Grad Card Money Holder

Hi everyone!  I've got another Grad card today.  This time it's a money holder card!  I saw a similar card by another Demonstrator named Rachelle Maggart and changed it up just a bit to work with some items I had on hand.  I used a new stamp set called "Bravo" which will be available on Monday at noon (MT)! 









 Best yet, it is a money holder!! YEA! Perfect for graduations and even weddings!  Change the stars to hearts and you've got a wedding card.

The base layer is Basic Black cut to 6 1/2 x 8 1/4, scored at 3 and 6.
See that notch?  It was made with the Envelope Punch Board! 

I placed the cardstock under the punch and lined the end up at 3 1/2. 

Once you've made the notch, line the bottom up with the cutting track on your cutter and snip off from the notch to the end.

The inside layer is also notched at 3 1/2 just the same as the base layer.

I rounded the bottom corners of the Silver Fancy Foil Designer Vellum, as well as the bottom of the front card flap.  This beautiful paper is from the Occasions mini catalog that ends tomorrow, but good news, it is carried over into the new Big Idea Book and Catalog! YEA!

I used these measurements because I had some envelopes that would fit this size perfectly.  If you've been around Stampin' Up! for a long time you may remember the long open ended envelopes?  But if you don't have those, you can make your own custom size envelopes using the envelope punch board!   You can also change the length up a bit to make them longer to fit dollar bills instead of checks. 

Here are some other versions that use the "Sassy Salutations" stamp set. 

Thanks for stopping by today!

Sign Up Special ~ Only $50!

Starting today you can join my Stampin' Up! Demonstrator team for just $50!  Choose any $55.00 worth of products to create your own starter kit. 

This amazing opportunity will only last until June 30, 2014, so take what you already love doing—stamping and crafting—and make a little money while you're at it!
When you join Stampin’ Up! during this limited-time offer, you’ll receive: 

• $55 US/$60 CAN worth of products
• A 30 percent discount on your first order*
• A 20 percent discount on all your orders
• Free Paper Pumpkin Kit
• Free entrance to our annual Convention* (must be registered by the 20^th of June)

Create friendships that will last forever and enjoy the benefits of fun, friends, and creativity—Join my Team today!!   
Have a Question?  Feel free to contact me, I am happy to help.

Congrats Grad!!

It's that time of year again.  Graduation time!  I have quite a few cards to send this year to friends and family so I thought I better get going on them.  Here is the first!  I used the set "Blue Ribbon" on this card.  I have to admit that I didn't even notice that there was a graduation stamp in the set when I bought it.  I was thinking it would be a cute set to use to make ribbons for things in my children's class, so the fact it had a graduation stamp was a bonus for me.  I was looking through my sets to see what I could use to make do, and was happy to see I don't have to make do, I actually have a grad stamp!!  This first card is being sent to someone who just graduated from college and I don't know the school colors or anything so I decided to stick with black and silver. 

I stared with the Ribbon Medallion.  I used the Starburst Framelits dies to cut out the base.  I got a little carried away and decided to add some more texture to the Silver Foil paper by scoring the starburst.  I kind of like the detail it added, what do you think? 

I scored approximately every other valley.

I used dimensionals to add more separation between the layers.

For the Background I used Gorgeous Grunge in Basic Black and Silver Encore Ink. 

I wanted something for the bottom corner and thought about a date.  I then remembered the new stamps from Project Life called "Day to Day".  This set has 42 stamps in all!! Yes, 42!! and they are photo-polymer so it was super easy to line up the numbers.  This is a set from the new catalog that starts June 2nd, but you can actually get it right now!  A select group of Project Life was released early.  You can see this selection in the online store here.  There are stamps, framelits, journaling card collections and more.  Check it out!  I've used the cards to make cards instead of scrapbook pages, and I have used the digital downloads several times already.  Very fun bright colors and the stamps are great!  I can't wait until the whole collection is available in June!

look how clear they are! Even through my very dirty clear block you can see them.  I use my grid paper to line them up.  I actually work right on my grid paper.  For my non-photo-polymer stamps I use the grid paper to do a "practice" stamp of words to see if they are straight or if I need to tip slightly one way or another.  The grid paper has measurements along the bottom, sort of a built in ruler to help you cut layers or get things lined up nicely. 

