Choose Happiness

What do they say?  Nothing new under the sun.  What's old is new again.  Hold onto something long enough, and it will come back in style.  What are some you can think of?  

Remember how stencils used to be all the rage in the 90's? Stencils are back, but now they're called Decorative Masks.  They're still stencils, but much cooler!  

Here, I used Dots & Stripes Decorative Mask with a Sponge Dauber.  Gently tap the ink pad with the dauber, and swipe the ink through the mask onto your cardstock.  

Supplies used:

Choose Happiness Stamp Set

Naturals Ivory Cardstock

Dots & Stripes Decorative Masks

Doilies, White Baker's Twine

Bermuda Bay Ink

Sponge Daubers

Big Shot with the Chalk Talk Framelits

Happy Stamping!

Bye for now, Maria

December Stamp Club: No Peeking Gift Bag

Is it Happy Holidays or Merry Christmas?  For me, it's Merry Christmas, but I do not like Christmas getting lumped together with Thanksgiving.  I want to celebrate two separate and distinct holidays!!! I'm always so sad when I see people take down their decorations and put the Christmas tree at the curb on December 26th!!  I want to savor the Christmas holiday just a little longer!

December's Club project was this darling little gift bag.  I like to keep plain white and kraft gift bags on hand.  They're neutral for any occasion, and are just begging for decorating!

The DSP is from the Trim the Tree Stack.  No need for cutting.  Just tear a sheet from the stack and attach to the front and back of your gift bag.  

Supplies used:  

Christmas Taggables (check the Clearance Rack section)

Cherry Cobbler Sheer Linen Ribbon, Ink

Whisper White Cardstock, Garden Green Cardstock, Trim the Tree DSP Stack

Label Bracket Punch

Big Shot with Chalk Talk Framelits

Regardless of how you celebrate the holidays this time of year, I want to wish you the merriest of merry for this holiday season and best wishes for 2015!  Bye for now, Maria

Throwback Thursday: Watercolor Thank You

I'm really "throwing it back" with these cards.  The parchment style cardstock and rainbow ink pads are from years ago--been hoarding them for a looooonnnnnnnggggg time.  Stampin' Up! used to sell the ink pads when I first became a demonstrator.  Today, I dug out a bunch of supplies that have been sitting around literally collecting dust.  

The stamp is called Watercolor Thank You, and is sold all by itself.  

You can do this technique with any of our Classic Ink Pads.   

After stamping, drag an Aqua Painter (filled with water, of course) over the image.  Use enough water to "pull" the color, but not too much you turn the cardstock back into pulp, which is what I usually do because I squeeze the barrel of the aqua painter way too hard--hold my pencil to tight too!!!

On the autumn thank you, I added a dotted outline with a gold paint pen.  I added dots to the blue thank you with a white gel pen, but it's hard to see in the photo.  

To finish the card, I added ribbon, turned up one of the corners, and added a leaf die cut from the Autumn Accents Bigz die.  

Supplies used:

Watercolor Thank You Stamp

Aqua Painter

Big Shot with the Autumn Accents Bigz Die

White Gel Pen

Silver Glimmer Paper

DSP shown on the Autumn card--retired and name unknown

Non-Stampin' Up! supplies used:

Gold Paint Pen

Parchment Cardstock

Rainbow Ink Pads

Get those supplies out.  Try a new technique.  Happy Stamping!  Bye for now, Maria

Truly Grateful

What are you grateful for?  I'm grateful for so many things, like this stamp set.  I was so glad to see the Truly Grateful stamp set carried into the Annual catalog--the Big Book as I like to call it! 

TIP:  When working with Glimmer Paper, attach using hot glue--because nothing likes to stick to it!

Supplies used:

Truly Grateful Stamp Set

Silver Glimmer Paper,

Basic Gray and Coastal Cabana Ink

Sponge or Sponge Daubers

Label Bracket Punch

Big Shot with Autumn Accents Bigz Die

Wishing you a very Happy Thanksgiving! Bye for now, Maria

November Stamp Club: Ornamental Pine

Here's November's project.  I love the Ornamental Stamp Set.  It is so realistic and beautiful!  I'm married to a tree guy so it's natural that I would like it.  

