Wednesday November 6, 2019...Retro Rewind Wednesday.....

This week I purchased an awesome retired Stampin' Up! stamp set from a friend who was clearing out some unloved stamps.  

I had never seen this set before, called Sassy Stems from 2002.  

I thought it was cute, and decided to purchase it to make some quick and easy, retro thank you cards for customers. 

Since it was a retired stamp set....why not use some retired cardstock and inks too....so here's what I came up with. 

 
The cardstock colors are Watermelon Wonder, Cucumber Crush and Whisper White.  

The ink colors are Memento Black. 

The Stampin' Write marker colors are Watermelon Wonder, Cucumber Crush and Soft Sky. 

The embellishments are also retired- the artisan pearls. 

Quick and easy....but fun playing with something new....and hand stamped thank you cards with handwritten messages to thank my customers for their orders.  Yay! 

Tuesday November 5, 2019...EVERYONE MESSES UP.....

I recently held a product based class for the Friend Like You bundle.  I was creating cards for this class and I was having "ONE OF THOSE DAYS!"  

You know....one of those days where the simplest of ideas is impossible to make happen....you know, where whatever can go wrong will go wrong.  Yep, that was me!

Now I am preluding these cards with this statement....these cards are far from perfect....and were a hot mess. Why am I posting these cards? The answer is simple....to show you that we ALL have "ONE OF THOSE DAYS" 

The plan for this class was to do three clean and simple cards, and three cards with one technique, and three more cards with a simple background technique ( I will show you the technique cards in a future post) 

So....the clean simple quick and easy cards.....

  Here was the first one of three: 

The idea was great....the execution....not so much....I should have used my STAMPARATUS!  

The background splotch is fine....but the image and the greeting are faded and had I used my stamparatus, I would have been able to stamp them again so they were dark and crisp.  

Ok fail number one. Don't sweat the small stuff Shel....move on....

Then I went on to the next card: 

Did I learn my lesson from the first card?   NOOOOOOO!   Did I dig out my stamparatus....NOOOOOO!

My splotch is once again perfect.....my focal image faded and sparce!  Darn it !  

And to top it off I stamped the greeting fine but hit it with my hand and smudged it across the bottom of the page!  

Man I was not happy! 

But did you know there is a partial fix?  Yep!  Take a couple of deep breaths....restamp the greeting on scrap card stock and mat it on black to cover up the hot mess.  

The focal image....nothing I could do with that....move on Shel...move on. 

Fail #2

So the final card for the set of three...

Again great background splotch....faded focal image and really badly messed up the greeting; that was once again restamped and covered up!  Geesh!  

Fail #3

Now I am gonna be totally honest here....after these three I simply got up and walked away from my craft table.  I was frustrated and mad as a wet hen.  

How could I  mess up three seemingly simple cards!!!  

Moral of this story:  No one is perfect....everyone messes up...everyone has a bad stamping day.....and if you have the stamping tools (stamparatus) PLEASE USE THEM.  

Yes they are a mess.....but life is messy sometimes.....and I like to show you all, that every one of us messes up. 

Had these clean and simple cards been stamped properly they would have been gorgeous....but I messed up three times! 

After I walked away, did some dishes and cleaned out my kitchen cabinets, I went back and had a very productive afternoon.....I just needed to reset.   

So when you have a bad stamping day....walk away....take your frustration out on dishes and cabinet cleaning.....reset....and then go back to stamping.....and remember.....EVERYONE MESSES UP. 

Monday November 4, 2019....Magnolia Memory Cards and More....gives new meaning to the phrase quick and cute!

 The cards that are featured in today's post are cards that were made in my Mini Magnolia product based card class last week.  

We had a great time creating cards with the Magnolia Memory cards and more pack, the Petal Pink organdy ribbon and the Magnolia Blooms stamp set.   

This first card  is a gift card holder.....the black portion flips up to reveal....

Cool beans!  I love this one.....took a bit more work than the others but everyone loved it! 

