Ever wondered what it might be like to stamp with hundreds, if not thousands, of your closest friends?  Well next Wednesday (March 26) you'll have the chance to find out! 

Stampin' Up!® and I are inviting you to a big stamp-together party you won't even have to leave home for!  Just in time for Easter, Monther's Day & Graduations, party projects will feature the "All Wrapped Up" bundle from page 6 of your Sale-a-Bration brochure, (See the bundle here if you don't have that brochure handy).  And you'll access the party via live stream on YouTube! 

There's no cost to watch, but who wants to "just watch", when you can MAKE the projects along with us?!?  Luckily, there's still time to order your Make & Take supplies if you act fast.  And because they're conveniently bundled, it only takes a moment to order.  Assuming you already have basic papercrafting gear like scissors and adhesives, here are the two additional things you'll need in order to play along:

• "All Wrapped Up" Bundle (with wood-mount stamps) OR "All Wrapped Up" Bundle (with clear-mount stamps)
• Sweet Sorbet Designer Series Paper – ($10.95 value, but pick it as your FREE Sale-a-Bration item when you order your bundle!)

Then when next Wednesday evening (March 26) rolls around, tune in to the live stream at www.youtube.com/stampinupvideo.

And because we know everyone's busy, you'll even have a choice of time slots:  5:30 pm, 7:30 pm or 11:00 pm. (All times listed are Mountain Time, so be sure to make the adjustment for your local time). 

Watch on your preferred device:  computer, smart phone or tablet.  Or if you want to get really fancy and make it a group affair, gather some local friends and hook up your computer to your TV! (If you don't already know how to do that, I'm sure Google will be happy to help.  Just don't wait until the last minute to figure it out, lol.)

Click here to order your supplies (SOON, so you'll have them by Wednesday night), tune in at the appointed time, and get ready to be inspired!  (Oh! And did I mention you might even win a doorprize?)

Don't think I've ever shared my (huh, "PINK"…. imagine that?!?) personal desk accessories, have I?  I actually have and use several more than these pieces, but this is a decent representation. 

There's nothing at all fancy or complicated about these up-cycles.  The small paperclip can is a white-lined salmon can (from Costco), and I think toffees arrived in the larger can.  (I use an even larger can for my bigger, heavier scissors and long rulers.) The paper tray is technically just a custom-sized, double-walled box bottom* with a notch cut out of one end (punched with the extra-large oval punch – which, btw, is on sale through today as a "Weekly Deal").  The Designer Series Papers and ribbons represent an assortment of current and retired products, and the DSP's have been adhered to the rounded surfaces with Sticky Strip.

In addition to using these myself, I find these charming little treasures make thoughtful and inexpensive gifts that will actually be used, and it's fun to create a whole collection with coordinating DSP's and embellishments. 

* Stay tuned for an upcoming "Learning with Lynda" video lesson about a nearly math-free method of designing custom-sized boxes, btw. It's already in the works.

And Woo Hoo!  Just ONE more sleep until Sale-a-Bration 2014 begins – with something free for everyone!  🙂

One of the very first things that caught my eye in Stampin' Up!'s Spring (aka Occasions) catalog was the yummy Watercolor Wonder Designer Series Paper (DSP).  While the colors are not generally what I would consider my favorites, they somehow reminded me of rainbow sherbet, and I guess I connect that to warm and fuzzy memories of my childhood.  So maybe THAT's why I was so immediately drawn to this paper and put it on my very first order way back in early December.

Then a couple weeks ago I finally had a chance to work with it a bit – and here's one of the results:

I'm not sure why, but I think a square card is particularly pleasing to the eye.  Well, at least to MY eye, anyway.  And it had been a long time since I'd made a square card (because of mailing challenges, yada, yada, yada…..), so I was looking forward to working square again.

I think the coolest thing about this card is that it actually uses very few products: just the Peaceful Petals stamp set, Basic Black cardstock, Black Stazon ink, a Basic Black marker, Whisper White Organza Ribbon, and various pieces of Watercolor Wonder DSP. (Well, I *did* put a white cardstock liner inside.)

