Tidbits on Stamping Bliss #2

I am still all about color for this week. I know I will move on next week I promise! :) But I wanted to talk about the 2008 In Colors. Each year Stampin' Up! releases six limited edition colors to add to our already great collection. The best part is that these colors are very trendy and up-to-date with the latest papercraft and even fashion trends. These colors coordinate beautifully with our already well-established color families. This year's colors--Blue Bayou, Soft Sky, Wild Wasabi, River Rock, Groovy Guava & Purely Pomegranate--are no exception.

But like our other forty-eight colors sometimes it can be a bit hard to coordinate the colors. So I thought I would add a wonderful link to help you out. Here is a color chart giving you different color options for each of the In Colors. I hope this helps your next project. Happy Stampin'! Maybe it's a good thing it is so rainy, snowy and cold. I might get some stamping done this week!

March Stamp Club Meeting

We made two cute cards tonight at Stamp Club. I am so sorry that so many of you missed the meeting! If you missed out you can set up a time with me (before the 31st) and we will make the cards we made tonight or I can make them for you. Just let me know!

Since the Tidbit of the Week was about color I decided to experiment a bit with color. The first card we did was using the "Rock 'n Roll" and "Stampin' Off" techniques. We used the Tart & Tangy stamp set that I just can't get enough of, it is so fun. I wanted to use colors I wouldn't normally choose right away for this card. So I came up with Wild Wasabi (which I love so much that I bought a dress coat in the same color, talk about looking for inspiration in your closet), Night of Navy and Pumpkin Pie. They look great together and are so eye-catching.

Recipe: Stamps: Absolutely Fabulous & Tart & Tangy; CS: Wild Wasabi, Whisper White, Night of Navy and Pumpkin Pie; Ink: Apricot Appeal (inside of orange), Pumpkin Pie (outside of orange) & Night of Navy; Embellishments: Metallic Brads (silver)
Here's how to "Rock 'n Roll"
1. Tap stamp on light-colored ink pad. This is where we "Stamped off", we inked the orange and than stamped onto scratch paper lightly than moved to step 2.
2. Press edges of stamp in a rolling motion on darker ink pad, being careful not to ink the center of the stamp.
Quick Tidbit: Always use the lightest colored ink first to avoid getting dark ink on your light ink pad. I recommend staying in the same color tone or you can risk messing up your ink pads.

The second project used two of my favorite colors--pink and brown--I just love that combination. I added to it Gable Green and the colors reminded me of ice cream, YUMMY!! Thanks Susan for the color inspiration for the card, I don't think I would of added the green if I hadn't seen you do it first!

Recipe: Stamps: Define Your Life & Defining Alphabet; CS: Chocolate Chip, Gable Green & Whisper White; DSP: Pretty in Pink; Ink: Gable Green & Chocolate Chip; Embellishments: Chocolate Chip Twill Ribbon & Silver Hodge Podge Ribbon Sliders; Tools: Cutter Kit.

I will see you all at April's Stampers 30 Club on April 29th!

Tidbits on Stamping Bliss #1

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter! We had a joy-filled day spent with family and friends. As I was thinking again this past week of ways to make this site more customer friendly and helpful the idea of a weekly tidbit of information popped into my head. Please let me know if anything is helpful or send me a question that you would like to see answered in a future tidbit. I will try to post this each Sunday or Monday (but please forgive me if I don't quite succeed). :)

Okay, for the first Blissful Tidbit we are going to talk about COLORS!! Now as you all know, or should know, or are just learning, Stampin' Up! has fabulous colors. We have four color families--Bold Brights, Earth Elements, Rich Regals & Soft Subtles--which means 48 glorious colors. Add to it the Neutral collection and the In Color Collection, new each year and the possibilities are endless. Since everything coordinates so well it should be easy to put colors together, right?

How many times have you gone to make a card or start a scrapbook page and you get color block? You know what I am talking about, just like writer's block but this time you can't think of a single color combination that looks great. Or if you are like me, you get stuck in a color rut, where you make project after project using the same colors. So here's some great tips to help you out.

