Blog Candy Winner!

It's time to announce the winner of my 100,000 hit Blog Candy! I used a Random Number Generator and it gave me the number 23! Here is the lucky winner:

Skool Teacher
More Mustard is the hardest color for me!!! I just can't seem to make it look good.

I could not find a way to get in touch with you as your profile does not have an e-mail address or a name, so I hope you are checking back here!! Please contact me with your mailing information so I can get these things on their way to you!

Thanks again, everyone, for your wonderful support! I look forward to making a More Mustard card that will help the Skool Teacher... and who knows, maybe I can create a couple cards with some of the other "difficult" combinations I heard about! (YoYo Yellow seems to prove challenging to so many of you... I'll see if I can't come up with something you might like.)

Enjoy the rest of your week!

PS: Just a quick sneak peek at August's Ribbon Share - I will be doing all of the NEW ribbon that is in the new catalog! Stay tuned for more details...

Roommate Gifts

I had a wonderful roommate at convention... some of you may know her, as she is another extremely talented stamper/blogger: Jackie Wright, from New York!

This is us on a tour of the beautiful Riverton, Utah Stampin' Up! headquarters. I know she may not like this photo since she has her glasses on, but I think it's cute! We certainly had a great time together! And as tradition holds, we exchanged roommate gifts... You can view the wonderful gift she gave me at this post. It was brilliant!! I tucked my business receipts in there and even got a nice list going of some new contacts I made.

And, as every convention attender needs a notebook... here is what I made for Jackie:

This is a simple marble composition notebook (those black and white ones) that I covered with two different patterns in the NEW Bella Rose DSP - this is definitely one of my favorite new DSPs... I even bought a new Stampin' Up! apron at convention made with this flowery pattern! I stamped a flower from Pretty Peony, cut it out, and adhered it directly to the front of the notebook. This is a gorgeous set that makes beautiful flowers - don't forget that my August Stamp-a-Stack features it as well! The sentiment comes from the NEW Heard From the Heart, which is going to be one of my favorites to use - I love the combination of cursive and print. Then I finished it off with some Old Olive Wide Grosgrain ribbon.

I also made Jackie a matching box that she can put on her desk to hold pens/pencils/scissors:

Again, it uses the Bella Rose DSP, Pretty Peony, and Old Olive Wide Grosgrain, but I also added a couple of Ruby Red brads and this sentiment comes from one of the NEW Level III Hostess sets called Happiness Always. If you like this box, you can see some of my others here, here, here, and here.

My next post will be announcing the winner of the Blog Candy - and since the comments are still trickling in, I will cut the time off at 8pm tonight (Central time) and announce the winner after that! Good luck!

I'm Home From Convention!

HI EVERYONE!! I just got home from Stampin' Up!'s FABULOUS 20th Anniversary Convention and I can't wait to start sharing with you all the wonderful things I learned while I was there. I will say right now that it solidified in my mind that I work for the BEST company in the world!! I cannot reiterate enough how honored I am to be associated with them. Over the last few days I experienced the excitement of new announcements, wonderful classes, brilliant demonstrations, an incredible CEO (Shelli), generous charitable donations, fun make-and-takes, a wonderful roommate (Hi, Jackie!), and the FABULOUS NEW CATALOG!!! Oh, and how could I forget to mention FREE STAMPS!! Being a demonstrator certainly has its perks!

It is late, I miss my family, so I won't make this long. I just wanted to thank all of you for leaving me such wonderful comments on my 100,000 Hit Blog Candy post! You are all so kind! But how come it takes blog candy to bring you all out?? I'm lucky if I get around 4-6 comments on any given post, but as of now, I have 89 on that one!? :) Hmmmmmm.... In any case, I will be doing the drawing for that candy tomorrow (Monday) afternoon, so if you haven't put your comment in, be sure to do so... and please read the post so you know what you're supposed to put in the comment!

Okay, I'm gonna go hug my kids again... I'll be in touch with you all soon!