Well, that is the first Grad card! Hopefully I will be able to get more done quickly!!  Wow did time fly in May!!  Thanks for stopping by!!

MDS Blog Hop ~ What are we working on this May?

It's MDS Blog Hop time again!!  The MDS Blog Hop is our way to show you all that you can do with My Digital Studio by Stampin' Up!  Have you tried it yet?  MDS is my "go to" for so many of the things I use in my week.  I use it for making multiples when I need tags for party favors or thank you's for gifts.  I use it to create worksheets and flyers for the kids in my Religious Ed class, and of course I use it to preserve memories by making fun scrapbook pages and home decor projects.  This week my fellow hoppers and I are showing you what we are working on this May.  Hopefully you have hopped to me from Cori's blog, where I am sure you got some MDS inspiration.  If not, continue to hop all around to each blog until you make it back here, that way you wont have missed anything!! 
And now, onto what I am working on!!  Thank you cards!!

I decided to make up some new MDS thank you cards, which I use when someone buys the MDS software or downloads.  I realized I only had one or two left, and that they used some older SAB papers, so new versions were definitely needed.  I printed out ten of each card and I was super happy with how they turned out.  I just got them back from the printer and they are ready to go!

 This first version is actually a card that came with the "Just Believe" stamp bursh donwload. 
The template that comes with the stamp brush download is just the front side of the card.  I wanted to design on all four sides, so I added some more to the template.

Here is what I added to the inside.  I love that Stampin' Up allows you to add to all four sides to a card, and to change and add to the designer templates as well.
















Here is the back.  I love to always add my name to the back.  This is even more important to me when I design something digitally, because I want to be sure that the recipient knows that I made it myself.

Here is the second thank you card I made.  This one uses a the hexagon punch and some newer Digital Designer Series Paper from the download "Hello Perfection" download kit and class.  This download is great because not only does it come with some great papers and embellishments, but it also comes with a video tutorial showing you how to make a card and a page with this fun download.  That cute balloon is also part of the kit!  The Frame is from "Downtown Grunge".

Of course I did the inside of this one as well.  See that little digital tape at the bottom? cute! it comes with the kit too!

Here is the back.  I added a note to let the recipient know what kit was used to make this card.  I also added my blog address and the MDS logo. 















I hope that you have been inspired to try some cards with My Digital Studio!  And I hope that you will continue on the Hop.  Next up is Holly Van Dyne and I KNOW that she will have something great to share!

Sale!!!!

Look at the announcement on the Stampin' Up! demo webpage today!

Get excited! We are currently offering a 25%-50% discount on many of the retiring products. This will be live on May 22, but you have to act fast, as this special offer is only available for the until June 4, 2014. If you missed out on a product the first time, this is your last chance to get it before it's gone for good!

In my experience, items go really fast when they are "while supplies last" so I thought I better send this off to you today so that you can visit the Stampin' Up! store first thing tomorrow if there are any items you have been on the fence about.  

And, SAVE THE DATE!!!
My annual Retired Products "Garage Sale" is Saturday June 7th from 9:00 to noon.  details coming soon!!

