Sunday Share - Storage by Stampin' Up! arrives April 1st!!

Hands up everyone who loves to create in an organized space! I think Stampin' Up! has been looking over our shoulders and decided to help us out - look what's coming!!

You will love the products in the Storage by Stampin' Up! line . . .  clean white pieces to go with any room or area in your home. Wherever you have your creating space, you can add some of these modules to help you keep your ink pads, markers and blends together!

What's more, Stampin' Up! added a Configuration chart so we could work out how many of each item we need for the products we have in our spaces - no need to buy bigger and wait for it to fill up . . . . when you need more, you can buy more - how easy is that?? I can send you the full PDF so you can work out what you need for your space! Just message or email me and I'll have it on the way to you :-) Send me your order or go online (click here) starting Monday, April 1st to order yours!

The Ink Pad Holder is designed for the new style ink pads so will not hold the old style ink pads (that's where the old style carousel still comes in handy) and the Stampin' Blends will be right at hand and lay flat which is the best way to store your markers! That open box cubby is perfect for your snail and other adhesives to have them handy and ready for use. I'm sure you will find lots of ways to make these storage units work for you - and share your pictures when you are done!

Watch this quick video for more ideas -

I'll be back next week with my usual card ideas but the release of this new line of storage products was too good not to have their very own post! Get ready to order yours starting Monday, April 1st . . .

Happy stamping!

Sunday Share - Fun using your Special Designer Series Papers!!

My Make it Monday events are all about #simplecards and using up the supplies you have at home (so you can buy more LOL!). This past week was no exception and the ladies who came by had a great time making cards from the One Sheet Wonder Simplified idea that Kylie Bertucci in Australia shared with her fellow demonstrators and customers!

Her mantra for this year is #loveitchopit to get everyone to use the papers they buy and create cards or photo mats for their projects . . . and it's a super quick and easy concept!

I had each of my attendees pick a sheet of Designer Series Paper from either a current package or my retired packages and then we cut each piece into three long strips at 4" and then each strip was cut into two 5 1/4" pieces. The leftover strips were placed in the cello bag for trimming the inside or an envelope. You might have to adjust your cuts if the paper has a definite horizontal or vertical pattern but the ones we used were all random.

Then I gave them each a couple of sheets of neutral cardstock (Whisper White or Crumb Cake for these patterns) and reminded them to check the back of each DSP package for coordinating solid colours - so easy to have a card where all your cardstock colours match! I had my Ziploc bags of strips on hand for any small pieces they might want.

Then it was all hands on deck to create the cards - I had the samples out for ideas, but they got very creative on their own with cutting and trimming each piece . . .  and this is all I had left of a sheet after making 5 cards with only a couple of pieces left for two or three more cards!

The greetings were from Beauty Abounds; Humming Along and Butterfly Gala Stamp Sets - all in the Occasions Catalogue - you can see them here and shop from home - remember Sale-a-Bration ends next weekend March 31st so get your orders in before it's too late or message me to add your order to my group order going in on Wednesday, March 27th (we are going camping on Thursday with no internet access until I return April 1st which is too late for Sale-a-Bration) so send me your order before Wednesday!! Then you know it's in and you earned your FREE Sale-a-Bration items :-)

Until next week - Happy stamping!

Sunday Share - Butterflies, Hummingbirds And Roosters too!

I have always loved watching butterflies and I definitely gravitate towards any crafting supplies that can help me create a card or layout with butterflies on it . . . so it was a natural for me to pick the Butterfly Beauty Thinlits Dies and coordinating stamp set called Beauty Abounds in the Occasions Catalogue! The dies make stunning cards and would be equally effective on a spring page layout!

This card was for a friend who recently retired and I loved the way the foil paper picked up different lights (sadly it was from the Sale-a-Bration brochure but is sold out). You can still get the effect using any of our foil papers though so give it a try. You can click here to go to my online shop and order this set as it is 10% off bundle priced to save but only in this catalogue.  I'm sure hoping it will carry over to the next annual catalogue but even if it does, it will no longer be a bundled price so get yours now! When you order this bundle you qualify for a FREE sale-a-Bration item of you choice - I'd recommend you go for Botanical Butterflies Designer Series Paper if you like butterflies like I do - it's got so many great double-sided papers in the package of 12 sheets. Here's pictures of both products so you know what you are looking for!

My stamp club ladies liked all our cards this month and especially the one we did with a waterclour wash as our background - I love how easy it is to create a soft wash using our Watercolor Paper, Aqua Painter, Classic Stampin' Ink pad of your choice (Balmy Blue used on this card) and a clear block as our palette. Stamp the clear block on your ink pad, then use the Aqua Painter to move the colour to your Watercolor Paper (lightly wet the paper first with clear water from your Aqua Painter).  It makes cleaning up a breeze too - just rinse the clear block when done. The dies and stamps are from the Humming Along Bundle in the Occasions Catalogue - another winning combo in my mind! Don't you love that background die cut??  Colouring was done with the Stampin' Blends - super easy to highlight and blend with these alcohol markers!

I continued with my #simplestamping card for my second stamp set pick  . . . and used the Home to Roost Stamp Set from Sale-a Bration. It was an easy card starting with the Very Vanilla Note Cards and Envelopes - such a quick way to have cards ready to stamp and ready to use in a few minutes - literally this card was under 5 minutes!  A light swipe on the Crackle Paint stamp with Sahara Sand ink, then touch the note card front to the inked stamp (I leave background stamps lying face up for ease of use) then stamp the rooster image on the front and the greeting (both in Crumb Cake ink) and you are done!

