My card won!!!

I have great news to share with you! My card was selected as one of the Pals Paper Arts Artist Picks.

Here a link to the contest results! Pals Paper Arts

And here is where you'll find my original blog entry: Botanicals

My "Best Ever" Card - - No Stamping Required! (CPS135)

Today's card sketch is from Card Positioning Systems.



I didn't have a whole lot of time to make a card this morning, so I pulled out some leftover pieces I had from "Best Ever," a Simply Scrappin' Kit from the Spring-Summer 2009 catalog. These kits are marketed to scrapbookers, but you can use them for card making, too! Whenever you don't have time to take out all of your stamping tools, just grab a sheet of card stock and a Simply Scrappin' Kit. Add some patterned paper and die cut images from the Simply' Scrappin' kits to your cardstock and you're done! No stamping is required!

Stamps: NONE!!!
Ink: NONE!!!
Paper: Baja Breeze, "Best Ever" Simply Scrappin' Kit
Accessories: Baja Breeze Striped Ribbon

Click here to place a Stampin' Up! order!

And don't forget to check out my promotions! The Decor Elements growth chart special offer ends on September 30 (tomorrow!)

Pricing at a Craft Fair

I'm still debating whether or not I should participate in any craft fairs this year.

Here is one item I could sell: It's a set of 6 cards and envelopes, along with this little box to store them in. (I am thinking of stamping snowflakes on the box lid instead of covering it with designer series paper.)

How much do you think an item like this would this sell for at a craft fair?

Botanicals (Pals Paper Arts - PPA9)

This week's Pals Paper Arts challenge is to make a card based on this inspiration photo from a Pottery Barn Catalog. (I love their furniture!)

As soon as I saw the inspiration photo, I knew I wanted to use the Botanicals stamp set, an old favorite of mine that was retired a few years ago. I picked Always Artichoke and More Mustard as my main colors and Pumpkin Pie and Rose Red as the accent colors.

You might have noticed that my card is missing the usual bells and whistles. Well, lately I've been throwing ribbon and brads on nearly all of my cards and I wanted to remind myself that keeping things simple can be better! So I decided to challenge myself further by limiting myself to just ONE embellishment. I chose to use Stampin' Dimensionals on each of the four corners of the More Mustard square.

Did you know you can make 9 of these cards in a just few minutes by filling up a single piece of 12x12 Very Vanilla cardstock with stamped leaves and then trimming it into 3x3 squares? It's called the One Sheet Wonder technique and I will show you how to do this technique at my World Card Making Day class on Saturday, October 3. Hope to see you there!

Click here to shop Stampin' Up! online!

Watch the commercial for My Digital Studio!

Reminder: My Digital Studio launches on October 1st!




I have seen some beautiful creations from the training department and I am working on getting certified on this software. Come visit me in October and you can play with the software on my computer! Try before you buy!

Blog Update: Become a Fan on Facebook

For those of you with a Facebook account, now you can be my fan on Facebook! Facebook fans get discounts on my classes and free products with online purchases, so be sure to sign up!

Purse Scrapbook

I wanted to post something I'm working on. I'm still decorating the inside pages, but I couldn't wait to show you guys. Here it is:






It's a scrapbook that closes up (using Velcro) to look like a purse! I LOVE PURSES!!! I found this idea on Karen Squire's blog. My design is a little different from hers, but you can find her instructions here. Here are my modifications: (1.) I wanted a longer top flap so I cut it at 6" x 6" instead of 6" x 4". (2.) I used the Scallop Edge punch instead of the eyelet border punch.

Labels for your Card Stock Ring or Ink Pads

Hi everyone! I typed up labels for the 48 colors, 2009-2010 In Colors, and neutrals. I uploaded the file here so you can download and print them! Use these labels on your ink pads or your card stock rings. (For those of you who are wondering what a card stock ring is, they are swatches of every color that Stampin' Up! sells. It's great to have one on hand when you're experimenting with different color combinations for a card or scrapbook page.)



Use Avery 8160 sized address labels or equivalent (1"x2 5/8"). If you do not have these labels, you can print them out on a sticker sheet. You can also print them out on a regular piece of paper and use your own adhesive to adhere them.

Click here to download the labels!

