Doing Wheel-ies!

On Saturday Stampers Alley had their annual Used Stamp Sale.  This year they did it a little differently.  It was set up like a garage sale with us setting up our tables in the parking lot instead of Stampers Alley having to sell our stamps for us and taking a percentage.  Marianne and I shared a booth and spread our stamps and craft things out on 3 tables and set up shop.  We did pretty good.  I made a little over $200 and got rid of a lot of my retired stamp sets so I was quite happy!  And most importantly, I didn't spend all my profits.  I only bought a couple of things ... maybe spending about $10.  I still have a box of stamps left and I will be offering them to my Stamp Club gals in a few weeks.  Our only complaint was the weather!  We almost froze to death!!  It is May but you would think it is March.  The temps have been in the 50s during the day.  It's more like Seattle weather - although my friends there tell me it is in the 80s!  I keep hearing folks say that they are tired of this cold rainy weather we are having.  Well, I am as well but it came to me that I am using little to no heat and no air conditioning right now and haven't for weeks, so our energy bill should be a lot less this month.  That's a good thing.   Marianne and I were both bundled up and to make matters worse, it started sprinkling  Marianne called Greg and he came to our rescue and brought us a canopy so our things wouldn't get too wet. And the icing on the cake - at the end of the sale, we gave what we didn't want to take back with us to one of the gals there who is going to send it all to the Sandy Hook community.

A lot of people have trouble when It comes to using a wheel on a card.  I don't use them very often (mainly, because I forget about them! ) but they are great for backgrounds on your cards.  Here are a few hints when using a wheel:

■stand up as you get straighter lines and more even pressure that way

■start rolling the wheel while off the card stock to prevent lines showing

■start at the corner of the page closest to you and roll away from yourself

■if you do not have an ink cartridge in the wheel handle, when rolling it on the ink pad do not roll it back and forth, roll it in the same direction ~6 times to ensure it is entirely inked

■always test the wheel on scrap paper first to ensure that your design/words are oriented the right way

■If the roller wheel does have a sentiment on it, line up the seam of the roller just off the page to ensure that you get the sentiment over the page in its entirety and not half a word that doesn’t make sense

■store the ink cartridges in zip lock bags to help keep them moist

■practice on scrap paper a lot!

Here is a bookmark that I made using the Very Vintage Wheel:

I wheeled it using Versamark Ink and embossed it with white embossing powder.  Easy to do.

Retiring - Raining Flowers and Word Play

Here are two more cards I've made this week using the retiring sets.  This time I used Word Play (oh how I am going to miss this one!) and Raining Flowers.

Word Play

With the Word Play card, I just cut some strips of DSP to create my candles.  I used the Bird Punch for the flame - easy peasy! 

I had a little help while working on my cards this week.  Sammie wouldn't let me out of her sight!  I guess since I was gone over the week end, she was making sure I wouldn't be leaving her again any time soon. 

Checking out my lunch!

Taking a nap in the box!

For the Raining Flowers card, I also used Best Friends Forever (retired) to stamp the leaves in the background.  The flowers were stamped, cut out, and popped up.  A very quick card to make.

Raining Flowers

Sketch Challenge #40

I used MDS to create my Sketch Challenge this week (what else is new???)  I love this DSP - it is from the Wonderful Whimsey's Kit.  I think I used paper from that kit on last week's project - that's how great it is!  It's hard to tell but there is also a Honeycomb Overlay over the card and DSP - maybe if you click on the card, you can see more detail but the overlay made the "squiggly" lines over the triangle shapes on the DSP.  There are all kind of techniques you can use with MDS.  You just need to get in there and play around with it.

