2 more days to join at the Sale-A-Bration rates

Stampin' Up! has extended the joining special until March 31st.  Get $156 in products for just $99.   Then, enjoy a discount every time you buy, sneak peeks, specials and more!  I have been a Stampin' Up! demonstrator since 2005, and never regretted a minute.    Some years I just stamp on my own, as my only customer.  Some years I hold classes and blog and work it like a business.  That's the great thing about Stampin' Up!  You can do it your way!  Be a Hobby demonstrator or a business demonstrator, or a little bit of both!!  be all digital, all paper, or a little bit of both.  Join my team and I will help you meet your stamping and creative needs.  Click on the Join now tab at the top to join and pick out your custom starter kit.  Here is an older post with a few more details.    You can quit at any time, but you will love it!
If you want to contact me, please do, I am happy to answere any questions!

Everything Elenore

 

 
I made this card for a friend of mine, recovering at home.  It uses the Everything Elenore set.  I really like all the pretty elements of the Everything Elenore set. Normally when I use this set I choose muted colors or vintage type designs.  Today I decided to go bright because I really need spring to get here.  Winter has lasted way too long here in Illinois. 
The colors I used are gumball green, summer starfruit and rich razzleberry. 

I used markers to ink up only selected areas of the swirl stamp.  Then I turned the paper around and did it again.

I also used my marker to ink up just part of the sentiment stamp.  I wanted the "thinking of you" on two strips, but I needed them further apart than if I just stamped the whole sentiment and cut it apart.  You just have to make sure to clean your stamp really well after the first word so it doesn't show up on the second.

 

For the flowers, I inked the stamp up in Rich Razzleberry, then colored them in with a blender pen and more Rich Razzleberry. 

What you can't see is the Dazzling Diamonds glitter I added to the flower centers. 

And, here is a card for Easter, made at a fun craft night at my friend Charlotte's house.

I hope that you all have a nice Easter!

 

 

 

Quick and Easy Easter

Easter is fast approaching!  Wow! Time sure flies!  If you are behind, but still want to create something cute for Easter, MDS is here to save the day!  This cute ensemble is called Everything Easter.  It comes with place cards, napkin rings, a cute basket template and more.  You can also use the stamps and papers to make a cute digital scrapbook page with all the pictures you take of the actual Easter Day.  The Everything Easter digital ensemble is $14.95 item #129363.   You don't have to wait for the UPS person to deliver it to you either, just download it today, print out the pieces you want, and you are all set.  No tax or shipping charges on digital downloads! yea!

You get the "Every bunny" digital stamp brush  set, so cute, 9 papers, lots of embellishments, place cards, baskets, card templates and more.  I have some tips and tricks on my Digital blog.  Click on over to see more details.   

I used the premade scallops as cupcake picks.  They are sized to fit the scallop punch, so it was finished in no time.  Punch them out and add a toothpick.

Don't have My Digital Studio?  Try it free for 30 days, or, since it has a great new price of just $19.95, buy it today!!  You can buy a downloadable version (no tax, shipping or waiting) or buy the disk version.

Contact me with any questions.  I am happy to help.

 

There are other Easter kits available too! 

celebrate Easter kit #133474   $12.95

 

 

 

 

Stampin' Up! Fabric Frenzy

Stampin' Up! is having a Fabric Sale.  50% off all Fabric.  Fabric adds a fun element to your crafting, especially when it co-ordinates with Stampin' Up's exclusive stamps and papers.  You can use the Big Shot to cut out Fabric shapes to add to your cards and scrapbooks, or make a gift bag and matching tag.  So  many possibilities!

 
Thanks for stopping by today!!
As always, contact me with any questions! I am happy to help!

MDS Monday

I have been asked to be a part of the MDS Monday Design team! How fun is that?  If you follow my digital blog, you know that I love to use sketches and design challenges as a way to give my digital pages a starting point.  I have used the bi-weekly challenges at MDS Monday since the site started, so I was thrilled to be asked to be a part.  My First task was to participate in today's new challenge, an easy task since I would have participated anyway : )    Part of the challenge was to add a frame to your main image, but not covering the entire image.  Its a fun way to draw the viewers eye to your focal point.  Here is my first page as a contributor...

