Peonies and Paper Chains: April 2013

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April 2013

04/30/2013

MOJO291: Be of Good Cheer!

What a great sketch this week for Mojo Monday 291! This is a sketch that can be used to create a card in just minutes -- perfect for those of us who are busy, busy, busy! A little card stock, Designer Series Paper, some ribbon, and just a bit of stamping and you're all set to go! Because I made an envelope for my card, it took a few minutes longer, but really this card was so quick and easy to make!

As you can see this week was "circle or square week" and (as usual) I went for square and stuck with my usual 4-1/4" card. This is the perfect size because you can use a Stampin' Up! medium envelope for it or you can make a square envelope of your own. You'll see in a moment that I opted for the later.

Now if you are familiar with the Stampin' Up! Designer Series Paper called "Be of Good Cheer", you may be expecting a Christmas card. No doubt several papers in the collection do have a distinct holiday feel to them, however there are others that are more graphic in nature and the colors lend themselves to use at other times of the year. Take a look at my creations:

You'll have to leave a comment to let me know if I succeed in creating a project from holiday paper that is truly versatile enough to use year round!

Good to Know - Stampgoodness Tips:

Pull all your colors for a project from the Designer Series Paper you are using -- the Pool Party and Pink Pirouette do appear on the star and polka dot sheets and these colors also help create a card that can be used year round.
Use multiple layers of Designer Series Paper to create a very sturdy belly band for an envelope -- this is the perfect way to hold an custom square envelope closed if you plan to hand-deliver it.

The Be of Good Cheer Designer Series Paper is retiring this year -- be sure to order now if you love it! Today's sentiment is from the Pursuit of Happiness stamp set and that set is retiring, too. Here are the retirement lists for you:

Retiring Accessories PDF - available only while supplies last

Retiring Stamps PDF

NEW Bloomin' Bouquet Project Kit - Item 134542 - $12.95

Available while supplies last

Kit Contents: 2 sheets of preprinted and precut flowers on 12" X 12" cardstock; makes 13 flowers using Pool Party, Gumball Green, Calypso Coral, Daffodil Delight, and Rich Razzleberr; 13 Vintage Faceted Button; 13 green floral wire stems. Note: Adhesive not included -- glue gun recommended.

Mystery Host Shopping Event is going on until Friday, May 3 at 12 noon Eastern time. You could earn host benefits when you order a minimum of $25 in products using the virtual party hostess code - KZV6S6H2. Click here for more details!

Enjoy your day!

Good wishes,

Kerry

Sign-up to receive free exclusive project ideas!

Get great deals on retired Stampin' Up! products here!

Click here to place your Stampin' Up! order now!

P.S. This is my Tuesday post...just loaded it up on Monday night!

Posted at 01:37 AM in everyday, Stampin' Up! promotions | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)

04/29/2013

An Epic Day -- Journal It!

Each one of us has things we want to record. For some it is memories from special days, for others it is sketches we want to use for our paper crafting, perhaps it is the journey towards healthier living, or something else altogether. Whatever it is that you want to record, the Epic Day This and That Journal provides a fabulous tool for doing so.

Before I go any further, I want to tell you that I think the This and That products would make fabulous high school or college graduation gifts! You could give them for any number of other reasons as well, but given the time of year, this immediately comes to mind!

Back to the project...most of the items that grace the cover come from the Epic Day This and That Bundle, including the Designer Series Paper, the washi tape and the date stamp. I did use my Labels Collection Framelits, Morning Post Alphabet stamp set and some Jet Black StazOn ink for this creation. Here's a closer look at the date stamp image and for those who are wondering the little "arrows" are from the sheets of stickers that are part of the bundle:

I'm not yet 100% certain as to what I am going to record in the journal -- I have a few possibilities in mind. However, I did what to include the date it was created and once the journal is full I will add the end date as well.

Here's a picture showing the bundle less the Designer Series Paper -- you'll notice 3 rolls of washi tape! Fun to use and, as you'll notice, it was added it to 3 areas of the cover!

The stickers adhere really well and offer a range of shapes, sentiments, and other graphics to add throughout the journal. There are 4 sheets in total and each is unique.

You may have noticed some darker areas on the chipboard cover. These were created using a sponge dauber with some Basic Gray ink -- my intent was simply to add a little interest without covering up the hexagon shapes that are imprinted onto the journal.

Tomorrow is the last day to purchase the Epic Day This and That Bundle at 15% savings -- be sure not to miss out on the discount! Click here to view all of the Epic Day This and That products.

