Blossoms Abound

Good morning everyone!! I'm featuring today another card made from the Blossoms Abound stamp set that is on the Retired List. I do love this stamp set because it looks so elegant, no matter how you stamp it or what colors you use! It is also an easy stamp set to use as far as your two-step stamping is concerned. Notice this card uses the current In Colors - Purely Pomengranate, Groovy Guava and Wild Wasabi double stitched ribbon. Don't they look gorgeous together? Remember, you can order the current In Colors until August 10, 2008. This gives you a little over a month to stock up on any of your favorite In Colors. Don't forget to get the reinker for your stamp pads!!!

As you can see, the fold is a little different on this card and this is what it looks like when it is open! Don't be afraid to try different folds, sizes, etc. when creating cards. Expect .. the unexpected!

I hope you have a great day and have a chance to stamp!

Organizer Class

We had a wonderful time today at the Organizer Class. We used three different Simply Scrappin' Kits and they all looked great. I've included the pictures below so hopefully you can get some ideas to create your own! You can still order the kit to make this by clicking here! Don't forget to select the Simply Scrappin' Kit of your choice.

Janet Hayden - Boho Blend Simply Scrappin' Kit

Becky Cleveland - Crew Kids Girl Simply Scrappin' Kit

Me - Happy Me Simply Scrappin' Bundle (Retired from Fall-Winter Collection 2007)

I hope you enjoy them -- we certainly had a great time making them. Matter of fact, I'm heading to the table again to make another one!!!!

Michelle Zindorf

Today I wanted to share with you the creativity of someone that I don't know personally, but absolutely love her work. Her talent is amazing and the fact that she shares her technique with step by step tutorials is beyond belief! I'm sure you'll feel the same way after you pay a visit to Freedom in Creating, Michelle Zindorf's blog.

The card that is featured here is one that I did using her step-by-step tutorial. I didn't have exactly everything she used, such as her designer paper, but was able to duplicate her card pretty closely! It was so perfect, I didn't want to change it! I think you'll agree that this is beautiful and with her tutorial, was very easy to duplicate.

Check out her blog and all of her tutorials! She has a gift for sure -- and I'm so thankful that she shares it with us!

My Create Definition is UP!

Oh, I'm so excited!!! I received my Create Definition Decor Element last night and applied it to my wall this morning! Oh my goodness, this is so so so cool!!!! I love the way it looks and was so pleased that it worked on my textured walls. Many of the older homes in this area have these walls and I was very hesitant, but hey, it worked! Woo hoo!!! It was really hard for me to get a good picture. My walls are kind of like a Mellow Moss color. You can see in this picture the texture in my wall since it is a close up shot, but "in real life", you can't tell! Just so you know, this is the small Create Definition in Chocolate Chip which sells for only $16.95. It measures 7-3/8" x 20". The Decor Elements Applicator sells for $1.95.

Let me give you some hints that I learned while I was applying it this morning. GET THE DECOR ELEMENTS APPLICATOR! Well, I had a little lapse when I placed my order for the Create Defintion and hit finalize order and then went opps, I forgot the applicator (don't worry, I've already ordered it!). I just get so excited sometimes -- I lose my mind! Now I certainly couldn't wait until I received it to apply my Decor Element, so I pulled out a plastic spatula (I was being creative) and with a little extra pressure, it worked!!! (Whew!) The self-adhesive vinyl element comes in a tube. You will lay it out on a hard surface with the grid side facing you. Using the applicator, which you won't forget to order, you rub the image onto the transfer paper. You will then peel back the grid paper. This is really similar to what you do with rub-ons, being careful when pulling back the grid paper to make sure the image is on the transfer paper. If it isn't, lay the grid paper down and rub a little more. Once the entire grid paper is pulled off, you'll see the image on the transfer sheet and it will be sticky. A helpful hint: keep the cats away when you are doing this because Mowgli discovered that it is sticky and was looking at his paw very strangely! Now, place the transfer paper with the image onto you wall. You can move it a bit to make sure it is exactly where you want it. Once you have decided that you've found "the spot", USING YOUR FINGERS, rub on the image and it will transfer the image to the wall. Now, I say USING YOUR FINGERS because my walls are textured and that is how I could get it to adhere within scraping the little bumps on the wall! If your walls are smooth, just use the Decor Elements Applicator.

