Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Reminder -- Online Extravaganza lasts through tomorrow!

Hey, Shoppers!  If you've got a paper crafter on your list this season (or if you have some goodies you'd like for yourself), please check out the Stampin' Up! Online Extravaganza!  These great deals last through tomorrow, November 30.  Click here for my original post on these great offers...

{12 Weeks of Christmas}: Week 7 -- Technique Tuesday: Z-fold

Hi, there, and welcome to another installment of {12 Weeks of Christmas}!  This week, I've got a fun technique that adds *WOW* to your project without adding any cost (we love those, don't we?!).  It's called a Z-Fold and there are all sorts of variations.  I thought we'd start simple; I'll show you a more complex one in the future...

Start with a half-sheet of Riding Hood Red card stock, cut vertically.  Next, score (using Stampin' Up!'s fabulous new Simply Scored tool) at 5-1/2 inches and 8-1/4 inches.

I fed the (end) 2 3/4-inch piece through my Big Shot, using my Petals-a-Plenty Textured Impressions Embossing Folder.
The accents on that little flap include a piece of Baja Breeze (suggested by my Color Coach) that I edged using the Scallop Edge Border punch, a piece of 1/4-inch Whisper White grosgrain ribbon (which I tucked around the edges of the Baja Breeze so that the "Behind the Scenes" isn't visible on the card), and a Scallop Oval piece of So Saffron with the sentiment stamped in Baja Breeze and punched using the Large Oval punch.  Finally, I stamped the little bloom from Season of Joy on whisper White (using the Riding Hood Red Classic Ink) and cut it out, using my super-fine Stampin' Up! Paper Snips.  A "Faux Bow" of the same Whisper White grosgrain ribbon finishes off the front.
For the "inside" of the card, I inked the big blossom from Season of Joy in So Saffron and stamped it first (it's barely visible in the photo, hiding behind the sentiment), then followed it up with the square image/sentiment stamp that I colored using my Stampin' Write Markers (that's how I got parts to be Baja Breeze and the three blooms in the upper left to be Riding Hood Red).  The same big blossom is inked in Riding Hood Red on the envelope to tie the two together (remember, no naked envelopes!).

Stampin' Up! Supplies:


Stamps:  Season of Joy (#110384, $26.95)

Paper:  Riding Hood Red (#111348), So Saffron (#105118), Baja Breeze (# 111352) and Whisper White (#100730) card stocks

Inks:  Riding Hood Red (#111836 pad, #120971 marker), So Saffron (#105213), and Baja Breeze (#111833 pad, #120965 marker) Classic Inks

Accessories:  Simply Scored Scoring Tool (in the Holiday and Occasions Mini Catalogs, #122334), Big Shot (#113439), Petals-a-Plenty Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (#116824), Scallop Edge Border (#119882), Scallop Oval (#119856), and Large Oval (#119855) Punches, Paper Snips (#103579), and Whisper White 1/4-inch grosgrain ribbon (#109025)

Monday, November 21, 2011

{12 Weeks of Christmas}: Week 6 -- Online Extravaganza!

Are you a bargain stamper?  If so, Stampin' Up! has a Black Friday sale for you, before the bird!


Starting today, Stampin' Up! is offering discounts of up to 60% off on over 50 items!  Shop from the comfort of your home with no crowds to battle...  No chilly nights, waiting for the store to open...  No parking lots to brave...  You can shop any time between now and November 30 to achieve some great savings!  Click here to be directed to my online store...  Feel free to please call or email me if you'd rather we did the order together!

Here's what I'm excited about:
Click *HERE*

To sweeten the deal (please pardon the pun), Stampin' Up! is offering two of its newer products at a discount until 11:59 PM TONIGHT, Monday, November 21.

Christmas gifts!  I am giving these little gems to my young nieces and nephews.  What a fun and simple way for children to help in the kitchen!  They will have so much fun with these...

And for me...  I've had my eye on the Simply Scored and now's the time to buy.  I've got a scorer from another manufacturer and while I hate to duplicate my supplies, the Simply Scored is just a superior product.  I've fought through using my old non-Stampin' Up! one for long enough.  As long as I buy Simply Scored before 11:59 PM, I get it for 20% off!

Some other items worth mentioning:  BUNDLES!  There is a ribbon bundle and a Glimmer Brads bundle that I've got my eye on.
Bundle Up!

And how about some My Digital Studio downloads?!  Gracious, you know how I love the MDS!

Click *HERE*
and *HERE*



 And finally, Winter Post at 50% off!  Hooray!

Click *HERE*

 So with the exception of the Sweet Pressed Cookie Stamps and Simply Scored tool, you've got until November 30 to snatch up these great deals.  If you've got a little elf who would like the cookie stamps or if your workshop could use a Simply Scored, order them NOW!

Sunday, November 20, 2011

{12 Weeks of Christmas}: Week 5 -- ReRUN SUNday: Card with a Gift

Today's (late) post is what I call a ReRUN SUNday...  I'll take a card I've made in the past and either tweak it and make it better or change it for a different occasion or season.

Here's my first edition.  I made this card for a challenge for which I was to be inspired by "warm and cozy."  I love a cuppa tea and a cozy blanket, so I used the mug from the retired Pun Fun set and some crochet trim to symbolize the blanket.

