Hi All,

Stampin’ Up recently offered a free digital download of the “Day in the Life” Kit in celebration of receiving  so many “likes” on their FaceBook page.   Though the free downloads ended on the 10th they generously expanded it to January 12 at 10am Utah time otherwise known as Mountain Time (MT).

Here’s the link and the post if you haven’t gotten yours yet:

http://www.facebook.com/stampinupfanpage

Our thanks go out to the thousands of you who have joined us in celebrating our 100,000 Facebook fan milestone by downloading the Day in the Life Digital Kit! If you haven’t had a chance to download your kit yet, no problem. We are extending the download deadline to January 12 at 10:00 AM (MT). Simply visit the link below, fill out a quick survey, and get immediate access to the download!

Day in the Life Kit – FREE Download!

surveymonkey.com

Note: You don’t have to be a FaceBook member to take advantage of this and you may want to save the file in multiple formats before you leave the download survey page as you only get one bite at the apple.    You can save in MDS format and I recommend that you save the file initially then go back and run it so you have a permanent saved copy on your drive in case the file gets corrupted after installing in MDS.   You can then also save it in the other format for non MDS use.  This saves the file as a zip file which you then can unzip into its individual components for use with any graphics capable software.

If you’d like to see what content is included or would like the index sheet for your own use here’s a PDF showing the materials included in the download.

Day in the Life – Index Sheet

Enjoy.  This is a wonderful set of images and page template that I know I’ll be making use of for years to come.

Hugs and Blessings – Jean

…..   from the country!

One of the many things in my In Box today was a post from my favorite online rabbi.   She reintroduced me to a man whose work I had read and enjoyed in college and I thought I’d share his prayer in a basic MDS page.  My plan for the new year is to print this and post it where I can see and pray it often and add it to the front of a new album for the year ahead.

Here’s the original post with a very cool story added to the prayer – http://velveteenrabbi.blogs.com/blog/2012/01/a-blessing-for-the-new-year-from-reverend-howard-thurman.html

Here’s my page:

Here’s a Word doc with the text of the prayer in case you’d like to do some creating of your own:

Prayer – Through the Coming Year – Howard Thurman

Oops…forgot to mention that this page makes use of the new Sale-a-Bration CD-Rom that will be available January 24th as a freebie when you buy $50 worth of Stampin’ Up product.  That disk is amazing!  It contains all the unique SAB images and papers, ribbons and brads in digital form.  Even includes the Decor Element piece as a brush image!   What a wonderful way to be able to use all the lovely SAB products.   Granted the physical paper Everyday Enchantment that I used digitally is even more fun to work with since I can die cut and punch with it.   In an upcoming blog hop later this week you’ll see more samples of it.  I love the use it makes of our many In Colors.  This page also uses the digital version of All Scallops brush image (the stamp set itself is retired)  and the coordinating In Colors Pool Party and Calypso Coral. 

Hugs and Blessings and may you find joy in the  new year ahead!   – Jean

And lest you forget…the Holiday Mini and the Clearance Rack Blitz are also about to slip away.     Holiday Mini order period ends January 3rd and the Blitz ends January 5th.    A few items from the Holiday Mini have carried over and you can find those here:

Holiday Mini Carryover Flyer

So many possibilities for titles when building houses…even paper ones.   Wicketcat was so entranced with the tiny bells and the moveable roof I considered something along the lines of cat shakes bells and house falls down.   If I’d made this house with stripes it could have been the jingle bell jailhouse rocks the roof.  But then I’d have had to fill it with rock candy for the prisoners to work on.  Not sure Wickets teeth would have been up to that…poor boo has some weird tooth or jaw or spider bite thing going on that the vet seems to be stymied by but has her stoically miserable and waiting for relief.    She’s going in for an orthodontic style x-ray this week so hopefully that will provide an answer.    If it’s indeed spider or other bug venom we may have to just wait for it to clear her system.  Not an answer she will be happy with.

This little house box is something I learned how to make at last July’s Stampin’ Up Convention.   Since one of the convention highlights was the introduction of the new Simply Score many of the projects there centered around that very cool tool.   Now that I have that tool in the house I can’t seem to stop building things with it.   Of course its good for simply scoring card bases too but boy is it capable of so much more.

 And while you’ll see I made mine a Noel Christmas box you can of course vary the colors, papers and other embellishments for any season or occasion.  I’m contemplating a bridal version for spring…all in White!  Might make a cute house for presenting the bride her garter at a shower or a slinky negligee.    Cute too as a welcome to your first home.   Hm…wonder if I should be offering these to local realtors?  What do you think…if you were buying a house would you like to receive one of these? 

Donna Griffith  a fellow demo who also works for Stampin’ Up Corporate  presented this house box project and I fell instantly in love with it (and with the scoring tool as well).   Luckily she also provided us with a template for the scoring and cutting and all dimensions.   Good thing too or I’d still be hounding her for it – LOL.   I’ve added that template to this post to in case you want to try your own.

As you can see my Noel House makes use of a number of Holiday Mini products.  The tiny Jingle Bells, the Frostwood Lodge Designer Series Paper and of course my beloved Silver Glimmer Paper.   Boy do I hope that paper continues past the end of the mini.  Just in case I’m stocking up…you might want to as well.

I introduced this at a recent Gifts to Make Stamp Camp earlier in the month and it was an instant wow.   I had a little fun with the ladies who didn’t realize 1) this was a box and 2) just how much it would hold.    I stuffed an entire knitted scarf into it!  All 6 feet of it!   Then I slowly drew it out like a magician with one of those endless scarf tricks.   Luckily my scarf was a narrow one so I was able to cram it all in there.  Pretty impressive if I do say so myself.    Generally speaking you may want to keep the contents just a wee bit less compact.

 With a few alterations, I figure I can put together a village of different heights, colors and styles.     This little guy is also the reason I’m stocking up on the Holiday Mini’s mini jingle bells.   I still have a few more to make as Epiphany gifts (the traditional time to exchange gifts in many countries) so am ordering bells like crazy before they go bye-bye on January 3^rd.  They do go pretty far but with 7 bells per house it still requires quite a few sets for the number of villages I seem to be creating.

Speaking of the bells I learned a very fun trick for stitching them on.  You’ll see a wire threader referred to in the directions and its one I made myself.    My SU partner Cheryl is a former jewelry maker and had several spools of very thin wire so for each person attending the Stamp Camp I snipped about a 7 inch piece folded it in half and showed them how to use it as both a thread puller and a needle for the project.   An easy peasy tool that impressed almost as much as the little house itself.   The tiny jingle bells have a very small loop at the back that most needles don’t fit through but the wire is the perfect little miracle tool.    Now that I’m addicted to these little guys I may just have to buy a spool of the wire myself.

While the house looks complex let me assure you that once you have your sheet of paper scored its easy enough for anyone including beginners to put together.  An economical gift too that comes in at just under $2 each and takes about  half an hour to complete including the scoring.   Well…depending on how much you chat while stitching the bells…with conversation it might take a tiny bit longer – lol.

Here’s a look at the interior and the underpinnings of the roof.    The roof on this box is attached fully on one side of the peak and then left as a flap tied down with ribbon on the other side.   Of course you could also opt to do both sides with the ribbon thus allowing the roof to be fully removable allowing a larger item easy access to the insides of the box.

