Inspiration Ink

New Catalog Open House Follow Up

We had lots of fun at my New Catalog Open House yesterday.  Everyone got to shop from my retired stuff and look at lots of samples from Convention and a recent Team Meeting and Diva Day.  

I also had a New Catalog Scavenger Hunt for them all to take home and complete while paging through their new catalog.  If they return the completed scavenger hunt to me by September 1, they'll get a $5 coupon to use on their next $50 order through me!  Would you like a copy of the Scavenger Hunt to complete yourself and get a $5 coupon?  Just e-mail me at michelerey@aol.com with "Scavenger Hunt" in the subject line.  I'll e-mail you a copy of the scavenger hunt as a Word document for you to complete and send back to me for a $5 coupon of your own!

Everyone also got to make up to 3 of each of the following cards if they wanted to.  Enjoy!

Uses Best Friends Forever Clear-Mount Set and It's Your Day Set plus Pear Pizzazz Card Stock, Garden Green Card Stock, Crumb Cake Card Stock, Very Vanilla Card Stock, Pear Pizzazz Classis Stampin' Pad, Garden Green Classic Stampin' Pad, Regals Collection Patterns Designer Series Paper Stack, Crumb Cake 1/2" Seam Binding Ribbon, Clear-Mount Block D, Clear-Mount Block I, SNAIL Adhesive, Stampin' Dimesionals, Sticky Strip, Craft Scissors, Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch, 3/16" Corner Punch, Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine, Multipurpose Platform, Standard Cutting Pads, and Designer Frames Textured Impressions Embossing Folders Set.

It's hard to see in the scan, but there is some sparkle in the center of each snowflake and the snowman himself is all sparkly!

Uses Punch Pals Set and Button Buddies Set plus Pool Party Card Stock, Island Indigo Card Stock, Whisper White Card Stock, Island Indigo Classic Stampin' Pad, 2011-2013 In Color Stampin' Write Markers (Island Indigo), Silver Mini Brads, Dazzling Diamonds Stampin' Glitter, Powder Pals, SNAIL Adhesive, Stampin' Dimensionals, 2-Way Glue Pen, Paper-Piercing Tool, Mat Pack, 1-3/4" Scallop Circle Punch, 1-1/4" Circle Punch, 1-3/8" Circle Punch, Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine, Multipurpose Platform, Standard Cutting Pads, Northern Flurry Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, and Dazzling Details (a new product available September 1 in the Holiday Mini).

We used the "kissing" technique on the flower to give it some dots!

Uses Ornate Blossom a la carte stamp; Dot, Dot, Dot a la carte stamp; and Petite Pairs Clear-Mount Set plus Melon Mambo Card Stock, Pretty in Pink Card Stock, Whisper White Card Stock, Melon Mambo Classic Stampin' Pad, Pretty in Pink Classic Stampin' Pad, Pretty in Pink 1/2" Scallop Dots Ribbon, Clear-Mount Block G, SNAIL Adhesive, Stampin' Dimensionals, Sticky Strip, Mini Glue Dots, Stampin' Mist Stamp Cleaner, Stampin' Scrub, Craft Scissors, 2-1/2" Circle Punch, Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine, Multipurpose Platform, Standard Cutting Pads, Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, and Perfect Pennants Bigz L Die.

Again, it's hard to see in the scan (okay, dang near impossible!), but the dry embossed flowers have some shine in their centers from the Smooch Pearlized Accent Ink.

Uses Occasions Alphabet Clear-Mount Set plus Bashful Blue Card Stock, Marina Mist Card Stock, Whisper White Card Stock, Marina Mist Stampin' Write Marker, Paisley Petals Designer Series Paper, Whisper White 5/8" Organza Ribbon, Moonlight Smooch Pearlized Accent Ink, Clear-Mount Block B, SNAIL Adhesive, Stampin' Dimensionals, Sticky Strip, Stampin' Mist Stamp Cleaner, Stampin' Scrub, Craft Scissors, Decorative Label Punch, 1" Circle Punch, Extra-Large Oval Punch, Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine, Multipurpose Platform, Standard Cutting Pads, and Flower Garden Textured Impressions Embossing Folder.

The cloud on this next card is made by sponging some Frost White Shimmer Paint through the chipboard opening left behind when a small cloud shape is popped out from a sheet of On Board Merry Medley.