1. Look in the Stampin' Up! catalog and mini catalogs for unique color combinations. Don't be afraid to substitute one color for another.

2. Purchase the Color Coach (pg. 162 S/S catolog) for a huge array of color choices.

3. Look in your closet for great color ideas. What colors are in your favorite outfit? Or shoes? Look around your house at the colors you've chosen to decorate with.

4. Look in other magazines of cards, scrapbooking and papercrafts for ideas. Even decorating magazines have great color combinations to choose from.

5. Look outside or in a garden. God has a beautiful sense of color to inspire us!

So don't be intimidated by color block or getting stuck in a rut, look at the world around you and you will find all the inspiration you need! My color inspiration for this week is my fabulous new blog! By the end of the week I hope to have a fun project pictured showcasing these fabulous colors.



CS: Ruby Red, So Saffron, Certainly Celery, Soft Sky & Very Vanilla

Sale-A-Bration Maybe over, But the Promotions keep coming!!

Stamping Up! has released not one, not two, but three new promotions over the next few months! Not only was SAB great (who doesn't love earning FREE stamps, I know I do) but now the rewards keep coming!

Wild For Wasabi Promotion: From March 1 through April 30, you can purchase a specially-priced Wild Wasabi card stock pack for only $3.95--that's 16 sheets of pre-cut (4-1/2" x 11-1/2") and pre-scored (at 1-1/8" and 5-5/8") Wild Wasabi textured card stock that can be used to make all kinds of fun and easy cards and projects! Not sure what you can make? Here's a fun invitation idea with full instructions.

FREE Wheelin' Deal: If you haven't experienced the fun, ease, and versatility of our Stampin' Around wheels, now is your chance. From March 18 through April 30, when you buy a pre-selected stamp set, you'll receive the coordinating wheel absolutely FREE!

112848 Wonderful You bundle
Includes Wonderful You stamp set and free Stems & Silhouettes jumbo wheel $33.95
112851 Life's a breeze bundle
Includes Life's a Breeze stamp set and free Something Fishy jumbo wheel $29.95
112850 Pun Fun bundle
Includes Pun Fun stamp set and free Sweet Stars jumbo wheel $30.95
112847 Year after Year bundle
Includes Year after Year stamp set and free See You Around jumbo wheel $30.95
112849 Stitched Exotics bundle
Includes Stitched Exotics stamp set and free It's Beautiful jumbo wheel $33.95
112853 Enjoy Every Moment bundle
Includes Enjoy Every Moment stamp set and free Daisy Dash jumbo wheel $29.95
You'll be amazed at all the ways you can use wheels to add depth and dimension to your projects!

...And last, but certainly not least, the most exciting promotion of all!!!

Extra! Extra! Stampin' Up! hostesses get extra hostess awards March 18-April 30, in addition to the already fantastic hostess benefits!

From March 18 to April 30, Stampin' Up! hostesses can earn an EXTRA $25 to use toward Stampin' Up! products of their choice when they host a workshop totaling $350 or more! This extra benefit is included along with the standard hostess benefits you receive when you host a workshop. The standard hostess benefits include
A free Spring-Summer 2008 Collection catalog worth $9.95.
Free stamp sets only available to hostesses (with qualifying orders; select from the products on pages 19-26 of the Spring-Summer catalog).
Free Stampin' Up! products of your choice.

March's Extra, Extra hostess awards
$350 - $399 $40 + $25 $65
$400 - $449 $45 + $25 $70
$450 - $499 $50 + $25 $75
$500 - $549 $60 + $25 $85

So Email Me today and take advantage of all these great offers!!

New Blog Design

IT'S HERE!!! MY BEAUTIFUL NEW BLOG DESIGN!

I was never thrilled with any of the cookie cutter templates Blogspot offers, but not being very computer literate, I had no idea how to make it more personal and fun. Than someone sent me a link to Artistree Blog Designs. Rebecca, the designer is creating unique, one-of-a-kind designs for blogs to raise money for her adoption. I thought her designs were beautiful and quickly added my name to her list.