Each flower is stamped directly onto a selected section of DSP and then cut out "fussy cutting" style. For simplicity I cut off the little piece of stem on each stamped flower, and then once they were mounted onto the color-wash layer, I hand-drew the stems back in – in the exact location of the original stems, except extending all the way to the bottom. 

The front of the card is 5" x 5", and the smallest square (yellow color-wash) is 3" x 3".  Border dimensions are 1/8".

If you haven't checked in on the Weekly Deals yet this week, be sure to do so at my online store.

It’s a question I hear over and over and over again – usually delivered with some level of frustration in the voice:  “HOW can I get my clear-mount stamps to stick to their acrylic blocks?!?” In a perfect world your clear-mount stamp would always be coorperative in clinging to its block for as long as you want it to, and then politely releasing itself the moment you’re done with it.  But like all things in life, sometimes reality doesn’t quite equal perfect.

So if you’ve also struggled with your clear-mount stamps one too many times, hopefully these tips will help!

1. Just like you, your stamps don’t appreciate being cold.  So if you store your stamps (and/or their blocks) in a chilly garage or unheated room you’ll need to warm ’em up before they’ll feel like getting cozy with each other. So hold them in your hands for a while (I’ve even been known in desperate times to put stamp in one hand and block in the other – then cross my arms and hold my hands in my armpits for a speedy stamp warm-up)…… or rinse both pieces under moderately warm water, then dry with a paper towel. The idea is to loosen up that frozen rubber with some gentle warmth.
2. Your stamps AND their blocks must be perfectly clean.  Grease (including hand lotion), smoke, dust, animal hair, etc. will become a barrier between your stamp and its block.  So don’t grease up your hands right before sitting down to stamp (save the lotion until you’re done), and keep your stamps and blocks away from dust, hair & pet fur.  If a bath seems in order (for your stamps & blocks, silly – not for YOU…….), I prefer to clean my blocks with Dawn dishwashing liquid, then rinse well and polish with a paper towel. And if I suspect grease or other grime on my stamps, I’ll wash *them* in Dawn, too. Just be super gentle. Oh, and do NOT use Stazon cleaner on the acrylic blocks, btw.

Ok, so what if your clean and warm stamps STILL refuse to stick to their clean and warm blocks?  Well, then it’s time to check in on your adhering technique…..

1. The first thing you might try is to breathe some warm damp air onto both the backside of the stamp and the surface of the block.  Kind of like when you adhere a suction cup doo-dad in the shower or something; a little moisture helps.  But still no luck?  Keep reading…..
2. Next, place the label side of the stamp onto the block, lay that on a sturdy table or counter, then stand up, put the heal of your hand (or even both hands) on the center of the stamp and lean your whole upper body weight onto it for 10 – 15 seconds.  Then flip the stamp over (rubber side down; block side up), and lean onto the block for the same length of time.

If you’ve done ALL these steps and suggestions your stamp has probably given in and decided to stick to  its block buddy by now.  But in case it STILL refuses to cooperate it’s time to get really serious.  It’s probably time for surgery.

If you’ve made it this far and your stamp is still being stubborn, odds are pretty good that if you look at it closely from the side you’ll find that the label surface may be concave, rather than flat.  That is, cupped towards the label side and curved away from the rubber side.

(Above) – Arrows show daylight between the label side and block surface.

(Above) – If you lay the stamp upside-down, arrows show outer edges of stamp cupping inwards towards the label side and away from the rubber surface.

And guess what?!?  When there’s significant cupping present, there’s not going to be very much surface CAPABLE of sticking to the block! So it’s time to get out the Exacto knife and take a deep breath…….

On this next picture notice the fine lines I’ve cut in several directions – ONLY through the label, and trying to avoid cutting into the foam.  (There are actually many more surface cuts going in various directions through this particular label than show in the photo.)  I haven’t found that this harms the stamp in any way, but it releases the tension caused by the label – and allows the stamp to relax and flatten out.

And by eliminating the cupping, the now-flat stamp can lay perfectly snug against the block.  Yippee!  Success!