Supplies list:

Stamps: Many Merry Messages (Noel Stamp), Or other phrase from Four the Season

Ink: Cherry Cobbler

Paper:  Cherry Cobbler (full sheet scored and cut for basic house box),

Early Espresso (2-3/8” x 6”),  Frostwood Lodge DSP (11”x 2” strip),

Whisper White (5/8” x 3-3/4” scrap for banner)

Ribbon: 1/8” Taffeta Ribbon – Early Espresso – 13”

Other: Paper Piercer and Mat pad, wire threader tool (7″ length of fine wire folded in half), Simply Score, Perfect Pennants die & Big Shot, glue dots, dimensionals, scissors, Jingle Bells (holiday mini), linen thread or baker’s twine (alternate is to glue dot on the bells), Crop a Dile.

Directions:  House Gift Box Directions - Word file

Template:

The template means it when it says it’s not to scale.  Use the measurements (follow the arrows to see the scoring lines they relate to) to locate your score lines.  If you try to build it by printing out the template it won’t work.   The tricky scores are the diagonal lines.  I found that if I placed a light mark at the top of the angle I could then line it up in a score board groove using that mark and a corner.    You may also want to practice on a piece of cheap copy paper before moving to cardstock just to make sure you have the scores and cuts in the right place.   One other note…I actually made my roof piece slightly longer as you’ll see in the directions.  I like a bit more of an overhang.

And a downloadable PDF: Donna’s House pattern and scoring template

Here’s a picture of Donna’s Convention Creation.

She made use of the Christmas Lodge Stamp set and the Winter Wishes Stitched Felt as well as the same items I CASE’d.

I hope you enjoy trying this for yourself.  It’s a wonderful sample project for your Simply Score and will impress the recipient with your crafting skills.  

Of course you can always opt to keep them and start your own village.     With my recent marathon viewing of the BBC series Monarch of the Glen I’ve decided to declare myself the Laird of my own little Village in the Glen.   Wicket of course will be the Gillie Gamekeeper.  Now if I could just remember which clan I’m supposed to be descended from.   Time to investigate some genealogical sources.

Hugs and Blessings and I hope your Christmas was a warm and wonderful one. – Jean

P.S.  While it’s still the season…have fun jingling your bells!    It occurred to me that Jingle would be a wonderful name for a Christmas Kitten.

Christmas Blessings to one and all!

Inspiration comes from many places and fills our heart and soul until we must join in the creativity….

Today is one such time for me and for many throughout the world today.  

May you be blessed today and everyday and find your creativity rekindled anew within each special moment that you live.

From the hand and from the heart….

Christmas hugs & blessings from myself and Miss Wicketcat. - Jean

The Blitz is Back…Clearance Rack Blitz that is!   

I try to be up on all the latest but….

Stampin’ Up slid an amazing promo right by us!   Not a peep, not a hint, not a word!  

As is my practice since I’m a night owl I check in last thing before bedtime to see what Stampin’ Up has in store for her demo’s and customers in the coming day and…

I checked for the latest updates shortly after midnight and lo and behold what to my wondering eyes did appear but a sale to beat all sales before the new year!

Isn’t it gorgeous!  Well…trust me…you’ll think so once you go take a look.   Click on the banner below to see what all the excitement is about.  

Here are the basic details:

Dates: December 15, 2011-January 5, 2012

Details:
Nearly 200 new Clearance Rack items are being added to the Online Store at discounts up to 80 percent off retail–while supplies last!
Things to Remember

• Only online orders qualify for this promotion. Orders can include non-Clearance Rack items, as well.
• The Clearance Rack Blitz includes old-body style punches.
• There is no minimum purchase required to participate in this promotion.
• Qualifying Clearance Rack orders are eligible for hostess benefits/Stampin’ Rewards. But only for orders placed through a demonstrator website.
• Following the Clearance Rack Blitz sales period, some blitz items may remain in the clearance rack; others may be removed and reappear at an undesignated time in the future.
• Clearance Rack Blitz items are only available while supplies last. There are no refunds or exchanges on Clearance Rack items.

One last VERY IMPORTANT benefit…TODAY ONLY…an extra $35 in hostess benefits will apply to your order…if…you place the order on my online store site…today…AND…the order meets a $350 minimum in merchandise of any type (clearance rack, MDS downloads or regular merchandise).    What this means is that if you place a $350 order today only (12/15)  you will get $85 in free merchandise to select from the regular or holiday mini catalogs.   That’s the regular amount of $50 + an extra $35 from the It’s Good to be the Hostess promo I’ve told you about earlier this year.   So $435 in merchandise for $350 + shipping!  Very cool!   

Even better.  Many items on the Clearance Rack are similar to or virtually the same thing as current merchandise in the Idea Book and Catalog.  Old style Whale Tail punches with current shapes.  Yes they don’t store as easily but they work well and long and punch the same shapes as the new style.   There are a number of previously retired Big Shot dies as well as items from last years Holiday and Occasions minis.    Time to stock up for Valentines, Easter or even next years Christmas.  Or if you are like me and send out Christmas gifts and cards late you can take advantage of them for this year.   I tell my friends and family they aren’t late until Epiphany is past in January.   After all that was the traditional time to actually exchange gifts in past eras as that is the feast celebrating the visit of the Wise Men and their gifts among other traditions.

So check out the sale, make your list and if you need Santa to keep track for you grab the Wish list from my sidebar and send your significant other my way.     If you are local I’ll even gift wrap the goodies for you and your Santa if Santa lets me know when to pick them up.    To take advantage of the deals you’ll have to place the order online through my online store here.   And don’t forget that supplies are limited.  I’ve got my order in already…how about you?

Happy shopping and enjoy the Blitz!

Hanukkah Hugs (a wee bit early)  and Christmas Blessings – Jean

My Big Shot Christmas mini gift set. Two cards (3″x3″) and a small ornament. Ornament is cut with the Bigz XL Flower Folds die from aluminum flashing from Lowe’s.  Layered with some netting then a snowflake from Northern Frost decorative strip die a small Real Red scallop circle from the Itty Bitty Punch set and a rhinestone.  This smallest flower from the die was another scrap!  A left over from the tea light holders we made sometime back that have been kicking around.  I knew they’d come in handy.    Snowflake was left from some recent holiday projects as well.  Those of you attending recent events probably recognize the flake.  I’ve had everyone punching out and die cutting the little bits for weeks and months now!   Love that die!    Ribbon is some retired Stampin’ Up gingham run through an eyelet placed with a crop a dile.  The ribbon was a Clearance Rack buy from a year or so again (love those retired SU bargains) but since I was looking for a Folk country feel with a bit of bling and polish it was the perfect counterpart to the silver embossing and glimmer paper.  Sadly Stampin’ Up no longer sells eyelets either but my drawer is still filled with them and without an eyelet the Flashing will cut the ribbon in no time.  Makes for a more finished look as well.  Taking pictures of this card had me realizing just what my sister bloggers have been talking about.  The glimmer and shine of Stampin’ Up’s Silver glimmer paper is of such high quality that the average camera just can’t help being overwhelmed!  Makes it almost impossible to see the Versamarked watermark on the Cherry Cobbler paper peeking out through the glimmer bird frame.

Cards use the Holiday Collection Movers and Shapers  bird die.  One is Whisper White run through the Snow Burst Folder on a background of French Script (retired version of En Francais) embossed in silver layered on Night of Navy with Silver cording from 2 Holiday Mini’s ago (those reels were so large they last forever – hee,hee).   Second card uses the glimmer paper negative left from another 20 swap projects.   Have you figured out that I have a bird and flake thing.   My swap buddies have come to expect wings on any card I send in.   One of these days they’ll all faint when nary a feather they see.   Won’t be anytime soon that’s for sure – LOL.    You can’t see it but French Script was watermarked with Versamark on the under layer piece of Cherry Cobbler then layered onto another 3″ x 3″ of Night of Navy.  More cording was tied across the top.