In the ReRUN, I've taken the idea, turned it on its side and made a gift to go along with the card.  I made the yellow piece a bookmark that folds over the page...
I've changed the Textured Impressions Folder and added texture to the bookmark, as well.  This time, I used the Snow Burst Textured Impressions Folder from the Holiday Mini for the body and the Perfect Polka Dots folder for the bookmark.
 The stamp sets I used were Serene Snowflakes and Teeny Tiny Wishes.
The Color Coach (#120148) provided me with the color palette...

Stampin' Up! Supplies:


Stamps:  Serene Snowflakes (#115438) and Teeny Tiny Wishes (#115370)

Papers:  Cherry Cobbler (#119685), Daffodil Delight (#119683), Early Espresso (#119686) and Whisper White (#100730) card stocks

Inks:  Cherry Cobbler (#119669) and Daffodil Delight (#119667) Classic Inks

Accessories:  Big Shot (#113439), Snow Burst Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (#124096 in the Holiday Mini), Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (#117335), Two Tags Bigz Die (#115954), Standard Cutting Pads and the Multipurpose Platform, Whisper White 5/8-inch Organza Ribbon (#114319), 1 3/4-inch Scallop Circle Punch (#119854), 1 3/8-inch Circle Punch (#119860), and Stampin' Dimensionals (#104430).

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Wahoo! Won a Card Challenge!

An exciting day here in the Studio...  One of my favorite stamping websites is the blog, 365 Cards, created and hosted by Pamela Maas.  Every week, you can count on at least one terrific sketch and six other fun challenges on which to base a card design and this week, I won!  I am one of the Spotlight Designers that Pamela and the Crew at 365 have chosen to highlight (I'll be writing about this card soon).  Thank you so much!

This is a great challenge blog -- we're inspired to create cards based on letters in the alphabet, white space challenges, movie posters, song lyrics, colors, seasons, holidays, advertisements, card recipes and more.  It's such a fun source of inspiration!

Thanks for the nod, 365ers (and for the lovely challenges and inspiration)!

Monday, November 14, 2011

{12 Weeks of Christmas}: Week 4 -- Mise en Place: Supply Check

Hello, Studio Visitors!  Welcome to another installment of my {12 Weeks of Christmas} series.  In this post, we're going to talk about more Mise en Place (loosely, "everything in its place").  This time, it's a reminder to make sure you have all of the envelopes, stamps and address labels that you will need.  Even though your Christmas cards and "Thank You" notes probably aren't finished yet, you can spend a little time prepping the envelopes now to make your life easier later.

The United States Postal Service will send you your postage stamps if you would rather not wait in line at the post office.  Simply shop online here in the Postal Store.  Purchase your stamps and they come to your door!

Now is also a good time to run your address labels.  If you're like me, I'd rather take the time to write a personal message to my recipients, rather than hand-write their addresses on the envelopes, so I use my computer to print out address labels.

I also create my own "personalized" return address labels by using the itty bitty ones (specifically called "return address labels") with my computer and stamp a small coordinating image in a light color over the return address.  It ties in nicely with what I'm stamping on the card (and envelope, if I have time), so it's a lovely presentation.

Hope these tips help you to prepare your holiday greetings so that stress is low and "Fa-la-la-la-la" is high (I just sang that to myself to be sure I got it right).

Thanks for your visit!  Hope to see you back soon!  Please drop me a comment and let me know you were here!

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Happy November!


STUDIO SARA has a new look for fall!  I used My Digital Studio to create the banner and buttons.  I chose Always Artichoke, Cajun Craze and More Mustard (partly because they're fall colors, but also because they're found in the card I've spotlighted).

Here's the card that I included in my banner, up-close and personal...
It's simple to make (an easy one if you're in the market for a good number of "Thank You" notes, for example).  The card body is a half-sheet of Night of Navy, cut lengthwise and folded in half.  The Naturals Ivory card stock makes up the piece with the stamped leaves.  I used my corner-rounded to soften it.
The stamp set I used is French Foliage, which gives us this fun "button" in the lower left corner.  I inked it in Night of Navy Classic Ink and stamped it on Cajun Craze card stock.  Then I used my 3/4-inch Circle Punch...  Remember to stamp first then punch to make sure you've lined it up right!

So Saffron Taffeta Ribbon finishes the bottom edge...
Finally, here's the sentiment... I inked only the "thank you" part of this stamp from the With All My Heart set, stamped it on So Saffron and punched it with the Modern Label.  It's mounted on an oval punched from More Mustard and "popped up" with a Stampin' Dimensional.

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps:  French Foliage, With All My Heart

Papers:  Night of Navy, Naturals Ivory, So Saffron, More Mustard and Cajun Craze card stocks

Inks:  Cajun Craze, More Mustard and Night of Navy Classics

Accessories:  3/4-inch Circle, Modern Label, Large Oval, and 3/16-inch Corner Punches, So Saffron Taffeta Ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals, Paper Snips (makes cutting the ribbon so easy!)

Thanks for your visit!  I'm working on more {12 Week of Christmas} posts, so stay tuned!