Next up....a simple no greeting card- use it for any occasion!  We stamped the magnolia bud images on Petal Pink cardstock and then colored them with Stampin' Blends:

Next, a simple magnolia bloom colored and fussy cut.....and a greeting panel that has multi-generation stamping:

Next, a clean and simple thank you card with one magnolia bloom:

Not sure what happened when photographing this one.....sorry for the faded pic.....but you still get the gist of it.....simple and special....a quick and easy Happy Birthday: 

And finally, a congratulations card with a jaunty angled knot: 

And just because it coordinates and is so dang pretty, one last look at Friday's Christmas card made with these same products:  

Magnolia Blooms Photopolymer Stamp Set	152729
Price: $18.00
What better way to say happy birthday, congratulations, or thank you than with a beautiful magnolia flower? The images and sentiments in the versatile Magnolia Blooms Stamp Set come together in an elegant way to express your heartfelt wishes. Also available in French. Stampin' Up!'s photopolymer stamps * Are totally transparent clear stamps for perfect image placement. * Have just enough give to create a perfectly stamped image every time. * Cling like crazy to our clear blocks so you don't have to worry about slipping. * Save space—you need only one set of blocks for all your photopolymer stamps (blocks sold separately). * Come packaged in cases with images on the spine for easy storage and quick reference. Quantity: 6 photopolymer stamps Suggested clear blocks (sold separately): d

Petal Pink 5/8" (1.6 Cm) Organdy Striped Ribbon	149441
Price: $11.00
Our Petal Pink 5/8" (1.6 cm) Organdy Striped Ribbon is a delicate organdy craft ribbon with Petal Pink edges. The ribbon is an easy way to add style to your projects. Tie it, loop it, wrap it, cut it. We have the styles you love in the colors you want. * Product colour: Petal Pink * 5/8" (1.6 cm) * 10 yards (9.1 m)

Here are the product details, direct from the brochure: 

MAGNOLIA LANE CARDS and MORE 
Product Number: 152728 
Price: $13.50 
10 double-sided designed cards; 10 blank note cards and 10 envelopes
folded card: 4-1/4" x 3-1/4" ; envelope: 4-1/2" x 3-1/2" 

Contact me if you live in Canada and would like to order some of these great cards: 
andersonshel@gmail.com or 204-452-9907

Saturday November 2, 2019....Experience Creativity Brochure....

This small brochure (just 16 pages) is designed for the Beginner Stamper, but is loads of fun for any stamper!  These kits are GORGEOUS!

Most of these products are exclusive to this brochure, and not found in any catalog.  Some of the products are complementary to other products/suites in the Annual Catalog.

These items will be available until June 2, 2020 

 Looking Up Card Kit

You can create beautiful all-occasion cards in minutes using the Looking Up Card Kit.
Perfect for everyone and every skill level!
Makes 15 cards; folded card size: 4” x 6”

Looking Up Card Kit includes:

• Looking Up Stamp Set
• Clear acrylic block
• 15 card bases: 3 each of 5 designs
• 15 printed envelopes
• Ink spot, embellishments, Glue Dots, Stampin' Dimensionals

Delightful Day Tags Kit

It will be a delightful day for the recipient who receives a tag and gift you make using the Delightful Day Tags Bundle.
The bundle includes everything you need to make fun tags plus Mini Pizza Boxes--the perfect packaging for a cookie or small gift!

Delightful Day Bundle includes:

• Delightful Day Photopolymer Stamp Set—11 stamps
• Tags & More Accessory Kit—supplies to make 10 tags
• 8 Mini Pizza Boxes
• Pretty Peacock Classic Stampin’ Pad
• Stampin’ Dimensionals
• Clear Block C

WATCH VIDEO: Delightful Day Tag Kit:

 

WATCH VIDEO: Looking Up Card Kit

If you're looking to "dip your toe" into the world of stamping, a card kit is the way to go. It has everything you need!

November 1, 2019....Fast and Fabulous Friday....

So...this happened!  Cute right!  

I was teaching a class last week that was marketed as a Mini Magnolia Product Based Class.  
The attendees prepaid for the class and I ordered in the products and designed ten cards using these products.  - I will share those with you tomorrow :)

The class used the Magnolia Blooms (mini photopolymer set); the Magnolia Lane Cards and More pack - both found in the Experience Creativity brochure as well as the gorgeous Petal Pink Organdy Striped Ribbon from the Annual Catalog.  