My next image will soon be here and I will be applying it to one of my glass storm doors! I can't wait for it to arrive. As you can probably tell, I'm very excited about this new product! My walls have been begging for decorations for years! Stay tuned for more as I inpatiently wait for the UPS man to arrive next week!!!

p.s. And now the stamp sets have to compete with Decor Elements -- I'll bet they won't be happy (confused - check out the Picketing Stamps)!

Morning Softness

I remember when I ordered the Morning Soft stamp set, I couldn't wait to get it! I love the detail in this image and the fact that it really is quite easy to color! For this card, I used the Stampin' Up! Pastels. I'm not sure if you have ever used them, but if you haven't, you are really missing out. It's just so easy!

First, I used a Q-tip and rubbed it onto the Almost Amethyst chalk and then I rubbed it onto the flowers. I recommend doing this lightly and adding color gradually. I then added Lavendar Lace to the "detailed" areas of the flowers. Sometimes we are not sure how to do our shading, but that is why we have the detailed lines in this image! For the leaves, I applied Gable Green pastel, then added Green Galore pastel. My last element on this image was to apply Two-Way Glue and Dazzling Diamonds Glitter to add some sparkle! Also, when you are coloring your image, don't forget the outside border of your image. Here, I used Going Gray and lightly rubbed in around the outside of the image, which gives it more dimension.

For the background, I used the Print Pattern background stamp (retired list) and the All Holidays stamp set for the sentiment. Notice how the sentiment stands out by using the two oval punches and layering the image!

The Pastels currently sell for $24.95 and can be found on pg.183 of the Spring-Summer Collection 2008. You get 51 colors in one package -- you can't beat that! And, you get an eraser, so if you rub the pastels where you don't want them, just erase! Don't you wish you could do that with everything!

Have a great day and if you get a chance and have the Pastels, pull them out and play! Also, while you are pulling them out, pull a stamp set off the shelf you haven't used in a while -- so your stamp sets don't start talking to you!

I'm Inspired

You are struggling to get the kids settled down and get your chores done so you can sit down and stamp! It's taken you all day to get this done, but at last, you are sitting at your table and saying, hey, I can stamp now. But then, your mind goes blank. Does this sound familiar?

I can relate all too well to this scenario (except for the kids part), but when this happens, I turn to my Stampin' Up! catalogs, whether it is the current Spring/Summer Collection 2008 or an older catalog. I thumb through the pages until I find something that catches my eye and then I can get started. Yesterday, I was getting ready to do a swap for a meeting last night and decided to turn to the Spring/Summer Collection 2008 for inspiration. I saw this picture on the page that features the Baroque Motifs stamp set. I really liked the element on this card so I decided this was my inspiration. It just so happens that I do have this stamp set, so it did make it a bit easier!

Now, I didn't exactly have everything and time was an issue, so here is the card I created! Notice how I used the same element in this card. All I did was change the colors a bit and my card was done! By comparing the two, you can see they are two totally different cards, but yet, I started with the inspiration card from the Spring/Summer Collection 2008. What are some other things you can use to get inspired? Magazines are full of layouts and color combinations. I have an Kleenex box on my dresser and I love the design on it. Everyday I dry my hair I look at it and think it would make a gorgeous background. That could be the reason why I just can't get my hair to look right -- I'm not paying attention to the task at hand!!!

So, the next time you have a stamping slump, look around you. Inspiration is all over the place! The easiest place to start is a Stampin' Up! catalog.

*And, an update on the stamps! I told them last night after creating this card that I was going to feature the Baroque Motifs stamp set and they were happy! The stamp sets must have had a meeting yesterday while I was working, because the Embrace Life stamp set was on the floor when I got home! *wink wink*

Enjoy your day and go stamp!

Punched Vellum

All was quiet this morning in the Johnson household with the exception of three cats demanding food at 5:00 a.m. This is the norm at this house and something we all expect and have come to begrudingly accept.

However, as I sat down at my desk and was looking for a project to share with you, I heard these little rumblings. Hum, what could it be? I looked around, didn't see or hear anything! So, I continued through my cards and picked out a card using the Embrace Life stamp set. I then thought, here I go, showing another card with the Embrace Life stamp set. Then, I heard the rumblings get louder! It didn't take me long before I figured out exactly what was going on. The other stamp sets are demanding equal blog time! Alas, I've been biased when making my blog selections!! Okay, so I'm a tad silly and am now hearing sounds from my stamp sets! Hey, "live every moment!"