Look up to Father

Hi everyone!  I thought I would make a quick post today as its been several days with out one! :)  It's the last week of school for my daughter and a week and a half for both my sons and things seem to be a bit crazy around here.  I wanted to share this card before it is too late to get the stamp!  The stamp is called "Look up to Father" and it is just one stamp, a big bold tree.  Love it.  I saw a card designed by another demonstrator named Ann Schach that I really liked and this card is inspired by hers.  I changed it a little, added some burlap ribbon and eliminated a card stock layer but it has the same feel as hers.  There are two retiring items on this card, available only until May 31st so get them while you can.  The first is the stamp, "Look up to Father" and the other is the embossing folder used to create the textured background, Square Lattice Embossing Folder .   The colors used here are Soft Suede and Always Artichoke on Very Vanilla.  I also wanted to make a non-father version and so I changed the sentiment to "Happy Birthday" using the Itty Bitty Banners set and matching Framelits.
Thankfully the Burlap Ribbon is carrying over from the spring occasions catalog because I like the rough texture it brings and the Natural look to it.

I used markers to ink up the stamp so that I could add the Soft Suede to the tree trunk.I then cut the image out with the  Starburst Framelits.

I used a sponge to go over all the edges of my paper pieces.  Sponging really softened the edges of the Hardwood stamp, and brought out the details and textrures on the Starburst Framelits and Square Lattice Embossed piece.














Look up to Father $10.95

Thanks for stopping by today!!

Flower spinner

EDITED MAY 2016!!! I thought I would come back and add a note to this post since it gets a lot of views even 2 years later! Stampin' Up! just came out with a new product that cuts the track for this card all in one step, as well as a different style track.  It comes out on June 1, 2016. It's called "Sliding Star Framelits" and there is a matching stamp set with cute stamps to make spin on the track, called "shooting star" because as you can guess, one of the images is a star.  Very cute set and die.  Page 91 and 192 of the new annual catalog.  Place an order on my blog June 2016 and I will send you a thank you made with this design! Contact me with any questions!
 

I saw this super fun template by Demonstrators Dawn Griffith and I just had to give it a try.  I have made spinner cards before but I hadn't made one the goes around and around in a circle before, cute right?
I made my version with some Stamp and Punch bundles that are retiring in the new catalog.  The products themselves are not retiring, just the bundle, so if you like them, it's best to get them by May 31st because they are currently 15% off when you buy the stamp and the punch together.  This card uses the Flower Shop Bundle and the Petite Petals Bundle. 

I made the spinner circle with the circles framelit dies.  It is so easy to line them up with the magnetic platform!

I raised the top panel off the base with dimensionals.  I found that the spinning motion worked a little easier if I made the dimensionals two layers thick. 

I layered two pennies with a double stack of dimensionals (cut in a small piece to fit in the track) and used a glue dot to adhere the pennies to the flower.  I placed the pennies into the outer edge of the circle, then added the center circle.





























The flower spins around as you turn the card.  Fun! This may need extra postage due to the pennies but it is cute so it's worth it right?  Hope you think so!
Thanks for stopping by today! 

New photopolymer set

Hi, I just wanted to let you know that there was a cute new Photo-polymer set released today. Endless Birthday Wishes.  This is the perfect set to be in photo-polymer, you will be able to line up the words and layer them perfectly.
Below are some cute samples made with the set from the Stampin' Up! website.














Also, Stampin' Up! has gotten a small quantity of the retiring In-Color cardstock that sold out so fast, so if you had hoped to grab some more Gumball Green or Raspberry Ripple, go get some while you can, I am sure it will sell out fast. 

Well that is my public service announcement for today :)  I will be back tomorrow with an actual project that I made myself :)

"Blending" the old with the new

Hi Everyone!  I finally got my craft room put back together after removing all the retired products I will be selling at my retirement sale (June 7th)  and making room for the new!  Of course one of the first things I had to play with from my Sneak peek order was the Blendabilites.  This is my first attempt at using them.  Blendabilities will be available for customers sometime in late July or August, have to admit I am not 100% sure on that, seems us demos loved them so much we pretty much wiped out the stock :)  But that will give us time to play with them a bit so that we can give you good instructions on how to use them too.  They are basically alcohol markers, such as Copics, but with an easy button.  You don't have to look up codes to see what works with what, they are sold in sets of three.  One color, three shades, so all the work is done for you.  I felt they went on pretty easily and I even used them to color the natural cotton ribbon and that was very easy too.  I used a new Stamp, Blended Bloom, which was introduced specifically to use with the Blendabilites.  Blended Bloom is a big bold image, perfect for coloring, yet an organic image so your shading doesn't  have to be perfect while you are learning the ins and outs of this new marker.