Nice little neighbor gift or even a his and her card set, for a friend with the ornament. I thought it was fun to create and  group these with the birds facing towards each other. Will present in a Fancy Favor Box or small Pizza type box with another die cut bird on the the box.  A Fancy Favor Box could also be a luminary making a fourth gift as well as a holder…still figuring that part out.   Only 23 more days to do so though so better see what else is on the scrap heap.

Paper:   Whisper White, Night of Navy, Cherry Cobbler & Silver Glimmer Paper(available in the Holiday Mini and slated to expire January 3)

Ink:  Versamark

Stamps:  French Script (retired version of En Francais)

Big Shot:     Big Shot,  Bigz XL Flower Folds die,  Holiday Collection Movers and Shapers die, Northern Frost Decorative strip die,  Snow Burst Impressions Folder 

Other:  Silver cording (ret. SU), Gingham ribbon (SU retired), rhinestone jewels, netting (fabric store), Silver Embossing powder, Heat Tool, Itty Bitty Punch Pack

If you sense me giggling right about now…you’d be right.  I have a secret and it’s killing me.  There’s another bird in my future and it’s winging its way from the future.      A future promotion that is.  And I can’t show you the die!   December 1st was a wild day as tens of thousands of Stampin’ Up demonstrators rushed to place their preorder for the Occasions mini promotion that begins  January 4th for the rest of the world.    As a demo we get a month’s jump on the rest of the Stampin’ Up fanatics (another good reason to join my team don’t you think?) in the world.  The oohing and aahing as we discussed our purchase strategy with one another online in the demo only and marvelously inspiring Stampin’ Connection was so much fun I forgot to sleep.    Now for the good news…My die will be here Monday…squeal!!   

Wonder what Wicket will think about “another” bird in the house.   This one however can bite back if she gets funny with it.   Shortly after that…while I can’t show you the die…I can…show you what I make with it!   And not only that…you may just grab a glimpse of future Sale a Bration product in action too!    That’s the double surprise SU hit us with last week.   Demo’s don’t have to wait for the Sale A Bration to start on January 24th we started earning them with our preorder purchases as of yesterday!    And should I mention Stampin’ Up ran some contests over the last couple of months and thousands of demo’s will be receiving free stamps, brads and more (yep…arriving Monday as well! ) as well as a chance at a few more stamp sets next week.   If you get a call from me then…do me a favor…pick up the phone and lets talk…you know I’ll share the loot at stamp camps and workshops so we can all have some fun with new rubber!    There’s never been a better time to be a demo than this very week.   Does SU know how to celebrate Christmas (and paranthetically my birthday in January) or what!  Yep…or what for sure and for the next several weeks!!    

Now of course I don’t want to distract you or I from the Holiday Mini that’s currently current.  There’s still a lot of terrific bargains and inspiring product found there and not only is Christmas still in the offing but so is Valentines and the need for the glimmer paper among others great craft product…and yeah…I ordered a bit of that holiday mini magic too that will be coming on Monday as well.   I’ll be showcasing that too before the mini expires  Jan 3rd.   I hope Mr. UPS is in shape…he’s going to get a work out!  Hard to believe its coming all in one 25 or 30 pound box!   Could be a Mary Poppins thing going on in that desceptively simple looking cardboard box.    You’ll be seeing some new color tones here too as I finally start playing with more of the In Colors.  Both sets are featured in the Occasions and Sale a Bration so get those colors warmed up and ready you’ll be using them for sure come the new year if you aren’t already.

One last detail about today’s project.  If you sign up and prepay for the Dec 10th Holiday Gift Camp my partners and I will be running the two 3 x 3 cards will be your bonus project!  We have mini houses, aluminum garden markers, joyful banners and more on the menu so come and enjoy for only $20 and a wonderful potluck lunch.   Email and Paypal will take care of your sign up so you can tuck some of these fun scraps into someone’s stocking or other gift.  If you can’t be there in person I’ll be happy to send you a kit with the directions you’ll need and most of the pieces prepped for you to put it all together in the comfort of your home.  Just add shipping to the basic fee.  I’ll even tuck in an ornament  for your very own tree.

So don’t forget to check your crafting area and scrap heaps.  There’s bling and gifts to be found in those there piles

Hugs and blessings as we begin our second week of Advent this Sunday. – Jean

Or are you still looking for a few good deals?

Either way…you are in luck. 

Stampin’ Up’s Online Extravaganza has 4 more days to go!

So relax, kick back and let your paws walk the mouse through Stampin’ Up’s Online Extravaganza.   And while you’re there don’t forget to check out the clearance rack for more outrageous deals (up to 60% in fact).  

Here’s the listing of what’s on sale – Online Extravaganza flyer

*****

And in the meantime…here’s a sneak peak of what I’m working on for another post.   Wouldn’t this be cute done up with the fabric now on sale?

Okay…back to the cute cats:

Hugs and blessings – Jean

Here’s a PDF flyer with the above information on it.  One for you and one to share with a friend.  Or if you are a demonstrator you can print and share with customers.

Lace Ribbon Border Punch Trick Flyer  – PDF flyer with 2 copies per page

Okay, bad joke in the title I know, but I couldn’t resist, especially since I had a punch trick to share with you.   And it is Black Friday after all with all the pushing and shoving to get the best deal.    The crowds and bad behavior was one more reason I stayed home and shopped online in my jammies with Stampin’ Up’s Online Extravaganza!    I also played with the bits and pieces from the picture above.  Don’t you love it when you can get one punch to work with another to create something wonderful.  I love my new little blossoms/snowflakes from the center of the Lace Ribbon Border punch.   I can see my next experiment will be to play with the open spaces the flowers left behind.

*****

Lately I’ve been getting fascinated with Redwork all over again.  If that’s not something you are familiar with there is a  summary here that I found using Google.   Whether in embroidery or quilt form its a fun, nostalgic crafting idea.   So of course I had to create a paper version – probably the first of many – LOL.   When I first learned the basics of redwork embroidery my Mom insisted on the KISS principle.  Keep it simple, unembellished and the only deviation she herself made was to use an ivory or vanilla background instead of the more traditional white.   Easier on the eyes and less glare I guess.   Whatever the reason that’s my prefered background too as you can see – ignore the brown matting if you can…that’s the only way I can get my scanner to show a vanilla background.   Although now I come to think of it.  I could have used just a vanilla layer on a Cherry Cobbler base…hm…note to self…try that variation tomorrow.

This card also included another experiment for me.  Heat embossing with a new embossing powder.  Stampin’ Up in the new catalog came out with a new Cherry Cobbler embossing powder that was a perfect accompaniment to my redwork inspired design.   I wish my scanner had picked up the shine of this awesome new option.    Can you tell I’m in love with all things Cherry Cobbler?  Yep, my all time favorite of the additions to the color family from last year.  And of course the perfect color for Fall and Christmas and probably Valentines too!  Really…I’ll find a way to even make it work for Easter!    And if you like the look of the “Noel” image you can find that in the Many Merry Messages stamp set that’s currently on sale for 50% off during the Online Extravaganza that ends November 30th.  

In case you’re wondering where the little tree came from.   No Stampin’ Up doesn’t have a new punch.   They do however have a new die.   The Stocking Accents die from the Holiday mini has a number of fun accent pieces you can use with the new Stocking die or all by themselves.   Lately I’ve been cutting them out of felt and creating fun ornaments but that’s a post for another day.