Despite the protests, I am sharing another card created using the Embrace Life stamp set! This was a card made earlier this year at a Stamp-A-Stack. One of the elements that I found very beautiful on this card was using the vellum and my punches and then layering them. I love the elegant look of punched vellum! I also used the Bali Breeze Designer Series paper and the Absolutely Fabulous stamp set for the word phrase. Don't be afraid to stamp on vellum, but just remember to let it dry a short time so it doesn't smear. If you stamp on vellum using the Stazon pad, the drying time is much, much quicker! Stampin' Up! carries two types of vellum -White Vellum Cardstock and White Vellum Paper. I recommend using the cardstock because it does have more weight and I think stamps better! So, go ahead and pull out your vellum and your punches and punch, punch, punch! You'll love adding these elements to your cards!

Also, I fully expect to see the stamp sets picketing in my living room this evening when I come home from work!

Smile Mini Scrapbook

See, I knew I would have some more time to play!!! Today, I created this cute little mini scrapbook! I found the instructions at SCS Tutorials and it has all the measurements and "how to's" you will need!!!!!

The book consists of a few different elements that I'll tell you about. The scallop circle is actually chipboard from the On Board Blossoms & Basics chipboard package. To add some glitter to the chipboard, I inked it with the VersaMark pad, dipped it into Heat and Stick Powder, then heated it with my Heat Tool until the powder melted. Caution: Do not overheat because then it will be Heat and NO Stick powder! I then covered the chipboard with the Light Blue glitter from the Fine Cosmo glitter pack! Whoa baby, does she ever sparkle!!!! Oh, don't forget to heat the chipboard for just a little bit to set the glitter! The smile stamp is from the Be Happy stamp set (sniff sniff .. on the retired list). Notice how it fits perfectly in the chipboard scallop!!!

I also used the Totally Tabs set to decorate my tabs which coordinates perfectly with the Round Tab Punch. Boy oh boy, do I love how easy Stampin' Up! makes my life!!!! Do you notice the white rub-ons??? They were from the Love & Happiness Rub-On Set that was featured during Sale-A-Bration this year. There are so many images and words in this package, I'll be rubbing them all year long! I think the one thing I like about the rub-ons is that you can apply them directly on a picture! You will also use the Jumbo Eyelets and Crop-O-Dile to bind your album.

This mini scrapbook is a perfect way to showcase pictures! You can keep it in your purse and pull it out to show off those pics!!! The thing that comes to mind is pictures of your children or grandchildren. They would fit perfectly in here and you can show them off at a moment's notice.

I hope you try this project! It is alot of fun and I love how it turned out!

Watercolor Play

Last night, I had a chance to sit down and try some watercolor techniques. The next Stamp, Play and Create class is scheduled for July 5-6, 2008 and the theme is watercolor, so I thought I'd better get started. Now those of you who know me are probably shaking their head in disbelief that I would actually start preparing for this workshop two weeks before!!! Alas, don't worry my friends -- I'm claiming I was NOT preparing -- I was playing!

This first card was created using two stamp sets -- Artfully Asian (which is on the retired list) and the Canvas background stamp. I used Lovely Lilac, Gable Green and Lavendar Lace cardstock. To create the ovals, I used the Coluzzle. The more I use the Coluzzle, the easier it gets and hey, it's easy to begin with! You can cut circles and ovals in a snap! To create the two-toned background on the focal point, I used reinkers, saturated just a bit with water, then used my Aqua Painter to brush the saturated ink across the watercolor paper. You must use watercolor paper with this technique or it won't blend properly. You'll see where I also added some paper piercing to frame the focal point. Also, I added round dots of Crystal Effects on top to give the appearance of raindrops and used the Color Spritzer tool to create those little specks on the focal point! I think this card is so peaceful looking!

For the Celebrate card, I used two stamp sets, the Celebrate Everything and All through the Year (which is on the retired list much to my dismay) with the red, white and blue theme. Opps, actually its Real Red, Night of Navy and Confetti White (what was I thinking)! I have used the All through the Year set numerous times because it is so multi-functional! Anyway, to create the stars, I colored on my stamp using the Real Red watercolor crayon. To create the border around the star, I used the Night of Navy Stampin' Write marker. Before stamping, I lightly misted the stamp with water to blend the watercolor crayon and marker. Be sure to clean your stamp after stamping your image and dry it thoroughly. If you don't, the stamp won't hold the watercolor crayon! Now, since this was a 'Celebrate' card, I just had to add glitter which I did by using Stampin' Up!'s Two Way Glue and dipping into Dazzling Diamonds glitter! Doesn't this just want to make you celebrate!

I hope you have a great weekend and I might have some more play time coming up soon!!!

