Oh, How I Love My Stampin' Up! Big Shot! {Promotion and Video!}

My Big Shot gets used for almost every project I make.  I use it to either die cut a shape or add texture.  I've had mine since Stampin' Up! first introduced them many moons ago and I've made hundreds, if not thousands of projects with it (truly -- I send 150 Christmas cards/year!).

For the month of August, Stampin' Up! is offering a free bundle of framelits and stamps with every Big Shot purchased.  There are five possibilities and here they are:

BIG SHOT Price: $99.95 BRIGHT & BEAUTIFUL STARS CLEAR-MOUNT BUNDLE Price: $43.95 BRIGHT & BEAUTIFUL STARS WOOD-MOUNT BUNDLE Price: $50.75 CELEBRATING CHALK TALK CLEAR-MOUNT BUNDLE Price: $37.25 CELEBRATING CHALK TALK WOOD-MOUNT BUNDLE Price: $43.25 DECORATIVE GOODIES CLEAR-MOUNT BUNDLE Price: $35.95 DECORATIVE GOODIES WOOD-MOUNT BUNDLE Price: $42.25 FLOWERY DAYDREAM CLEAR-MOUNT BUNDLE Price: $45.75 FLOWERY DAYDREAM WOOD-MOUNT BUNDLE Price: $54.25 SUMTHIN' WITH BUBBLY WORDS CLEAR-MOUNT BUNDLE Price: $31.25 SUMTHIN' WITH BUBBLY WORDS WOOD-MOUNT BUNDLE Price: $33.75

Click {HERE} to shop!

Outgoing Mail! New Video

Here's a new type of video which I'll post every once in a while to give you a quick glimpse of some projects which may not have been featured here or entered in any online challenges.

Below you'll find pictures of the projects as well as links to previous posts.

Click {HERE} to read a past post about this project.

Click {HERE} to read a past post about this project.

Click {HERE} to read a past post about this project.

Email me (button on the right) if you've got any questions.  Click the {SHOP} button in the top right to purchase from my Stampin' Up! online store.

Runway Inspired and Sweet Sunday Sketch with a Little Chalk Talk and Modern Mosaic!

I love a good sketch!  Nothing gets my creative juices flowing like a sketch.  So many of my favorite projects began as Mojo Monday sketches or sketches from Karen Giron, a brilliant artist whose work I love.

Today's project is one such card.  Karen Giron's blog includes a bi-weekly sketch challenge, called the Sweet Sunday Sketch (her blog is The Sweetest Thing).  The link to this week's sketch is {HERE}. 

I combined this sketch challenge with another favorite challenge, the Runway Inspired Challenge.  This week, we were inspired by the Temberley London Pre-Fall 2014 image below:

{HERE} is the link for this week's challenge and {HERE} is the link to the Runway Inspired Challenge Blog.  Check it out; you WON'T be disappointed!  There are always cool colors and patterns that make those creative juices *FLOW*!

For today's project, I used Rich Razzleberry, Basic Black and Whisper White to mimic the model's dress.  I was inspired to use my Modern Mosaic TIEF (129984) and the Mosaic Punch (131267) to reflect the flooring (mounted on a circle cut using the Circles Collection framelits (130911).  I also used my Mosaic Punch to create the tag detail at the top.

Chalk Talk stamps and framelits give me the sentiment (*BUNDLE* to save! W132731 C132730).  I used the framelit with my Big Shot to cut the Whisper White piece (on which I'd stamped the sentiment in Rich Razzleberry) and used my Paper Snips (103579) to fussy cut around the edge so the Basic Black would show.  Simple and quick!  Whisper White Baker's Twine (124262) and a Gold Glimmer Brad (121003) finish it off.

I'd planned to enter this card in the Case Study Challenge #177 this week, but the cotton batting that fills my head due to this nasty cold has zapped me of all memory.  Read {HERE} about the other project I made and forgot to enter in two challenges this week!  ¡Ay, carumba!