 Stamps:  Many Merry Messages (on sale for 50% off during the Online Extravaganza)

 Ink:  Versamark

Paper: Very Vanilla & Cherry Cobbler Cardstock

Other:  Lace Ribbon Border Punch, 3/4″ Circle Punch, Big Shot, Stocking Accents Die, Cherry Cobbler Embossing Powder, Heat Tool.

Stocking Accents Die #124099 $17.95 Many Merry Messages #116586 $17.48 while on saleMany Merry Messages #116586 $17.48 while on sale

Many Merry Messages #116586 $17.48 while on sale

If you decide to stay home and shop with Stampin’ Up you can click my shop online button in the sidebar or any of the highlighted Online Extravaganza text.  The sale runs until November 30th and you can order online through my website, email me your order or host your own workshop to take advantage of the savings.   There are glimmer brads and ribbon I was itching to add to my card on sale but of course that wouldn’t have been in keeping with the simplicity of redwork design.   Ah well…another day…another set of rules will allow me to play with sparkle and shine.   How about you…have you punched anything today?

Hugs and blessings – Jean

May you be blessed,

And be a blessing

 at this time of Thanksgiving….

Thanksgiving, a time of year to pause and reflect and remember the blessings of the year.   This year I’ll be sharing time and a meal with a friend and her family and thanking God for the gift of friendship and so much more.  

Another friend passed along this video of the song Thankful.  Seemed appropriate today.

Here’s the lyrics in case you’d like to sing along:

“Thankful”

Hugs and blessings today and always – Jean

Several of my friends told me yesterday that they were in the midst of storms that were adding snow, ice, frost and all things white and glittery to their week.   Given all the glitter Mother Nature is tossing about I thought I’d toss a little of my own and share a tutorial on MDS glimmer tricks!  

No permanent snow yet in my neck of the woods but the winds are doing a little tossing of their own.  Last night it sounded like a freight train was running just outside my door…very odd circumstance given my usual very quiet valley up in the hills.

Here’s a tutorial (of sorts) for the My Digital Studio Glimmer projects I posted previously and based on several of these ads. 

You can see the project pictures  here.   Mostly this tutorial is a pictorial reminder sheet of the basic steps.  It also assumes a certain level of knowledge about the basics of MDS.   Let me know if you have questions and of course comments are always welcome.     At the end of the pictures I’ve put a link to a PDF version of this tutorial that you are welcome to download, share and use. 

MDS – Glimmer Paper Recycled Ad Trick - PDF version of the Tutorial

Have fun with the project if you decide to attempt it.    You can grab the jpgs of the ads I used in my original post on the subject here by right clicking and saving them to your own computer.  Then import as photos into any MDS project type and get glimmering!

And don’t forget to check out the Online Extravaganza still going on.  The deals are just waiting for you!    You can check them out and/or place an order here.

Hugs and blessings and as always one of the things I am thankful for are my lovely blog readers.   Share the sparkle!   – Jean

Are you as in love with Stampin’ Up Glimmer Paper as I am?   Especially the Silver variety in the Holiday mini?   I’m hooked, addicted, desperately seeking glimmer…oh yeah…

Hi…my name is Jean…and I’m a Glimmerhead!

So, what’s a girl to do when her favorite paper doesn’t have a digital equivalent.  Especially when she’s also an MDS addict?   Why make her own of course.  Say what?   Nope, I’m not a programming whiz or anything…but I am an ace recycler.   Have been for years…only now I’ve gone digital with that talent.

To start with…Stampin’ Up has this thing called the Online Extravaganza. 

You may have heard about it?   LOL!   If you haven’t and you inhabit Stampin’ Up cyber space zones you really need to have something checked.  Practically every demo’s blog has a banner.   See where I’m going with this yet?  Let me make it a little bigger….

Do you see the sparkle yet…or should I say the glimmer?   How about on this one:

Can you guess yet?   Okay…I’ll stop teasing.   After inquiring and finding out that Stampin Up does not yet offer a digital glimmer and that the ads were created with non MDS software (oh the horror!) inspiration struck and struck hard.

See glimmer…want glimmer…..STEAL GLIMMER….Ta Da!!    My criminal…um…recycling talents came to the fore and I created these quicky bits just to see if the idea had merit.

First  a card front.

And since the inside is mostly white it doesn’t show up that well on a blog so I skipped it.  Shows up just fine when you print it of course.

Then a small wedding present tag.

Well it’s supposed to be a small tag but I couldn’t figure out how to down size the background in my gleeful and larcenous state.  Still learning my way around the program.

And finally a sheet of Christmas Tags all ready for the whacker!

So what do you think.   Was the experiment successful?   It’s much shimmery and glimmery in My Digital Studio of Course.   I really wish you could see my screen and all the sparkle.

  Might have to have a couple printed up by Stampin’ Up’s professional print service for a true test.  

And I’ll have to see if I can do a print screen by print screen of the process to give you a better idea.    Basically I imported the jpg (the old right click and save works every time)   from the file saved to my computer into MDS then covered the ad part with a punch and used the color matching option to find an appropriate color in another part of the original jpg.  Then dropped on a few layers of whatever and voila…recycled art!  I’m thinking that with a steady hand and few more punches or other ink layers I can do a true fill and still preserve the ornament image.   But that’s an experiment for another day.

What did I learn.    First…I still have a lot to learn about my new software.   Second…learning is fun, stimulating and occasionally leads to head slaps and colorful vocabulary…can we all say SAVE as you go along and don’t be too quick to click okay when a delete screen comes up – I clicked while watching an exciting cop show in another open window.    Note to self…forget TV while attempting new things.    Third…this was so fulfilling and outrageously fun once I figured out the basics.    Oh…and blue tones work best with silver glimmer…or colors that contain blue tones (of the right hue).   Real Red and Cherry Cobbler are amazing with Marina Mist.   Both are new colors since the Color Renovation.   And both of course are perfect with glimmer paper.  Probably why SU combined all three in the original ad (actually I think they used Real Red but Cherry Cobbler works too).

So….from this:

To this:

Not bad for an evenings work.   Oh..and did you read the ads besides looking at their glimmer borders.   There are still lots of great deals going until November 30th.   Don’t miss out.   The two 24 hour specials are gone but there are lots of terrific MDS downloads to play with and stamps to stamp with and ….  well…you get the “picture”…right?

To place an order click here or on my sidebars link to my online store.   If you have more questions about today’s post leave me a comment or drop me an email.  I’ll be happy to explain further.   And don’t forget to try your hand at recycling…an ad (and its glimmer) is a terrible thing to waste. {grin}

Hugs and blessings – Jean

P.S.  My new Simply Score is on it’s way and should be here next week …the downloads I bought at the same time today were delivered to my desktop in seconds!  Better still…there is always free shipping on digital downloads!    Whether you spend 95¢ or $95 there is never any shipping on digital downloads and never a minimum purchase requirement.

The sale is live … some deals end tonight at 11:59!

Time to get shopping!!

To see what all the deals are check out this easy to read PDF:

Online Extravaganza flyer 

All the specials and deals in one easy format!

Hi all,

Sitting here in my jammies drinking Cocoa and planning my own Extravaganza order.   Wow are there some hidden gems in there!   A few confusing things too that I thought I should point out so you won’t be surprised when you order.

First off…the two special items on sale only for 24 hours!   Whoo Hoo…my two favorite tools so you know they are topping my list.

Simply Score &  Cookie Stamps  available at 20% off – makes it the perfect time to grab these lovelies!

Now Only $23.96 order #122334

Don’t forget these two items go back to regular pricing at 11:59pm MT.   

