Weekly Deals and a Challenge Winner Sneak Peek!

First, I'd like to thank our military service personnel around the globe and across the country and the families who support (and miss!) them.  Thank you for your service and sacrifice!

Tuesday equals deals at Stampin' Up! and here are the latest goodies for 25 percent off or more! Click {HERE} to shop!

 1/2-Inch Circle Punch, #199869, originally $5.95, but on sale this week for $4.46!

7/8-Inch Circle Punch, #129404, originally $12.95, but on sale this week for $9.71!

Blushing Bride Chevron Ribbon, #130013, originally $8.95, but on sale this week for $6.71!

Brights Designer Buttons, #130028, originally $7.95, but on sale this week for $5.96!

Daffodil Delight Seam Binding Ribbon, #125583, originally $6.95, but on sale this week for $5.21!

Window Frames Collection Framelits, #129021, originally $26.95, but on sale this week for $20.21!

Wonderfall Digital Download MDS, #131218, originally $7.95, but on sale this week for $4.77!

And I got some exciting news today...  I've followed the Colour Me Card Challenge for a while now and today, I'm their Colour Captivator!  I'm so very excited and grateful!  You should see the lovely entries they get every week.  

I love this challenge for the inspiring projects created by its talented design team as well as for the fun challenge presented by the colors they choose to highlight.  Color is the hardest part of crafting for me (and what drew me to Stampin' Up!) and I love how this challenge continues to teach, inspire and push me!  

Thanks so very much!!  I'll post more tomorrow, but here's a sneaky peeky at my next {12 Weeks of Christmas} post:

Finally Back at It in the Studio...

It's been a LLLLOOOONNNNGGG time since I've been able to get down to the business of creating in my studio.  After a busy soccer weekend (and a week full of subbing as the school librarian and three Parent Nights), I got to enjoy some "Me" time.  Here's a peek at what I've been doing.  I'll flesh out each project in posts later this week...

Shabby Notecard with All Abloom DSP

Today's project is an entry in The Shabby Tea Room's "Sketch This" Challenge #225.  I love participating in this great weekly challenge.  Most weeks, we are inspired by a photograph and asked to use specific elements in our projects.  Such fun!  As the site says, "Only our name is shabby ... your project need not be!" -- I love the challenge of making something that falls within that aesthetic!

Studio Suggestions:

• I used the new All Abloom DSP from Stampin' Up!  This Designer Series Paper comes in a "stack" of 4.5 x 6.5-inch sheets.  There are 12 great designs and they are such fun to use in cardmaking!

• The DSP drives the color palette:  Mossy Meadow (a *new* 2014-16 In Color), Island Indigo, Pistachio Pudding and Daffodil Delight.

• Pearl Basic Jewels add a quick and simple classic touch.

• Linen Thread is looped between the 1-1/4" Scallop Circle Punch and the 1-3/8" Circle Punch in Island Indigo.

• The Project Life Corner Punch makes for a quick detail to "round out" the project (pun totally intended). 

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps:  Kind & Cozy (W129123, C129126)

Papers:  All Abloom DSP Stack (133703), Mossy Meadow (133676), Daffodil Delight (119683), Island Indigo (122923), Pistachio Pudding (131924) and Whisper White (100730) Card Stocks

Inks:  Island Indigo (126986) and Pistachio Pudding (131177) Classic Inks

Accessories:  Pearl Basic Jewels (119247), Linen Thread (104199), 1-1/4" Scallop Circle Punch (127811), 1-3/8" Circle Punch  (119860), Project Life Corner Punch (135346), Retired Itty Bitty Shapes Punch (I'm sorry -- I wasn't thinking when I reached for this), Stampin' Dimensionals (104430)

Got a question?  Drop me an email! Click {HERE} to shop!

Are you connected to the Studio?  

Click {HERE} to follow me on Pinterest...

And {HERE} to follow me on Instagram.

Are we friends on Facebook?  {HERE} is the Studio-Sara Facebook page.

And Twitter?  {HERE} is that link.

I hope you're having a great day!

{Weekly Deals} and a Late Night with the New 2014-15 Annual Catalog!

The newest {Weekly Deals} are here! Items on this list are retiring and available as supplies last, so if it's been on your Wish List, don't delay in ordering. Here are the lists:  Retiring Stamps and Retiring Accessories.

Daffodil Delight Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon, #126872, originally $4.95 and on sale for $3.71!

Downtown Grunge Photobook Template Digital Download for MDS, #126056, originally $19.95, on sale for $11.97!

Dress Up Framelits Dies, #130101, originally $24.95, on sale for $18.71!

Early Espresso Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon, #126871, originally $4.95 and on sale for $3.71!

Merry Minis Punch Pack, #126682, originally $16.95, but on sale for $12.71!

Raspberry Ripple Stitched Satin Ribbon, #126845, originally $8.95 and on sale for $6.71!

Regals Core'dination Card Stock, #129955, originally $23.95, but on sale for $17.96!

Talking Tag Message Labels, #129723, originally $7.95 and on sale for $5.96!