Background - Color = Crushed Curry

Embellishments -
Designer Rosettes\Designer Rosettes - pointed very vanilla
Designer Kits\This And That Epic Day - embellishments\This And That Epic Day - friends flag
Designer Kits\Hello There - embellishments\Hello There - flag
2011-2013 In Color Ruffled Ribbon\Ruffled Ribbon - pool party
2011-2013 In Color Ruffled Ribbon\Ruffled Ribbon - pool party knot
Sara's Sequins\Sara's Sequins - teal

Stamps -
_Designer Kits\Family History\Family History - overlay honeycomb
Apothecary Art\Apothecary Art - for you

Punches -
Extras\Flag Punch,
Basics\1.25 Circle Punch,
Labels Stamp; Tags\Labels Collection 1

Designer Series Paper\_Designer Kits\Wonderful Whimsies 1

 I have to brag and share the project Ashley sent me last night that she has made for one of the residents at the hospital.  She designed it with MDS and took it to an office supply store to have it printed 12 x 12 and is going to frame it and give it as a gift.  The theme for the nursery is Dr. Seuss and Ashley was able to find a free Dr. Seuss Font even!  What a great gift for just a little bit of cash!  And she has only had MDS since Christmas!

Retiring Stamp Cards for Blog Candy!

Now that the retired lists have been announced, I am going to share cards I've made using the stamps that are retiring.  AND if you leave comments each day, I will be putting together packets of the cards and doing a GIVE AWAY at the end of May!  So, stay tuned and let me hear from you!!

I will be selling a LOT of my retired stamps this Saturday at Stampers Alley's Used Stamp Sale in Mooresville.  If you live close, you can get some great deals at this annual sale.  Last year I got a Big Shot for a friend for about $25 so come on down if you live close!

This card uses the Button, Button stamp set.  Not only is it good for a focal image but it is also a great stamp for making your own backgrounds.  The DSP on this card is also retired - Sweet Shop (I think).  The border above and below the stamped image is Island Indigo Ruffled Ribbon.  I used DSP Brads for the centers of the stamped buttons.  The buttons are stamped in Calypso Coral, Island Indigo and Pool Party - all colors that will be staying with us next year.

On this card I used the wonderful Word Play - I will really miss this set!  It was a really simple card to make - just cut a few banners from DSP!  The large button was retired a couple of years ago but I thought it made a great focal point.

Cropping Weekend

Marianne and I had a fun weekend at the Scrapbook Creations Paper Craft Festival in Spartanburg.  There was cropping, make and takes, demos, classes and lots of socialization!  Sonny and I had lunch with Marianne in Lincolnton on Friday and then she and I took off for the festival.  We went with an open mind but we really weren't sure what was in store for us as I mentioned in my last post.  Upon our arrival, I got my goody bag and tee shirt.  The goody bag was supposed to be $130 worth of product - not so sure about that but it was ok.  I got a large pack of Graphic 45 paper, a 6x6 stack of patterned paper, some embellishments and 6 packets of double page scrapbook layouts.   Friday night we participated in a Make and Take event where we went to 8 different tables making various things.  I thought the make and takes were a bit too simple but it was fun anyway and midway through, they had a fabulous dessert bar!   a representative of Bazzil Paper was doing one of the make and takes and she showed us the samples she was doing for her classes on Saturday.  One of the classes was an 8x8 Mini Album that was super cute so Marianne and I decided to sign up for it.  We took the class on Saturday and as is usual in most classes, didn't get it all finished.  So that gave us something to do back at the crop table.  We were having such a good time working on our album that we decided to stay another night.  We stayed at our hotel Friday for free with Choice Reward points I had earned so paying for one night was no biggie.  Since we had already checked out of our hotel, we had to find another one.  We stayed at the crop until about 11 pm.  There were several hotels within a couple of blocks from the Expo Center so after striking out at the Howard Johnson's, we headed across the street to the Econo Lodge and got one of their last rooms.  We went to sleep around midnight but shortly after we fell asleep, the occupants of the room next to us woke us up with their noises which continue for 2 1/2 hours!  Banging on the walls and hollering "shut up" did nothing to stop them so Marianne finally called the front desk.  At first we were told there were no rooms available but a bit later, they called up to tell us they had a room.  The attendant brought us another key to a room down the hall and told us we could have both rooms - just leave our things and go down the hall to sleep.  So at 3 a.m., Marianne and I are traipsing down the hall with our stuff (didn't want to leave them unattended) in our nightgowns!  It took forever for us to get back to sleep and we were both zombies today!  We ended up sleeping through breakfast service and heading back to the convention center around 10 a.m.  We worked a bit more on our albums until I ran out of glue / tape.  Well, the way they had everything set up, it was easy to just go to their store and purchase what you need.  So, I bought a brand new bottle of Zip Dry Liquid Glue.  After I snipped the tip off of it, I was squeezing it onto one of my pages when the top came off and over half the bottle ended up in my lap!!  Only at a Scrapbook Crop would someone run over with a camera to take a picture of someone with glue in their lap!!  Now I have to figure out how to get all that glue washed out of my jeans!!  Anyway, long story short ... it was a fun weekend.  On the way home, we were starving and found a great restaurant just by chance.  We were looking for somewhere to eat when we drove by a restaurant called Wade's in Spartanburg.  There were a ton of cars in the parking lot so that's always a good sign plus the line of people to get in.  It was good ole' home cooked food that was delicious!  I had fried chicken, field peas, creamed corn and squash casserole plus some melt in your mouth rolls!  The restaurant has been in business since 1947 so you know it's good!

