Vintage Leaves #3

Here's another beauty using Vintage Leaves:

I admit that this one was totally CASEd from Teneale Williams. I didn't change a thing - hers was simply gorgeous! I didn't read her post to see how she did it, but I used a plain acrylic block to make the square... just inked that thing right up!

Blessings to you,
Michele

Vintage Leaves

I promised to show you the other Vintage Leaves cards we made at my last workshop... here's the next one:

This one makes me think of how our own aspen trees are starting to turn golden! I simply stamped the leaves onto Whisper White using Crushed Curry, then used an Aquapainter and swiped a little bit of Pumpkin Pie onto the edges of them for more color. I am SO HAPPY that Stampin' Up! gave us the thick Whisper White cardstock for the bases! I always have loved the clean look of white cards, but have never been totally satisfied using the thin Whisper White. Now I can make them all the time! Love it!!

Have a great weekend,
Michele

Autumn Birthdays

I'm thoroughly enjoying the Vintage Leaves set and decided to do an Autumn Birthdays themed class. Here is one of the cards we'll be making:

This was made by sponging some different colors onto a Hello Honey leaf and then spritzing it with alcohol and crumpling it up. It makes a gorgeous centerpiece for any card.

Enjoy the rest of your week!
Michele

Happy Birthday, Mom!

My mom celebrated a birthday last week and this was the card I sent to her:

This was CASEd directly from a card that I made during a make-n-take at Convention. I loved it because it demonstrates how you can achieve a beautiful shaded look by using an Aquapainter and the Reinkers. Here is the inside:

After my mom received it, she sent me this picture saying that my card looks just like the last flower in a birthday bouquet she had received:

Cool, huh?! It feels so good to be able to carve out time to stamp again! I hope you're able to do the same!

-Michele

Paper Pumpkin - 50% OFF!!

Yes, I know it's been a long, LONG time since I've posted!! If you could look at my calendar over the last few months, you'd understand. I feel like I've circumnavigated the globe twice in a 3-month span!

But, I'm BACK! And I'm so glad for that! In fact, my last trip was to Salt Lake City for the annual Stampin' Up! Convention, and it ALWAYS gets me so pumped up and ready to go! I love my job... even after all these years! I hope you don't take my absence to mean that I don't... it just has the luxury of being able to be set aside while I catch up on life. (How many jobs can do that?!)

Okay, so while I was at Convention, I got a sneak peek of the next two Paper Pumpkin kits and they are A-W-E-S-O-M-E!!! If you've never signed up for Paper Pumpkin, or if you dropped your subscription along the way, or if you want a really cool gift idea, you need to sign up before August 10th!! (The August kit is especially fabulous and I don't want you to miss it!!)

To make it even more enticing, Stampin' Up! is offering first-time subscribers 50% off your first two months! 

This offer is good through September 10th, but again, I'd like you to take advantage of it before August 10th so you don't miss out on August's extra beautiful kit!!

Here's the fine print:

• This offer is for first-time subscribers only. 
• This offer is for month-to-month subscriptions only. It is not valid for pre-paid subscriptions.
• After the 50% savings on the first two months, the subscription price will return to $19.95 per month - shipping included.
• Visit PaperPumpkin.com to join, and use the promo code: HALFOFF
• Deadline to sign up with this offer is 11:50pm (MT) on September 10th. 

I hope you'll give Paper Pumpkin a try. There's nothing better than finding a big red box in your mailbox!

Happy stamping,
Michele

Saying Goodbye!!

It's that time again! Each year, we have several items that must retire in order to make room for new goodies!! Please click here or on the banner below to see the retirement list... and notice that many of them have REDUCED PRICES! You may order these items while supplies last until June 2nd, but things tend to sell out quickly, so DON'T DELAY!!