For more information:

Simply Scored Flyer - Flyer lists the features and benefits of this cool new tool

Cookie Press Chocolates – Instructions & Pictures  – Cookie stamps aren’t just for Cookies!

Take your love of stamping into the kitchen! Create fun and tasty stamped cookies for any occasion. The silicone stamps fit over the bottom of wooden handle then you press into the dough—it’s that easy! Perfect for kids! Food-safe, easy-to-clean and dishwasher safe. Each set includes 3 silicone stamps, 1 handle, and 2  cookie recipes.

They work as a paper mold as well.  Stay tuned for more posts as I play with my own set!

Need more convincing?

*****

 Another WOW Deal:

If you are into digital crafting or think you’d like to give it a try Stampin’ Up has an offer too good to pass up.

Purchase My Digital Studio Express Version and get one of three bundles worth up to $40 for free!   Basically that’s the same as 50% off the regular 2 disk version since one of the bundle choices is the booster pack that adds back in all the files found in the two disk version and stripped from the Express version. 

Here’s a flyer detailing the free bundles:

Online_Extravaganza_2011_Bundles – MDS bundle free with express version

This downloadable version comes with the full software and fresh, minimal digital content using Stampin’ Up!’s artwork, designs, and colors! Windows and Mac compatible.

My Digital Studio Express includes over $50 worth of content:

• 12 Designer Series paper patterns
• One 9-piece stamp brush set
• 81 embellishments
• 26 punches
• Five designer templates (24-page 11″ x 8-1/2″ photobook, 7″ x 5″ postcard, 5″ x 7″ postcard, 4-1/4″ x 5-1/2″ greeting card, 4″ x 9-1/4″ trifold card)

If you order the software you’ll need to do so online through my online store  so that you can access the download links as soon as you pay for the program.   As part of the order process you’ll be prompted to input your choice of bundle the flyer shows the bundle order number at the top of the page showing the pictured contents.

The rest of the offerings run the gamut from Big Shot to digital downloads to accessories to stamps!

Just in time for Christmas and Valentines the Glimmer Brad bundle will add shine to your projects and lighten the load on your wallet!    And the fabrics…with 50-60% off you can’t go wrong planning holiday projects.  Check yesterdays post for ideas on using it.

The stamps…wow…the stamps.   Not only are some old favorites included but there is even a brand new set…The Occasions Alphabet…Have you seen this beauty.  It covers every event and occasion you could possibly need with text as well as letters.   And now…its 50% off!   I love when the alphabets go on sale.

Now 50% off your choice of clear mount or wood!

Other classic stamp sets like Winter Post and Many, Merry Messages are also on that 50% off list.

The Big Shot is well represented with the Candy Wrapper die…perfect for making your own crackers (tubes with hidden surprises and noise makers popular in Europe) as well as other gifty items and stocking stuffers.   There is also a Happy Birthday strip die.   For my uplines Birthday I cranked one of these out dusted it with dots of dazzling diamonds and rhinestones and attached it to some bamboo skewers to top her birthday cake.  A fun 5 minute project with lots of dazzle and shine.  And….

Did you see that my beloved Letterpress Plates are also 50% off?   To see what you can do with these lovelies check out my post here and here.

So much good product and I’ve only touched on a few.   Grab the flyer, visit my online store and grab some goodness for yourself.   Hee, hee…not promising there won’t be any backorders after I place my own order!   Which reminds me…while this is an online extravaganza…all but the digital products can also be ordered at workshops or emailed to me for regular ordering through November 30th.    

What do you bet Santa will be shopping the Extravaganza too.   If you think he needs help I’ll be happy to provide gift certificates and Wish Lists for his many helpers.  You can email me at jlfstudio@live.com  for details and samples.

Time to get back to my cocoa as Jack Frost is nipping at my nose as I sit here typing.  Winter is in the air for sure…can snow be far behind?

Hugs and blessings and happy savings during the Extravaganza! – Jean

One of the special deals is on select designer fabrics.   How big a deal?   Well does this give you any idea….

At 60% off select designer fabric sets here’s the break down:

Each fabric packet (think fat quarters only bigger) contains 3 pieces or fat quarters of 27″ x 18″ for $9.95

Less 60% that $9.95 becomes $3.98!   Now can you see why I’m jumping for joy!  That’s 1458 square inches of very cool fabric for $3.98!

And if you are a demo or join my team during the sale…are you ready for this… you get another 20% off that 60% off!  So your fabric would run you $3.18!    And…you’ll be getting that extra 20% off everything you order from the various catalogs the entire time you are a demo!   Not too many companies give their sales force discounts on top of discounts let me tell you – but Stampin’ Up does!

So now my fellow frugalistas…you have your fabric (at this price why wouldn’t you try it).  What are you going to do with it?   You just knew I was leading up to this didn’t you…hee,hee.

Whether you sew or you don’t there are any number of wonderful things to do with fabric.   And if you have a Big Shot and our steel rule dies you have even more options since you can use our wonderful fabric adhesive sheets to create your very own designer iron on fabric appliques.   Die cut with the multipurpose adhesive sheets (peel and press – no ironing needed) you can create fabric die cut stickers for cards and scrapbooks or any altered object.

Here’s one of my favorites as shared by Fran:

Fabric Teddy Bear – Fran Trischetta Tutorial

Here are links to just a few more including Stampin’ Up’s exclusive fabric project booklets:

Stampin Up Fabric Resources:

Here’s a cute little guy I created today when I took some time out from writing posts for the next week and instead played with the digital punches in My Digital Studio.  You can see what else happened to him at the bottom of the post.   I’m not the only one who gets holiday headaches…lol!

I probably should have subtitled this post…Black Friday is no longer on Friday!

With all the Online Extravaganza posts I’ve been concocting lately I’m feeling a bit like the shouting ads coming through my in box.   Black Friday is coming, Black Friday is coming shout all the online and big box retailers - well yeah – but according to the ads in my in box it’s already here and has been for about a week.   Last Saturday’s ad for a local craft store touted their Black Friday sale that started that day - how is it Black Friday when it’s two weeks before Thanksgiving for pity sake.   Funny how date creep works don’t you think?    Holidays and sales days and so many other days get started weeks and weeks before they used to.    Makes me thankful for sensible companies like Stampin’ Up.   

Yep we too have a sale and trust me there is nothing black about it except possibly the ink on the digital page!  Hee, hee.   They sensibly called it the….

And they used lovely shades of blue and red.   To see more about what’s coming at 12:01 a. m. on Monday check out this post.

Now really…you can have an online extravaganza any time of the year whether a Friday is Black or not and whether or not there is a holiday in sight.  Is that sensible or what?   

The one confusing thing about it is (it’s a sale so of course there has to be something confusing about it right?  Isn’t that a rule somewhere?) …you can order from the selections offline as well!   Sale items (except for one or two digital downloads or Clearance Rack items) can also be ordered on regular customer and workshop orders – demo orders too if you happen to be a demo or want to join as one this week.  But I digress….

To make it even better…Stampin’ Up started the fun early (yep we do things early too) with several days of free downloads for My Digital Studio (or any other graphics software you have on your system).

All of which is to say…TODAY IS THE LAST DAY FOR A FREE DOWNLOAD!!  So grab it now!!

Yep…click on over (then come right back okay) here to see and download a very fun Trim the Tree set of embellishments and designer projects like this one:

For a closer look at the free download I’ve created an Index Sheet with all the info you need to get started once you have the download on your system.

Trim the Tree – Index Sheet

And starting Monday at 12:01 a.m. you can get $40 worth of bundled downloads for free when you buy  My Digital Studio Express Version!  