I love the antiqued look of the "stepped-up" card we did - done with a sponge dauber and gently adding Sahara Sand to the Very Vanilla cardstock until it looked "right".  It would be a great masculine card for any occasion with the Wood Textures DSP (get your 6"  x 6" pack while you can!) and the Linen Thread trim. I really love the Tranquil Tide Cardstock for the base and am so sad it is one of the retiring In Colors in May. I've used it so much - get your In Color products soon as they will sell out as it gets closer to the end of the catalogue year.

That's my inspiration for you for this week - you can shop my online store any time in any weather by clicking this link here. It's easy to set up an account for yourself and the order can go directly to your home or office - it's up to you! If you have any questions on products or techniques used, please send me a quick email or message or even phone! Check my events page on my website and book a time for you to create and share some crafting time with friends - would love to see you at one of my Make it Monday evenings!

Meanwhile, enjoy the spring like weather if you are on the West Coast like I am - if winter is still in your area I can assure you spring will be on it's way soon!

Happy Stamping!

Sunday Share - More Swap Cards and Sale-a-Bration continues to March 31st!

Wow - I've had so many things to share with you that I forgot to show you the last of my cards from the swap I participated in with the team I belong to - they are a talented group of crafters and I love being able to share what they make! For this swap we had to "CASE" a card from one of the current catalogues (CASE =  Copy and Share Everything) so take a look:

The Amazing Life Stamp Set in the Occasions Catalogue includes some larger than life greetings as well as some great line designs that you can place in corners like Elaine did on her card above - and the set is bundled with the Rectangle Stitched Framelits Dies (used to create the frame) for the perfect touch on any card! Yes, you REALLY do need those framelits!!

This card features the Floral Romance Suite in the Occasions Catalogue - with the gorgeous designs in the Floral Romance Specialty Designer Series Papers and the beautiful floral images and greetings in the Wonderful Romance Stamp Set. The Wonderful Floral Framelits Dies have some that emboss as they cut - like the leaves on the card above. You can't go wrong picking the coordinating items from this suite as Alison did when she created this lovely card for the swap!

Let's not forget the Annual catalogue - it's got some amazing products too that tend to get overlooked when a new catalogue comes out! Cindy's card shows off the Apron of Love Stamp Set and coordinating Apron builders Framelits Dies that work so well together in this card. Did you realize the plaid apron was made from one of the holiday papers called Under the Mistletoe Designer Series Paper? Take a good look at your papers and see where you can use them year round! Such a fun card to give to a best friend that may craft with you!

Remember that Sale-a-Bration continues until March 31st but the special FREE items are only while supplies last so get your orders together and start shopping (click here to go to my store) before your favourite is gone!

If you want the ultimate bundle that will save you money too - then sign up for the starter kit as it is an amazing value - you can pick your choice of products in either current catalogue to a value of $225.00 and pay only $135 (no taxes or shipping) and that's $60 more than usual - or you can get the BIG bundle for $175 which includes $225 in your choice of products PLUS the limited edition Craft & Carry Tote! That's the one I'd go for! You can test drive your bundle here by clicking this link and become part of my team too!

Want to create your own cards?? Why not join me at my monthly Make it Monday events - next one is March 18th at 7:00 pm. Please RSVP here or send me an email or message so I know you are coming and prepare enough kits, too! Cards are 2/$5.00 and you can make as many sets as you want (or free with qualifying orders of $35+).

Enjoy the rest of your weekend - I'm loving this sunny day! Makes me want to start thinking about camping again :-)

Happy Stamping!

Sunday Share - Cards at Wesbrooke and final Sale-a-Bration items!

I love to visit my friends at The Wesbrooke Residence in Pitt Meadows each month so we can share some card making fun and they have a couple of cards to use for an event in their lives . . . . last month we made these two cards - and by special request one had to be GREEN so they could use it for St. Patrick's Day if they wanted . . . .

I used some of my retired products for these cards and they all enjoyed using Washi Tape on the first card too! It's a great little product to put a contrast trim on a card and on this card we used it to separate the patterned paper from the white and the greeting. Love that greeting "sending smiles" - it can be used for so many events and so sad it is retired too! But it definitely fit for this group's needs!

Sale-a-Bration is into it's last month and you definitely want to take advantage of getting your favourite items FREE NOW - all items are "while quantities last" and I'd hate for you to be wishing you had ordered and miss out! Here's the latest additions to the Release 1 and 2 products already announced and you must use these product codes to get the items free!!

Take a look and use my Shop Now button on my blog post, or on my Facebook page, or in my Online Store - so many ways you can start your shopping journey and the order will go directly to you! Out of town?? No problem, you can shop in the your PJ's anytime and have the order go to you - easy peasy!!

And use my current Host Code 977H3RPN  so I can track the orders and send you my thank you at the end of each month!

I am loving the Sale-a-Bration Coordination items released March 1st as they are the perfect fit for so many of the stamp sets that are only available FREE and only until March 31st, or when supplies run out . . . so hurry to my online store and get yours soon! Hint: you can purchase the dies which will put you part way to earning the FREE stamp set to go with the dies! We used the Lasting Lily stamps and the coordinating Lily Framelit Dies in my last club class and I highlighted them in last week's post for you!

Mark your calendars now for my next Make it Monday event and RSVP here or directly to me so I know you are coming and make enough kits! It's a great night for you to make a couple of quick and easy cards and maybe learn how to use up some of those papers you've been saving (hoarding??) for a special occasion - nothing like using them to feel so much better!!

Happy Stamping!