For the card you need:

Ornamental Pine Stamp Set

Old Olive (textured used here), Whisper White Cardstock

Old Olive, Real Red, Baked Brown Sugar, Gold Encore Ink

Big Shot with the Top Note

Stampin' Dimensionals

Not sure if you can tell, but the ornament is stamped one additional time on a separate piece of cardstock, cut out, and mounted on top of the original ornament on the Top Note with Stampin' Dimensionals.  And, the Baked Brown Sugar that was used for the pinecones are stamped on scratch paper first and then stamped on the Top Note so they fade into the pine needles.  

For our second project, we created a set of Love Notes.  Love Notes are 3 x 3 mini cards--great for gift enclosures, tags, or little notes you tuck inside lunch boxes of your loved ones.  

You will need:

Tag Talk Stamp Set

Old Olive (textured used here), Whisper White Cardstock

Old Olive Ink

Gold Metallic Baker's Twine

Label Bracket Punch

Stampin' Dimensionals 

Happy Stamping!  Bye for now, Maria

Eat, Drink and Be Scary

Here's a quick Halloween card for ya!  Holiday Invitation Stamp Set includes a stamp where you write in the "where and when" after you stamp it.  But, it doesn't have to be for invitations!  

Supplies used:

Holiday Invitation, Good Greetings (Hostess) Stamp Sets

Old Olive, Naturals White, Pumpkin Pie Cardstock

Pumpkin Pie, Tuxedo Black Memento Ink

Big Shot with Autumn Accents Bigz Die

Happy Halloween!  Bye for now, Maria

Blended Bloom and Blendabilities

  I've been rubber stamping since 1997, and I've never been much for coloring.  Here's some practice I did with the Blendabilities markers.  This is the first time I've used alcohol markers--really like the Blendabilities--so easy and fun!

Stamps and supplies used:

Blended Bloom Stamp

For All Things Stamp Set

Note Tag Punch

Flower Frenzy Bigz L Die

Night of Navy, Daffodil Delight, Skin Tone Assortment Blendabilities

Night of Navy, Daffodil Delight Ink

Daffodil Delight, Old Olive, Whisper White Cardstock

Stampin' Dimensionals

Do you like to color your stamped images? Happy Stamping!  Happy coloring!  Bye for now, Maria

October Stamp Club: Seasonally Scattered

It's October, and the fall colors are at their peak here. The season of gratitude is almost here! Although, I think being grateful is something we should be every day.  This technique reminds me of applying ink directly to the rubber stamp with markers.  We made a take out box at convention with this tag.  I love the tag on the front of a card too!

Instructions

1.   Make sure stamp is clean!!!!

2.   Place stamp rubber side up on table

3.   Ink up “thanks” with Crushed Curry ink pad

4.   Sponge daub Cajun Craze ink on the edges of the “thanks” over top of Crushed Curry

5.   Stamp on Very Vanilla cardstock

6.   Punch with Tag Topper Punch

7.   Thread ribbon through hole, add wooden leaf, and tie

8.   Embellish with Glimmer Paper punch outs

9.   Add to front of card as shown

10. Clean Stamp

 Stamps and Supplies:

• Seasonally Scattered Stamp set (Holiday Catalog p. 43)
• Crushed Curry, Cajun Craze Ink 
• Very Vanilla Cardstock, Under the Tree Specialty DSP (Holiday Catalog p. 5), Kraft Cardstock, Glimmer Paper
• Mossy Meadow Stitched Satin Ribbon
• Autumn Wooden Elements (Holiday Catalog p. 46)
• Tag Topper Punch

I am grateful for so many things....God, my husband, family and friends...just to name a few.  Tell someone you're grateful for them!  Send a card to someone you're grateful for--do it today!!  With gratitude, Maria

September Stamp Club: For All Things Bookmark

Isn't this little bookmark darling?!  When I saw this in Stampin' Success, the demo only bi-monthly magazine, I knew it had to be our project for stamp club!  The For All Things stamps have a "linen" look to them--instant texture and dimension with adding bulk.  

