The June projects for Mad Stampers Club members use the 2-step stamp set, Field Flowers. I've put it together with the Ovals Framelits, and come up with two lovely cards.
The addition of some paper piercing has dressed up the simple version:
For the stepped up version, the oval forms a frame for the image and helps to create a nice sense of depth. The cut-out flowers add to the dimension as well. And who can resist the pearls?
Wouldn't you like access to the detailed video and written instructions for these handmade cards? Each month, Mad Stampers Club members are thrilled by the tutorials they get. The videos show not only step-by-step instructions for two cards, but Club members learn many of my best tips and tricks along the way.
Just imagine how your stamping and cardmaking skills could improve with monthly projects like this. Whether you're a beginning stamper still trying to figure out what you're doing, or a seasoned paper crafter that just doesn't have the time and/or the know-how to design beautiful cards, the Mad Stampers Club will help you become the stamper you've always wanted to be.
Give yourself the gift of becoming the best! Sign up for the Mad Stampers Club today!
Join the Mad Stampers as they create beautiful handmade cards using Field Flowers stamp set.
During the Grab Your Greetings Promotion, you can purchase three of Stampin' Up!'s most popular sets of sentiments for 25% off! That's a terrific savings!
If you're like me, you love to have plenty of greetings on hand for whatever event happens to come up. Take a card you've made, add a greeting to the inside, and voila!, it's perfect for any occasion.
If you prefer the greetings on the front of your cards, you'll love building your design around these sentiments.
Want something playful? Try Sassy Salutations:
Sassy Salutations: W-132070 $17.96
C-126707 $13.46
Sweet Essentials are just that: The essentials, in a sweet and simple font:
Sweet Essentials: W-132085 $14.96
C-126457 $11.21
Choose Petite Pairs, and put half the greeting on the front of the card, and the other half inside! How fun is that?!
Petite Pairs: W-128706 $21.71
C-122497 $15.71
The new Stampin' Up! Catalog is finally here, and I'm really excited about sharing it with you!
If you're like me, you've come to expect Stampin' Up! products to be the best of the best, and this year's Annual Catalog won't disappoint you. Great colors, a wide variety of stamps, tools, and accessories--all you could ever need to inspire your paper crafting and cardmaking designs!
If you have trouble viewing the catalog as a FlipBook, you can view it as a pdf using this link:
New catalogs for my customers have already arrived in their mailboxes, or are on their way. If you want to become a Stamping Madly customer and receive you're very own copy, just email me at sage@stampingmadly.com. I'll need your name, address, and phone number.
Have fun browsing! The new Stampin' Up! Catalog is here, and you're going to love it!
Stampin' Up! has come up with some yummy new In Colors in the new Annual Catalog. Here's a card showing off all five of the new colors:
Even the names of the colors are yummy:
If you're wondering what I'm talking about when I say In Colors, let me explain. Each year, Stampin' Up! introduces five trendy new colors that will be available for two years. That means that with each Annual Catalog, there will be two sets of In Colors.
This year, the 2011 In Colors would normally be retiring, but Stampin' Up! has added four of them to the regular Collections as part of the Color Refresh. The 2011 In Colors that will be with us a while longer include:
Click on the button below for more information on the changes to the color collections:
I can't wait for you to see all the fun new stamps and accessories in the new catalog! Meanwhile, I hope you're inspired by seeing this card using the yummy new In Colors from Stampin' Up!
What you need to know for the Catalog Transition: Friday, May 31st, through Monday, June 3rd, you'll be able to order from both the Retired Lists and from the new Annual Catalog. Since the 1st falls on Saturday, Stampin' Up! decided to overlap the ordering periods so that if anyone needs to contact them with questions, customer support will be available.
In addition, you need to be aware that on Friday, May 31st, online ordering will be unavailable from midnight to 12 noon while Stampin' up! adds the new catalog items to the online store.
If you don't have your copy of the 2013-2014 Annual Catalog yet, you'll be able to view it online tomorrow. See yesterday's blog post if you need a copy of the catalog.
That should be all you need to know about the catalog transition, but if you have any questions, be sure to email me at sage@stampingmadly.com.
If you're a Stamping Madly Newsletter subscriber, you already know that I've been sending Stampin' Up!'s new Annual Catalog to all my customers. The first batch went out today. Just imagine YOUR name and address on this Priority Mail Envelope.
If you want to become my customer, too, then I'd like to make sure you have your very own copy to drool over. Of course you can view the catalog online starting May 31st, but it's just not the same as being able to thumb through the pages, marking things you want as you go.