The cool thing about the Express Version is 1) it’s cheaper than the full 2 disk version (by about half) 2) those savings allow you to invest in downloads of images you’ll love and use and 3) you don’t have to pay shipping and you can start using it without waiting for UPS to deliver the disks to your door!   Just download and go after paying for the program.  Way to go SU!

To see more about the differences between the Express version and the full 2 Disk version here’s a wonderfully informative video by Stampin’ Up’s Holly Linford

showFullScreen?id=6293347%3AVideo%3A227744&autoplay=1

I’ll leave you today with a fun postcard project I created today using another special My Digital Studio offering.  

Many of the elements of this project come from our new Savor the Season Hostess CD-rom.   Savor the Season is filled with fun predesigned projects including boxes and tags and bows as well as papers and stamp images and is only available as a Hostess option.   Have a workshop or place an order that qualifies for hostess benefits and you too can choose Savor the Season as one of your free product options and start playing.   In fact…during the Extravaganza Sale you can order the Express version of My Digital Studio as well as other product from my online store here and not only will you get the $40 of free bundled software but if you spend $150 (before shipping) you’ll also qualify for $25 in free hostess product ($16 of which will get you Savor the Season for free).

What you won’t find in the digital kit is my gingerbread man image.  I created him using punches that come standard with My Digital Studio!   I’ll post the details later this week.

Here’s my Index Sheet for Savor the Season as well as a video and copy of the flyer with ordering info:

Savor the Season Stamps – index sheet

*****

Don’t forget to check back later in the early a.m. to see the Online Extravaganza specials. Including the two that are only available for 24 hours!

Hugs and Blessings and may your week ahead be filled with joy – Jean

Most of the details are secret until Monday at 12:01 a.m. so this is me until then

Coming this Monday at 12:01 a.m.

Here’s the link to my Online Store.   Of course you can email or call me with your order as well.  Orders placed directly through me (not through my online store site) also qualify for the latest It’s Good to be the Hostess benefits that give you an additional $35 free merchandise for all orders over $350.    I’ll be online and home all day Mondaywaiting for your orders (and making up mine )  since 2 of the items you’ll only have 24 hours to take advantage of.     The rest you have until November 30th.

So who wants to join me and Wicket  at 12:01 Monday?   You do of course.  After all…the sooner you order…the sooner you get your goodies to play with!   See you then!

Hugs and Blessings – Jean

Get ready to scrapbook those holiday memories or send out holiday greetings.

Get ready to….Celebrate the Season….Digitally!!

Hi All,

Do you love FREE stuff?   Do you love Digital Downloads?   Well then…Stampin’ Up has combined both loves just in time for you to celebrate Digital Scrapbooking Day!     For 4 days Stampin’ Up will be giving away 4 FREE digital downloads! 

Designed to work with our premier digital scrap and card and multipurpose digital project software…My Digital Studio… these downloads are also available in a format for use with pretty much any graphics capable software.     If you are into digital or know someone who is this is the time to get busy downloading and creating with these very cool products.

If you are an SU demonstrator the downloads are available on the demo website.  If you are a customer you can find them here on the official My Digital Studio site – http://mydigitalstudio.net/profiles/blogs/celebrate-digital-scrapbooking-day-with-free-downloads

AND

Want another FREE download? If we get 5,000 new friends to download the content Stampin ‘ UP! will give everyone a fifth download. So share MyDigitalStudio.net with your friends today!

Check out the FAQ below and then scroll on down for my own FREE contribution to the event.  You won’t want to miss this as it will give you your best look (well without actually using the downloads that is…LOL!)

FAQ about Digital Scrapbooking Day 

Q: What is Digital Scrapbooking Day?

A: Digital Scrapbooking Day is officially celebrated the first Saturday in November. It was designed to remind people to set time aside to digitally document their personal history. To celebrate, Stampin’ Up! will be giving away free downloads to demonstrators and customers.

Q: What is Stampin’ Up! giving away for free for Digital Scrapbooking Day?

A:

So Typefelt Stamp Brush Set

Neutral Delightful Digital Tape

Home for the Holidays Ensemble

Delight in the Day Photobook Template

Q: Are the free downloads new products?

A: Yes; all of the free downloads are brand-new designs. On November 8, they will be added to our product offering for purchase.

Q: Who can get the downloads for free?

A: Anyone: demonstrators, customers, and even non-customers can get these free downloads. Our downloads are compatible with most design software, so share the FREE download message with everyone!

Q: How will customers receive the free downloads?

A: Customers will receive the free downloads at MyDigitalStudio.net November 4-7. To access the downloads they’ll need to fill out a short survey.

Q: Is there an additional sale or promotion associated with Digital Scrapbooking Day?

A: No; all other digital content will be regularly priced.

To learn what’s included in the downloads and how to access the downloaded files, choose one of the following:

• I have the My Digital Studio software
• I don’t have the software but want to use my free downloads in other programs

*****

Note Other Current Promotions: 

We do have  quite a few other promotions going on right now including a FREE Big Shot with purchase of a Starter Kit (until Nov. 11th).   

A brand new My Digital Studio “Savor the Season” digital Hostess CD-rom option and of course the new Cookie Stamps!   

AND….It’s Good to be the Hostess!     Get an additional $35 in FREE Stampin’ Up!® products when you host a $350 workshop November 1-December 15! This is in addition to all the other benefits you get as a Stampin’ Up! hostess.

*****

In keeping with the spirit of the event and to encourage you to use the new downloads with ease here are some index sheets in PDF form that I created with the downloads.     Printed and placed in a folder or binder they make a handy reference guide that will show you at a glance what the coordinating colors are, the images included and thumbnails of the predesigned projects available.    When you get a new download…take the time to make a reference index sheet like these for yourself and you’ll be glad you did.   Easy Peasy(if you are familiar with the program)…open a new photobook page(s) – I use the 8-1/2″ x 11″ format then drop the images from the stamps, embellishments and Designer Series Papers onto the pages.  To get the designer projects I open each one…convert it to a .jpg image (use the share project selection and choose send to a .jpg) then drop that .jpg into a photo box (just like adding a photo to any project).    Once you’ve completed the sheets you can then print (using the borderless print option in the printing options and the crop to fill option).

Home for the Holidays – Index

Delight in the Day – Index sheets

Neutral Delightful Digital Tape – Index Page

So Typefelt Stamp Index

Enjoy!   And don’t forget to pass the word along so we can increase our chances for the FREE 5th download!

Tip: Something else to celebrate about digital downloads.   When you  purchase only digital downloads (no physical product or CD-rom disks just the electonic downloads) there are no shipping and handling fees!     So if you see something in the MDS catalog or in the online store you can purchase as few or as many as you need with no additional expense!  Now that’s a deal!    And…if you purchase them through my online store link to my demonstrator business website…you can receive hostess benefits with any qualifying order!

Tip: Okay…here’s one more semi-secret tip relating to the free downloads.   Because these are being given free for a limited time and then available for sale after that Stampin’ Up is not adding these files to your usual download backup storage area in the customer store.   So…if something happens to your hard drive or your computer they won’t be available to reload for free.    To make your own back up here’s what you do:

When the links are shown for you to click on and download the files…instead of clicking… hover your cursor over the link.  Then right click and select Save Target As (depending on your browser the wording may be slightly different).    This will download the full application with an executable file.   Then anytime you need to add the files to MDS you will just double click on that application file and the Wizard template will open and the download integration will begin as usual.  Save a copy on a disk or other back up medium for further protection.    You will need some room as the file is in the neighborhood of 80MB’s.