This was a two-page sketch.  I love the pennants.  I used a digital kit called "Celebrations".  This kit is full of bright fun stamps, perfect for kid party's for both boys and girls.  The pennants are a stamp that comes with the kit.  I used the coloring tool to color the pennants to match the circles in the background paper.
 MDS Monday is a bi-weekly challenge, so you have two weeks to complete it.  Why not give it a try? 
Don't have MDS (My Digital Studio for those of you who may not know)?  That's OK, you can try MDS Free for 30 days, or buy it for just $19.95, you will love it!

Here is the sketch...
As always, contact me with any questions! I am happy to help!  And, for a more detailed "how to" on this page, go to my Digital Blog, where I will show how to crop and color the digital pennant stamps.

This and That

Introducing a fun new product from Stampin' Up!!  A Smashbook/Journal/Scrapbook type thing.  Use it to capture memories and ideas as you go.  You can jot down thoughts, ideas you want to remember, a doodle or sketch of your day and a memory of times with friends.  But, its not as formal as a scrapbook, the pages are in the order of your busy life.  Keep it in  your purse to have on hand when you want to capture a thought or memory.  Totally fun!  And there are lots of co-ordinating products.  Check out the Video...

The Journal has a super cute hexagon embossed design.  The papers and stickers are in fabulous colors.  The washi tape is cute and practical, so you can tape down an add from a magazine or a menu from a restaurant, maybe a ticket stub?  And check out that date maker stamp! So cool.  I do need that.   I think this is a cute thing for those senior class trips or going off to college, a perfect gift. 

You can get it all separately, or save 15% off retail by getting the bundle.  I am doing the bundle, but getting an extra pack of paper and stickers because they are just so cute, I am sure I will want some for card making as well.   This will be in the next Big Catalog in July, but you can get it early at this special price now through April 30th.

As always, let me know if you have any questions! I am always happy to help. 

Easter Basket

We made these cute Easter Baskets at my Stamp Camp last week end.  They are very simple to make and I hope everyone enjoyed them.  I found them on a blog that I used to go to.  This Blogger, Rachel Ricks,  seems to have stopped blogging.  I think maybe she has had a baby, but I really like the things she used to post, so every once and a while I go back and look through the old posts.  If anyone knows her, tell her she is still an inspiration even though she is no longer in cyber world!   Anyway, here is her cute basket.  You can make it with any size square.  The smaller one in the photo is from a 6 x 6 piece of paper, the larger is 8 x 8.   The first thing you need to do is score it like a tic tac toe board, evenly divided into 9 squares.

Then you need to divide the end corners into three sections, all in the same direction.  The measurements depend on what size square you are using.  If you have a score board, its pretty simple to divide because you can count the notches in the board and work that way. 

Then you need to cut it like this.  The center squares stay intact, the corners need to have the three strips, and the center gets cut into a triangle.  I used my grid paper to find the center of the center square, then cut from the center to the corner on both sides.  I think this sounds confusing, so hopefully the pictures make this easy to follow :) 

Next you shorten the inner two strips by about 1/4 inch, on all four corners. 

Now you are going to start to fold up the sides.  I added just a little bit of glue stick to the tips of the strips, that way as I was folding up the sides, they sort of stuck just a bit so I could line them up and redo them if need.  I used a bit more glue on the inside of the triangle.  The top strips are straight across, but the second and third go up at an angle.  You may need to snip the tip off the triangle, and maybe even one of the top strips. 

Next punch two circles, I used a 3/4 inch circle punch on the smaller basket and a 1 inch circle punch on the larger one.  Fold it in half and attach it to the basket over the top of the triangle.

  

Use a small hold punch and punch a hole on each side of the circle, on both sides of your basket.  The handles are 6in by 1/2 inch on the smaller basket, 8in by 1/2 inch on the larger basket.  I rounded the ends of the handles with a corner rounder.  You will also need to punch a hole in the ends of the handles.  Use brads to attach the handles to your basket.

To hide the brad closers on the inside of the basket I added a strip of paper punched with the scallop border punch.  I also used ribbon to do this on the larger basket.  Open your handles wide and add sticky strip to the inside of your basket.  Then add your ribbon or paper.

I made a tag and attached it to the baskets with ribbon and bakers twine.  I added some filler and chocolates.  Cute right?  My daughter asked me make one for her dolls so they could have a picnic basket. 