Faux Tearing Tutorial

To create this project, you need the supplies shown here (and listed below):

•  8.5" x 5.5" piece of Soft Sky cardstock, scored at 4.25" 
• 1.5" x 3" piece of Natural Ivory cardstock
• 1.75" x 3.25"  piece of Blue Bayou cardstock
• 16" piece of River Rock double stitched ribbon
• Garden Whimsy stamp set
• Paisley background stamp
• Blue Bayou and Mellow Moss classic ink pads
• Brayer
• Stampin' Dimensionals
• Dauber
• A piece of scrap paper (not shown)
• SNAIL adhesive (not shown)

To start, fold your Soft Sky cardstock in half.  Then take your scrap paper (I just use copy paper) and tear it lengthwise.  Strive for a nice wavy tear and then lay it over your folded card as shown below (the folded edge is the part showing).

Now we'll ink up your Paisley background stamp using the brayer.  Alternatively, you could ink up the stamp directly with the ink pad, but I find that the brayer does a fabulous job of getting a nice, even coverage which makes for a beautifully stamped background.  To use the brayer, simply roll it over the Blue Bayou ink pad several times until the roller is completely covered with ink. 

Then roll the brayer over the rubber on your stamp going both directions until the entire stamp is covered.

Normally, I leave my background stamps on the table and press the card on top of the rubber so I can rub the paper and get a great impression.  But that won't work on this card since we have it masked off with our torn paper.  So carefully lift up your inked stamp and line it up to press onto your masked card.  You'll have to be careful to get the entire card covered, so peek underneath the stamp to see the edge of the rubber as you place it down.  I've been too fast with this before and upon lifting it back up, noticed I missed a bit of the edge -- that's okay... I just trimmed the uninked part off and it was just a slightly more narrow card!

When you place your stamp onto the card, please be sure to press evenly all over so you're sure to get a nice impression.

And this is what you'll have when you lift it up!

Now, to make the darker edge, simply slide the masked paper over to the right just a bit like this:

Now for my favorite part!  Take your dauber and dab it on your Blue Bayou ink pad.   With a gentle rubbing motion, sweep your inked dauber across the uninked part of the card, being careful to hold your scrap paper in place. 

When you've finished and removed the scrap paper, you will have a gorgeous faux torn edge like this:

Now add the sentiment of your choice.  Mine is from the Garden Whimsy set and inked in Blue Bayou.

I used a 16" piece of River Rock double stitched ribbon and tied it all the way around the front of the card like this:

For the flower, I used the tulip from the Garden Whimsy set.  To make it two different colors (the flower Blue Bayou and the stem & leaves Mellow Moss), I would normally use my markers.  But since there aren't markers in the In Colors, I just used the stamp pads themselves.  With this tulip stamp, it's pretty easy to get the flower bulb one color and the stem & leaves another.  You just have to peek in there and make sure the edge of your ink pad is stopping at the edge of the tulip bulb.  Then do the same with the Mellow Moss on the stem and leaves.

Since you took time to ink this one up, before you stamp it, it's a good idea to "huff" on the rubber (breathe on it as if you are fogging up a window) to re-moisten the ink.  Stamp it onto your Natural Ivory and layer that onto the Blue Bayou like this:

Attach this to your card with Stampin' Dimensionals and you're finished!

I hope you enjoy this technique as much as I do! 

August Stamp-a-Stack Cards!

Coming at you from Stampin' Up!'s fabulous demonstrator Convention here in beautiful Salt Lake City!! (well, actually, I knew I'd be too busy to write a post like this while I'm here, so I actually wrote this back in Texas before I left *giggle*). It's the start of another new month! And that means I have 3 more Stamp-a-Stack cards to show you! I hope you've forgiven me for not doing a Stamp-a-Stack last month due to all of my houseguests and what-not. Perhaps this month's cards will make it up to you - I'm quite pleased with them!

But first, here's the scoop on this month's workshop: It will be held on Saturday, August 16th from 10am until noon. We will make a total of 12 cards (4 each of 3 different layouts) using my supplies and ink - all I ask that you bring is SNAIL-type adhesive. The cost is just $10 with a $15 minimum order, or $20 without an order. Clear envelopes are provided at no additional charge, or you can choose to purchase coordinating paper envelopes that you can stamp to match the cards. Those are $0.20 cents each.

