One color Stand out card

     What is your favorite stamp set from the current catalog? French Foliage is one of mine.  At an event I attended last year I received this card as a swap.  Several things attracted me to the card.

1.  The single color seemed to pop out the stamps

2.  The way just a part of the stamp is featured in each square.

3. The way the Framed Tulips embossing folder joins all the parts of the card together.

4. How easy it is to get the squares on the card because yes, they are punched out.

     If you love this stamp as much as I do, you may not know that it is retiring from our catalog.  So, because it is a stamp you can purchase it and have it become your own from now until June 3rd.

Simple Dress Up Card

Wouldn't you love a dress like this one?

     Did you love paper dolls as a kid?  I think I liked them better than 3-D dolls.  I remember making homes on the living room floor for all my paper dolls.  I think that is why the Dress Up framelit is one of my favorites.  Each time I use it, I can quickly make a new outfit.  This card was the second card we made a Knollwood last month.  And definitely a favorite.

1.  The swirled image from the stamp set, Everything Eleanor can be placed any way on the dress form and look just fine.

2.  The saying is pre-stamped and then punched out.  This eliminates the need to restamp, or even redo the entire card.

3.The designer paper background ties the card together.

4. For the final touch I pre-tied the bow and just used a glue dot to attach it to the card.

    With a little prep at home I was able to create a card that every lady at Knollwood could assemble and have look as good as my sample card.  What colors would you use to make a similar card?

Simple is Good

A simple card that says it all

     Do you love the idea of a simple card?  I think there is as much elegance in a simply made card as there is in one that takes a long time to make.  This is one of the cards I took to Knollwood, an Assisted Living Facility I volunteer at once a month.  I know that the cards I take need to be simple.  But, I want the cards to have a great look that the ladies I stamp with will be proud of. What do I mean by simple?

1.  Use of designer paper gives a great look without lots of stamping. Two sided designs give the person some individual choices.

2. A simple saying that can be stamped and then punched as an accent in case the stamping is a little crooked.

3. Pre-punched shapes that can be placed wherever the person wants on the card.

    I loved how this card turned out and so did my lady friends at Knollwood.  How easy would it be for you to duplicate this simple card?

How to dye Canvas paper

Dye It Try It with canvas paper

   What is canvas paper?  In the Spring catalog SU introduced canvas paper which looks like canvas, and cuts like paper. In order to make this 4 by 4 card I followed these steps as outlined in the January/February Stampin Success magazine.

1. Fill 3 containers with water.  I used old baby food containers my daughter left me for whenever I had a need.  I sure was glad they were there.

2.  Container 1 add 1 drop of reinker.  I used Island Indigo.  Place your entire piece of canvas in this container for about 1 minute.  The longer you keep it in the container the more the ink sticks to the paper.

3.  Container 2 add 4 drops of the same color reinker.  Place 2/3 of the canvas in the container for another minute.

4.  Container 3 add 7 drops of reinker and place 1/3 of the canvas in this container for  another minute.

5.  The end result should have 3 different shades of color on the canvas.  I used the heat tool on the first setting to dry the paper.

Try your own color and see what the card looks like.

The retired list is here!

 

 

Stamp sets and accessories that are retiring June 3

 

 

     Today, StampinUp came out with the retired stamp set list for their current catalog.  Not sure why but this is always an exciting day for me.  I love seeing if my favorite stamp sets are staying or leaving.  This year I tried to be more frugal in which stamps I ordered and which ones I used.  I came up with a system that worked really well for me.

1.  Most of my stamp sets are Clear Mount and stacked in a cabinet in my stamping room.

2.  The first time I used the stamp set this year, I punched a small design and place it on the spine of the stamp case.

3. Now, when I am thinking of a stamp set to use in a project I can just look at the spine and find one I have not used.

     There is nothing worse for me than to know a stamp set is retired and I never once used it in a class or for my own enjoyment.  Even though I have several stamp sets that are retiring, I am proud to say I have used most all of them this year.

Wonderful Washi Tape

Quick card made in under 10 minutes

     What exactly is Washi tape?
 
        Comes in a variety of widths
        Delightful variety of designs
        Tears easily
        Removable if you made a mistake in placement
        Easy to use
        Helps you make a quick card

     This card was inspired by one that Julie Davison made and demonstrated at a recent event I attended.  In order to make the card work for my Male Birthday card class, I stamped a ship on top of the Washi tape.  CAUTION:  Since the tape is slick, the ink did not absorb into the tape so we used the first setting on the heat tool to dry the ink.  Otherwise it had a tendency to smear.
   What design can you think to use with Washi Tape?  Look for a May Washi tape class.  All projects will be made using the tape and you will go home with the leftover rolls.

Dude You're Welcome stamp Not just for Dudes

Special Occasion stamp from Dude You're Welcome

   
     Do you think Dudettes should be able to use the Dude You're Welcome stamp set?  Well, I do.  I decided to feature one of the stamps in my Male Birthday card class.  I searched on line and found a couple of cards I used as my inspiration. What other special occasions can you picture using this stamp?