Uses Pennant Parade Clear-Mount Set and Teeny Tiny Wishes Set plus Wild Wasabi Card Stock, Bashful Blue Card Stock, Marina Mist Card Stock, Whisper White Card Stock, Rose Red Classic Stampin' Pad, Wild Wasabi Classic Stampin' Pad, Bashful Blue Classic Stampin' Pad, Subtles Collection Patterns Designer Series Paper Stack, On Board Merry Medley, Frost White Shimmer Paint, Sponge Daubers, Clear-Mount Block A, Clear-Mount Block C, SNAIL Adhesive, Word Window Punch, 1-3/4" Circle Punch, and Petite Pennants Builder Punch.

A little masking makes the party hat sit perfectly on the turtle's head for this card.

Uses Turtle & Co. Clear-Mount Set plus So Saffron Card Stock, Wild Wasabi Card Stock, Chocolate Chip Card Stock, Whisper White Card Stock, So Saffron Classic Stampin' Pad, Chocolate Chip Classic Stampin' Pad, 2010-2012 In Color Stampin' Write Markers (Peach Parfait), So Saffron Stampin' Write Marker, Wild Wasabi Stampin' Write Marker, Garden Green Stampin' Write Marker, Just Add Cake Designer Series Paper, Chocolate Chip 1/2" Scallop Dots Ribbon, Clear-Mount Block C, SNAIL Adhesive, Sticky Strip, Craft Scissors, and Post-It Notes.

 

Goodbye Sale-A-Bration Stamp Camp Follow Up

We had a great time at my Goodbye Sale-A-Bration Stamp Camp on Sunday.  Everyone got to choose the projects they wanted to make and could make up to 3 of each if they wanted.  I also had door prizes and retired merchandise for sale.  Here are the cards everyone got to make.  Enjoy!

Uses So Happy for You Clear-Mount Sale-A-Bration Set plus Clear-Mount Block G, Pacific Point Card Stock, Pretty in Pink Card Stock, Whisper White Card Stock, Ice Cream Parlor Designer Series Paper & Quick Accents Pack, Pacific Point Classic Stampin' Pad, Ice Cream Parlor Ribbon & Button Pack, Linen Thread, Bitty Buttons, 2-3/8" Scallop Circle Extra-Large Punch, 5-Petal Flower Extra-Large Punch, Sticky Strip, and Mini Glue Dots.

Uses Punch Bunch Sale-A-Bration Set plus Garden Green Card Stock, Cajun Craze Card Stock, Crumb Cake Card Stock, Garden Green Classic Stampin' Pad, Cajun Craze Classic Stampin' Pad, Stamping Sponges, Regals Designer Buttons, Linen Thread, Scallop Square Extra-Large Punch, Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine, Multipurpose Platform, Standard Cutting Pads, Square Lattice Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, and Mini Glue Dots.

Uses Sweet Summer Clear-Mount Sale-A-Bration Set plus Clear-Mount Block A, Clear-Mount Block C, Pretty in Pink Card Stock, Bashful Blue Card Stock, Certainly Celery Card Stock, Whisper White Card Stock, Subtles Patterns Designer Series Paper Stack, Certainly Celery Classic Stampin' Pad, Pretty in Pink Classic Stampin' Pad, Bashful Blue Classic Stampin' Pad, Blender Pens, Certainly Celery 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon, and Stampin' Dimensionals.

Uses Ornate Blossom Set and Live, Laugh, Love Set plus Certainly Celery Card Stock, Baja Breeze Card Stock, Greenhouse Gala Designer Series Paper, Chocolate Chip Classic Stampin' Pad, VersaMark Pad, Square Ice Rhinestone Brads, Paper-Piercing Tool, Mat Pack, Certainly Celery 5/8" Grosgrain Ribbon, and Sticky Strip.

Uses Ribbon of Hope a la carte stamp and Wellness Wishes Set plus Pink Pirouette Card Stock, Whisper White Card Stock, VersaMark Pad, Stampin' Pastels, Sponge Daubers, Whisper White 5/8" Organza Ribbon, Pretty in Pink 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon, Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine, Multipurpose Platform, Standard Cutting Pads, Circles #2 Originals Die, 3" Circle Originals Die, Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Stampin' Dimensionals, and Sticky Strip.