Have a great week!
Michele

Coloring Techniques

Howdy folks,

To help us all overcome our sadness at losing the Blendabilities, Stampin' Up! has created some really cute, really quick videos to show how easy it is to color your images using other products. Take a look! Click on the images below to watch the videos... they only have music so you could mute your computer while watching them if you wish.

This first project in this video uses our Stampin' Write Markers, and the second project uses our Sponge Daubers. The papers she is using are both part of our current Sale-a-Bration rewards!

This next video shows how to use a Blender Pen with ink pads. You must use Staz On ink for this technique. To get the "well" of ink in the lid, simply squish a closed ink pad together.

And finally, this last video shows how to heat emboss and then use the Aqua Painter and Ink Refills to apply color. Keep in mind that when using this amount of water, the best option is our Watercolor Paper.

Enjoy!

New Sale-a-Bration Options!

Because Stampin' Up! had to remove the Blendabilities line, they have added a few extra goodies that you can choose this month as Sale-a-Bration rewards. Please take a look at the new options below, and click on the image to view full-size.

You only have a couple weeks left to take advantage of Stampin' Up!'s biggest sale of the year! Contact me today to get your order in before it's gone until next year!

New Photopolymer Stamp Set

Photopolymer has truly become my favorite style of stamp. I just love how you can see all the way through them, they give a great stamped image, they are flexible, they cling SO WELL to the acrylic blocks, they are less expensive than the wood-based stamps, and Stampin' Up! keeps coming out with great new sets! What's not to love?!

Here's the latest Photopolymer offering:

(click on the thumbnail above to view full size)

Enjoy!
Michele

Blendabilities Discontinued

It is with great sadness that I must inform you that Stampin' Up! is having to discontinue their line of Blendabilities markers due to quality issues that cannot be resolved with their manufacturer. This is quite a disappointment, I know, for we have all come to love these beautiful markers. Please know Stampin' Up! has duly noted the strong desire for an alcohol-based marker, and they will continue to research ways to provide us with only top quality products.

If you have issues with any Blendabilities markers you have purchased through me, please let me know so I can help resolve the issue.

Big Day... again!

Yup... this set has truly become my favorite of the Sale-a-Bration offerings this year... this is easily the one I grab most often!

I also used a new product I just acquired - the Hearts & Stars Decorative Masks (#133777, $2.95). For less than $3, you can create gorgeous backgrounds such as this one! I used So Saffron ink and a sponge dauber, and then went back over the bottom stars with Calypso Coral to give the deep two-tone look. Then I used corresponding Blendabilities markers on the sentiment. Love it!

Oh, and here's the inside:

Such a fun set!! Do you own it yet??! Hurry - after March 31st, it will no longer be available!

Michele

Big Day

Big Day is one of my favorite offerings in the Sale-a-Bration catalog this year! And when I saw this card on Pinterest by Paula Dobson - I loved it even more! Although I usually tweak things here and there when I CASE a card, this particular one is almost exactly the same. Why mess with perfection?!

And here are a couple more in different colors...

Now I think I'll have some cake... and perhaps a little ice cream. :)

For Being You

Here is one of the new Sale-a-Bration offerings - a gorgeous set called "For Being You." I LOVE it already!!

I love the rainbow look they used on the flyer (see below)...

...but I wanted to see what it looked like in all one color. Mine uses Wisteria Wonder, Smoky Slate, and Black... A stunning combination - don't you think?!

Michele

Paper Pumpkin - Better than Ever!

Stampin' Up! has made so many improvements to their Paper Pumpkin program... and to show you, they are offering a great discount on their 3-month subscription.

The normal price for Paper Pumpkin is $19.95 per month - which includes shipping. During the rest of March, you can purchase a 3-month subscription for $54.85 - and by doing so, you automatically qualify for a FREE Sale-a-Bration item! What a deal! (especially after yesterday's announcement of the NEW Sale-a-Bration choices!!)

If you formerly subscribed to Paper Pumpkin, consider checking them out again - I know you'll be very pleased with the changes they've made! Click on the flyer below for full details:

Happy Stampin'!