As always, if you either cannot make that date, or do not live in this area, you can choose to receive a Mail-a-Stack kit. The kit contains all the pre-cut and scored consumable supplies necessary to make the same 12 cards using your own stamps, ink, and tools. It also contains my popular Instruction Sheets on each card, detaling the dimensions, supply lists, step-by-step instructions, and color photographs. The cost for this option is $18 for local pickup, or $22.80 if Priority Shipping is needed.

Either way, you will need to contact me to reserve your seat/kit no later than Thursday, August 14th!

Okay... enough of that! Now onto the cards! I've got several new things to show you this month - some of the new In Colors, as well as a couple new stamp sets! This first layout uses the fun new set called Sock Monkey! We'll be doing two in Ruby Red and two in So Saffron, as shown below.

Although the colors are set, you can choose to mix & match the balloon & banana however you'd like. The set also comes with some other accessories that you can choose to use as well. Here's a closer look at the two I made:



For the second layout, I've used the gorgeous new Pacific Point cardstock - Oh, I just love, Love, LOVE this color!

I've paired it up with Bashful Blue on this card, and I think the combination is just stunning. This 2-step stamp set is called Pretty Peony, and I will show you how to get a perfect impression each time using the Stamp-a-ma-jig (or you can have a peek at this tool now by visiting my online Stamp-a-ma-jig Tutorial)! The sentiment here comes from another new set called Heard from the Heart. I love the combination of the block letters with the cursive!

Finally, this third layout uses some more of the new In Colors - Pink Pirouette, Riding Hood Red, and Tangerine Tango (which I've paired up with Apricot Appeal).

The pink card is actually the card I'm using as my swap here at Convention! It's a fun, yet simple card to make, so I thought I'd share it with everyone! The stamp sets here are Sweet Celebrations and Short & Sweet. Here are these two cards individually:



Well, what do you think?! Again, if you'd like to attend the workshop on the 16th or receive the Mail-a-Stack kit, be sure to let me know no later than Thursday, August 14th!

I'll catch up with you again when I return to Texas early next week... have a great weekend!

100,000 Hits?!

I can't believe I'm approaching 100,000 hits! Wow!! I think that calls for some Blog Candy!

You know the drill... you'll have to leave a comment to be included in the drawing!

Here's what I'm going to do this time... In your comment, please tell me a Stampin' Up! color combination that you've wanted to use but have had trouble with. Then, once I draw the winner, I will create a card using that combination!

I will do the drawing after I return from convention - so be watching for the results on Monday, August 4th! ...and then you'll have to give me a little bit of time to create the card!

I look forward to hearing your combinations - and thanks so much for being a loyal reader of The Stamp Link!

I'm On Showcase!

That's right! It's my first time there, but I'm on the Stampers Showcase today! How exciting!! For all of you non-Stampin' Up! Demonstrators, that is a place on our demonstrator website where we can see cards made by other demos to get ideas and inspiration. Here is the card that's showcased.

...Just had to toot my own horn! :)

Childhood Sock Monkeys

My grandmother made sock monkeys and I remember having one as a kid. When Stampin' Up! showed us this sneak preview stamp set, I knew I had to have it!

He was so much fun to make - with his white paws and tail! I stamped him with Chocolate Chip ink onto Kraft cardstock, cut him out, and then stamped him again onto some Confetti Cream and Ruby Red so I could cut out the appropriate parts to glue down on the Kraft monkey. ...and yes, I used some MORE Textured Old Olive cardstock! Are you tired of this color yet??!

Here's the recipe for this cute little guy:

Stamp Sets: Sock Monkey (NEW!), A Little Birthday Cheer
Ink: Chocolate Chip
Cardstock: Kraft, Chocolate Chip, Textured Old Olive, Confetti Cream, Ruby Red
Accessories: Earth Elements Buttons
Tools: Mat Pack, Paper Piercer, Stamping Sponge, Tag Corner punch, Glue Pen

Just a warning real quick - I won't be posting much over the next week or so. I'll be heading to the Stampin' Up! Convention on the 30th (Yippee!!), but that means I've been hard at work on my swaps. You'll get to see my swap card on August 1st, as I'm going to use it as one of my August Stamp-a-Stack cards! I'm also hard pressed for stamping time because as I mentioned, I have MORE houseguests staying with us... my in-laws (mother-in-law, step-father-in-law, sister-in-law, niece, and nephew). So that means my lovely Stamp Room is being used as a guest bedroom!