WHAT WOULD YOU record in the journal?

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Retiring Accessories: here's the most updated accessories PDF!

Retiring Stamp Sets: click to open the PDF listing sets that retire as of June 3

My Mystery Host Virtual Party is going on until Friday, May 3 at 12 noon Eastern time. You could earn host benefits when you order a minimum of $25 in products using the virtual party hostess code - KZV6S6H2. Click here for more details!

Enjoy your day!

Good wishes,

Kerry

Sign-up for the Stampgoodness newsletter!

Get great deals on retired Stampin' Up! products here!

Click here to place your Stampin' Up! order now!

P.S. Did you notice this is not a Mojo Monday entry? I've decided to switch to sharing my Mojo Monday entries on Tuesdays...look for it tomorrow! Excited to put together that project for you today!

Posted at 08:30 AM in everyday, gift giving | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

04/28/2013

Flowers in Spring: Using Stampin' Up! Products for Home Decor

After working on the mini cards for Friday's post, I got to thinking that a few flowers using Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose, and Bravo Burgundy would look beautiful in a frame. Creating a fresh piece of framed art is a wonderful thing to do. It can brighten up a room, add sweetness and sophistication to a space, and provide you with a chance to put your creativity on display. I love to change out the framed decor regulary...and if you don't yet do this in your home, I hope you'll give it a try!

Here's a closer look at the flowers and sentiment in the frame:

What a wonderful quote from Desmond Tutu - "Do your little bit of good where you are. It's these little bits of good that will overwhelm the world." I'm definitely excited to start using products from the 2013-2014 annual catalog, however, I will say that the Pursuit of Happiness stamp set is the sentiment set that I will miss the most -- I love every stamp in the collection:If you don't yet have Pursuit of Happiness and want to purchase it, you have until June 3rd to order it. The wood mount set is item 121907 and the clear mount is 121970.

Some quick notes about the flowers --

The texture you see was created using a Fiskars paper crimper.
The center of the flower was created with the 1-3/8 scallop circle punch and the crimper -- I ran my scallop circle through the crimper a many many times until I could seperate the layers of the card stock. Seperating the card stock made the punch shape very soft and pliable.
The leaves are a circle that had been embossed with the Honeycomb textured impressions embossing folder and was then folded a couple times.

And, because I want you to see what I mean by changing out my framed art regularly, here are two other projects that have spent time in this frame:

click to open the Snow Much Fun post

click to open the More Amore Laser Cuts post

Please share by leaving a comment...what is the last piece of home decor you made using Stampin' Up! products?

Hearts-001 Retiring Accessories: here's the most updated accessories PDF!

Retiring Stamp Sets: click to open the PDF listing sets that retire as of June 3

Mystery Host Virtual Party is going on now until Friday, May 3 at 12 noon Eastern time. You could earn host benefits when you order a minimum of $25 in products using the virtual party hostess code - KZV6S6H2. Click here for more details!

Enjoy your day!

Good wishes,

Kerry

Sign-up for the Stampgoodness newsletter!

Get great deals on retired Stampin' Up! products here!

Click here to place your Stampin' Up! order now!

Posted at 08:30 AM in home decor | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)

04/27/2013

So Bright, So Fun -- Love these Stampin' Up! Colors!

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Sometimes it is the little things that will bring back fun memories in the future and this 8x8 page was designed to capture one of those times. Earlier this week my 4 year old decided to paint her own nails. She chose bright pink and orange to use and I was expecting the colors to alternate pink across her hand, but that was not the case at all! Full blown French manicure and pedicure with bright orange tips on her pink nails.

When I looked at the Pixel Maven's Color Challenge this week, I realized the pictures would be perfect to use in my digital creation. Add in her flip flops, and my daughter had chosen the very same shades as the challenge trio...Love how quick and easy it is to create using MDS! The page you are seeing will be part of an 8x8 photobook that documents this year. One of the best things with creating a photobook in MDS is the ability to completely customize each page. You have full choice when it comes to fonts, layouts, embellishments...all of it! And, for people who do not want to design from scratch, Stampin' Up! has several designer templates available -- you can use those templates as is or use them as a foundation and make modifications to suit your style.

WHAT COLORS WILL YOUR TOES BE THIS SUMMER?

Hearts-001 TRY MDS FREE for 30 DAYS! Click here to access the free 30 day trial version of MDS. If you decide you love it, purchase MDS with more than $500 in digital content for just $19.95...an absolutely incredible value!