Warning: Viewing the catalog can cause extreme excitement! It may even cause you to think you NEED more stamps!
If you're brave enought to want your own catalog in spite of the warnings, then become a Stamping Madly customer today! Email me (sage@stampingmadly.com) with your name, address AND phone number.
Email me today! Don't miss out on this opportunity to find the new catalog from Stampin' Up! in your mailbox as early as next week!
Although there is only one $50 prize for the Cardmaking Contest winner, I chose a few of my other favorites for Honorable Mentions. You can click each image to see the original post including directions to make the card. Use this link to see the winning card in Friday's post.
This card from Dorothy Thompson is a definite favorite. My assistant "judge" JoAnne's comment about it is that it made her feel very calm and relaxed.
Bette Schroder's entry was an obvious choice for favorite for me. I love the harmonious design and the soft, lacy, style.
The only problem with this entry is that it doesn't quite fit the criteria of current 90% Stampin' Up! products--especially once I decided that the 90% should apply to surface area. Plus the sentiment, as a Sale-a-Bration stamp, was only current until March 22nd.
This card from Robbie Chandler gets the "Best Background" award, with it's layered images, textures, and vintage style. I'll have to CASE this technique sometime.
Donna Breunig's lovely card inspired me to create the My Friend card I included in the last Newsletter.
Did I relate that I had a hard time choosing the winner? Even narrowing down the Honorable Mentions to these four was difficult. These are my favorites, with several others that were close!
As for your favorites, Bette Schroeder's card (pictured above) had the most comments on this site. On Facebook, Michelle Pepper's card got the most "likes," with Robbie Chandler's card (seen above) a close second. Here's Michelle's card:
I hope all the entries have inspired you, and that you'll be courageous enough to enter the next contest. Congratulations to everyone who entered, for the point of the "contest" was to honor all cardmakers for all the heart and soul they put into their creations, regardless of level of skill and experience.
Kudos to all the Honorable Mentions in the Stamping Madly Cardmaking Contest!
Happy Memorial Day to all! Here in Albuquerque, Memorial Day has become the unofficial start of summer, since our schools are out starting mid to late May. The day is celebrated with parades, barbecues, fireworks, and parties.
Let's not forget the "memorial" part of the holiday in the midst of the festivities. Today we honor and remember all who have died in the service of our country. Here's an infographic of the history of this holiday. Click on the image to see a larger view.
Via: In the Light Urns
May you have a safe and meaningful Memorial Day!
The Stamping Madly Cardmaking Contest entries have all been posted, and I'm happy to announce that the winner is Janelle Varner. Here's her card:
There were so many great entries, it was hard to choose my favorite. In fact, I asked my friend JoAnne to look at the cards with me. She didn't enter a card, nor did she have a connection with anyone who did, and her unbiased input was very helpful.
What appeals to me may be very different than what appeals to others. We each have different things we look for in a piece of art. Maybe it's the color scheme that appeals, or the layout just feels harmonious. Perhaps it's the novel technique someone used, or an unusual way of putting the elements of the card together. All the entries received comments from people who liked them.
I need to refine the contest rules for next time. When I created the rules, I decided that a card has to be 90% current Stampin' Up! products. This became a problem when I was looking at some entries. Does that mean 90% of the card surface? Or 90% of the list of supplies. As JoAnne and I were looking at the cards, it became clear that 90% of the card surface was what I was looking for.
You may be wondering what criteria I use when assessing or designing a card. What pleases me most is a cohesive design. I'll use one of Janelle's other entries to illustrate what I mean, since she was not happy with it and asked for suggestions.
If you look at Janelle's winning entry, you'll see how she's incorporated each of these design tips in the card.
So much for a one-minute design lesson. Because there are several cards I am really drawn to, I have chosen some for Honorable Mention. I will show photos of them next week..
This was so much fun, and everyone seemed to get a lot out of the process, that I'm thinking of doing a holiday Cardmaking Contest at the end of summer. Leave a comment and let me know if you'd like to see that happen. Meanwhile, congratulate Janelle Varner on her winning entry.
I thought you'd like to see the new video I posted on YouTube, How to make the Trifold Shutter Card Base. I actually shot this video last fall when I created a trifold shutter card as a Mad Stampers Club Project.
I didn't have 12"x12" card stock in the color I was going to use (I had to borrow some to make this video), and realized others might be in the same boat. So I put together this video to show how to make the card base with either 12"x12" or 8-1/2"x11" card stock. One of my best customers has been bugging me, wanting to learn how to cut this card. I finally got the time to finish editing it and get it posted.