But don't worry - when I get back from convention, I'm sure I'll have LOTS and LOTS of things to share with you!! :)

Catalog Sales Event Results

I've got two sets to give away... one is for the highest order and the other is a drawing among the participants (1 chance for every $50 spent).

Here are the results:

Highest Order set goes to Mary!
Drawing set goes to Michelle!

I will contact each of you separately to let you know which sets I have to choose from.

Congratulations! And thanks to everyone who participated in my Sales Event!

Happy Birthday, Sheri!

Yesterday was my sister-in-law's 40th birthday!! I wanted to make a special card for her, but I refused to use black... as I really don't think I'd like black on my own 40th birthday (which is approaching much too quickly!). So I chose a more elegant approach.

I turned to my Color Coach for the colors, and once again, it did NOT let me down!! I really like the look of this color scheme - More Mustard, Old Olive, and Bravo Burgundy. I chose to include a layer of Whisper White to balance out the white surrounding the flower. I scalloped the edge of the Mustard with the NEW Scallop Edge Punch - to appear in the upcoming Idea Book & Catalog, out on August 11th!

Oh, and as I stated in my last Stamp Link Newsletter (you can subscribe down the left sidebar), from now through July 28th, you can RESERVE your very own copy of the new catalog for only $5.00 (plus $2.60 for shipping, if necessary) - that's 50% off the regular price! Contact me before it's too late!

Back to this card... As you see, I used one of my current favorite colors again - Old Olive - and to give the card some more interest, I used the textured cardstock. If you've never tried using it, you really should grab a pack of it and see for yourself the difference it makes. I don't care for it as the base of the card, but I LOVE it for layers!

Here's the recipe for this card:

Stamp Sets: Stitched Exotics, A Little Birthday Cheer
Ink: Bravo Burgundy, Old Olive
Cardstock: More Mustard (regular and Textured), Whisper White, Textured Old Olive
Accessories: Bravo Burgundy Narrow Grosgrain ribbon, Jumbo Eyelet
Tools: Crop-a-Dile, Scallop Edge Punch

I was able to give this card to Sheri in person, as she is staying with us for a few days, along with her son and daughter... and her mom & step-dad! I told you - I'm a regular hotel this month!! Wanna make a reservation?! :)

PS: In a little bit, I'll be posting the "winners" from my Catalog Retirement Sale! I have two free stamp sets to give away! Stay tuned!

Updating the Retiring List

Just wanted to let you know that I will continue to update the Retiring Accessories List so you will be able to see which items are no longer available. They go quick, so if you're interested in anything on the list, DON'T DELAY!!

In addition, my Catalog Retirement Sales Event only has ONE MORE DAY! Contact me by the 24th in order to take advantage of these savings!

For Marelle...

Sometimes a card just tells you who it should be for... and Marelle, this one's for you.Why? Well, many reasons.

First of all, it was Marelle who got me started on this whole blogging adventure how ever long ago it was. She was (and still is) my mentor and inspiration. She used to "proof" my cards before I had any confidence in them, and she answered a zillion and one questions as I got started.

Second, as I made this card tonight, I thought of her. I know her affection for Certainly Celery, and I just thought she'd like this look. I had a hard time getting the photo to look quite right. It certainly doesn't do it any justice... But alas, she'll get it in the mail anyway, so she'll see it in person soon enough.

Third, I always love to tease Marelle with the new stuff that we are getting here in the States!! (she's in Australia) *giggle* This is a new Level III Hostess Set called Happiness Always that will be in the upcoming catalog (out August 11th)! This was my first time playing with this set, and would you believe that these flowers were the result of me just playing around?! It is such an easy set to use... you'll be seeing more of it from me!

Fourth, Marelle definitely lives by this sentiment. She is always striving to make her business better. She has set goals, attained them, and continues to set more. She's not only a creative inspiration to me, but a business inspiration as well.

And finally, just BECAUSE! Marelle is a lovely person, a great friend, and an incredibly talented stamper! If you don't believe me, go see for yourself!

I love ya, Marelle!!