Happy stamp. Happy block.  Happy Stamper!

Try this yourself on a particularly stubborn stamp, and leave a comment if it helped.

Happy New Year to my stamping and papercrafting friends! 

I'm particularly excited about this upcoming year and looking forward to the many opportunities it holds….. and one of the things I'm *particularly* jazzed about is my new "Banner for all Seasons" class series! 

I'm going to be presenting a new banner class every month of 2014, so if you were to choose to participate in every class, you'd finish the year with 12 seasonal banners covering themes from Valentines Day, to Springtime, Patriotic occasions, birthdays, fall, Christmas and more. 

Here's a glimpse at January's banner – minus a few additional bling items I'm still waiting to receive from Stampin' Up! – but complete enough I think you'll get the idea.

 
This banner is built on a neutral base (the 4 individual pennants you can see here) to which the monthly themes will be (temporarily) attached.  Think of it as dressing up your basic banner for the occasion! (Your basic banner will consist of 6 of these neutral pennants…… 2 each of the 3 shown below…. and January's class will actually consist of a "two-fer":  preparing your basic banner PLUS creating the Valentines embellishments.)

Now here's the really cool part:  You can take this class regardless of where you live in the United States!

That's because I'll be offering it in two formats:

• My traditional face-to-face class where we sit around a table together
• And also as a "To Go" class, where your monthly class kit will arrive via snail mail (complete with papers, die-cut items & as many elements of bling as practical).  You'll also receive your step-by-step PDF instructions via email.

Now here's what makes this particularly time-sensitive, though:  The base kit (which consists of enough canvas pennants to make 3 banners, heavy twine for hanging 2 of 'em, and 30 stencils) is in Stampin' Up!'s Holiday Catalog, which expires tomorrow, January 2nd!  So if you want that banner kit (only $19.95) I'd certainly encourage you to place your order for it today.  That kit will provide enough pennants to make 3 banners, but if you'd like to make more than 3 (think gifts, maybe?), a refill kit with enough pennants for 3 additional banners is available here. BTW, I will provide additional twine for your 3rd banner at no charge when you take this month's class.

Here are some other details you might like to know:

Q:  What is the cost of this class? 

A:  The class itself is FREE, but you'll need to sign up to participate each month and submit a product order of at least $40 – using the monthly Banner Class hostess code – by the 10th of the month.  If you're choosing the "To Go" class option there will also be a $3 fee to apply towards additional prep and shipping.

Q:  Will my kit include absolutely everything I might need to create these monthly designs?

A:  If you are taking a face-to-face class with me, probably in most cases, yes.  "To Go" class kits will include embellishment papers, die-cuts & bling items as far as practical, but Stampin' Up! does not permit me to include stamped images, and of course I cannot include inks, stamp sets, or basic crafting tools, so you'll probably want to use your product orders to collect the items you don't already have.  I also highly recommend sharing basic supplies among "To Go" class members who live near each other.  Schedule a time to get together at a central location, and work on your banners together.  If you plan ahead, one person might provide one stamp set, another person another set, and someone else the ink pads, for instance.  A little planning in advance could be fun and beneficial to all!  Don't already know someone in your area?  Then start up a little "banner" group with your own friends! I can help coordinate those groups if you'd like, and if kits are delivered to a single location we might even be able to save each of you a few pennies on your shipping fee!

Q:  Do I have to join in January? And do I have to commit to participate for a full year?

A:  Unlike a "Club" format, there is no ongoing obligation to participate every month.  While I hope most WILL choose to do so, this series of "classes" will operate as any regular monthly class….. meaning you'll need to sign up monthly and submit a qualifying order in the months you want to participate.  The advantage of joining in January is that the Basic Build-a-Banner Kit will only be available through January 2nd. (And of course January is when the Valentines banner class will be available.)

Q:  What if I'm unable to get a Build-a-Banner basic kit by January 2nd?  I know sometimes Stampin' Up! puts retired products in the online Clearance Rack. If I don't order the Build-a-Banner basic kit by January 2nd, will I be able to get it for less in the Clearance Rack later on? 