After you have printed out your labels, punch out each color name using the "Word Window" punch. Peel off the backing and adhere to your ink pad or card stock swatch!

The dimensions of my card stock ring swatches are 2 1/2" x 3 1/2". To help me find colors faster, I added tabs for each color family using the "Round Tab" punch. Store your card stock ring in a drawer or box. It must be kept away from sunlight to prevent fading.

Click here to place a Stampin' Up! order.

Holiday Gift card boxes

I know it's only September, but I'm already starting to plan what I want to make for Christmas. Today I made a small box that can serve as a gift card holder. I started off with a box template by Lisa Somersville, then added my own personal touch by making a closure that buckles shut, using the word window punch. This little box doesn't require any stamping, just paper and embellishments! I used Ski Slope Designer Series Paper (retired) and Confetti White card stock.

A New Way to do Faux Stitching (Video Tutorial)

Hi everyone! When my gel pen ran out of ink in the middle of doing some faux stitching, I came up with a workaround using a White Craft Pad. Watch the video and let me know what you think of this technique! (I shot this with my digital camera so I apologize for the image quality.)

You can use any dried-out ballpoint pen for this technique, I just happened to use a dried-out gel pen because I had one.

Also, keep in mind that you aren't limited to using a White Craft Pad. How cool would it be to do some faux stitching in Old Olive or Real Red on your Christmas cards??? You can use any color, just as long as you use Craft ink!!!

P.S. For those of you who are wondering what 'faux stitching' is, what you do is punch a line of holes with a paper piercer and then connect the dots with a gel pen. It really looks like you used a sewing machine!

Hope you're having a great day!

Click here to place a Stampin' Up! order.

A New Use for Paint Chips

We've been doing a lot of painting ever since we moved into our new house so I've collected quite a few paint chips over the past few months.

Give your paint chips a new life by recycling them into your cards as background paper! Just cover up or cut off the name of the paint color so that the wording doesn't show up on your card. In my sample card shown below, I tore off the edges.

The stamp set used in this card is called "Upsy Daisy."



















Click here to place a Stampin' Up! Order.

Celebrate World Card Making Day!

Event: World Card Making Day
When: Saturday, October 3
Time: 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Location: My house, Yorba Linda
Cost: $5 or FREE with a minimum $25 order placed during the class
Please RSVP by October 1. (714) 693-0789 or lisa@stampinghut.com

It happens every day. You walk to the mailbox, pull out the mail and shuffle through a stack of ever-present bills and junk mail. But every once in a while, hiding among the dull and dreary envelopes, you find something that makes your heart beat a little faster and brings a smile to your face—someone has taken the time to send you a card. What a wonderful feeling!

World Card Making Day is a celebration in the creativity of handmade cards and the personal connection that they create when given to others. It occurs the first Saturday in October each year, and card-making enthusiast of all skill levels and styles are encouraged to come together and share their creative passion for the art of card making.

Now in its fourth year, World Card Making Day, founded by Paper Crafts magazine, is an effort to “unite and celebrate the connection and creativity that is the heart of card making,” according to the World Card Making Day Web site. “Creating a handcrafted card brings a special kind of joy. There’s joy in the process of creating, as well as in giving and receiving handmade cards.”

Never made a card? As a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator, I would be happy to get you started in this immensely fulfilling hobby. Please join me on October 3, 2009 at 2 pm at my house in Yorba Linda. We will make 2 cards. In honor of this special day, the class is just $5, or FREE with a minimum $25 order placed during the class.

Join with thousands of others this year to give someone a joyful surprise when they go to the mailbox!

Hope to see you there!

What I've been doing today ...

4:09 PM: The UPS man dropped off my Holiday Collection kit and other goodies. I'm working on making ornaments and gift tags. Will post again later tonight, I'm having too much fun right now to blog!!!

9:29 PM: Hi! I'm back. Here are some photo frames I made with the Holiday Collection kit. The Dazzling Diamonds glitter was messy to work with, but it was worth the added effort in the end.

Please note that this kit retired last year and is no longer available for purchase. Last week it was only offered to demonstrators as part of a special sale. Just another one of the perks of being a demonstrator!

Check out my promotions page and find out how you can get the materials to make one of these frames for free!

Have a great evening!