We were shocked to see how much STUFF people bring to these crops.  It was like packing up your whole craft room and taking it all!  Here are a few pictures to prove it:


Marianne and I had nothing compared with our neighbors!!

 


Easy Access Shopping Area



One person's STUFF plus she had a table full too with 3 machines - note her cushy chair cover!  She came prepared!

  

Lots of STUFF! 

RETIRED LISTS - KEEPING THIS ON TOP and UPDATING IT DAILY!

 

CLICK HERE FOR UPDATED LIST OF ACCESSORIES - http://su-media.s3.amazonaws.com/media/lastChance/2013%20NA%20Retired%20List/Availability_en-US.pdf

 

The 2013 Retired Lists are here! 

Some products up to 60% off!!!

HURRY…don't wait!  Place your order right away! 

Accessories do sell out quickly!  There are punches, lots of ribbon, DSP, card stock, kits ......

All ACCESSORIES are WHILE SUPPLIES LAST…and some things DO sell out quickly…like in hours!!!   Find the list on the pdf file here:

STAMPS

ACCESSORIES

EDITED TO ADD:  The best way to view the items is to go to ORDER ONLINE and SHOP and you can see the items with the pictures!!
 

Place your order on my website - click ORDER ONLINE  in my header above OR if you prefer, contact me and I will put your order in for you.  

Make sure to use the CODE  762NUUQV before you check out.  

 When you place your order today through April 30th using the Special Code you will automatically be guaranteed 3 things: 

1) Your order will ship directly to your door!
2) You will receive a hand stamped thank you card from me just for you!
3) You will be entered in a drawing for Stampin' Up! Products

Alert:  the PDF files are pretty small print (at least for these old eyes!)  There is a + and - at the top of the page - click on the + to enlarge the page!!  

 
 

Baby Tee

I made a baby card this week for a friend who became a grandmother again. I always forget to use my wheels.   I keep them in a fabric shoe holder that is hanging on the back of my door which is a great organizing tool for them.  I love the Baby Tees wheel and used it to make two cards.  The first card I made I wheeled the tees onto white card stock and used my Copics to color the little tees.  Then I mounted them onto some bright yellow (non SU) paper I found and then onto the plaid card (non SU).  Aren't they bright and cheery?

Well, when I finished that card, I decided to unmount my wheel.  I took it off the wheel and mounted it onto some clear-mount cling foam.  That way I can use the stamp as a traditional stamp.  I haven't gone so far as to cut the tees apart but that would be an idea also.