Rebecca was very professional and took all my ideas and wants into consideration as she designed my blog. I would recommend her to anyone!! (Plus it will help her bring her little boy home from China). I couldn't be happier with the final result. It is so much fun and such a reflection of my personality. I hope you enjoy the new blog and keep coming back to see what new ideas and projects I have posted.

Please leave a comment and let me know what you think!!

April Project of the Month Stamp Camp

TART & TANGY STAMP CAMP -- A sweet treat to give away or keep for yourself

Gift Box & 10 Matching Notecards (Box is in the center made out of Old Olive paper) Sorry the picture is not great, sometimes that happens when you are working on a Mac and everyone else uses PCs. :)

This is a fun project featuring the “Tart & Tangy” stamp set from the Occasions Mini. You will make the gift box and 10 notecards of 5 designs (2 cards for each design). You will also receive instructions on how to create the box and all the cards. The cost of the class is $25.00 per kit and includes all the supplies to make this project. If you belong to Card Club or Stamp Club the cost of the class is $20.

CLASS TIMES:
April 16th (Wednesday) at 6:00-9:00pm at My House
April 19th (Saturday) at 9:00-12:00pm at My House

You can purchase Take Home Kits of this project if you are unable to attend one of these classes or you can set up a one-on-one session with me at another time!

Space is Limited to 8 people per class so Email Me quickly to reserve your spot! You can also pay for your class fee online through Paypal. Just click the button below and it will walk you through the process! If you would like to have me complete the project for you and mail it to you (instructions can be included if you would like) than just click the payment button and specify that you want the completed project. The cost of the completed project is $25.

***Keep in mind that this is for the $25.00 class fee NOT the class by mail kit fee. See the post below for payment information about the class by mail kit. Thanks!!

SORRY AT THIS TIME THE PAYPAL BUTTON IS NOT WORKING: I will try to figure out what the issue is. Sorry for the inconvinience.

March Projects

We had a wonderful time this morning at the March Project of the Month Class. If you missed out there is still time to have a one-on-one stamping session or a workshop where I can feature these projects. Plus there is always April's Project!! I enjoyed "playing" with the ladies this morning. We had delicious treats for breakfast, warm coffee and tea and lots of ideas flowing around the table.

Our first project was this adorable card using the new "Summer Picnic" DSP in the Occasions Mini. I love the colors in this paper--Real Red, Old Olive, Bashful Blue and Pumpkin Pie-- plus the fruit designs are pretty cute too. I got to play with my brand new scallop punch which arrived this week just in time for my class and we learned how to make the scallop edge using the corner rounder punch (with the guard taken off).

Recipe: CS: Real Red, Whisper White, Old Olive, Bashful Blue; DSP: Summer Picnic; Embellishments: Black Brads from the Vintage Pack; Tools: Crafter's Tool Kit, 1 3/8" Circle Punch, 1 1/4" Circle Punch, Scallop Punch and the corner rounder.

Next we made the 'You crack me up card' pictured on the Project of the Month post below. That was a bit of a challenge at first but once everyone had the concept down it was a breeze. It is such a cute card! I love the stamp set-- A Good Egg.

Next we made the Peek-a-Boo Candy Pouch that was featured on Split Coast Stampers this week. It was a bit of a challenge getting the scoring lines just right on the base for the pouch. We just used scrap paper I had laying around (not really much of a recipe since everyone had different colors for their pouches.


Last we made the 2-5-7-10 Pinch Box. Since it was a Peek-a-Boo class we added a window to the box to show off the candy on the inside. Way too cute! I was inspired by another box I had covered with printed paper a while ago and that is what gave me the color palette. Although who doesn't love pink? The box proved to be a bit of a challenge but probably only because it was the last project of the morning. :)

Recipe: CS: Chocolate Chip, So Saffron, Pretty in Pink; Embellishments: White Grosgrain Ribbon, Tools: Crop-a-dile, Scallop punch, 3/4" circle punch, corner rounder punch (without the guard).