The leaf that dangles is die cut from Coaster Board, and then inked up with Rose Red and .  The Marina Mist base has been fussy cut with Paper Snips around the Very Vanilla cardstock that was die cut with Apothecary Accents   

Supplies:

For All Things Stamp Set

Rose Red, Crushed Curry, Marina Mist, Soft Suede Ink Pads

Marina Mist, Very Vanilla Cardstock

Antique Brads

Linen Thread

Coaster Board (die cut leaf)

Apothecary Accents, Autumn Accents Big Shot Dies

Sponges

Happy Fall!  Happy Stamping!  Bye for now, Maria

August Stamp Club: Choose Happiness Box

During Salabration, SU! had a live stream video where they demoed this box.  It's a box made out of 2 sheets of DSP.  If you a demonstrator reading this, a video for this has been posted on Stampin' Connection under "Events."  Stampin' Connection is an online community only for demos--being a demo does have its perks!  

To create the box you will need two sheets of DSP.

For the Lid:
One sheet of 12 x 12 DSP, score 2" on ALL FOUR SIDES

For the Bottom:
One sheet of DSP, cut to 11 7/8 x 11 7/8
This piece will also be scored at 2" on ALL FOUR SIDES

For the Liner:
Cut a piece of cardstock at 7 7/8 x 7 7/8 (no scoring necessary, ha!)

After you're done cutting and scoring, you will need to cut slits on two opposite ends of your DSP.  DO NOT CUT YOUR CORNERS OFF, OR YOU WILL NOT HAVE A BOX!

Adhere your corners to make box shape.  Add a cardstock liner for added stability. 

Stamps used:  Choose Happiness
Supplies:  Lullaby DSP
Tea Lace Paper Doilies
Whisper White Baker's Twine
Whisper White CS
Ink:  Coastal Cabana, Baked Brown Sugar, Crisp Cantaloupe

Happy Stamping!  Until next time, Maria

July Stamp Club & June Paper Pumpkin

I loved this month's paper pumpkin kit so much, I decided it would make a great club project.  July's kit is called Pinwheel Party.  The kit came with enough supplies to make 24 Pinwheels.  The only thing I wish about this kit is that it was the kit for May.  Then, I could have used it FOR Memorial Day AND July 4th AND Labor Day.  Paper Pumpkin is available as an auto delivery monthly, or you can purchase individually at any SU! event.  You can go here to sign up You can go here to sign up.

June Stamp Club: Treat Pouch

In April, I had the opportunity to attend the first ever Catalog Premier.  And, even better than attending the first ever Catalog Premier Event by Stampin' Up! was attending with my downline--I love them!!!  THEY ROCK!!!!  This month's project is a little goodie holder that was demoed at the event.

Using a piece of DSP 4 1/2 x 6 1/2, score at 1", 1 1/2", 2", 4", 4 1/2" and 5".  If you use the DSP paper stacks, the DSP is already 4 1/2 x 6 1/2--no cutting necessary!!!  Moonlight Designer Series Paper Stack used here. 

Tip for scoring:  score your bottom score on the edge that has the Stampin' Up! copyright sign so you won't see it on your completed pouch.  

Cut off part of the bottom to make your tab.  Glue together.  If you glue the flap on the outside of the pouch it will look like those old-timey coin envelopes.  

Create a tag and attach with clothespin to keep pouch closed.

Starburst and Banners Framelits along with the 1 3/8" circle punch are used on the tag.

Stamp set:  Work of Art

Other Supplies used:  

Lost Lagoon, Hello Honey Cardstock and Ink

Whisper White Cardstock

Lost Lagoon 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon and Linen Thread
Mini Metallic Clothespins

Happy Stamping!  Bye for now, Maria

May Stamp Club: Altered Notebooks

It's that time of year again for making notebooks with all the retiring DSP.  I never get tired of making these!

This version we've added a long tag using the Tag Topper Punch, and then wrapped the ribbon around towards the inside of the notebook.  For a finished look, add the inside piece of DSP after adding your ribbon. 

For all the measurements etc, here's the original post.  My cousin just went to a women's retreat, and made personalized journals for all the ladies that were going from her church.  To personalize them, she added a tag punch out, and simply hand wrote their names on the tag.  Everyone loved them.  Here's a few of the ones she made!

Happy Stamping!  Bye for now, Maria