Use this link to download the templates referred to in the video:
Trifold Shutter Cards are one of my favorite types of projects to make. Cutting and scoring the base is really easy, once you see how it's done. Then you get to have great fun decorating the card. I didn't show how to decorate it, since I want to encourage you to experiment. I showed a couple of examples of finished cards in the video. Here's another project I did for Mad Stampers Club for one of the September projects
You can decorate as simply or as ornately as you like. The Trifold Shutter Card is perfect for showing of Designer Series Paper, and you can make an easy card without much more embellishment.
But you know me, I tend to go for the production pieces! And this Fan Fair card is certainly a production. Keep in mind, with an ornate card like this, there's no one step that is very difficult. It's just that there are a lot of steps. So with a good dose of patience, and a sense of adventure, you can create spectacular cards that will WOW your recipients!
Anyone you give this card to will see how much care and attention to detail you've put into it. It is really a wonderful way to tell someone how much they mean to you.
The Fan Fair Designer Series Paper is on the Retired List, and has not sold out yet. Even better, it is 25% off. Available while supplies last, or until June 3rd, whichever comes first. Use this button to view all the currently available retiring products
The directions for this card are really quite clear and easy. If you've avoided making Trifold Shutter Cards in the past because they seem to complicated, then you'll love these video instructions.
I thought I had posted all the Cardmaking Contest entries, but Mary Wessling left a comment on my FB page that she hadn't seen hers yet. That's because I totally lost the email she sent me. So I quickly wrote her and asked her to re-send the card and directions. Here's her card, Grandmother's Flower Garden:
I'm so glad she spoke up when she saw that I said I'd posted the last entry. I really didn't want to leave anyone out!
Be sure to leave a comment for Mary to let her know what you think. I'll be posting results later this week--unless someone else lets me know I missed their card!
Directions:
1). Card base is Baja Breeze, 5 1/2" x 8 1/2", scored at 4 1/4", fold on score line.
2). Cut a piece of Whisper White, 4" x 5 1/4", run this piece thru the Honeycomb embossing folder.
3). Take different pieces of Designer Series paper and run these thru the Honeycomb embossing folder also. On my card I used five different colors from the Subtles Collection.
4). Cut out six hexagon pieces for the outside of your flower shape and one hexagon piece for the middle. I made sure that I had white around each flower so it would show off better, I used Tombow glue to adhere all of the flower pieces with. Do this until you have the look that you want.
5). Take one Paper Doily and cut in half.
6). Take a scrap piece of Whisper White and with the 2 1/2" punch, punch out a circle, cut in half and using Snail adhesive, adhere to the solid part of your Doily.
7). Stamp your sentiment on the half circle part of your Doily, I used the Oh, Hello stamp set for my card.
8). With a piece of Baja Breeze Seam Binding, adhere to the front of your card, just under the lacy part of the Doily, with another piece of seam binding, make a bow and attach with a glue dot.
I made this card before the retiring colors list came out, but you could use any color of card stock you choose! Since Designer Series paper is thinner than card stock, it is very easy to follow the lines for cutting out the hexagon shapes.
Thanks so much to Mary Wessling for her Cardmaking Contest Entry.
The Best of 25 Years series of stamps from Stampin' Up! continues with this month's Best of Brides and Babies. I know June is a popular month for weddings, so you'll find this set coming in very handy right now. Of course, babies come any month, and you'll love the cute stamps to welcome them.
Best of Brides and Babies #133482
Although the "Best of" stamps are being released one set each month, they will all be available until March 31, 2014. Don't miss any of these great sets. You can view all the sets in my Online Stampin' Up! Store by using this button:
Collect all these great stamp sets. For every six sets you purchase, you'll receive one free stamp set of your choice, valued up to $14.95. Just save the proof of purchase stickers from each set, and add them to your Collector's Card.
Get ready for weddings and baby showers with Best of Brides and Babies from Stampin' Up!
This Graduation Announcement was created in My Digital Studio by my customer, Janelle Varner. This is the perfect time to create digitally, since Stampin' Up! has a huge 25% off sale on digital downloads and print products until June 15th.
This is Janelle's very first digital project, and I think she did a great job. I helped by showing her the basics of the program, but it's so easy to learn she put this together in no time.
Janelle had her two-sided postcard printed through Stampin' Up! The printing came out beautifully, and the price even included the envelopes! The turn-around time was fast, too. If I remember correctly, she had them within a week of placing the order.
The 25% off sale includes the following digital content: ALL ensemble, calendar, photobook, and swatchbook downloads.
