Spend Time With a Friend: TGIF Sketch

March 14, 2023Leave a comment

Yes, this is the second sketch challenge in two days, and one that I dreamed about. So to stop obsessing over it when I should be sleeping, I had to stamp it to get it off my mind.

It started with the #tgifc411 sketch last Friday:

Then I looked at my stamps and saw the Warm Welcome set on my shelf that needed some attention. The door is just so inviting and the sentiment is ideal for welcoming friends into your home, so I imagined an open door and hot cocoa.

Take a look at the Enjoy the Journey Designer Series Paper and see it in a new way: through a window or door, it makes a great background! And the patterns on the opposite sides of the scenery are fun for wallpaper or accents. I even used a piece to stamp the “Hello” sentiment on.

The Warm Welcome bundle includes all sorts of dies that make creating an open-door policy fun…and you can color the small pieces (like the hands holding the mugs) with any markers. I used Stampin’ Blends (not listed in the supplies), but the images are tiny enough a Stampin’ Write marker would work as well.

Don’t miss the new BASICS 3D Embossing Folders (new to my online store); as a set of 3, you can choose from flowers, hobnail-glass dots or this very nice crosshatch design. It gave the background a subtle texture that helped pull the design together. Surely these patterns will be showing up in my crafting often.

Send this card to a friend and invite them over to craft and chill sometime!

Product List

Warm Welcome Bundle (English)

$50.25

Enjoy The Journey 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Designer Series Paper

$12.00

Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Thick Cardstock

$8.75

Sahara Sand 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

$9.25

Early Espresso 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

$9.25

Garden Green 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

$9.25

Petal Pink 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

$9.25

Soft Succulent 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

$9.25

Sahara Sand Classic Stampin' Pad

$8.00

Polished Pink Classic Stampin' Pad

$8.00

Garden Green Classic Stampin' Pad

$8.00

Stylish Shapes Dies

$30.00

Basics 3 D Embossing Folders

$30.00

Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine

$125.00

Three Twine Combo Pack

$7.50

Multipurpose Liquid Glue

$4.00

Stampin' Dimensionals

$4.25

Mini Glue Dots

$5.25

Sometimes it helps to see a few more samples with a stamp set, so here are some with the Warm Welcome bundle:

Pick Your Freebie Fast and Sale-a-Bration Challenge

February 17, 2023February 17, 2023Leave a comment

As Stampin’ Up!’s biggest sale of the year winds down, things start to sell out… yesterday the Dainty Flowers Designer Series Paper Sale-a-Bration exclusive product was the first to go. Have YOU picked your freebie yet? Don’t forget that you get to choose a product with each $50 purchase through the end of the month!

Thanks GOODNESS it’s Friday! The #tgifc408 challenge was to use a Sale-a-Bration product, but it’s too difficult to choose just one, so I chose TWO: the Thanks a Bunch stamp set (free choice with $50) and the Dandy Designs Designer Series Paper (a mega-pack that you could choose with a $100 order). TIP: When you order $150, you can choose both PLUS earn $15 Stampin’ Rewards! It’s a good time to stock up on adhesive, envelopes, card stock and don’t forget to check the clearance rack.

The Tailor-Made Tag was a terrific piece for my garden of carrots! Makes me want to pick one.

Have you noticed that long carrots are sweeter and tastier than baby carrots? You can argue, but it’s true.

Since I loved the layout of this card, I had to try it with a different piece of the Dandy Designs paper and another favorite new set… Sweet Citrus:

Two of the colors I used (Pale Papaya on the carrot card base and Fresh Freesia on the grapefruit card layer) are RETIRING in April. These popular In Colors are known to sell out quickly once the retiring list is released in March (if not before), so remember to add an ink refill for your ink pads and stock up on card stock or coordinating accessories now, while you can take advantage of free products during Sale-a-Bration, and before they are sold out, too.