Recipe:
Stamp Sets: Happiness Always (NEW!), En Francais background
Ink: Brocade Blue, Certainly Celery
Cardstock: Brocade Blue, Certainly Celery, Whisper White
Accessories: Certainly Celery Wide Grosgrain Ribbon
Tools: Key Tag punch, 1/16" Circle Punch, Stamping Sponge, Crystal Effects

Retiring Accessories!

Updated August 9th at 7:13am

As we get closer to a new catalog, we also get closer to saying goodbye to some of the things we've grown to love. I've listed the retiring accessories at the bottom of this post.

In addition, Stampin' Up! has placed several of these items on SALE! Click on the thumbnail below to see how you can save 25% on select accessories!

And DON'T FORGET... My Catalog Retirement Sales Event is still going on! You can place these sale items on your order and increase your savings! Contact me before the 24th to take advantage of the extra savings - and the chances to win FREE stamp sets!

Retiring Accessories
Items in RED are no longer available.
* Items in bold are 25% OFF and included in the Discontinuing Retiring Accessories Promotion

177 Accents & Elements Build A Flower
177 Accents & Elements Lucky Star
177 Accents & Elements Messenger
184 Acrylic Graph & Grid
163 Card Stock 12 X 12 In Color
163 Card Stock 8-1/2 X 11 Blue Bayou
163 Card Stock 8-1/2 X 11 Groovy Guava
163 Card Stock 8-1/2 X 11 In Color
163 Card Stock 8-1/2 X 11 River Rock
163 Card Stock 8-1/2 X 11 Soft Sky
163 Card Stock 8-1/2 X 11 Wild Wasabi
163 Card Stock 8-1/2 X 11 Purely Pomegranate
166 Card Stock Brushed Copper
163 Card Stock Textured 12 X 12 In Color
167 Cards & Envelopes Gift Whisper White
167 Cards & Envelopes Greeting Whisper White
167 Notes & Envelopes Long Notes
167 Notes & Envelopes Love Notes
167 Notes & Envelopes Pocket Notes*
167 Notes & Envelopes Scallop Notes
167 Notes & Envelopes Gift Notes
163 Classic Stampin' Ink Blue Bayou
163 Classic Stampin' Ink Groovy Guava
163 Classic Stampin' Ink Purely Pomegranate
163 Classic Stampin' Ink River Rock
163 Classic Stampin' Ink Soft Sky
163 Classic Stampin' Ink Wild Wasabi
163 Classic Stampin' Pad Blue Bayou
163 Classic Stampin' Pad Groovy Guava
163 Classic Stampin' Pad Purely Pomegranate
163 Classic Stampin' Pad River Rock
163 Classic Stampin' Pad Soft Sky
163 Classic Stampin' Pad Wild Wasabi
171 Designer Series Paper Azure*
169 Designer Series Paper Bali Breeze
169 Designer Series Paper Berry Bliss
169 Designer Series Paper Cutie Pie
168 Designer Series Paper East Coast Prep*
170 Designer Series Paper Fall Flowers
169 Designer Series Paper Flowers For You*
169 Designer Series Paper Ginger Blossom
168 Designer Series Paper Jersey Shore*
170 Designer Series Paper Le Jardin
170 Designer Series Paper Notebook*
171 Designer Series Paper Olive Press
170 Designer Series Paper Porcelain Prints*
171 Designer Series Paper Prints Almost Amethyst*
171 Designer Series Paper Prints Always Artichoke
171 Designer Series Paper Prints Blue Bayou
171 Designer Series Paper Prints Brilliant Blue
171 Designer Series Paper Prints Certainly Celery
171 Designer Series Paper Prints Close to Cocoa*
171 Designer Series Paper Prints Groovy Guava*
171 Designer Series Paper Prints Lovely Lilac
171 Designer Series Paper Prints More Mustard
171 Designer Series Paper Prints Old Olive
171 Designer Series Paper Prints Pumpkin Pie
171 Designer Series Paper Prints River Rock*
171 Designer Series Paper Prints Rose Red
171 Designer Series Paper Prints So Saffron
171 Designer Series Paper Prints Soft Sky
171 Designer Series Paper Prints Tempting Turquoise
168 Designer Series Paper Spring Break