*****

Okay…what are you waiting for…time to get digital!!   Go…download…play and enjoy your My Digital Studio or other software as you celebrate Digital Scrapbooking Day!    Once you get started…you’ll be hooked!   As my friends and fellow demo’s would say….Ask me how I know!

Yep…Hi there…my name is Jean Fitch and I’m a My Digital Studio Addict!

Hugs and blessings – Jean

It’s time for……

(note: the hop starts at 11:00 am (Eastern) Saturday and runs through Sunday though some links may be up earlier than that)

The Llamas are hopping again!  My llama sisters and I  have been itching to share our holiday ideas.  We’ve even scheduled a swap among ourselves for November.  So October just seemed like the right time to get the holidays started and release that holiday inspired creativity.  

This time we are featuring a variety of holidays…some standard and some not so much (at least at planning time there were hints there might be Chinese New Years, Solstice or other possibilities so keep your eyes open…one never knows just where a llama starts and where they’ll end up).

If  you are following the hop in order you’ve  arrived here at my stop on the hop from Jackies very creative addition to the Llama Holiday Blog Hop (we call her Jackers but that’s a story for another day as are the many discussions about Otters that always seem to follow her!).  Trust Jackie to add  dazzling sparkle to the holiday.  Love those doily snowflakes Miss Jackers!

I’m starting off with a little known holiday…It’s the Great Pumpkin Day!  You know…the one where the Great Pumpkin rises out of the most sincere pumpkin patch?  

What…you mean Linus and Charlie Brown made it up?  Drats!    

Okay…seriously…these little darlings are perfect for any fall celebration whether its Harvest Festival Day, Halloween or as table decor for Thanksgiving.   No carving necessary…just a bit of punching and sponging (a little glue goes a long way too!).   A perfect project for slightly older kids or youngers with a little direction and help.  Gather the family and make your very own sincere pumpkin patch.   Up to you if you skip the candy grab and wait up instead for the Great Pumpkin!

Boy do I wish my camera would show a bit more detail.  These little darlings are stamped and embossed and sponged within an inch of their life.   The ingredients are pretty basic. 

 Paper: I used First Edition DSP and Pumpkin Pie cardstock (of course anything you have in your cupboard will work too…even newspaper!).   A punch that’s symetrical and somewhat round:  I used the  Round Tab Punch.   Then I added some glue and a bit of ribbon for the stem (hard to see since I used Crumb cake) then add a bit of curled shreds of Crumb Cake to add a little interest and dimension.  Oh…and I stamped a little tiny image from Circle Circus…a favorite set that luckily survived the catalog changeover.  For the stepped up version – after stamping run it through the Big Shot with your favorite embossing folder.   Come back next week and I’ll show you the layout and outline the details a bit more.   In the mean time….as a It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown treat….Here’s a fun video for you to play while building your own pumpkins!

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***********

In keeping with the Fall theme I have going,  the next project is one from a recent stamp camp.  My friend and upline Cheryl (without whom I’d never be a llama or an SU Demo) with a little help from Frenchie Martin’s very helpful tutorial found here designed this wonderful Joseph’s Coat technique card using Autumn Splendor & the new Occasions Alphabet.  

I love the text she chose since Thanksgiving is, for me, about togetherness and celebrating our blessings for another year.  Truly love is the greatest blessing!    Photographing this project reminded me once again how tricky Glossy paper is to get just right.   But keeping the glare shot allowed me to  show the hidden acorn layer.   When I first saw this design it brought back childhood memories of creeks with floating leaves and acorns and rocks and other bits  from the creek bed reflected and magnified by the running, swirling water.    Makes the glare seem almost necessary now doesn’t it…a sunspot reflection in the water.

Stamp Sets – Autumn Splendor, Occasions Alphabet, A Word for You, Teeny Tiny Wishes

Card Stock – Cajun Craze 8 ½”x 5 ½” and scrap, Old Olive 5 ¼”x 4” and scrap, Glossy 5”x 3 ¾”

Ink – Versa Mark, Cajun Craze, Old Olive, More Mustard, Early Espresso Classic Ink pads

Punches – Large Oval, Scallop Oval, 3/16” Corner

Accessories – Clear Embossing Powder, Dimensionals

Cool Tools – Sponges, Heat Gun, Paper Piercer & mat

Thanks Cheryl for guesting on our hop!

***********

My last project is a combo.  Perfect for Christmas and with these Baja Breeze colors and a change of sentiment it works for Hanukkah as well.   Wouldn’t you love to find something small and sparkly in this little treat box?   

And the best thing about these projects…they are so very simple.  The basic card and the die cut tag (and the base for the box) are from the Simply Sent kit Everyday Elegance.   With the addition of a snowflake (from the Northern Frost die) and a bit of ribbon and the use of the Merry Christmas from Four the Holidays an everyday card becomes an elegant holiday greeting.    Change it to the Happy Hanukkah from one of our other stamp sets and you are also good to go for yet another holiday.   That splash of red is our new quilted ribbon from the holiday mini.  I considered adding a Cherry Cobbler snowflake for my Twilight obsessed readers but decided to keep it a tad more traditional – besides the idea of blood coloring the flake was just a little icky for this reader.    And yes…the little box is made from the same card base as the card.    And that reflecting jewel is a very affordable little Simply Adorned Bauble (who says only diamonds are a girls best friend?) threaded through the Whisper White Tafetta Ribbon.  I’ll be back next week to share the details and a fabulous PDF from a fellow demo so you can make a mini box of your own.  

Oh…and one last special note about this project….the Simply Sent kits are featured in a current October only Stampin’ Up Promotion!  Make just a few of these little darlings and you could earn yourself some free stamps!

***********

Time now to move along to Kathe’s stop on the hop.  Click the button below or this link.  Of course if you get lost anywhere along the line or you just want to see the list of hoppers you can always return to the blog hop home page by clicking on the appropriate button or this link.  The home page will also give you future access to this hop as well as our first time hop links.  Enjoy!

Hugs and Blessings – Jean

Distressing Essentials Kit – Order #118762   Cost: $19.95

Stampin’ Up has  just announced that vintage stampin ink refills for the  distressed ink stampin spots are now available as a write in item on your order.

• 125731 Tea Stain Vintage Stampin’ Ink refill $4.95 US/$5.95 CA 
• 125732 Charcoal Vintage Stampin’ Ink refill $4.95 US/$5.95 CA 
• 125733 Mahogany Vintage Stampin’ Ink refill $4.95 US/$5.95 CA
• 125734 Navy Blue Vintage Stampin’ Ink refill $4.95 US/$5.95 CA

Tips on re-inking a distress ink spot:

 Re-inking a Vintage Ink Spot is different than re-inking a Classic Stampin’ Pad or Spot.  To create a distressed, aged appearance, a Vintage Ink Spot should be drier than a Classic Stampin’ Pad.  When it’s too dry–that is, the ink applies more lightly than you like on your projects–you should re-ink the Spot. To re-ink your Vintage Ink Spot, do the following: 

1. Using the eyedropper in the Vintage Ink Refill, apply ink one drop at a time in equal, thin stripes on the pad.  Do not saturate the pad; it needs to be drier than a Classic Stampin’ Pad.  Let the ink settle into the pad for a few minutes before continuing. 
2. Using the edge of a credit card, drag the ink diagonally across the pad from corner to corner.  This will ensure that the ink is heavier in some places than others, which is necessary to create a distressed appearance.
3. Blot lightly with a paper towel to remove excess ink.

New to the Distressing Essentials Kit or Distressing in general?

I’ve got a flyer here with links and tips for using the kit.