A:  I don't have any advance notice of that, but it's always a possibility.  But it's been my experience that items do not reach the Clearance Rack until several months after retiring, and sometimes they never show up at all if Stampin' Up! chooses to do something else with specific left-over items. If you are unable to order a banner kit by January 2nd, you may wish to make something equivalent on your own.  The individual pennant sizes are 5" x 7", and you'll need 6 of them per banner.  I may also devise a substitute item at a later time if demand is sufficient, so don't count yourself out altogether if you miss the January 2nd date!  🙂

Q:  If I join in a month after a specific banner has been featured, can I get that class later?

A:  I wouldn't count on it.  While I MIGHT make up a small handful of extra monthly kits that I could offer for sale in that case, I will not be able to go back and recreate past kits once those extras are gone. Sorry 'bout that.

Q:  So I want to get started!  What do I do now?

A: 

Step 1)  Order your Build-a-Banner kit at my online store by January 2, along with any other products you want, that add up to at least $40 in product (before s/h & tax).  If doing this for January 2014's Banner Class, please apply Hostess Code HCYPACUY to your order (lower left of page once you add your first item to the shopping cart).  Other items you may wish to consider ordering if you won't be meeting face-to-face with me include:  Rhinestones, Glue Dots, SNAIL & refill, Sponge Daubers, Soft Suede Classic ink pad, Early Espresso Classic ink pad, Stampin' Dimensionals, Grid Paper, Stamping Sponges, and other papercrafting basics you may need such as scissors, bone folder, paper trimmer, etc. It's likely that most of you already have many of those items.

Step 2)  Email me to let me know you want to participate in January's Banner Class, and whether you'll need a "To Go" kit. (Eventually I'll get an online system set up to make this process easier, but for now we'll work via individual email.)  If you're in the Post Falls, ID (or surrounding) area and you'd prefer to host or attend a face-to-face class, let me know that too, and we'll set it up!  🙂

A few days ago I posted several handmade Christmas cards I'd received this season, and here are a couple more.  My photography's no better, so just know these are much prettier in person.

No easy feat to get the focal point lined up exactly with the punched hole, huh, Kathy?  Seems that might have taken some Stamp-a-ma-jigging and/or template-making.  Cool!

And I think the word "tidbits" comes to mind on Kevin's totally-textured card.  This is actually a standard-size card, but turning it at an angle to capture the dimension messed with the perspective – making it look tall and narrow.  (Note to self: remember to stand at an angle, lol.) This must have been a fun card to design and assemble.

Big thanks to all who shared their holiday artwork with me!  🙂

One of the privileges of doing what I do is receiving handmade cards from my friends.  Today I'd like to share some of the wonderful handmade Christmas cards that have arrived here this season….. and I'll post more soon. 

All of these cards are much more beautiful in real life than I've been able to capture on camera.  That's because trying to balance light vs. shadow (to show depth and texture) along with accurate color/exposure – is an art I haven't yet perfected.  So my apologies for being a VERY amateur photographer, but thank you, ladies, for thinking of me!

Carolyn's deer is Rudolph.  How do I know?  Well, he has a shiny red gem on his nose!

Dee is a knitter, and tells me her knitting friends really enjoyed her card this year. BTW, that's white embossing on the red cardstock!

Lots of texture on Kathy's jolly card!  A particularly tough one to photograph with all its contrast, but doesn't it just make you grin?!?

Big hugs to all my stampin' friends, and Merry Christmas!  More cards to follow….

I can hardly believe it, but we recently celebrated my grand-daughter's first birthday!  Because I'd learned through Stampin' Up!® that the metallics silver and gold will continue to be a trend into 2014, I picked out some adorable clothing pieces in cream and black….. and gold.  Yep, that's right – not a blip of frilly pink anywhere in the batch, lol!