Weekly Sketch Challenge: Mojo Monday

Hi everyone! I found a really cool website last night called Mojo Monday. Every week, a new sketch challenge is posted and stampers submit their cards online. It's fun to see how different people interpret the same sketch!

Here is this week's sketch and my very first submission!
























I used the following supplies to make today's card:

Stamps: Pumpkin Patch (Holiday Mini Catalog)
Card Stock: Elegant Eggplant, Old Olive, Confetti Cream, Pumpkin Pie
Ink: Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, Basic Black, Elegant Eggplant
Accessories: Stampin' Sponge, Stampin' Dimensionals, 5/8" Chocolate Chip Grograin Ribbon, 1/4" Eggplant Grograin Ribbon

By the way, I decided to scrap the idea of having daily topics on my blog. I realized I preferred
to have the freedom to just post whatever I feel like working on!

Click here to place a Stampin' Up! order.

Build-A-Bear Exclusive

Stampin' Up! has partnered with the Build-A-Bear Workshop to bring you an exclusive line of stamp sets and Sizzix dies!

Need eight more reasons to love the Sizzix Big Shot? Four Bigz dies, two Sizzlits dies, and two Embosslits dies will help you make quick and easy projects that everyone will love.

Click here to download flyer!!!





















Click here to order Build-A-Bear and other Stampin' Up! products online.

Making Leaves Part 2

Tonight I came up with another way to make the leaves by running them through the crimper at an angle. I think this method provides more leaf-like results than the way I'd shown you on Thursday. So I revised Thursday's tutorial to show both options.

They look cute either way, but I personally prefer my "new and improved" leaves. I hope you like them, too!














































Click here to order Stampin' Up! online.

Medallion Wedding Card (Pals Paper Arts)

This is a simple, elegant card that I made for my cousin's wedding last month. It would also work well as a Thank You or Birthday card. I am submitting this design for this week's Pals Paper Arts K.I.S.S. challenge - - Keep it Simple, Sweetie! This is my first submission to their weekly challenge.

Stamp Set: Medallion
Classic Ink: Old Olive
Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Old Olive
Accessories: 1 3/8" circle punch, Stampin' Dimensionals, Ice Circles Rhinestone Brads






















Click here to order Stampin' Up! online.

Fall Stamp Camp ... TOMORROW!

Here is another project we will be making tomorrow. It's a Turkey Card! Isn't he adorable?

If you were unable to make it to stamp camp, book a workshop with me and you and your guests can make this card for free! Being a workshop hostess comes with lots of perks - - like getting a free Idea Book and Catalog, exclusive hostess only stamp sets, and hostess awards to use toward merchandise of your choice! Starting in October, hostesses can use their hostess awards to get the new My Digital Studio software for FREE. Contact me for more details!

Click here to order Stampin' Up! online.

My Very First Rubber Stamped Card ... created 7 years ago!

On Fridays, I like to post cards that I made with retired Stampin' Up! product. Today's card is very special to me. It is the very first card I stamped, and I did this at my friend's Stampin' Up! workshop back in 2002. I was "wowed" by the demonstrations of 2 step stamping, sponging using a mask, and watercoloring with blender pens. I had so much fun trying out all of the products!

My first SU! order consisted of the Fanciful Flowers stamp set, a package of Soft Subtles cardstock, and Perfect Plum and Pale Plum ink pads. I also split a package of blender pens and Stampin' Sponges with two of my girlfriends.

It's amazing what happened as a result of that party. One of the girlfriends that I brought to that workshop is now my upline! And my friend who held the workshop later joined my downline, and although she is no longer with Stampin' Up!, she is still one of my best customers.

Yup, this little Halloween card got us all hooked on stamping. I'm thinking of framing it and hanging it on my wall in my craft room (a.k.a. the Stamping Hut)!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Click here to order Stampin' Up! online.

Sign up for Stamp Camp this Saturday, 9/19!!! Spots are still available!!!

Attention stampers! I'm still taking sign ups for the Fall Stamp Camp!

Date: Saturday, September 19
Time: 2:00 pm - 4:30 pm

The class will be $25 which includes a copy of the Idea Book and Catalog (retails for $9.95). You will also receive a $5 off a minimum $25 purchase made at the camp. Payment for classes must be by cash or check, but product orders can be paid with a credit card.