While some of our Sale-a-Bration products are dwindling, there are additional items to choose from the annual catalog:

Product List

Thanks A Bunch Photopolymer Stamp Set (English)

$18.00

Sweet Citrus Bundle (English)

$49.50

Dandy Designs 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Designer Series Paper

$30.00

Tailor Made Tags Dies

$22.00

Mini Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine

$63.00

Pale Papaya 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

$9.25

Calypso Coral 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

$9.25

Petal Pink 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

$9.25

Fresh Freesia 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

$9.25

Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

$10.25

Pale Papaya Classic Stampin' Pad

$8.00

Calypso Coral Classic Stampin' Pad

$8.00

Garden Green Classic Stampin' Pad

$8.00

Mango Melody Classic Stampin' Pad

$8.00

Petal Pink Classic Stampin' Pad

$8.00

Fresh Freesia Classic Stampin' Pad

$8.00

Pale Papaya 3/8" (1 Cm) Open Weave Ribbon

$7.00

Fresh Freesia 3/8" (1 Cm) Open Weave Ribbon

$7.00

Three Twine Combo Pack

$7.50

Fun Flowers Resin Shapes

$8.00

Stampin' Dimensionals

$4.25

Sending Healing Thoughts

January 14, 2023Leave a comment

We are in the mid-winter months, when illness seems to linger just around the corner and we take our vitamins in the hopes that we can stave off a cold or flu. But when someone does fall sick, a message of love and support can let in a little ray of sunshine.

The In the Country Sale-a-Bration stamp set is a “sleeper” you may have overlooked, but it’s truly so artistic, it makes you look fancy. My image is watercolored on watercolor paper (go ahead and let the colors run together!) and I love that you can add any sentiment you already have to these drawings!

I paired my image with another Sale-a-Bration product, the Dainty Flowers Designer Series Paper. Originally I had thought to use some of the delicate floral patterns, but as I was putting my card together, I felt that the Starry Sky lattice design was the best choice.

Apparently TGIF Challenge designer Kayla McCreadie had the same thoughts for #TGIFC403, for you can see her take on the sketch using the same stamp here; isn’t it nice to have two ideas to use?

Will the “In the Country” set be a product you earn free before February 28th? Unleash your inner-artist and set the scene for any occasion with this exclusive offering you could choose complimentarily with a $50 order.

Product List

In The Country Cling Stamp Set

$19.00

Inspired Thoughts Cling Stamp Set

$19.00

Dainty Flowers 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Designer Series Paper

$12.00

Blushing Bride 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

$9.25

Rich Razzleberry 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

$9.25

Fluid 100 Watercolor Paper

$9.00

Jet Black Stāzon Ink Pad

$10.00

Tailor Made Tags Dies

$22.00

Mini Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine

$63.00

Water Painters

$13.00

Blushing Bride Classic Stampin' Pad

$8.00

Rich Razzleberry Classic Stampin' Pad

$8.00

Starry Sky Classic Stampin' Pad

$8.00

Mossy Meadow Classic Stampin' Pad

$8.00

Soft Suede Classic Stampin' Pad

$8.00

Gold & Vanilla 3/8" (1 Cm) Satin Edged Ribbon

$8.00

Stampin' Dimensionals

$4.25

Christmas Choo-Choo Card + October Announcements

October 4, 2022October 4, 2022Leave a comment

This week’s TGIF Challenge #tgifc388 was a tricky one indeed! A card WITHOUT a sentiment?! Who does that?

I couldn’t even wrap my head around it, until I found a loophole: No sentiment…on the FRONT.

Inspired by a project my friend Sue designed for our Fall StampFest, I pulled out the SANTA EXPRESS suite and die cut images from the Designer Series Paper to follow my “train” of thought:

See? No sentiment! Even the signpost has stars instead of words.

But untie the top and extend it out and the rest of the idea follows:

NOW we are cooking with coal! Isn’t that adorable? The only thing I did stamp was the sentiment, then punched it out with the Label Me Lovely punch and attached them all with Stampin’ Dimensionals.

Some folks like to create cards without a sentiment on the front so they may add the appropriate words when they need to use it. For me, it’s like singing a familiar song and STOPPING just before the last word! The suspense just *hangs* in the air until the final note is sung.

Hopefully, this card meets the requirements AND finishes the last note, once opened. I’ve listed the supplies after the announcements.

HEY! If you read all the way through on the day this post was published (Tuesday, October 4th), I’ve got one more surprise for you: FREE SHIPPING on orders over $75 today only! If your order is less than $150, enter host code XJM43JKB in your cart as you check out and you’ll be entered into my monthly host code drawing.