MORE Reasons to Sale-a-Brate!

Wow - starting today, we have MORE choices in our Sale-a-Bration! There are four more products that you can earn... get one of them for FREE with each $50 purchase during the remainder of Sale-a-Bration (through the end of March). Take a look at the new choices:

  

  

  

Here's the full flyer - click on an image below to view it full-size:

Happy Sale-a-Brating!!

A Happy Thing

Here's another Sale-a-Bration set that I wasn't sure about - A Happy Thing... until I made this very simple notecard. Now I love it! Of course, I do love using the Blendabilities markers, and this set is a perfect chance to use them... and that's a Happy Thing. ;)

The lemon turned out so well, so I did the little birdie, too.

I can easily see making 2 of each of these, adding envelopes and then tying the bundle up with some pretty ribbon and giving it as a teacher gift... or to a friend. Everyone needs a little Happy in their day!

Sheltering Tree

The Sheltering Tree stamp set is so beautiful... maybe that's cuz I like trees so much, but I sure like this set. Here are a couple cards I made with it lately. This first one was a CASE off Pinterest, and I believe it originated with Nancy Amato:

Don't miss that pretty heart... it's made with the new Itty Bitty Accents Epoxy Stickers (#137856, $3.95) in the Seasonal Catalog. They're so fun!

Here's a couple more that are fairly similar:

Perhaps I keep putting all these leaves on the tree because all I see out my window are trees covered in snow?!

Enjoy whatever weather you've been blessed with today!

Treat Bags!

I've been having so much fun with the new Mini Treat Bag Thinlit (#137547, $39.95)! Although it works with any of our paper, my favorite paper to use is the Typeset DSP (#133704, $12.95). It's thinner than regular DSP, and works great for this particular bag.

Here is my favorite way to use the bag - as a card! You can see the slip of Blushing Bride cardstock peeking out of the top. Just slide it out and write your note! This whole "card" will fit in a standard size envelope to be mailed!

Here's another version... same thing, only folded over and stapled. (There's one of those yummy flat Ghirardelli chocolate squares tucked away inside!)

I'm sure you'll be seeing more of these Treat Bags - it's a favorite of mine!
Michele

Wood You Be Mine?

Here is a fun masculine Valentine set that is available in the new Occasions Catalog! It's called "Wood You Be Mine?" This card was designed by my talented upline, Amy Taylor.

Don't forget to make your man a homemade card this Valentine's Day!

Michele

Lotus Blossom

Lotus Blossom has to be my favorite set from the new Sale-a-Bration brochure - it is simply gorgeous!! ...and the fact that you can get this set for FREE makes it all the sweeter! Remember that for every $50 spent (before tax & shipping), you get to choose an item from the Sale-a-Bration brochure for FREE! And with our new Occasions Catalog, spending $50 is a piece of cake! Both of these new catalogs are shown below. Click on the image to view the catalog.

      

Here are a few cards I've made so far using my FREE Lotus Blossom set:

It's a two-step stamp set, which simply means you create the flower using layers. It's three layers, but you only need two colors of ink to make the blossom, because you can "stamp off" on the third layer making it a little lighter than the second layer.

This last one is a CASE straight out of the Sale-a-Bration brochure on page 6...

Have you gotten YOUR free set yet?! Sale-a-Bration only runs through March 31st, so don't delay!
Michele

Happy New Year!

It's been a long time, but I'm happy to be back! I'm not good with keeping resolutions (who is?!), but I do INTEND to be better about keeping this blog updated. ;) I also plan to have at least one workshop each month, and to send out my monthly newsletter again... sheesh! that's a lot of intentions!

This month, my workshop will focus on NON-card projects! For instance, we will be making this adorable penguin box made from the Curvy Keepsake Box framelit. It's so simple and completely adorable!

I hope you have big plans for a terrific 2015!
Michele