Sale-a-Bration is upon us!  Do you have any supplies to reorder?  This is when I take stock of my card stock supply (pun totally intended) and make a big fat order that nets me all sorts of benefits.  Combine with friends, host a workshop or submit a Catalog Party and earn $50 extra in Hostess Benefits during Sale-a-Bration if your merchandise order totals $300 or more!  Downloads count!  Click {HERE} to shop or contact me to order!

Send tea, Kleenex (with lotion, please) and NyQuil!

New {Weekly Deal} Specials!

Hooray for Tuesday!  Enjoy these new Weekly Deals!  Click {HERE} to shop...

Alphabet Press Textured Impressions Embossing Folder ("TIEF"), #130916, Regularly $7.95, on sale for $5.96!

Chalk Talk Framelit Dies, #129983, Regularly $24.95, on sale for $18.71!

Basic Black 3/4-inch Chevron Ribbon, #130010, Regularly $8.95, on sale for $6.71!

Calypso Coral Classic Ink, #126983, Regularly $5.95, on sale for $4.46!

Storytime Ensemble, #127195, Regularly $19.95, on sale for $11.97!

Note Card Envelopes, Crumb Cake, #131528, Regularly $5.50, on sale for $4.13!

Framed Tulips TIEF, #121809, Regularly $7.95, on sale for $5.96!

Core'dinations, Neutrals, #129956, Regularly $23.95, on sale for $17.96!

Thank You Thursday! Is Here!

For *today* only, enjoy these six deals...  Click {here} to shop!

Alphabet Press Textured Impressions Embossing Folder "TIEF" (#130916):  Regularly $7.95, today's price = $5.96

Chalk Talk Framelits (#129983): regularly $24.95, on sale today for $18.71!

Envelope Liners Framelits Dies (#132172):  Regularly $26.95, on sale today for $20.21!

Hearts Aflutter Framelits (130159): Regularly $24.95, for today, they're $18.71!

Honeycomb TIEF (#129738):  Regularly $7.95, on sale for $5.96!

Windows Framelits (#129021):  Regularly $26.95, but on sale today for $20.21!

Love Thursdays!  Don't forget the Weekly Deals released on Tuesday are available while supplies last (or until Monday, October 28, whichever comes first).  I'm placing an order today (lots of Big Shot items on my Wish List) and if your order is $250+, you receive an additional $25 in hostess $$ (valid through October 31)!  Oh, and there are the 25% Off 25 Stamp Sets promotion!  Click {HERE} for that, too!

Click {here} to shop!

{12 Weeks of Christmas 2013: Week Two}: Same Card, Five Ways

This post starts with a simple Christmas card.  Real Red Classic Ink is used with Brushed Silver, Whisper White, and Real Red card stocks.  The Chalk Talk Framelits make a quick and easy project of cutting out the Christmas stamp and my Scallop Circle punch takes care of the Brushed Silver piece.  A snip of Whisper White Stitched Grosgrain finishes the simple look.  Overall, I am happy with this quick and sweet Christmas greeting.

But what if I wanted to step it up a notch (or five)?  Here are some variations on the same card.

First, I used Pool Party Classic Ink to add an unexpected contrast of color to the card.  Not your "typical" Christmas color, but that's part of why I think it is so effective.

In addition, I inked the Santa image in Real Red and snipped him out using my Paper Snips and mounted this piece with Stampin' Dimensionals.  Quick and easy way to add contrast to the stamped image (Stampin' Write Markers would work here, too).

How about a little piercing?  Here's a quick and inexpensive way to add texture and interest to your project.  I used the Essentials Paper-Piercing Pack (126199) (as an added bonus, until October 14 at 11:59 PM, this pack is available as one of the Weekly Deals and is 25% off!).

This next project uses the negative space created by the Chalk Talk Framelit.  I used the Framelit on the Real Red piece and snipped closely around the stamped Whisper White piece.  The Real Red piece is bumped up with Stampin' Dimensionals and the piece of grosgrain is fed through the negative opening.

This tweak didn't cost a thing, but added another twist to this project...

Here's another way in which to utilize your Big Shot.  I love the Textured Impressions Embossing Folders.  Here I used the Perfect Polka Dots to pick up on the dots in the Pool Party portion of the image.  Quick and highly effective for a bit of texture...