But here is the cute baby card I made after un-mounting the stamp!  Love it!

I stamped the tees onto DSP, colored them with markers and cut each one out individually.  They are glued down onto the white paper with the SU Glue Stick (my fav!).  In order to get them (semi-) straight onto the white paper, I used my handy SU Grid Paper.  No need to eyeball it! Remember that you have a handy ruler at the base of your Stampin’ Up! grid paper and gridlines on either side to help get things perfectly aligned.  (NOTE:  Grid paper is on the retired list - it is just being refigured but will be $1 more so you might want to get it now and save.)

I then stamped the "baby" sentiment from One In A Million using my Stamp-a-ma-jig to line it up.  I found some little metal  coat hanger brads in my stash so I put one on each of the baby tees.

 My next step was to make an envelope to put the card into since I made an extra long card.  My card measures about 9" x 7 1/2".   Rather than stick this beautiful card in a plain, legal envelope, I decided to make a coordinated, stylish envelope for its delivery.  A little more costly at the post office, but it's ok once in while.

Here are the directions for my envelope:

• I cut a piece of Bashful Blue Designer Series Paper Stack paper to 9-1/4″x11-3/4″. I chose this DSP with the floral design as the exterior of the envelope.
• I placed the paper on the Simply Scored Scoring Tool with the shortest end of the paper lined up against the top ruler. 
• With the markers at 2-3/8″ and 6-1/2″, I scored the horizontal lines of the envelope. 
• I then turned the paper on its side and scored it 1-1/2″ and 11″. 
• I trimmed the corners off the scored piece of paper, careful to snip on the inside of the score line so that everything would fold over cleanly. 
• With the 3/16″ Corner punch, I rounded all the corners.
• I folded the envelope, using my bone folder to make sure that the envelope completely closes:
  I added adhesive to the shorter side panel and then glued down the longer side.
• And then added adhesive to the bottom panel (the shortest of the remaining panels) and glued it down

Marianne and I are going to an event this weekend in Spartanburg.  It is a Crop and Paper Festival put on by Scrabook Creations in Spartanburg.  It is a weekend of cropping and creating.  Last summer when we went to CKC in Charlotte, Ashley won the grand prize which was free admission to the cropping festival.  She could not come up to go to the event so they let her transfer the ticket to me.

This is how it is advertised:   Full Crop Weekend Registration fee is $135. Includes three days of Crop Time. Upon arrival, croppers will receive a Goody Bag full of scrapbooking and paper crafting items as well a s a Crop T-shirt! All croppers will also receive six two-page layouts with instructions available during the Crop. Seating is limited to 200 croppers!

I don't know about you, but I'm not paying that kind of money just to crop!  I can do that quite comfortably in my own home.  But Marianne and I decided to make a weekend of it and see what it is all about.  Since Marianne did not buy a ticket, she will not be able to go in the crop room with me so I will just be getting my goodie bag and we will do our own thing.   We are real interested to see what it is all about.  There are other classes on Friday and Saturday (extra $$ of course) but we only signed up for a Make and Take event Friday night.  (Friday Night Make-N-Take Event fee is $30. Included is an evening of creative fun. Join the group on Friday night as everyone participates in a great Make-N-Take event. Customers will rotate from table to table in a specific manner every 15 minutes. At each table you will complete a different project. By the end of the night, you will have completed eight projects. Midway, there will be a 15 minute break to indulge in the delicious Dessert Bar.)

Paper Craft Crew Sketch

With all the excitement today over the Retiring Lists AND as a demonstrator, being able to view the catalog on-line (still looking!), I forgot to post my card for the Paper Craft Crew Challenge.

I used a few things thaat I recently bought for MDS.  I have been taking a class from Heather Summers and Kimberley Van Diepen and they recommended a few things.  Well, they were right - I love them.  I used Wonderful Whimsies DSP, Sara's Sequins and Paper Doilies.  The flower in the circle is actually a piece of the Wonderful Whimsies DSP! 