Please bring your own adhesive. Stampin' Up! SNAIL or double-sided tape is recommended. All materials will be precut for you, so all you have to do is show up, stamp, and assemble! Snacks will be provided, too!
Here is a *NEW* sneak peek of what we will be making! I'll post some more things tomorrow!

This is a link to the other items I shared with you previously:
Sneak Peek

Click here to order Stampin' Up! online.

Stamping 101: Making Leaves using a Paper Crimper

Project Supplies:

1.) Paper Crimper

2.) Paper Trimmer with Scoring Blade

3.) Cardstock (Garden Green shown in example)

4) Scissors

How to create leaves:

Score down the middle of your card stock. Fold card stock in half.

Keeping the folded side on your left, begin cutting a crescent moon shape starting with the point at the bottom and moving up to the point in the center touching the fold. Experiment until you get the shape you like! The scissors I am using in this photo are the Craft and Rubber scissors.

With the leaf still folded, run it through the paper crimper.

Unfold your leaf! That's all there is to it.

Tip: You can run multiple leaves through the paper crimper at the same time, just be sure that none of the leaves are touching each other.

UPDATE 9-19-09!!! I came up with another (better) way to make the leaves. Run them through the crimper at an angle. See photos below. Contact me if you have any questions!!

Click here to order Stampin' Up! online.

Photos of my Stamping Hut

I recently picked up some great used office furniture that was only two years old.

I keep my ink pads and embellishments on my desk at all times. The desktop is quite large so I still have plenty of room for stamping. And I can even have one or two people over if they don't mind sharing the workspace.








The top drawer of the lateral file houses my holiday stamp sets, reinkers, and craft stampin' spots. I store all of my 8x11 cardstock in the bottom drawer of the lateral file.






My cardstock is sorted in alphabetical order by color family. Why by color family? It's because I used to keep my cardstock in four separate containers so I had one container for each color family. When I transferred everything over to the lateral file, I kept them in color families because I'm used to thinking that way. This system is definitely not for everyone, but it works for me.





The hutch stores the rest of my Stampin' Up! stamp sets. I'm still trying to come up with a better way to properly organize them.








Behind my desk are my punches and other supplies that I like to keep on hand, like my adhesive and Stampin' Scrub. They are stored on Bygel rails and baskets from IKEA. The rails come in two different sizes. Mine are the larger 39 1/4" size. This entire set up was only $13, including sales tax! I can't take credit for this idea though, because many fellow stampers have already posted this on the web. But I do wish someone had warned me that the rails do not come with any hardware! So be prepared to take a trip to Home Depot afterwards so you can anchor them to the wall.


Well folks, this concludes the tour. Hope you enjoyed visiting my Stamping Hut!

Click here to order Stampin' Up! online.

Color of the Day: Kraft

The color of the day is KRAFT. It's a neutral that is often overlooked because there isn't a coordinating ink color. Try using it with the new Build A Bear dies! Stampin' Up!'s high quality card stock is dyed with pure color all the way through, so you'll never get a white core.

Today's sample card uses Kraft cardstock as the base. To add some texture, I distressed the edges of the Old Olive and Chocolate Chip card stock with my fingernail. I also rubbed my Certainly Celery classic ink pad directly onto the Old Olive card stock.

The yellow moon was created using a mask. I cut out a circle and used the negative as a template when sponging So Saffron ink onto the card stock.

Project Supplies:
Stamps: Wandering Words
Classic Ink: Chocolate Chip, So Saffron, Certainly Celery
Card Stock: Kraft, Old Olive, Real Red, Very Vanilla
Accessories: Stampin' Sponge, 1/4" grosgrain ribbon in Real Red

The "Wandering Words" stamp set is from the Holiday Mini Catalog. If you need a copy of the Holiday Mini, you can download it from the right hand sidebar, or you can e-mail me at lisa@stampinghut.com and I will mail you a hard copy.

Click here to order Stampin' Up! online.

Card Template #2

Good afternoon, everyone! Here is your weekly card template and a sample card to inspire you. I didn't give dimensions for the exact placement of the 1 1/2" square and the 2 1/2" x 1 1/2" rectangle on the card. These can be shifted up or down depending on your choice of accessories.