Uses Engraved Greetings Set and En Francais background stamp plus Pretty in Pink Card Stock, Perfect Plum Card Stock, Elegant Notes, Lap of Luxury Designer Series Paper, Concord Crush Classic Stampin' Pad, Perfect Plum Stampin' Write Marker, In Color Stampin' Write Markers (Concord Crush), Square Ice Rhinestone Brads, Paper-Piercing Tool, Mat Pack, Victoria 5/8" Crochet Trim, Stamp-a-ma-jig, and Mini Glue Dots.

  Uses Tiny Teacup a la carte stamp plus Pumpkin Pie Card Stock, Early Espresso Card Stock, Very Vanilla Card Stock, Sweet & Sour Specialty Designer Series Paper, Pumpkin Pie Classic Stampin' Pad, Early Espresso Stampin' Write Marker, Pumpkin Pie 1-1/4" Striped Grosgrain Ribbon, 2" x 1-3/8" Oval Extra-Large Punch, 1/2" Circle Small Punch, Pewter Build-A-Brad, Paper-Piercing Tool, Mat Pack, Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine, Multipurpose Platform, Standard Cutting Pads, Lots of Tags Sizzlits 4-Pack Dies, Finial Press Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, and Sticky Strip.

Uses So Cute Set and A Good Egg Set plus Regal Rose Card Stock, So Saffron Card Stock, Chocolate Chip Card Stock, Nursery Suite Specialty Designer Series Paper, Chocolate Chip Classic Stampin' Pad, Regal Rose Stampin' Write Marker, Very Vanilla 5/8" Grosgrain Ribbon, 1-3/4" Scallop Circle Extra-Large Punch, 1-3/8" Circle Large Punch, 1-1/4" Circle Large Punch, Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine, Extended Cutting Pads, Tasteful Trim Bigz XL Die, Sticky Strip, and Stampin' Dimensionals.

Uses Extreme Guitar Set plus Riding Hood Red Card Stock, Basic Black Card Stock, Very Vanilla Card Stock, Love Letter Designer Series Paper, Newsprint Designer Series Paper, Riding Hood Red Classic Stampin' Pad, Pewter Jumbo Eyelets, Crop-A-Dile, Cutter Kit, Star Extra-Large Punch, and Stampin' Dimensionals.

Everyone also got to make a card featuring the Bliss Sale-A-Bration Set that I originally made at my upline's house.  It is featured in my blog post of January 29 as the first card in the post.

There is still time for you to earn FREE Sale-A-Bration items!  Just contact me with an order of at least $50 by 9 p.m. (Eastern Time) on Thursday, March 31!

Weekly Inspiration

I love it when an idea I have in my head actually translates well to paper!  That's how today's card actually worked!  I'd been toying with the idea of using the Blossom Petals Punch and the Red Glimmer Paper with the Ornate Blossom and then I saw a gorgeous card done by a Demonstrator named Irina.  She used the Heart to Heart Punch to add some layers to her Ornate Blossom.  I decided to try combining all these ideas and voila!  Enjoy!

Supplies

- Ornate Blossom, page 99, normally $9.95, but available FREE during Sale-A-Bration with qualifying order

- A Word for You, page 158, Clear - $16.95, Wood - $21.95

- Brights Assortment 8-1/2" x 11" Card Stock, page 166, $6.95

- Whisper White 8-1/2" x 11" Card Stock, page 169, $8.50

- Red Glimmer Paper, page 7 of Occasions Mini, $3.95

- Pumpkin Pie Classic Stampin' Pad, page 166, $5.95

- Real Red Classic Stampin' Pad, page 166, $5.95

- VersaMark Pad, page 195, $7.50

- Sponge Daubers, page 195, $10.95

- Brights Designer Buttons, page 186, $8.95

- Glimmer Brights Brads, page 31 of Occasions Mini, $4.95

- Heart to Heart Extra-Large Punch, pages 202-203, $16.95

- Blossom Petals Extra-Large Punch, page 12 of Occasions Mini, $16.95

- Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine (includes Multipurpose Platform and Standard Cutting Pads), page 204, $99.95

- Framed Tulips Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, page 28 of Occasions Mini, $7.95

- Stampin' Dimensionals, page 197, $3.95

- Mini Glue Dots, page 197, $4.95

- adhesive

- scissors

Directions

1)  Cut a piece of Whisper White Card Stock to 2 5/8 x 3 1/4". 

2)  Ink up the Ornate Blossom stamp with the VersaMark Pad and then with the Pumpkin Pie Ink Pad.