Supply List:
Background:  Designer Series Paper\_Designer Kits\Wonderful Whimsies - 7

Embellishments:
Paper Doilies\Paper Doilies - whisper white (re-colored)
Paper Doilies\Paper Doilies - whisper white (re-colored)
Crochet Trim Ribbon\Chantilly (re-colored)
Sara's Sequins\Sara's Sequins – teal (3)
Crochet Trim Ribbon\Chantilly - bow (re-colored)

Stamps:
Designer Kits\Family History\Family History - overlay texture, Color = CRUSHED CURRY
Well Scripted\Well Scripted - mother

Punches:
Basics\1.25 Square Punch, Filled with: Designer Series Paper\_Designer Kits\Wonderful Whimsies - 11
Basics\1.25 Square Punch, Filled with: Designer Series Paper\_Designer Kits\Wonderful Whimsies - 7
Labels & Tags\Decorative Label Punch, Filled with: Designer Series Paper\_Designer Kits\Wonderful Whimsies -12
Basics\1.25 Circle Punch, Filled with: Designer Series Paper\_Designer Kits\Wonderful Whimsies - 12

Important Alert!

IMPORTANT DATE ALERT

I do not want you to miss out, so make sure you will

Be HERE on Wed. April 24

to view the 2013 Retiring Stamp and Accessory list

from

Stampin' Up!

Accessories are "first come first served" and many of the retiring colors have already sold out.

Better yet... IF there is an accessory in the Stampin' Up! catalog that you know you will not be able to live without, ORDER NOW and don't take a chance that it will be sold out if you see it on the Retiring List on Wednesday.


I got some good news this week!  THIS card I made using MDS won the color challenge on Late Night Stampers this week! 

I made several cards this weekend but forgot to take pictures of them!!  I was so focused on getting them addressed and in the mail.  I hate it when I do that.  And they were those cards you hate to make - sympathy and get well.  So yesterday when I made this card, I made sure I took a picture to share with you.

This card is so much prettier in real life.  I used a few "in-coming" colors that were In Colors at one time - Pear Pizazz and Blush Blossom.  I used the Vintage Wheel for the background.  I forget to use my wheels and they add such a nice touch.  The Blush Blossom scalloped circle was made using Nestabilities.  For the doilies, I cut my doily down the center so I could pleat them.  I punched a 1 3/4" circle of Glimmer paper and backed it with a circle of SU's Multipurpose Adhesive.  That made attaching the pleated doily much easier.  I punched the butterfly with SU's butterfly punch (oops - just noticed a little piece is missing on the bottom - guess I'll be punching another butterfly!)

Supplies:

Card Stock:  Blush Blossom, Pear Pizazz, In Color Patterned Stack DSP, Silver Glimmer Paper

Ink:  Pear Pizazz

Accessories:  Butterfly Punch,  Sequins, Doilies, Polytwill Old Olive Ribbon (retired), Very Vintage Wheel

Stamp Club April Cards

I had Stamp Club last week and we made these four cards.

Language Of Friendship

I think this was my favorite one!  I got the stamp set last year during Sale-a-Bration and don't think I have used it before this time.  I bet this is going to be one of those sets that will be retired .... we'll see this week!!  I love the Designer Brads from the Mini Catalog - added just the right touch, don't you think?

This card uses a retired stamp set but it would be easy to recreate using the Aviary stamp in the current catalog.  The colors I used were Rich Razzleberry, Pear Pizazz and Island Indigo.

Secret Garden

This was a request by a couple of my stamp club gals.  I used Lucky Limeade with Gumball Green leaves.  The flowers are Calypson Coral which I embossed in white and cut out with the framelits.

flower using soda pop cap for center

These two cards were made using the elements from the Pop-Up Posies Kit.  Some of the gals made the flowers using the cupcake liners for flowers and some used the pre-cut flowers.  The middle was cut out with the Labels framelit.