in My Heart
Sealed with a Kiss
Never-Ending Joy
Give Thanks
Peace to the World
Block Party
Snow Flurries
Festive Favorites
Snowflake Spot, The
Peaceful Wishes
Eat Cake
Be Happy
Dilly-Dally
Dare to Be Darling
Greetings Galore
Artfully Asian
Perennial Favorites
Tagger´s Dozen
All Through the Year
Year after Year
Unfrogettable
Whale Wishes
Here, Kitty Kitty
Yappy Day
Sweet Thing
Elementary Essentials
Polka Dots & Paisley
Polka Dots & Petals
Wild Rose
Bud Basics
Just Like You
Two Cute
So Much
Blossoms Abound
Noble Deer
Wildlife Reserve
Happy Camper
Touch of Nature
Background Basics
All in a Row
So Happy
Big Pieces
Little Pieces
Sweet Shapes
Carte Postale
Trimtastic
Office Accoutrement
Labelicious
Create a Coupon
Stamp of Authenticity
Check It Out
Property Lines
French Flair
Weathered
Dotted
Flannel Plaid
Print Pattern
Flower Friend
Word Search
Amazing to Zany
A to Z Accents
It´s Your Birthday
Circle of Friendship
Much Appreciated
Monogram Lower A
Monogram Lower B
Monogram Lower C
Monogram Lower D
Monogram Lower E
Monogram Lower F
Monogram Lower G
Monogram Lower H
Monogram Lower I
Monogram Lower J
Monogram Lower K
Monogram Lower L
Monogram Lower M
Monogram Lower N
Monogram Lower O
Monogram Lower P
Monogram Lower Q
Monogram Lower R
Monogram Lower S
Monogram Lower T
Monogram Lower U
Monogram Lower V
Monogram Lower W
Monogram Lower X
Monogram Lower Y
Monogram Lower Z
Best Friends Alphabet Lower
Best Friends Alphabet Upper
Best Friends Numbers
Rough Edges Mini AlphabetsGlad Tidings
Snowfall
Make It Count
Little Bit of Happiness, A
Sweet Dreams
For a Friend
From the Garden
Spring Solitude
Thanks Tons
Infinite Goodness
Cause for Celebration
Time Well Spent
Older & Wiser

This list of sets is as complete as we can make it at the present time (accessories have not been listed), but items may be added to or dropped from this list.

Contact me today to place your order!

2008 Dormant List

I received the dormant list early! The dormant list is a list of sets that are available to order - but are not featured in the new catalog. So the good news is that they haven't retired. The bad news is that we have to remember they are still out there! These are available now and until January 18, 2009.

Ahoy, Matey
Beautiful Life
Best Kind of Friend
Big Birthday Candle
Blooming with Love
Bursting with Joy
Dad´s Day
Great Grads
Happy Heart Day
Hattitude
Hi & Hello
If the Halo Fits
Independence Day
Just B
Life´s a Breeze
Lovely Labels
Pinch Proof
Pretty Amazing
Pretty Petals
Riot of Petals
Seaside
Seriously Sassy
So Cool
Spring Pictograms
Stemming From
Thoughts of Father
To Have and to Hold
Tree for All Seasons, A
Warm Words


Check back tomorrow for the retirment list. The retirement list will feature sets that are available until August 10th. After that - they will no longer be available to order!

Out with the Old, In with the New

There has been a change in plans! The date for the Out with the Old, In with the New celebration has changed!! We will now stamp on Sunday, June 22 from 3-6 pm. You have until June 18 to RSVP. Please accept my apologies for any inconvenience this has caused. I hope you can make it!

Still no camera!

But I can give you another reminder about what will be retiring for sure! The Hodgepodge Hardware that is currently in the catalog is retiring. We aren't sure if they are changing the styles and colors or just doing away with them all together. Personally, I'm hoping they change the style to be like the Hardware that is in the Occasions mini! Yummy!

Got pictures?

I have a super cute card to share with you! But no camera to take a picture of it. :( The boys left for Kids Camp and took my camera with them! I sure hope they take lots of pictures for me to scrapbook their trip!!