Distressing Essentials Kit Flyer - PDF version

Distressing Essentials Kit Flyer - Word version

When I get a chance to play a little more with this kit I’ll post more information and pictures for you on its many features.  

If you need the kit or just want the refills both are available through my online store (see link in the sidebar) or send me an email with your order.

Hugs and blessings – Jean

Have you jumped on the rosette/lollie/accordion flower bandwagon yet?   By whatever name you call them these little darlings are taking over the web!     Maybe it was the introduction of Stampin’ Up’s new Holiday Mini with its very cool wreath depicted on page 6 or maybe it was the introduction of the new Simply Scored that makes it so easy to create these little darlings.   Whatever it was, a very good friend of mine has jumped on and I’ve learned a lot from her.   So…..

Today I have a special treat.   A guest artist has dropped by my blog to share her wonderful project.   Patti Leeke is another Stampin’ Up!  demo, a fellow llama and more than that…a wonderful friend.  Currently living in Tennessee Patti shares her crafting talents with friends, family and customers.   Stamping has been her passion for the last short while and I hear tell she even stamps out on the ice floes while her husband is ice fishing!   And let me tell you she isn’t a one trick gal by any means.   She’s as famous for her humor and good heart as her crafts.  Every day she sends me howlers in my inbox as well as telling stories on the various forums we both frequent and where we met around a virtual watercooler.   Trust me when I say…there is never a dull moment no matter where she is!  

Recently I saw Patti’s Halloween wreath on our private Llama site and was so impressed.   Well I was impressed with her work that’s for sure and even more that she had posted something online.  Hee,hee.   Knowing her love hate relationship with computers and they with her (boy can she tell some hilarious stories that beat my own crazy computer experiences) and since I’ve yet to convince her to take up blogging, I asked if I could share her work with fellow stampers on my blog.   Being the terrific llama gal pal that she is she said yep!  Go for it.   We even collaborated on an outline to share with you.

Here’s the wreath and the following are pics of the various components.  

I might add that one of the things Patti taught me with this project is that stamping and a variety of punch creations can add a lot to the basic rosette.  Somehow that hadn’t occurred to me as most of what I’d seen was a layered effect with buttons and die cuts etc.   I should also note that some of the color shades are a tad funky due to the miracle of digital cameras.   It seems I’m not the only one afflicted with one that looks perfect on the little LED screen and then transforms once its downloaded onto the computer!

Little Witch Rosette

Boo Rosette

Three Hanging Spiders Rosette

Big Button Rosette

Bat Rosette

Jack-O-Lantern Rosette

Button Rosette

House of Haunts Rosette

Happy Halloween Rosette

Spooky & Antique Brad Rosettes

Boo Pennant Rosette

Pretty much everything but the bat punch pieces are current Stampin’ Up product.   Currently the bat punch IS available in the Clearance Rack of the online store.  If you want to use it…better grab it quick!  

 To see a list of supplies and a few basic directions, as well as links to where you can learn how to make these rosettes for yourself, download Patties outline PDF.

Patti’s Rosettes & Halloween Wreath - PDF

Thanks Patti for starting off October on my blog with Halloween fun and spooky high fashion.   And never fear my friend…love or hate your computer my goal is still to get you up and blogging in time for our next Llama blog hop on October 22nd!   Gotta share those shoes you’ve been making!   Also have you earn that Computer Guru of the Household title for real!

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If you are looking for help on making rosettes here’s a few helpful sites with tutorials:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BorVDVTxRaI – simply score tour and rosette ornament

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjJnP23LHXE – detailed view of creating rosettes

Alternate method using thread:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmwd6emDV8o

And a few tips:

Scoring:

When using a scoring tool, like the Simply Scored, it is easier to fold the strip accordion style if you score on one side of the strip for every other score line, then flip the strip over, and do the other score lines. For example, if scoring every ½ inch, then on one side score every inch, flip over, and score the alternating every inch.  When you go to fold, the paper will want to fold in the direction of the scoring, making the back and forth accordion style much easier!

Buttons: 

Need to keep costs down?  Use the button embosslit to create button embellishments for Rosette Wreaths, etc. – cover with Crystal effects to approximate shine of the real thing.

Glue gun seems to work the best for holding down rosettes over time and to attach to wreath backing.

I’ll be back another day to share more cool Rosette links, tutorials and projects.   As well as a look at our new scoring tool the fabulous…Simply Scored.    Until then, to see more about it download the Holiday Mini from my sidebar and check it out.   Or better yet…go to my online store (linked in the sidebar) and pick one up of your very own and just get scoring!

Hugs and blessings to you all – Jean

Here’s another fun idea that had its origins in the Llama Blog Hop!   Speaking of which I hope you enjoyed that hop.  I’m still returning to my fellow llamas blogs to find more inspiration and ideas.    All the original hop posts are still accessible from this link – http://stampinllamas.blogspot.com/2011/09/doing-llama-hop.html

AND…we have another hop scheduled for October 22nd that will feature various holiday projects from Thanksgiving to Chinese New Years and any other holiday that enters our wild and wooly llama thoughts.  So stay tuned for more llama fun and inspiration.

In my hop post here in addition to the birdhouse template and directions I shared yesterday I  showed you what can be done with Stampin’ Up’s Fabulous Phrases stamp set and the birdhouses.     As I started building more houses I needed more ideas for what other word or phrase I could use so I returned to the stamp set and discovered a fun new game. 

Check this out…..

Wood Mount: #117002  $37.95     Clear Mount: #120501  $26.95

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Whether you use them together or apart these words add a lot to any project.

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How many phrases do you see?   And here’s another hint….with selective inking you can create more words from what you see here.

Get your pen and pencil out and join in the fun then download my list (or just scroll down).

 Fabulous Phrases Word List & Game sheet  – PDF

And here’s the Game Sheet all by itself:

Fabulous Phrases game sheet - PDF

Now that you’ve tried it here’s what I’ve come up with.  Though I must admit…I’m still seeing new and fun bits every day the more I think about it.

Phrases

 happy birthday

happy birthday to you

forever friend

celebrate today (place to and day close together with SAMJ)

enjoy life

love life

celebrate love

celebrate life

welcome little one

welcome beautiful little one

heartfelt wishes

thanks to you

best wishes

heartfelt best wishes

heartfelt gratitude

gratitude forever

to you

best friend

sweet thanks

sweet dreams

to celebrate one sweet little one

welcome to life little one

enjoy life little one

enjoy one sweet birthday

welcome happiness today (place to and day close together with SAMJ)

fabulous forever friend

enjoy dreams, love, life

birthday wishes

heartfelt birthday wishes

hi & welcome to life little one

wishes for happiness

friend to friend

heartfelt wishes for happiness

kind, sweet, fabulous friend

Words within words (selectively ink with a marker):

joy – from enjoy

ever – from forever

come – from welcome

birth – from birthday

mile – from smile

rate – from celebrate

heart – from heartfelt

felt – from heartfelt

today (combine “to” and “day” )

we – from sweet

a – from day

thank – from thanks

wish – from wishes

end – from friend

More selective phrases

you rate

you rate sweet birthday dreams

come & celebrate

thank you for life (now that’s something a mother would love to hear on Mother’s day)

a day for love, a day for happiness (wedding card text or Valentines Day)

we love you

we wish you love

best wishes for a beautiful life

heart to heart

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Hope you enjoyed the game.   I bet you’ll never look at a set of words the same way again!   Bet this also makes this set seem much more reasonably priced too!    Feel free to click on over to my online store and order your own set today!    And if you come up with more phrases or words built from these I’d love to hear from you so I can expand my list!

Hugs and blessings my friends – Jean