If you are ordering MORE than $150 dollars, you can be your own host and earn Stampin’ Rewards immediately:

I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t let you know that there is also a fabulous Starter Kit offer in October: Choose $155 in products for just $99 (the starter kit always includes free shipping!): START HERE

Product List

Santa’s Delivery Bundle (English)

$48.50

Santa Express 12″ X 12″ (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Designer Series Paper

$12.00

Petal Pink 8-1/2″ X 11″ Cardstock

$9.25

Real Red 8-1/2″ X 11″ Cardstock

$9.25

Shaded Spruce 8-1/2″ X 11″ Cardstock

$9.25

Early Espresso 8-1/2″ X 11″ Cardstock

$9.25

Adhesive Sheets

$11.00

Whisper White 1/4″ (6.4 Mm) Crinkled Seam Binding Ribbon

$7.50

Shaded Spruce Stampin’ Blends Combo Pack

$9.00

Mini Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine

$63.00

Paper Trimmer

$25.00

Label Me Lovely Punch

$19.00

Real Red Classic Stampin’ Pad

$8.00

Rhinestone Basic Jewels

$6.00

Stampin’ Dimensionals

$4.25

An Apple A Day

September 13, 2022Leave a comment

…keeps the boredom away! The Apple Harvest bundle is sure to inspire your creativity as it has mine; To be honest, the stamp set from the July-December catalog wasn’t really on my radar at first, but when the Perfect Partners Promotion introduced coordinating dies for the Apples, I perked up and paid attention! Fair warning: You may be feasting on many apple-inspired projects over the next few weeks.

Thanks to the #tgifc385 sketch, this was an idea that woke me up at 3 am:

Aside from the dies that cut out the apple images, there are LOTS of leaves (making it easier to cut out many at one time), a branch, different sizes of flowers that can be used on their own, a long label (I cut mine down to fit the THANKS sentiment), and my favorite: A double scallop! The scallop can cut a scalloped edge or a fine detail…like I used on my card.

Also being used a LOT in my current projects are the Iridescent Rhinestone Jewels…they pick up whatever color you stick them on and add a rainbow sparkle. Who can resist that?

There’s my inspiration – and to get you inspired, check out ALL the Perfect Partners pairings…but don’t hesitate! The coordinating dies (and thus, the bundles at a discount) are only available during September 2022 (or while supplies last).

Product List

Apple Harvest Bundle (English)

$53.00

Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

$10.25

Basic Black 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

$9.25

Shaded Spruce 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

$9.25

Real Red 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

$9.25

Gingham Cottage 12" X 12" (30,5 X 30,5 Cm) Designer Series Paper

$30.00

Stitched Greenery Die

$32.00

Real Red Stampin' Blends Combo Pack

$9.00

Shaded Spruce Stampin' Blends Combo Pack

$9.00

Petal Pink Stampin' Blends Combo Pack

$9.00

Bronze Stampin' Blends Marker

$4.50

Iridescent Rhinestones Basic Jewels

$7.50

Linen Thread

$5.00

Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine

$125.00

Stampin' Dimensionals

$4.25

Mini Glue Dots

$5.25

Start with a Sketch: Sweet Candy Canes

August 15, 2022Leave a comment

If your stumped about how to start a card, start with a sketch!

On my Facebook Live Lunchtime Crafting video today, I followed the #tgifc381 sketch:

And here is the card I created, using the Sweet Candy Canes bundle:

Following a sketch really gets me excited because you can start with what you have and make something completely unique!

Product List

Sweet Candy Canes Bundle (English)

$51.25

Sweetest Christmas 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Designer Series Paper

$12.00

Crumb Cake 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

$9.25

Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

$10.25

Vellum 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

$10.00

Real Red Classic Stampin' Pad

$8.00

Garden Green Classic Stampin' Pad

$8.00

Regals Stampin' Write Markers

$30.00

Mini Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine

$63.00

Linen Thread

$5.00

Stampin' Dimensionals

$4.25

Mini Glue Dots

$5.25

Stampin' Seal

$8.00

A Rainbow Through the Clouds

April 4, 2022Leave a comment

This unique card idea started with a color challenge and the piece of Vellum card stock sitting on my desk!