So... My downline & friend Cynthia (*hi Cynthia*) and I are having an Out with the old, In with the new event on June 21st! We are going to have make & take projects featuring old sets that are retiring, and new sets that are coming in August! I've also got a bunch of sneak peeks of products that are coming out in August too! Of course, there will be prizes, and food too!

While we won't know which sets are retiring until June 15, I can tell you that there are a bunch that won't be retiring! It was announced earlier this year that any set that was new to the Spring-Summer catalog would be available for 1 year! There are 75 sets that were new to us in January. If you would like a list of which ones you can keep on your wish list for a little while longer, leave me a comment on this post with your email address, or you can email me and I'll send you the list!

What's on the menu?

I mentioned in my last post that I had a stash of alterables. We'll my project today came from that stash! It probably should have ended up in the trash - but I just couldn't get rid of it!

This wipe-off board is in pretty sad shape. Not quite sure what happened to it. But I knew I could fix it! Ha ha.

So, I grabbed my Ginger Blossom DSP and cut a 12x12 down to an 8x12.

I used the remaining 4 inches to cover the bottom of the board. Yup! I used 1 sheet of 12x12 paper to cover the base of the board! Woo hoo!

Then I grabbed another sheet of the Ginger Blossom DSP - but this time I went for a solid River Rock color. I used the chef from Voila! - well, half of the chef anyway. I colored his neck tie in with a Ruby Red marker. I then used my Best Friends Upper Alpha to spell out MENU. I stamped all of the images using Black Stazon - because that is what was on my desk at the time.

Then I took another sliver of the River Rock paper to hide the seam that was created when I put the two pieces of Ginger Blossom together. I stamped the Bon Appetite in the center.

And... Voila! (hee hee) I have created a super cute magnetic menu board for my kitchen! The black circles are magnets that came with the board. I may go back and embellish them a little. The best part of this project is that it took less than 20 minutes, and it is held together with SNAIL adhesive. So when I get tired of the colors or chef - I can change it quickly!

**Don't forget... this paper will no longer be available in August. If you want it - you should order it now! Once the retired accessories list comes out in July - it is on a first come, first served basis. There is no guarantee that you will get yours, as the supplies are limited! So if your heart desires this paper, or any other DSP that has In-Colors in it - you better act soon!

Would you like cheese with your whine?

Ok, so it's not really wine (or whine)... It's Dr. Pepper. But what's important here is the cute glass that I stamped! I used the Voila set and Black Stazon Ink on a glass that I had in my "alterables" stash.


It took a couple of tries to get the words to come out clear - and you can see they still aren't perfect - but close enough for me. The image of the cheese, grapes, and bottle came out great the first try! Woo hoo!
I added the tag with my initials and a bit of ribbon. How cute would these be at a family dinner, or bridal shower? Sometimes it is the simple things!

Mmm... Smores!

I'll admit it... I'm not a huge Smores fan. But when I saw traciac's July 4th project on Splitcoaststampers.com, I had to make this bag! You can see her bag here.

I first cut a white lunch bag down to my desired size. Then I used the Classic Stars Jumbo wheel with Night of Navy Classic ink on Whisper White Card Stock. Then mounted that to Night of Navy Card Stock, and then mounted that to Real Red Card Stock. For the tag, I used my 1-3/8" circle punch, 1-1/4" circle punch, and my small star punch. I added a piece of Night of Navy Grosgrain ribbon and tied it through the handle that I created using my Word Window punch! Cute, huh?!


As you can see... I have not made it to the store to buy the Smores ingredients to put into my bag - but I will! A couple of weeks ago, I found bags of marshmallows that were in individual bags. Perfect for these projects! However, my kids thought they were perfect for a snack - so I need to go get more! They came in chocolate, strawberry, and original flavors. I just might have to try a strawberry smore!

Ribbon Rub-On

The card is a CASE - but I'm not sure from who. If it was you, please stand up and take a bow! I love Soft Sky and Chocolate Chip together! Yum! The stamps are from Time Well Spent. An awesome level 3 hostess set from the Spring-Summer Catalog. The ribbon is 5/8" Chocolate Chip. Look closely and you will see white flowers on the ribbon. Yup, they are rub-ons from the Eastern Elegance rub-ons. I colored the word friends in using my Pretty in Pink marker.