Enjoy your Saturday!

Good wishes,

Kerry

Sign-up to receive free exclusive project ideas!

Get great deals on retired Stampin' Up! products here!

Click here to place your Stampin' Up! order now!

Posted at 08:30 AM in color combos, digital designing / mds2, scrapbooking | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)

04/26/2013

Five on Friday: New Projects Featuring Stampin' Up! Retiring Products!

Happy Friday everyone! It's time again for Five on Friday! Today you are being treated to five cards that feature Stampin' Up! products that are about to retire. And, quick tips for each card!

When I decided to create this post, I knew I had a short time frame in which to create 5 projects. To keep things easy I turned to the five mini card sketches that I shared last Friday, pulled ink and card stock from 2 retiring color combos that I shared a couple ago, and grabbed 2 retiring stamp sets off my shelf. All the projects you see were created in under 2 hours time yesterday...lots of twos for this Five on Friday post!

Take a closer look at the mini cards and get quick tips for each:

Crinkle card stock several times to create texture

After adding color with a marker, breathe on your stamp to ensure the ink is moist for stamping

Ink a pencil eraser to stamp on faux brads

Use a Stampin' Dimensional to add height

Stamp first, punch second

Most items on these cards are retiring -- all the colored paper, all the ink, the Very Vanilla Taffeta Ribbon, the Subtles Designer Buttons, and finally both the Word Play and Circle Circus stamp sets. Thankfully the Decorative Label punch and Blossom punch are not on the retiring list!

The colors used on the cards are: Baja Breeze, Bravo Burgundy, Certainly Celery
Pretty in Pink, and Regal Rose. The card bases are Whisper White and that neutral shade is sticking around!

Word Play is an incredibly versatile sentiment set:

clear mount item # 120651

Likewise, Circle Circus is a very versatile graphic stamp set:

wood mount item # 115778 |clear mount item # 127784

Hearts-001 A number of Retiring Accessories are already sold out - here's the most updated accessories PDF!

When you are ready to place your order for retiring products keep the following in mind:

If you plan to order a minimum of $150 in products, guarantee yourself host credit by going to my online store and submitting an order. When you select $150 in products, you will receive $25 in hostess rewards.

Start creating with sneak peek products from the new catalog instead of waiting until after May 31 to order them! Treat yourself to up to $155 products for just $99 plus local tax when you purchase a starter kit with no risk, no obligation. See the sneak peek products you can add to your kit here. Ready to order a starter kit? Click here.

Enjoy your day!

Good wishes,

Kerry

Sign-up for the Stampgoodness newsletter!

Get great deals on retired Stampin' Up! products here!

Click here to place your Stampin' Up! order now!

Posted at 08:30 AM in everyday, get well, thank you | Permalink | Comments (8) | TrackBack (0)

04/25/2013

Stampin' Up! Sent with Love and an Epic Day!

So many of you love the Sent with Love and Epic Day This and That collections...me, too! Given that April 30 is the last day to purchase the Sent With Love products and the last day to save 15% on the Epic Day This and That Bundle, I thought a little walk down memory lane showcasing some projects would be fun!

To see the original post for each project simply click on the image!

Which one of these projects have you made or do you plan to make sometime soon? Would love to know...please leave a comment with your response!

For more information or to order either collection, please use these links:

Tomorrow I have a very special Five on Friday post for you that will feature five brand new, never before seen projects that feature retiring products...and, yes, that means I'll be busy, busy, busy creating today!

Speaking of retired products, a couple reminders for you:

Retiring Accessories are ONLY available while supplies last. You can save up to 60% on select items! Be sure to place your orders quickly so that you do not miss out! Click here to see the list of retiring accessories.

Retiring Stamps will be available through June 3. Stampin' Up! will continue to produce the stamps to meet the demand through that time. Click here for the list of retiring stamps.

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RECEIVE A FREE 2013-2014 ANNUAL CATALOG! The Stampin' Up! 2013-2014 Annual Catalog will be delivered directly to you from me--absolutely FREE--when you place your Stampin' Up! orders through me. Free My Digital Studio downloads and 30 Day Trial are excluded from this offer. Place an order by May 7 and your catalog should arrive no later than May 31 and that is the first day when you can order from it! Limit 1.

If you have placed an order through me since September 2012, your catalog has been ordered and is expected to arrive by May 31, 2013. Please note if you placed an online order with another demonstrator after ordering through me, your contact information is electronically removed from my Stampin' Up! customer list and therefore you will not receive a free annual catalog from me -- if you'd like a free annual catalog, please be sure to place another order through me by May 7, 2013.