Supplies:
Stamp Set: Simply Said
Classic Ink: Chocolate Chip
Cardstock: Bermuda Bay, Confetti Cream, Certainly Celery
Accessories: 5/8" grosgrain ribbon in Chocolate Chip, Soft Subtles Brads in Certainly Celery

Click here to order Stampin' Up! products online.

Scrapbook Layout #1

Here is a 6x6 scrapbook page layout for you to try. This layout is ideal for small photos.

My cousins had a photo booth at their wedding last month. The pictures developed in about a minute and fell out from a slot. It was neat to watch! Each picture measured 2" x 1 3/4". I trimmed them to 1 3/4" squares because I wanted to fit three images across the page and have some white space in between.

Dimensions:

• Basic Black base is 6" x 6"
  
• Photos: 1 3/4" x 1 3/4"
  
• Confetti Cream layering piece: 6" x 2"
• Basic Black layering piece: 6" x 3"
• So Saffron layering piece: 5 1/2" x 5 1/2"

Click here to order Stampin' Up! online.

P.S. I finally had some time this weekend to fix the banner at the top of my blog. What do you think?

Have a great day!

Projects from the 2009 Stampin' Up! Convention (Part 2)

Here are some cute gift tags made with the "Two Tags" Bigz die for the Sizzix Big Shot and the "Sweet Season" stamp set.

Try using Chocolate Chip, Garden Green, and Real Red on your Christmas projects.

Click here to order Stampin' Up! online.

Projects from the 2009 Stampin' Up! Convention (Part 1)

This weekend I am posting photos of the projects that Sally sent me to complete at home. All of these ideas are from the annual SU! Convention, which took place last month. Everything was precut for me (thanks Sally!) and all I had to do was put them together.


Ornament Card

Stamps: Sweet Season, Tree Trimmings

Card Stock: Kraft, Very Vanilla

Ink: Chocolate Chip, Garden Green, Real Red


I love the polka-dot grosgrain ribbon and the clear rhinestone brad on this card.

Sweet Things Treat Box

Stamps: Sweet Season

Card Stock: Old Olive, Real Red, Very Vanilla

Ink: Chocolate Chip


Treat boxes are quick and easy gift packaging for the holidays. They look cute on their own, or you can make a tag and tie a ribbon around it. That's all you have to do! Boxes are coated and food-safe. Set of 5 boxes for only $3.95.

Click here to order Stampin' Up! online.

Stamping 101: Stamping with Markers

Tutorial Topic: How to get multiple colors on a single stamped image using Stampin' Write markers.

Today I am featuring the "Simply Said" stamp set from the 2009-2010 Idea Book and Catalog.

The image on the left is how the floral heart image looks when stamped with a Brocade Blue Classic Ink Pad. The blue floral heart looks nice on its own, but wouldn't it be nice to have the option to have multiple colors for the flowers, as shown in the image on the right?


Simply Said Stamp Set
Item Number: 115066
Price: $28.95
All images copyright Stampin' Up!





Step 1.) Choose your marker colors. In this example, I have chosen Brocade Blue, Old Olive, and Pumpkin Pie.

Step 2.) Color directly onto the raised line images on the rubber, being careful not to overlap colors. Stampin' Write markers are dual tipped and you'll want to use the thicker brush tip when coloring. (The thin tip on the other side is meant to be used for writing.)
















Step 3.) When you are finished coloring, exhale warm air onto the rubber, as if you were trying to fog up a window. The moisture from your breath will dampen the ink just enough to give even coverage. It is important not to skip this step because the ink from the first marker may have started to dry while you were still coloring with your other markers.

Step 4.) Stamp your image and you're done!

Important Note: Do not try this technique with just any marker, especially permanent ones like Sharpies! Your marker *must* have water-based dye ink or you will permanently stain the rubber when you color it. Second, do not confuse Stampin' Write Markers with Stampin' Write Journalers. The journalers are waterproof and are meant for writing in scrapbooks, not stamping!

This week, take a good look at your stamp collection and take note of the images that would benefit when colored directly with markers instead of using a single ink pad.

I hope you enjoyed this week's tutorial at StampingHut. See you at next week's lesson!

Click here to order Stampin' Up! online.