I cannot wait until next month's class! Keep checking back to my website I will post the information, pictures and dates for April's Project of the Month. Let me know how much fun you had ladies! If you attended the class and you post a comment before March 28th, you will be entered into a drawing for a free retired stamp set of your choice!

Chipboard Mini Album

Last night I had a workshop and the hostess asked me how to use chipboard. After some research on a fun and creative idea to showcase chipboard (I wanted to make something other than a card) I found a great idea. I made this great little chipboard album. Perfect little gift for Mom, Grandma or someone special.





Recipe: CS: Bashful Blue; DSP: Le Jardin; Ink: Chocolate Chip Craft Ink; Ribbon: Bashful Blue Grosgrain; Adhesives: Mini Glue Dots and Sticky Strip; Embellishments: Fabric Flowers (non-SU!).

I covered the covers with DSP and Modge Podge glue (decoupage glue). I sanded the edges using the sanding blocks. The oval shaped piece of chipboard on the cover (under the flowers) was covered with Craft Ink. Here is the link if you want to make this Mini Album. My album was slightly smaller than the one in the tutorial since I was using 3.5" squares of chipboard instead of 4". So if you need directions on how to modify the measurements for the album Email Me

Designer Series Paper Colors

I have had many people ask about the Designer Series Paper and the colors in each design. So here is the list. If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask. I hope this helps all of you as you are getting creative. If you need to find the list again (and it is not on the front page of the blog) than click on the label DSP Colors and you will go right to this post.

AZURE: Brilliant Blue, Very Vanilla

BALI BREEZE: Old Olive, Taken with Teal, Rose Red, Pumpkin Pie

BERRY BLISS: Purely Pomegranate, Pretty in Pink, Close to Cocoa

CUTIE PIE: Bashful Blue, Basic Black, Certainly Celery, Rose Red, So Saffron

EAST COAST PREP: Real Red, Wild Wasabi, Tempting Turquoise, More Mustard

FLOWERS FOR YOU: Certainly Celery, Lovely Lilac, Regal Rose, Tempting Turquoise

FALL FLOWERS: Old Olive, Really Rust, Soft Sky, Sahara Sand

GINGER BLOSSOM: Ruby Red, River Rock, Cameo Coral, Groovy Guava

JERSEY SHORE: Wild Wasabi, Pumpkin Pie, Brilliant Blue, Bashful Blue

LE JARDIN: River Rock, So Saffron, Very Vanilla, Always Artichoke, Bashful Blue

NOTEBOOK: Soft Sky, Kraft, Vanilla

OLIVE PRESS: Old Olive, Very Vanilla

PORCELAIN PRINTS: Blue Bayou, River Rock, Wild Wasabi

SPRING BREAK: Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, Blue Bayou, Soft Sky

SPRING FLING: Certainly Celery, Sage Shadow, Pretty in Pink, So Saffron

SPRING SILHOUETTES: Wild Wasabi, Certainly Celery, Soft Sky, Very Vanilla

WESTERN SKY: Ruby Red, River Rock, Blue Bayou, Soft Sky

March Project of the Month -- Peek-a-Boo It's Spring!

This is a fun project featuring the “A Good Egg” stamp set from the Spring & Summer Collection and so much more. You will make three Peek-a-Boo cards and a fun surprise Gift Box. You will also receive instructions on how to create the box and all the cards. The cost of the class includes all the supplies to make this project. I would recommend bringing your own adhesive to help the class go faster.



The card says "You crack me up" on the front and "Happy Easter" on the inside from the "Good Egg" Stamp Set.

CLASS TIMES:
March 12th (Wednesday) at 6:00-9:00pm at My House--$15.00
March 15th (Saturday) at 9:00-12:00pm at My House--$20.00*
(We will be making a bonus card on Saturday)*

You can purchase Take Home Kits of this project for $20 (add $6 for shipping) if you are unable to attend one of these classes or you can set up a one-on-one session with me at another time!

Space is Limited to 8 people per class so RSVP quickly to reserve your spot!

MICHELLE WEBSTER, Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator
E-mail me to RSVP!