  I used a retiring card base for this card. I love the Watercolor Wonder Designer notecards.  They truly are lovely and a nice heavy watercolor paper.  You get 20 cards, 4 each of 5 designs.   I have to admit to grabbing a few packs of these, they will be gone May 31st :(   $12.95 for 20 note cards, envelopes included.








Thanks for stopping by today!

Pre-order goodies!!

Not much is going to get done around here today!  My order from the new catalog has just arrived and I feel the need to put it all where it goes and then spend the rest of the afternoon playing with the blendabilities!!    Fun! 
For those of you who have been hearing about the upcoming Blendabilities and want to know just what they are, here is the story.   For those that love to color, I am one of those, there are a few Stampin' Up! options like blender pens and ink, aqua painters, markers, all of which are great.  I especially love the blender pens and aqua painters.  There is another non-Stampin' Up! option that I have been hearing about for years but never tried called Copics.  They seemed a bit pricey and I am an SU gal so I never invested in them.  I have seen some beautifully colored projects with them, so when Stampin' Up! announced that they would be offering their own version of Alcohol based markers I was eager to try them.   Because they are Alcohol based, you can use them on things that our regular markers wont color on, such as clear acetate window sheets or even the pearls and rhinestones.  Another Stampin' UP! demonstrator called the Blendabilities "Copics Light" because they are like clicking the easy button.  The Blendabilites come in sets of three of one color, a dark, medium, and light.  You don't have to look at charts to see what markers go with which, the shades all come in a set.   A set of 3 markers is $11.95. Stampin' Up! has created a good video how to and I will link it as soon as it is available for customers.    Now, off I go to play with my goodies!  Well, I guess I will also put together some new catalog packets for my customers, you guys want to see the new catalog right? :)

MDS Blog Hop - Mother's Day!

 

Hi Everyone! It's MDS Blog Hop time again!! Yea!  What is an MDS Blog Hop?  Well, a group of MDS (My Digital Studio) users joined together to bring you fun projects using the My Digital Studio software. We all love MDS and we want you to love it too!  This week we are celebrating Mother's Day!  MY Digital Studio really came to the rescue for me this Mother's Day as I was asked to make favors for all the mothers who attend church this Sunday.   My project for this hop is really not very elaborate or difficult, its more of a project I think every crafter can relate to.  Party Favors!  I was asked to make a favor for all the Mothers who come to church this Sunday.   There is nothing better than MDS for making multiples.  I was able to make all the tags in just a few minutes.   


Here is the first box all finished.  I used retired DSP and brads, purchased from the Clearance Rack.   I love the Clearance Rack! I can always find great deals on Ribbon, paper and more.









I printed out several sheets of tags.  The great thing about using digital stamps is you can line them all up and space then perfectly so that you can cut them out with the paper trimmer quickly in nice straight cuts.

My second project is a little more fun.  I saw a similar project on Pinterest for a Teacher  gift, using students fingerprints, with a different saying of course :)    I looked through my digital stamps and found a tree that worked in the "Spooky Bingo Bits", sort of an odd tree to start making a happy Mother's Day project with, but I think it looks just great with all the finger prints added.   Next I added loads of Text boxes, one for each child and grandchild, and more for the saying along the bottom.   I printed it all out on Naturals White paper.  I used my Wild Wasabi ink pad to have people add their fingerprints.

 This is what it looked like before the fingerprints were added. 



















If this is your first stop on the Hop, be sure to go all the way around to see everyone's MDS projects!  Now its time to Hop on over to Holly's Blog!  I am sure that Holly has something great to share.