Doodle This ... and Doodle That!

I just love the Doodle This stamp set! The decorative elements in this set rock! You know, the flower in this set is quite large, but did you notice how I used the big flower to create the little flower on this card? It's actually pretty easy. Let's do it!

Stamp the large flower onto designer series paper and cut it out. Paper Snips are perfect for cutting, so use them if you have them! Then, using your paper piercer, punch a hole in the center of the flower and at the end of each petal. Insert a brad through the center of the flower and turn over. Now, just place the end of each petal onto the brad using the holes that you already punched! Ta da!!!!! Isn't that adorable. It mounts perfectly onto the 1-3/8" circle. Then, I used the Scallop punch to create another decorative element! This is a 6" x 3" card and can be mailed using Stampin' Up!'s Small Open End Envelopes, which are the proper size to be mailed (gotta love it!). I really do enjoy making this size card because I love anything that is different from the norm!

The versatility in Stampin' Up! stamps are amazing. Sometimes we just have to step outside the box and sometimes we are just hesitant to try something different! Do not be afraid, step outside the box because you know, if it doesn't turn out right, there is a trash can that will accept anything! More often than not, though, you'll find that you've done good -- and your creation is a success!

Decor Elements -- Here We Come

The brochure is out and I think you'll be as thrilled as I am at the products in this catalog. I love the samples they have created and already have a ton of uses going through my head! I should have the brochures in very soon! If you would like one, please email me! You can order from this catalog of July 1, 2008 !!! If you have any questions, just let me know!

Stampin' Up! New Product Line

There are so many reasons that I love being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator and now I have one more! Stampin' Up! has introduced a new product line to demonstrators today called "Decor Elements". What is it you ask? It is vinyl designs, letters, etc. that can be used to decorate your walls, furniture or anything else you want! Today we received limited information and we'll be able to download more information tomorrow. Something that I really like is the fact that they are not permanent on your wall. You can apply the image and then when you redecorate, you just peel it off! It's also a great way to add some design and flare to rental homes or apartments since most people are limited to what they can put on a wall. I can't wait because I'm definitely going to use some in my office at home and at my day job! As the information becomes available to me, I will share it with you! Stay tuned for more scoop to follow!!

Did you say "Golf"?

Oh goodness, did any of you watch the U.S. Open this weekend? Okay, my husband is the sports nut in our home and every once in a while I do watch some sporting event with him. I hardly EVER watch golf, but since it was on . . . . I was thoroughly amazed by Tiger Woods. Now I'm sure there are people who are not Tiger fans, but watching him play is . . . . well, it's unbelievable! Despite severe pain in his knee and some really bad shots, he tied the game on the last hole and he and Mediate are playing another round today to determine the winner.

Okay, where am I going with this? A few weeks ago I made these cute little goodie bags for a golf tournament in which my law firm was sponsoring one of the holes. Each bag included three golf balls, some golf tees and a Sweet & Salty snack bar. For the toppers, I printed off golfing definitions and each bag had different definition and the appropriate letter was stamped on each topper! I did 150 of these babies and they turned out awesome! I was even thrilled was one of the organizers of the tournament complimented us on the goodie bags!

The next time you have an event, make up a little goodie bag! Stampin' Up! carries the cello bags in three sizes and the toppers are so easy to make! And, they are very inexpensive!! You can't beat that, now can you!

Blossoms Abound

One of my favorite stamp sets on the Retired List is Blossoms Abound. It creates gorgeous projects with a very minimal amount of stamping. This card is one that I used for thank you notes. I printed off the text on my computer, then just stamped the Blossoms Abound image on top. These cards would make a perfect gift for a friend -- a set of thank you notes cards! Also, instead of typing "thanks" on the cards, you could personalize them with the individual's name. Get a head start on your Christmas gifts and you'll be done before you know it!

Check out additional samples done with the Blossoms Abound set by clicking here!

Retirement List

It's that time of year again when the stamp sets get restless and some have decided to retire .. to, well perhaps Florida? Anyway, the retired sets are listed below and are available through August 10, 2008. HOWEVER, if you place an order for retired sets of $25.00 or more through Friday, June 20, 2008, there is FREE shipping!!!!! Stamp sets are listed in alphabetical order with the page number. Can't find your catalog? Click here! If you want to view the list in page number order - click here!