Are you itching to start playing with products from the new catalog before June? You can! For just $99 plus local tax, you can design your very own starter kit containing up to $155 in products including a select group of sneak peek products from the new catalog! Click here to reach my "Join the Fun" Page and scroll down until you see "Sneak Peek Items." Click on "Sneak Peek Items" and you'll see the new catalog possibilities that you can add to your kit! Did I mention that once your kit purchase is processed that Stampin' Up! will give you access to their demonstrator website where you can view the entire new catalog? It is an amazing catalog!

Enjoy your day!

Good wishes,

Kerry

Be sure not to miss the next Stampgoodness newsletter!

Get great deals on retired Stampin' Up! products here!

Click here to place your Stampin' Up! order now!

Posted at 08:30 AM in digital designing / mds2, everyday, Stampin' Up! promotions | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)

04/24/2013

They're Here -- the Stampin' Up! Retiring Products Lists!

We will soon say farewell to a number of items from the 2012 - 2013 annual catalog! And, as of today, you have the opportunity to see the retiring products list:

Retiring Stamps - click to open the list as a PDF

Retiring Accessories - click to open as a PDF - limited quantities!

If there is any papers, fabrics, punches, stamping wheels, ribbons, or other embellishments on the retiring list that coincide with your wish list, I recommend that you act quickly! Some items will likely be sold out within just a day or two!

Stampin' Up! does produce their wood mount and clear mount stamps -- you do have until June 3 to order the stamps without worries about them being sold out.

Planning to place an order? There are three fabulous options for you:

Participate in the Mystery Host Virtual Party that will run from today through Friday, May 3 at 12 noon Eastern time. You could earn host benefits when you order a minimum of $25 in products using the virtual party hostess code. Click here for more details!
If you plan to order a minimum of $150 in products, guarantee yourself host credit by going to my online store and submitting an order. When you select $150 in products, you will receive $25 in hostess rewards. You will pay 10% for shipping plus any applicable tax -- the minimum total will be $165 for $175 in products.
Purchase the ultimate paper crafting kit -- the no risk, no obligation the starter kit. Select up to $155 in products for just $99 and the kit ships free (a 10% savings). After you purchase the kit, you will also have access to see the brand new 2013-2014 Stampin' Up! annual catalog, and even better, you will be able to receive a minimum of 20% off items from the new catalog if you choose to place a subsequent order! Click here for more details about the benefits of purchasing the kit. This is your very best deal!

Have questions about your ordering options for the retired items? Be sure to email me or leave a comment here!

Enjoy your day!

Good wishes,

Kerry

Sign-up to receive free exclusive project ideas!

Get great deals on retired Stampin' Up! products here!

Click here to place your Stampin' Up! order now!

Posted at 08:51 AM in Stampin' Up! promotions | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

04/23/2013

Seriously -- the latest Stampin' Up! Kit!

It's not a "two project Tuesday"...it's a 4 project Tuesday! Today I am sharing the 4 cards that I made with the April Paper Pumpkin kit. Not a subscriber? Not a problem...you still benefit from 4 possible layouts to use as the basis for a card or scrapbook page.

Before I show you the cards in detail, let me share a little about Paper Pumpkin for those who are not familiar with it. Paper Pumpkin is a new monthly stamping kit program that brings creativity direct to you. The projects in the kit are different each month and they are a surprise when they arrive...fun, right?! I love the surprise factor and the fact that the kit contents assemble quickly and easily. Paper Pumpkin is perfect for new paper crafters, for those with little space to store supplies, and those who want to create without having to worry about coming up with a design.

Silly me...I forgot to photograph all of the contents before I assembled my projects this month! So, while you can't see everything, the next photo does show you the "durable" kit contents plus the instruction sheet:

The Paper Pumpkin stamps are exclusive to the kits and are clear mount style. If you are brand new to stamping or are not yet using clear mount stamps, no worries! The Paper Pumpkin Welcome Kit contains a clear block that you will use for your stamps. The kits includes the necessary "durable" items plus the "consumable" papers and embellishments...you simply need to have scissors and adhesive on hand for assembly.

What are the perks of signing-up for Paper Pumpkin through me?