During the class I had an AHA moment....an idea popped into my head that I just had to try.....well this card was my idea.....why could I not make these into Christmas Cards simply by coloring the preprinted flowers with my Real Red Stampin Blends and adding a Christmas greeting!!!  

Here is a close up look at the Experience Creativity Brochure....it is chock full of simple and easy ideas and products that make gorgeous cards in a snap!

 Here is a close up of the cards I used.....my card was the one in the top left corner....the only change I made was to color the flowers which took about 60 seconds and stamped a Christmas greeting instead of the suggested Thank You. 

Here are the product details, direct from the brochure: 

MAGNOLIA LANE CARDS & MORE 
Product Number: 152728 
Price: $13.50 
10 double-sided designed cards; 10 blank note cards and 10 envelopes
folded card: 4-1/4" x 3-1/4" ; envelope: 4-1/2" x 3-1/2" 

Contact me if you live in Canada and would like to order some of these great cards: 
andersonshel@gmail.com or 204-452-9907

OCT 31, 2019....Merry Moose Bundle for Tips and Tricks Thursday....

I absolutely adore the Merry Moose bundle found in the Holiday catalog.  I love the simplicity of the images and the quick convenience of the coordinating punch.

Here is My Tip and Trick for this card:

For the moose, I stamped it all in Crumb Cake and then I reinked the body only in Soft Suede and then lightly spritzed with water before restamping the body....gives my moose an aged and mottled look that I love. 

CLASSES AND PROMOTIONS

Thursday October 10, 2019....Tips and Techniques Thursday...

Hello fellow paper crafters!  

Welcome to my Tips and Techniques Thursday post. 

Today I wanted to talk about " less is more"  

Whenever I am creating a card, I want it to be special, to be beautiful....and that means layers and bling and embellishments etc. 

Sometimes, I believe ....less is more.  

Check out this card.  It is simple....it is eyecatching.....it is different....it is subtle....it is beautiful.  And best of all...it is so easy!  

I believe that you don't always have to have a whole bunch of "stuff" going on to create a beautiful card. 

The card base here is Shaded Spruce cut at 4 1/4 x 11 scored at 5 1/2
The art panel is Whisper White cut at 4 x 5 1/4
The stamp set I used was Christmas Gleaming 

I stamped the holly image across the art panel using Memento Black ink pad.  
I colored the berries only with a dark Real Red Stampin' Blend marker. 

I stamped the ornament image on Whisper White card stock with Real Red ink and punched it out with the coordinating punch.  Next, I colored it with the Shaded Spruce Stampin Blend marker. I adhered the ornament with dimensionals 

I stamped the tag outline with the stamp from Merry Christmas To All stamp set found on page 68 of the Annual Catalog.  Next, I cut it out with the coordinating die. Then I stamped the Merry Christmas greeting using Memento Black ink and adhered the greeting to the card front with dimensionals 

To finish it off I added a tiny gold bow and a few gold embellishments for a bit of sparkle. 
found on page 31-32 of the Holiday Catalog. 

So...what do you think....is less more? Please comment on this post with your thoughts....good and bad....I value your input! 

 You have got to check out this GORGEOUS suite of products!  
The copper foil is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!!!  
Here is a quick peek at the products I used:

Don't forget to reserve your seat in upcoming classes: 

October 3, 2019....NEW CLASSES....and a FREE step by step card making tutorial for you!

Good Morning Everyone!  

Two quick items of business for today: NEW classes and a FREE tutorial!  

1.  I just wanted to pop on here and let you know that I have added some NEW CLASSES to the class schedule.  Check them out: 

Contact me to reserve your seat! 

2.  FREE step by step card making tutorial - enjoy!  

Note: this is a CASED card that I found on Pinterest (I think)  and changed it up a bit....problem is I have looked and looked to see where I saw this card; so I could give credit to the original designer, but cannot find it anywhere!  

 If you know whose design this is, please message me and let me know so I can give credit where credit is due. 

Right-click instruction sheet and click save as option- save to your computer or print!