Two Days left of Sale-A-Bration

There are just TWO more days of Sale-A-Bration.  Do you still have some items on your wish list?  There are some great new items in the Occasions Mini catalog.  Lots of great bundles too! Like the scrapbook bundle on page 31, Flower Fair.  You get an 8 x 8 scrapbook, 14 papers, 2 sheets of embellishments, buttons and ribbon.  I am saving this kit for the pictures I take in Hawaii.  There are also lots of new Framelits and stamps that are great additions to any stampers collection.   And, my top recommendation.....My Digital Studio!! Now just $19.95!  Grab some fun downloads too.  When your order reaches $50, you can choose any of the items in the Sale-A-Bration catalog FREE.

or

Join Stampin' Up as a demonstrator.  Chose any merchandise worth $156.50 but pay only $99.  Then, enjoy all the benefits of being a demonstrator.  Exclusive sneak peeks, demo only magazines and websites, discounts and more. 

 

Here are a few more Specials that are going on, as if that wasn't enough :)

The Spring Surprise Bundle is only $23.95   You get 8 stamps and a co-ordinating punch. item #133899 (English).   Already have the punch?  that's OK, the stamp set is also sold by itself.  A Round Array #129090 (English) $14.95.

Best of Flowers set $14.95  I love that large Hydrangea, and the flower that fits the scallop punch.   

Don't forget, the clearance rack items count towards Sale-A-Bration totals too?   

So ends the advertisements for the day :)  check back tomorrow for a fun Easter Basket project!!

 

 

New Price for My Digital Studio!

Stampin' Up! had lowered the price of My Digital Studio.  There are no longer two versions, old and new, just the one newer version will now be available and so it will be called simply MDS.  The now standard version will be just like MDS2+ and will now cost only $19.95!!  This is a super great price!!  I hope that many of you that have been on the fence will take advantage of this great new price and join me over at my "Beth's Digital Cuts" blog to see what you can do with My Digital Studio!!  Go back through my blog archives and see journals, placemats, stationary and fun family name frames.  I've made dozen of pages to inspire you and give you a starting point!  And, I will be here to help you out as you learn your way through the new software.   There are also lots of how to videos and sample projects at the www.mydigitalstudio.net website.  I love it and use it all the time.    And don't forget, Sale-A-Bration ends on March 22, so if you order now, and spend $50, you can add a FREE content disk to your order.  There are 2 disks in the Sale-a-bration catalog.  Choose 1 item from the Sale-a-Bration catalog for each $50 you spend.  There are also a few content disks in the clearance rack for just $1.00!! 

Contact me with any questions!! and go check out my digital blog!!

Come on, you know you want to make cute pages of your family and friends! :)

Spinning Pinwheel!

About a month ago, maybe even more, there was a card tutorial on my favorite site www.splitcoaststampers.com, that showed how to make a "Zoetrope" card.  I was intrigued, because I had never heard that word before so I had to check it out.  When I saw the spinning card I instantly thought it needed to be a pinwheel! Well, I finally got around to making one and after watching the tutorial it came together very easily.  And, it is super fun, anyone who receives it is sure to love it, my daughter has been playing with it for days. 
When you pull on the little tag, the pinwheel spins and spins!  So Fun!!  I used a 3D pinwheel, but I was reminded of a Stamp set that Stampin' Up! sells in the main catalog called "Sweets for the Sweet" that would be perfect for this card too, and less poofy. 

Those pinwheels would be great for this type of card, and so would the swirls.  You could make a twilight zone type of image with those swirls!  This is one stamp set I don't have!!  But, you better bet it will be on my last order before the end  of Sale-a-Bration on March 22! 

Here is a video of how it looks when it's spinning!  Fun right?

 

It gets kinda thick, so you might want to use one of those cute padded envelopes Stampin' Up! sells to mail it, add extra postage, or use it on an occasion when you can hand deliver it. 

Don't forget, ONLY A FEW DAYS LEFT OF SALE-A-BRATION!  PROMOTION ENDS MARCH 22!  call me with any questions you may have!


Thanks for stopping by!!