In other news, I'm a little bleary-eyed this morning, as I attended the first ever Catalog Premiere from Stampin' Up!, debuting the new 2014-15 Annual Catalog.  I've got a copy in my hot little hands and I spent the evening poring over it (and fell asleep with visions of stamping dancing in my head)!

Want your own copy?  Drop me a line!  Most Studio-Sara customers qualify for a free one!

I hope your week has gotten off to a good start!

{Video Tutorial} Watercolor Tulips in a Spring-y Shaped Card

Hello, Studio Visitors!  While spring has sprung, the April showers have returned to my neck of the woods.  We've got tulips and hyacinth blooming (and the raindrops on them are so pretty!).  The trees are finishing their bloom and leaves are starting to emerge.

This card was inspired by nature and the fine folks at the Colour Me Card Challenge, who put forth the challenge of using Daffodil Delight and Bermuda Bay.  I enjoyed making a shaped card, using my Labels Collection Framelits.  What a simple way to make fun, shaped cards! Click below to watch a tutorial outlining this simple process:

The Square Lattice TIEF added Easter basket-like texture to the Daffodil Delight piece and is mirrored by the Burlap Ribbon (also fed through my Big Shot with the Labels Collection Framelit).  

This beautiful image comes from a single stamp in the Occasions Catalog called Blessed Easter.  It includes the sentiment, "Wishes for a Blessed Easter," but I want to use this card all spring long, so I omitted the sentiment in my inking.  

I watercolored my blooms using the Aqua Painter and my Daffodil Delight and Bermuda Bay Classic Inks.  Since I was limited to those two colors, I had to lay down Daffodil Delight first in the stem and go over it with the Bermuda Bay to achieve something close to green.

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps:  Blessed Easter (OC, W133212)

Papers:  Bermuda Bay (131197), Daffodil Delight (119683) and Whisper White (100730) card stocks

Inks:  Jet Black StazOn (101406) and Daffodil Delight (126944) and Bermuda Bay (131171) Classic Ink Pads

Artist's Flair:  Big Shot (113439), Labels Collection Framelits (125598), Magnetic Platform (130658), Square Lattice TIEF (119976), Daffodil Delight Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon (126872), Burlap Ribbon (OC, 132140), Stampin' Dimensionals (104430)

Time for Sale-a-Bration and New Weekly Deals!

Wow!  It's a busy day in the Studio today, because it's the first day of the annual promotion from Stampin' Up! when one earns free product with each $50 merchandise purchase!  See what's available for freebies in the Sale-a-Bration catalog {link to the right} or you can click {HERE}.  Want a hard copy?  Shoot me an email and I'll drop one in the mail...

Here are some ready-made bundles to bring you to the $50 threshold (with the freebie mixed in!).  Click {HERE} to find descriptions of each one.

And there are new Weekly Deals!

Click {HERE} to shop...

Daffodil Delight Seam Binding Ribbon 125583, Regularly $6.95, on sale for $5.21

Flower Garden TIEF 123113, Regularly $7.95, on sale for $5.96

Labels Collection Framelits 125598, Regularly $26.95, on sale for $20.21

Pear Pizazz Chevron Ribbon 130011, Regularly $8.95, on sale for $6.71

Pool Party Classic Ink 126982, Regularly $5.95, on sale for $4.46

Wisteria Wonder Classic Ink 126985, Regularly $5.95, on sale for $4.46

Winter Wonders Digital Download Kit MDS 132567, Regularly $9.95, on sale for $5.97

Whew!  That's quite a post!  Stay tuned for tomorrow's unveiling of my latest Studio Video!  Hope your week is off to a great start!

Six-Sided Hexagon! Coordinating Stamp Set and Punch

One of the items from the new 2013-2014 Annual Catalog that I was so excited to order was the Six-Sided Sampler Bundle and this baby does *NOT* disappoint!  There are eight great patterns/designs in hexagons plus three super-versatile sentiments in this set.  Also included in the bundle (for a 15% discount if purchased as the bundle) is the Hexagon Punch.

Here you can see where I stamped the hexagons on the Whisper White in Daffodil Delight, Pacific Point and Rich Razzleberry.  I also inked my hexagon in Rich Razzleberry before I stamped it on Rich Razzleberry card stock (then punched it lickety-split with my Hexagon Punch).  The shadow is created because I've bumped it up on a Stampin' Dimensional.

Another hot trend is washi tape, and this is a stamp from the fun set, Tape It.  It's inked in Daffodil Delight and Fussy Cut to lay over the sentiment.  

This project was created for 365 Cards (you might remember the week I sponsored back in February).  The challenge for Day 187 was to Stamp It All (no other embellishing) and it's also an entry to be a guest designer!  

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps:  Six-Sided Sampler Bundle (W132725, C1132724), Tape It (W130712, C130715)

Papers:  Whisper White (100730) and Rich Razzleberry (115316) Card Stocks

Inks:  Rich Razzleberry (126950), Daffodil Delight (126944) and Pacific Point (126951) Classic Inks

Accessories:  Hexagon Punch (from bundle), Paper Snips (103579) Stampin' Dimensionals (104430)