• 139 - A to Z Accents
• 114 - All in a Row
• 59 - All Through the Year
• 138 - Amazing to Zany
• 56 - Artfully Asian (a Phyllis favorite!)
• 110 - Background Basics
• 48 - Be Happy
• 159 - Best Friends Alphabet Lower, Upper & Numbers
• 116 - Big Pieces
• 32 - Block Party
• 99 - Blossoms Abound (a Phyllis favorite!)
• 92 - Bud Basics
• 118 - Carte Postale
• 130 - Check It Out
• 143 - Circle of Friendship
• 128 - Create a Coupon
• 52 - Dare to be Darling
• 50 - Dilly-Dally
• 135 - Dotted
• 40 - Eat Cake
• 74 - Elementary Essentials
• 35 - Festive Favorites
• 135 - Flannel Plaid
• 136 - Flower Friend
• 28 - Forever in my Heart
• 134 - French Flair
• 31 - Give Thanks
• Dormant List - Glad Tidings
• 52 - Greetings Galore
• 101 - Happy Camper
• 64 - Here, Kitty Kitty
• 141 - It’s Your Birthday (a Phyllis favorite!)
• 92 - Just Like You
• 127 - Labelicious
• 116 - Little Pieces
• 154 - All Monogram Lower Alphabets
• 30 - Never-Ending Joy (a Phyllis favorite!)
• 100 - Noble Deer
• 224 - Office Accoutrement (a Phyllis favorite!)
• 31 - Peace to the World
• 36 - Peaceful Wishes (a Phyllis favorite!)
• 56 - Perennial Favorites
• 86 - Polka Dots & Paisley
• 87 - Polka Dots & Petals
• 135 - Print Pattern
• 130 - Property Lines
• 159 - Rough Edges Mini Alphabets
• 28 - Sealed with a Kiss
• Dormant List - Snowfall
• 34 - Snow Flurries
• 35 - The Snowflake Spot
• 114 - So Happy
• 97 - So Much
• 129 - Stamp of Authenticity
• 117 - Sweet Shapes
• 68 - Sweet Thing
• 56 - Tagger’s Dozen
• 104 - Touch of Nature (a Phyllis favorite!)
• 119 - Trimtastic
• 93 - Two Cute
• 61 - Unfroggetable (a Phyllis favorite!)
• 134 - Weathered
• 62 - Whale Wishes
• 88 - Wild Rose
• 100 - Wildlife Reserve
• 136 - Word Search
• 64 - Yappy Day
• 60 - Year after Year
• 19-25 - All Hostess Sets

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me!!

Happy Fourth of July

I know, wrong celebration, right? I can't help it, sometimes when I'm creating, I just get plain confused!!! Father's Day is this weekend and to all the fathers out there - I wish you a wonderful day . . . however . . .

Vicki, my downline, and I had our Friday stamping/planning session and created this awesome card! I was doing a swap for a group I am stamping with tonight and our theme was the Fourth of July. Now, I don't normally do cards for this holiday, but I certainly will now! You'll be surprised that I used the stamp set "Many Merry Messages", which is Christmas stamp set, to create the "appy" next to the "h". The glitter "h" was done using the Sticky Cuts Letters on pg. 186 of the Spring-Summer Collection 2008 and the Chunky Essentials Glitter found on the same page! They are perfect together!

This weekend, step out of the box. Do something you would not normally do. Pull out a stamp set that you haven't used for a while and create!

Again, Happy Father's Day to all the men (as if the men are really reading this huh!!).

Embrace Life

I really love the saying "embrace life". Who would know that two little words could say so much! This card is created using the Embrace Life stamp set and the Ginger Blossom Designer Series Paper. As you may imagine from my previous posts, I really love the Ginger Blossom Designer Series Paper. I do know when the 2008 Fall/Winter Idea Book and Catalog comes out, there will be something very similar to the Ginger Blossom Designer Series Paper (see hint below).

This card is mounted onto Cameo Coral cardstock and the flowers are also made from Cameo Coral Cardstock. I stamped the flower image using VersaMark, then embossed with Clear Embossing Powder. The flowers are then cut out and the edges are curled down. One flower is mounted on top of the other. To accent the already gorgeous flower, I applied Tombow Multi Liquid Glue to the center and attached a half pearl from the Pretties Kit. You know how sometimes the glue spreads out underneath the pearl? Well, just apply some Dazzling Diamonds Glitter and it really sets off the half pearl! Don't forget some highlighting using the White Gel Pen!!!

I hope you have a wonderful stamping day!

Hint for today: Check out the Simply Scappin' Kits and Designer Series Paper -- it they feature any of the In Colors in their design, they will be discontinued!!!