But then, gifts bought, it was time to think about packaging, of course.  I'd known immediately that I wanted to use this cream and gold top (and black & gold pants) for my packaging inspiration, so I began looking for a vanilla gift sack that I could doll up with my stampin' stuff.  But alas, no vanilla or cream sacks were to be found.  But in my search I ran across this darling little number with its black velvet band and cream grograin bow, and couldn't take my eyes off it.  I remember thinking how unusual for a one-year-old's birthday, but I figured I could make it would work.  As long as I added some gold to the mix, that is….

But there were still a couple of points that required some creativity to address. 

Challenge #1 was that even though I'd chosen the smallest size of this bag, several folded pieces of  clothing for a one-year-old still only filled the bag half way up.  And just as there had been no vanilla or cream bags available – likewise, there was no vanilla or creme tissue paper to fill up the empty space.  So I grabbed my bone folder and curled up a bunch of strips of Very Vanilla and Basic Black cardstock, along with some gold foil paper (from the Holiday Catalog). First dilemma resolved!

Challenge #2 was to figure out how to get gold glittery stars for the card.  Embossing wouldn't yield quite the glitz I had in mind, and although Stampin' Up! sells real pretty silver, champagne and red glimmer papers, I wanted true "gold"!  So I smooshed ink directly from my Gold Encore ink pad (on sale through 12/23/2013!) generously all over a 1/4-sheet of Very Vanilla cardstock.  Then while that was still wet I covered the entire surface with Heat & Stick powder….. then heated with my heat tool JUST until it melted and became sticky.  Then I poured gold glitter (again, from the Holiday Catalog – and also on sale through 12/23/2013) all over that ….. then hit it again with a burst of heat to set it.  Voila!  Gold glimmer paper!  🙂

Next, I laid that face-down on the Stars #2 Bigz die we used to sell until it retired a while back…. and that gave me the stars I glued to the front of the card.  That is, AFTER I stamped gold spatters from the Gorgeous Grunge stamp set, that is. 

Oh! And the sentiment elements are from one of my very favorite versatile stamp sets:  Memorable Moments

Merry Christmas!

While assembling some cards this morning I found myself applying a technique I use all the time to correct a common challenge, so I figured I'd share it here while I was thinking about it:

You know when you wrap a ribbon around an upper layer for your card…. and anchor it down on the back side with SNAIL adhesive…… but 3 days after you've finished your card that nice snug ribbon you'd carefully attached suddenly seems a bit slack?  And then shortly after that, one of the ends has completely come untucked from behind that layer? Darn! WHY does that always happen?!?

Well, what's going on is that the ribbon ends are under stress being unnaturally bent around that layer of cardstock, and SNAIL is not a strong enough adhesive to win out over the long haul against elements that are heavy or under constant stress. (Same reason you wouldn't choose SNAIL adhesive to assemble a box.)

So the solution is to use an alternate type of (stronger) adhesive on those ribbon ends.  I used to advise a layer of Sticky Strip placed parallel to the edge of the cardstock as shown along the left edge of my 2nd example. (Don't forget to peel off the red cover before adhering to the card base, of course!) 

But Sticky Strip is a bit pricey and requires more application dexterity than the simpler version I usually use now:  a quick squirt of Tombow Multi-purpose Glue as shown on the ribbon end on the right.  Once that is attached to your card base and the glue dries, that ribbon end is not going anywhere!  

So try using the SNAIL adhesive just long enough to set the ribbon ends in place after wrapping them around to the back, and then add a squirt of Tombow Multi-purpose Glue on each ribbon end as you anchor that upper layer onto your card base.

And let me know what you think!

It's that time of year again:  Digital Scrapbooking Days (Nov. 1 – 8).  And like every year, Stampin' Up! is celebrating over on www.MyDigitalStudio.net!

If you're into digital design (and specifically MDS, of course), you'll want to check in daily (to the blog there) to see what's in store each day.  Every day you'll find a different featured discounted download, and if you hurry today, there's even a free digital stamp set!  (Grab it quick at my store here.)  If it doesn't look familiar, it's because it's brand-new!

And more deals worth celebrating include 30% off a bunch of print products…. as well as other digital downloads.  So head on over to www.MyDigitalStudio.net and join the celebration!

Sweet Paper Dreams,