Birthday Pinwheel

This is one of the cards we made at Stamp Camp this past weekend.  It is bright and cheery, unlike the weather around here.  Today it is alternating between rain and snow, and the sky is grey.  A bright card is definitely in order.  I used toothpicks as sticks for my pinwheels.  The paper is from the Sunshine and Sprinkles Designer Series Paper.  Love that paper!! The stamp set is called "Wishes Your Way" and has lots of cute sayings that work with the Pinwheel theme, but could work with out it too.  I made the pinwheel with the new Pinwheel Sizzlits Die.   It's pretty small, so some people had a hard time getting that brad in the center, but its cute and worth the effort, IMHO :)  This card was so easy that there really isn't much to say about it, so I guess this is a super short post today!!  Which is good because I'm trying to figure out how to add a video to tomorrow's post of my spinning pinwheel card.  check back to see if I got it to work, the video that is, the card is great!  :)

Want to get 20% off your orders?

Become a Demonstrator!  OK, I normally don't push joining my team.  First off I am afraid of being "pushy" in general, so I don't even like to ask.  Secondly, I used to figure if someone wanted to do it they would ask about it.  But, this is a really great time to do it, so I am stepping outside my comfort zone to tell you all about it.  I love it, and I bet you will too!
The Starter Kit is just $99 and you get to choose any $156.50 worth of products for that price, now through March 22nd!  You pick what you want, and keep going until you find $156.50 worth.  You can choose all digital product, or stamps, paper, any combination you like. 

Why would you do it?
 First of all is the 20% off discount.  How nice is that?  If there are a lot of items on your wish list, this is the way to go.  There are also sneak peeks and early ordering and other perks through out the year. 
A website just for you!
Stampin' Up! demonstrators have a website all their own where we share ideas and talk shop.  The photo gallery has thousands of cards, 3D items, and scrapbook pages for you to get ideas from.  There are also How-to Video's and links to other demo blogs to gain even more inspiration.  There is also a bi-monthly magazine with card ideas and other articles related to all things Stampin' Up!  
You don't have to hold classes or workshops!
You can join just for the discounts and perks and not hold any further classes.  There are quarterly minimums for you to meet to keep in good standing, but they are low and if you are placing orders every so often anyway, you probably already meet the $300 a quarter minimum all by yourself. 
This is how I started.  I wanted every color of ink, paper, marker and ribbon.  I didn't want to start a scrapbook page and think, "I wish I had So Saffron", and then have to wait till my demonstrator had another class, (back then we didn't have online ordering-can you imagine!) For a few years I was my only customer.  But then my sister asked me to put together a stamping night for her girl friends.  They would pay $10 to make 4 cards and some would place orders and before you knew it, it was a bi-monthly thing and I didn't have to buy anything to meet my minimums (that didn't stop me, but it was nice to know it was taken care of).    Then, things grew a bit  more and I was able to get the things I wanted by using hostess benefits and other perks.  I am no longer my best customer and I make some extra money, too!  My sisters friends have moved on and I have a new group of stampers and new friends too.  My monthly classes are a fun get away for me.  What a great thing! I get to spend time online and in person talking to other people who like the same things I do!    But, its your choice to take your demonstratorship to whatever level you want.
And, I am always available to help you too!
I am always happy to answer any demonstrator and customer questions.  And, if you are one of my regular class customers, of course you would still be able to come to class! 
Here is a link to the Stampin' Up! website that talks about joining.  Then come back and click my Join my Team Button! http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/bethrush/jointhefun

Contact me with any questions!

Water Color Shamrock

Yet another Water Color card.  I did not trust myself to hand draw the shamrock, so I used a heart from the "Hearts a Flutter" set.  You could also trace a heart if you don't want to draw one and you don't have a heart outline stamp. 

I stamped my hearts in Gumball Green.  No need to erase the lines like the past few posts. 

Next, I colored the hearts in with Gumball Green ink, picked up with the Aqua Painters from the lid of the Gumball Green stamp pad. 

I took the Aqua Painter and added a stem.  Then I used my Gumball Green marker to add a line down the side of the stem so that it looked like the lines around the heart. 

For this card I sketched the word bubble in pencil, then erased it.  I filled it in using the Aqua Painters and Marina Mist.  I went over the image with my Marina Mist marker.  The Hello Stamp is from the "Oh, Hello" set.  I used the Versa Marker to apply the VersaMark to only the "Hello".  Then I applied some Winter White embossing Powder and heated it up.  I used the cute new Ribbon from the spring mini catalog and one of those adorable clips (also in the spring mini). 

I hope you liked all my water color cards this week.  why not give them a try?

See my Aqua Painter details at the bottom of Tuesday's post.  It gives you the details on cheap Aqua Painters and why you should buy Stampin' Up!  Learn from my mistake!