3)  Set the rubber edge of the inked up stamp down on the open Real Red Ink Pad and roll the stamp around.  This is a technique called Rock & Roll and will add a little red ink to the edges of your image.

4)  Stamp the image in the center of the white rectangle.

5)  Clean the stamp.

6)  Ink up the Ornate Blossom stamp again with VersaMark Ink and then Pumpkin Pie Ink.

7)  Get some ink from the Real Red Ink Pad on a Sponge Dauber and then pounce the inked up dauber around on the center of the inked up stamp.

8)  Stamp the image on a scrap of Whisper White Card Stock.

9)  Insert the stamped card stock into the Blossom Petals Punch and punch out the center of the flower with the large petal. 

10)  Use scissors to trim the bottom of the image.

11)  Use the Heart to Heart Punch to punch 4 tall, skinny hearts from Red Glimmer Paper.

12)  Adhere the glimmer paper hearts behind the flower center punched out piece so the tops of the hearts overlap each other and just peek out the top.

13)  Use Stampin' Dimensionals to adhere the punched flower center to the center of the stamped flower image.

14)  Cut a piece of Real Red Card Stock to 2 3/4 x 3 3/8" and adhere it behind the stamped flower image as a mat.

15)  Cut a piece of Whisper White Card Stock to 4 x 5 1/4".

16)  Insert the white rectangle into the Framed Tulips Embossing Folder so that the edges line up with the outlined embossing image on the smaller back flap of the folder.

17)  Build a sandwich of Multipurpose Platform with Tab 2 open, one Standard Cutting Pad, Embossing Folder with card stock inside, and the other Standard Cutting Pad.  Run through the Big Shot.

18)  Remove the card stock from the folder and carefully trim the edges of the card stock right up to the bottom of the embossed scallops.

19)  Cut a piece of Real Red Card Stock to 4 x 5 1/4".  Use it to mat the embossed white rectangle.

20)  Cut a piece of Pumpkin Pie Card Stock to 5 1/2 x 8 1/2".  Score and fold in half to make card.

21)  Adhere the matted, embossed rectangle to the card front.

22)  Adhere the matted flower image to the center of the white rectangle.

23)  Cut a strip of Pumpkin Pie Card Stock to 1/2" wide and about 3" long.

24)  Ink up the sentiment from the A Word for You Set in Real Red Ink and stamp it near the center of the orange strip.

25)  Trim the right end of the stamped sentiment strip into banner points using scissors.  Trim the left end if necessary so it will be hidden under the button.

26)  Curl the sentiment strip slightly by pulling it through your fingers if desired.

27)  Adhere the left end of the sentiment strip to the bottom of the flower center.

28)  Pry open the prongs of a Pumpkin Pie Glimmer Brights Brad a bit and insert them into the holes in a large, marbled Real Red Designer Button.

29)  Bend the ends of the brad prongs back on the back side of the button.  If you have a small craft hammer, you might want to lightly tap the ends of the prongs flat.

30)  Use Mini Glue Dots to adhere the button to the bottom of the flower center so it hides the left end of the sentiment strip.

Tips

Inking up the stamp with VersaMark Ink before applying regular inks with the Rock & Roll technique or with Sponges or Sponge Daubers allows the inks to blend together more easily.

You need to use the Sponge Dauber to add some red ink to the center of the stamp because you can't reach the center using the Rock & Roll technique.

For a great tutorial complete with step-by-step directions and picutres on the Rock & Roll technique, click here.

Our Paper Snips (page 199, $9.95) are excellent for closely trimming images and creating banner points.

Our Glimmer Paper is an awesome way to add some shimmer and shine to your projects with glitter without the usual mess of glitter getting everywhere!

Purchase the supplies you need to make this card and earn FREE Sale-A-Bration items of your choice.  One of your choices could be the Ornate Blossom stamp itself!

If you'd like to get lots of ideas for using various items you can earn for FREE during Sale-A-Bration, including the beautiful card by Irina that gave me the idea to use the Heart to Heart Punch on this card, then visit the Sale-A-Bration Challenge being sponsored by Stampin' Up! co-founder Shelli Gardner.  Shelli's got her own blog called "So Shelli" and frequently runs contests called "So Shelli.com Creative Challenges."  You can find links to all the submissions for the Sale-A-Bration Challenge by clicking here.  Enjoy!