You'll receive alternate ideas from me each month on how to assemble your kit.
After two months of receiving Paper Pumpkin, you will receive a clear mount storage case from me. The stamps arrive in a small cello bag and I quickly realized that a special case would be perfect for keeping all the Paper Pumpkin stamps in one place. Your case will come with an insert/label that I have custom designed using MDS.
Preferred Stampgoodness customer status that will entitle you to a free annual catalog and mini-catalogs from me (limit 1 of each catalog per customer customer).

Ready for the card samples? Note that for the 3rd card, you will see the front first and then the inside of the card. Here you go:

This birthday sentiment is from the Wishes Your Way stamp set.

The kit you are seeing today is the April kit and Paper Pumpkin is not set-up for you to purchase prior kits. So for those who are not already members of Paper Pumpkin, view these cards as "sketches" to inspire card-making using other Stampin' Up! products.

I'd love to know what you think of these cards! Please be sure to leave me a comment letting me know which one of these cards is your favorite!

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Sign-up for Paper Pumpkin today! You'll receive the Welcome Kit in May and your first monthly kit in June. When you sign-up using this link, you'll receive a custom clear storage case from me after your second month of Paper Pumpkin.

Enjoy your day!

Good wishes,

Kerry

Sign-up to receive free exclusive project ideas!

Get great deals on retired Stampin' Up! products here!

Click here to place your Stampin' Up! order now!

Posted at 08:30 AM in kits | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)

04/22/2013

Mojo Monday 290: A Stampin' Up! Rookery for Earth Day!

Happy Earth Day! A nature themed card seemed appropriate for today and I'm sharing a rookery with you. What is a rookery you ask? A rookery is a community or group of penguins.

Do you love penguins? We do at our house and my youngest is by far the biggest penguin fan in the family. I think perhaps this is because the sign for penguins is so much fun to do -- you put your hands out by your hips and move such that you are waddling like a penguin. We also have some great penguin books including Your Personal Penguin by Sandra Boynton, Little Penguin Finger Puppet Book from Chronicle Books, and I Am Small by Emma Dodd. Unlike her older sister, she does not do much stamping yet but no doubt the penguin stamp from the Zoo Review set will be a favorite!

This card is based on today's Mojo Monday sketch challenge (MOJO290):

Here's a closer look at the card details -- be sure to look for the scored lines that frame the penguin images:

My Simply Scored Scoring Tool was used to create the lines that help to ensure even spacing and add interest to the card. It is easy to do and simply requires a little bit of figuring to decide where to make the score lines. Speaking of lines, check out the detail on the penguin stamp...exquisite. The Zoo Review stamp set has such fine detail on each image.

While penguins are black and white for penguins, I elected to use Soft Suede for stamping today. It works well with the Certainly Celery, Wild Wasabi, and Very Vanilla card stock, however Basic Gray or Basic Black would have worked just as well.

Which one of these neutral shades do you use most often -- Basic Gray, Early Espresso, or Soft Suede? Please leave a comment with your response.

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Enjoy your day!

Good wishes,

Kerry

Sign-up to receive free exclusive project ideas!

Get great deals on retired Stampin' Up! products here!

Click here to place your Stampin' Up! order now!

Posted at 06:04 PM in everyday | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)

04/21/2013

Frame It -- Stampin' Up! Book Buddies Art

Creating a piece of framable art is a great thing! Today I am sharing a piece that is designed to inspire little ones to read -- it's bright, it's cheery, and it's filled with fun animals and books! This would be great in a bedroom, a classroom, a playroom, or a reading nook.

This "print" was created using MDS and more specifically uses the Book Buddies Designer Template download. I designed this for the Pixel Maven's DigiChallenge using this sketch for inspiration:Definitely some artistic license in interpreting the sketch! To me, that is part of what challenges are all about -- taking a sketch for inspiration and putting your own spin on it.

The Book Buddies Designer Template (item 132814) contains a 1-page décor designer template with 4 bookmarks, a 3-piece SVG stamp brush set, and 9 embellishments. Here's what the bookmarks look like:

This is a really wonderful download and I love the ability to use the various elements of it to create projects of my own. I am going to get a few copies of my design printed as 8-1/2" x 11" posters to give to my daughter's preschool -- and I will print an extra for one of you.

If you would like this print, please leave a comment telling me where you would hang it or who you would give it to! Leave your comment by Friday, April 26 at 12 noon Eastern Time. I'll announce on Saturday, April 27 who will be receiving it -- please note that I am only able to ship in the United States.

Enjoy your day!

Good wishes,

Kerry

Sign-up to receive free exclusive project ideas!

Get great deals on retired Stampin' Up! products here!

Click here to place your Stampin' Up! order now!