The #tgifc362 color challenge was vibrant and got me thinking about a rainbow:

Why not a rainbow through the clouds? The Vellum card stock gives the illusion of a rainy, cloudy day and the card almost put itself together!

It’s simple stamping anyone can succeed in creating, as you can see from my video tutorial:

Product List

Vellum 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

$10.00

Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Thick Cardstock

$8.25

Rainbow Of Happiness Photopolymer Stamp Set (English)

$18.00

Cloud Punch

$18.00

Gorgeous Grape Classic Stampin' Pad

$7.50

Coastal Cabana Classic Stampin' Pad

$7.50

Granny Apple Green Stampin' Pad

$7.50

So Loved, Ladybug

March 23, 2022Leave a comment

Crafting can be so simple: Stamps, ink, card stock…and a punch!

This card took me less than 15 minutes to make, from start to finish.

Paper pieces you’ll need:

Magenta Madness card stock base 4-1/4′ x 8-1/4″ scored at 5-1/2″, plus a 4″ x 2-1/2″ for top
Basic Black card stock 2-3/4″ x 8-1/2″ scored at 4-1/4″
2 pieces of Basic White card stock 3-3/4″ x 2-1/4″ to stamp on, plus 5-1/4″ x 4″ for inside card, plus a scrap to stamp the ladybug on.
Pattern Party Designer Series Paper (polka dot) 2-1/2″ x 4″

HOT TIP: Magenta Madness is retiring, so order extra card stock and ink pad refill TODAY!!

Inspired by the #tgifc360 #simplestamping challenge:

Product List

157699

$32.25

152500

$21.00

153080

$8.75

121045

$8.75

159276

$9.75

Pattern Party 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Host Designer Series Paper

155426

$18.00

153117

$7.50

147095

$7.50

132708

$6.00

In-Color Sunflowers in Bloom

March 7, 2022March 7, 20221 Comment

We are closing in on the end of the Annual Catalog, and that means we must say good-bye to the 2020-2022 In-Colors. Two of those colors are featured in the #tgifc358 color challenge this week and that got me dreaming of this sunny card:

During March, Stampin’ Up! has the Mini Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine on sale for 20% off, plus some stamp & die bundles are on sale that can be used in the mini machine…including the Celebrate Sunflowers bundle. I’ll share more about this tomorrow, but this is the card I created for the color challenge, using items from the Savings Are in Bloom promotion.

If you have **Bumblebee, Magenta Madness** (or **Just Jade, Midnight Muse and Cinnamon Cider**) ink pads in your stamping supplies, make sure you **order the refills** for your ink pads along with extra card stock NOW so you can continue crafting for a long time with these beloved colors! *Once the Retiring List is announced ON MARCH 23, those are traditionally the first things to sell out.*

Product List

154065

$51.25

150673

$60.00

153077

$8.75

115318

$8.75

In Color 2020–2022 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 CM) Designer Series Paper

155230

$11.50

Neutrals 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 CM) Designer Series Paper

155226

$11.50

153658

$7.00

133773

$5.00

115663

$3.75

Uninked Stampin’ Craft Pad & Whisper White Refill

147277

$9.50

129053

$30.00

Tab Topper for a Tied-Up Card Closure

January 3, 2022January 3, 2022Leave a comment

The TGIF Challenge last Friday got me brewing up an idea to share, and today I did a live video on my FB page to demonstrate this unique card fold using the Delightful Tag Topper punch to tie it closed!

As long as I was crafting, I wanted to use some new products from the January-June Mini Catalog and Sale-a-Bration that both start tomorrow (January 4, 2022), so here’s the first card I demonstrated using the Sweet Talk Designer Series Paper:

You can make this card with just a little space to write in under the top flap, or add a card that opens inside so you can compose a long love letter.

Then I flipped the card to a side closure and showed off the Sunshine & Rainbows Designer Series Paper that you can choose as a free Sale-a-Bration product with a $50 order. This cheerful paper coordinates with the Rainbow of Happiness stamp set in the J-J Mini Catalog, so of course you’ll want both!