Print Products on sale for 25% off include: ALL photobooks, swatchbooks, cards, tags, individual pages, and calendars.
There's never been a better time to start creating digitally. The price of the My Digital Studio software was recently reduced to $19.95. You can even download a 30 Day Free Trial. With the sale on downloads and print products, you'll love playing and creating, then sending your projects off to the printer!
Get started with My Digital Studio today, and make Graduation Announcements, photobooks, calendars, and more during the 25% off sale.
The final entry for the Stamping Madly Cardmaking Contest comes from Michelle Pepper, all the way from New Zealand. She sent in two other cards earlier, that were honorary entries because of all the retired products. See Michelle's honaray entries here. She went back to her craft room, determined to make a card that would qualify. Here's what she came up with:
Be sure to leave a comment to let Michelle know what you think of her card. I think everyone who entered was very brave to show their work to the world, and I know how much the feedback means to them.
Next week I'll reveal the winner of the contest. I hope you've all enjoyed seeing the varitey of cards that were entered, and perhaps you've even been inspired to enter the next time I hold a contest. I'm thinking it would be fun to do one for Christmas cards after the Holiday Catalog comes out in August.
Here are Michelle's directions:
Supplies:
Card stock: Very Vanilla Card base (4 1/8" x 11 11/16")*, Chocolate Chip Layer ( 4" x 5 10/16"), Very Vanilla Card front (3 3/4" x 4 1/8") , Vellum scrap
* I believe the card stock size we get in the South Pacific is slightly different. Basically, the card base I have used is just the standard half of the card stock lengthwise.
Ink: Crumb Cake, Versamark, and Stampin Write Markers in Gumball Green and Primrose Petals
Punch: Elegant Butterfly
Stamp set: En Francais, Papillon Potpourri, Loving Thoughts
Adhesives: Mini Glue Dot, Stampin Dimensionals, Tombow Multipurpose Liquid Glue
Accessories: Gold Metallic Brads, Gold Emboss Powder, Early Espresso Emboss Powder, Chocolate Chip Satin Ribbon (Retired) - soft suede Taffeta Ribbon to substitute perhaps?
Directions:
Tip: With the heat embossing technique, have the emboss powder handy you so you can work quickly. Stamp the image then dust the emboss powder on the image as quickly as you can. When there are a few embossing images to do for a project, I like to ink and dust up all the images first then use the heat gun on all of them at the same time, rather than ink, dust and heat, then repeat for next image, etc. Hope that makes sense!
1) Stamp the entire piece of Very Vanilla card stock with the En Francais stamp set in Crumb Cake.
2) Stamp the 3 butterflies from Papillon Potpourri set, along the centre to right hand side of the card, in Versamark Ink. Heat emboss with Gold Emboss Powder (or if you want to try the duo colours embossing technique, which was what I did, with Early Espresso as well as Gold EPs).
3) Adhere the stamped and embossed card front with Stampin Up Dimensionals to the Chocolate Chip layer.
4) Slip the Chocolate Chip Satin ribbon (or alternative) through to tie a knot. I like to do it this way as it gives me room to play/adjust just where I want the ribbon to be (up further or down further) and where I want the bow to be (further right or further left).
5) Stamp the butterfly from Papillon Potpourri on a piece of scrap vellum card stock in Versamark ink. Also stamp the desired sentiment from the Loving Thoughts set (or any stamp set of your choice) on a piece of vellum card stock in Versamark ink. I used Early Espresso EP on the butterfly and Gold EP on the sentiment.
6) Turn the vellum card stock with the embossed butterfly image over so that you can colour in on the WRONG side of the butterfly with the two stampin' write markers. You don't have to colour within the lines. When finished, turn over to the right side and there, you have a butterfly with the stained glass window effect. Punch the butterfly out, and adhere on the card front with one or two mini glue dots in the centre of the butterfly so that the wings can be manipulated to look like it is about to take flight.
7) Attach the vellum with the embossed sentiment with the Gold brads. Have a play with the placement and you'll get a feel of how much vellum you want as an overlay on the chocolate chip layer.
8) Finally, adhere the chocolate chip layer on the Very Vanilla Card base, with the adhesive of your choice ( I used Tombow Multipurpose Liquid Glue).
Extra step 9) If you don't normally stamp the inside of your handmade cards with images that co-ordinate with the outside of your card, I highly recommend it. I just think it really does complete the card, as is the stamping of the envelope too.
And that's all! I hope you will CASE this and have fun :-)
Thanks so much to Michelle Pepper and all the other stampers who submitted entries to the Stamping Madly Cardmaking Contest!