169 Designer Series Paper Spring Fling*
170 Designer Series Paper Spring Silhouettes
170 Designer Series Paper Western Sky
167 Envelope Confetti Cream Medium
189 Eyelets Basic
189 Eyelets Bold Brights
189 Eyelets Earth Elements
189 Eyelets Fresh Favorites I
189 Eyelets Fresh Favorites II
189 Eyelets Rich Regals
189 Eyelets Soft Subtles
188 Hodgepodge Hardware Pewter
188 Hodgepodge Hardware Antique Brass
188 Hodgepodge Hardware Aged Copper
183 Metallic Art Pencils
179 On Board Accents
178 On Board Blossoms & Basic
178 On Board Ginormous Pieces
179 On Board Simon Lower
166 Mulberry Paper White
181 Punch Box Three For You
180 Punch Handheld Rectangle
183 Pure Color Pencils
191 Ribbon Double-Stitched Blue Bayou
191 Ribbon Double-Stitched Groovy Guava
191 Ribbon Double-Stitched Purely Pomegranate
191 Ribbon Double-Stitched River Rock*
191 Ribbon Double-Stitched Soft Sky
191 Ribbon Double-Stitched Wild Wasabi
190 Ribbon Originals Beachfront*
190 Ribbon Originals District*
190 Ribbon Originals Fairy Tale
190 Ribbon Originals Jersey*
190 Ribbon Originals Sherbert
190 Ribbon Originals Theater
191 Ribbon Striped Grosgrain Wild Wasabi*
182 Rub-Ons Cherished Memories*
182 Rub-Ons Eastern Elegance*
182 Rub-Ons Urban West*
174 Simply Scrappin' Boho Blend
174 Simply Scrappin' Confetti
172 Simply Scrappin' Crew Kids Boy
173 Simply Scrappin' Crew Kids Girl
175 Simply Scrappin' Home Again
174 Simply Scrappin' Rose Cottage
173 Simply Scrappin' Special Delivery Boy
173 Simply Scrappin' Special Delivery Girl
175 Simply Scrappin' Summer Days
175 Simply Scrappin' Tie The Knot
15 Simply Sent Friendly Notes
16 Simply Sent Simple Delights
16 Simply Sent Three Thoughts
197 Stampin'Around Wheel Daisy Field
197 Stampin'Around Wheel Garden Annuals
197 Stampin'Around Wheel Good Dog
197 Stampin'Around Wheel Kisses
197 Stampin'Around Wheel Lily Pad
197 Stampin'Around Wheel Meow
197 Stampin'Around Wheel Mistletoe
196 Jumbo Stampin' Around Wheel Basics Outline
196 Jumbo Stampin' Around Wheel Birthday
196 Jumbo Stampin' Around Wheel Dilly Dally Baby
196 Jumbo Stampin' Around Wheel Dilly Dally Friends
196 Jumbo Stampin' Around Wheel Dilly Dally Party
196 Jumbo Stampin' Around Wheel Leaves A La Carte
196 Jumbo Stampin' Around Wheel Nature Hike
196 Jumbo Stampin' Around Wheel Petals
196 Jumbo Stampin' Around Wheel Rough Texture
196 Jumbo Stampin' Around Wheel Spunky Spots
193 Stampin' Color Index Labels (note - these are still in the new catalog, just with the NEW In Colors...)
194 Stampin' Kids Markers
185 Stipple Brushes
183 Zig Painty

Wild About Pumpkin Pie!

I have a couple colors that I'm really "digging" right now... Old Olive (as shown in a recent post) and Pumpkin Pie. Not necessarily together, mind you! ...but hey, that could work? In any case, here's another card I created before my Scottish guests arrived, and it's full of Pumpkin Pie!

My favorite part is the lion's head. I stamped the lion three times - twice with Apricot Appeal and once with Pumpkin Pie - and then cut out the different pieces to layer it together. The pieces are raised up with Dimensionals to give it a 3D look. Here's a better view:

There's no other tricks... so here's the recipe!

Stamp Sets: Wild About You, Paisley background
Ink: Pumpkin Pie, Apricot Appeal, Basic Black
Cardstock: Pumpkin Pie, Basic Black, Apricot Appeal, Whisper White
Accessories: Narrow Grosgrain ribbon in Basic Black, Pumpkin Pie, and Apricot Appeal

Oh, and the Retiring Accessories List will be posted tomorrow (Monday), so stay tuned and I'll keep you informed!