Supplies needed

 

Parker's Patterns designer paper

Whisper White, Bashful Blue, Daffodil Delight, Sahara Sand Marina Mist, card stock

Dude You're Welcome, Bring on the Cake stamp sets

Not Quite Navy ink

Basic Black, Daffodil Delight 1/8" taffeta ribbon

Crumb Cake seam binding

    

Look what a punch can do

 

 

 

     Do you love the ease with which you can create a card using punches? This card was a swap that I received at Spring into Stamping, an event I attended in Champaign recently.  I decided it would make the perfect card for my Male Birthday card class.  Here is a list of the punches used to make the card.

 

     1 1/4 inch circle

     1 inch circle

     Boho Blossoms

     Small oval (retired)

     Petal card

     Window

 

    The silver background was made using a piece of heavy duty aluminum foil.  I know that any male in my life would love getting this card on his birthday.

      

Flying Balloon Birthday card

   

Stamping without reinking gives the effect of movement.

      Have you ever wondered what happens when you forget to reink your stamp?  In this card the purpose of not reinking was to get a lighter image each time you stamped and then the balloon looks like it is flying.  We made this card in my monthly Fill Your Cardbox class held the 3rd Monday of the month.  This month we focused on cards for the males in our life.  I love the monochromatic look of this card. What is your favorite part of this card.

     When the new color combinations come out in the new catalog there will be a new grey called Smoky Slate.  I think it will be a great addition to the neutral color collection.

      With what other stamp set could you see using this technique?

Creped Filter Paper Flower Power

    

Bright pink crepe filter paper flower

 

 

     Would you like to know how to make a flower any color you would like?  Stampin Success magazine featured an article on dying flowers in the January/February issue.

1. Take a piece of Crepe filter paper and brayer it with the color you want your flower to be.

2. Punch 5-6 flower shapes out of the colored filter paper.

3. Fold each flower in half and then in half again and attach with a glue dot or adhesive of your choice to a circle of card stock.

4. Fluff the circles until your flower takes on the shape you want.

   Easy peasy!  I used the Pretty in Pink ink pad since that is one of the colors that will be retired when the new catalog comes out.  I will miss this color, but love the new looks that are coming. Check out list to see the new color collections.
  

Just what is a Super Snail?

 Super Snails in St. Louis

    

More Super Snails at the Regional in St. Louis

      What exactly is a Super Snail?  Well, that is the name that my downline decided our group should be called.  We use snail adhesive to attach layers of cards together and we have a super fun time together.  What do we do as a group you might wonder?

1.  We have monthly meetings where we share ideas, create things, learn new techniques and inspire each other.

2. We attend events together.

3.  We support each other.

4. We share our love of Stampin'Up! products.

5. We enjoy being around each other.

   What do you need to do to become a Super Snail?  

1. Contact me Sushi (aka Sue Scheets) at sue.scheets@gmail.com and we can chat.

2. Come visit our next Super Snails meeting on the second Tuesday of May at 6:30.

  There is a joining special going on right now where you will receive $155 worth of supplies of your choice for only $99.
Sounds like an awesome deal to me.

Snails at the Spring into Stamping in Champaign

Spritzing Silver Glimmer paper

Silver Glimmer paper can be changed to become any color you wish.

     Don't these flowers remind you of Cone Flowers, or even Black-Eyed Susans which I am partial to?  They are so easy to make.  The center of each flower is made by spritzing silver glimmer paper with a combination of rubbing alcohol and Early Espresso reinker.  Want to know how I made the flowers?

1. Punch two different sized scalloped circles.

2. Fold cirlces in not quite half, so that the bottom layer sticks out below the top layer just a little bit.

3. Cut the top layer on each one of the scallops.

4. Place some dimensionals inside the layers to allow the top layer to pop out a bit.

5.  The leaves are made using the build a flower punch.  I created the veins using my Certainly Celery stampin write.

     Each of the cards from this class featured some of the retiring colors.  This year stampinup is doing a color refresh.  They try to do this every 3-5 years to keep their colors current.  These are the retiring colors I used in this card.

More Mustard

Certainly Celery

Embossing with VersaMark Swipes



 

Bright bold colors make this card pop

     Isn't this card striking?  Carrie from StampinUp demonstrated how to make this card at the Regional I attended in Springfield.  I just had to try it for myself at my recent Dye It Try It technique class.  The steps used to make the card are so simple.

1.  Take your VersaMark ink pad and streak it across the top third of your folded card stock.  Emboss using a bright colored embossing powder.

2. Repeat this process lowering the VersaMark streak each time.  Emboss with a different bright color each time.

3.  Once the embossed colors are dried, stamp your greeting with VersaMark over the colors and emboss  in white embossing powder.

   The results are striking, colorful and pretty simple to boot. If you and your friends might like to make a card like this, contact me and I will have a private party for you.  If you decide to have this party this month, then you as the hostess have a chance to earn an additional $30 in free supplies.  Contact me at sue.scheets@gmail.com for details.

A mini scrapbook for Charlotte

The cover-the charm has the word love written on it.

     My friend Rita's daughter recently, well maybe 9 months ago, had a baby named Charlotte Love.  I have been working on a scrapbook for Elizabeth.  I finally finished and love how it turned out.  Charlotte's bedroom is grey, pink with touches of gold.  I used several stamping items to create the book with a vintage look.
     Elegant Bird Bigz Big Shot die
     Broadsheet Alphabet
     Rhinestones
     First Edition Designer paper
     Everything Eleanor, Nature Walk, Affection Collection stamp sets
     Antique Brads
     Gold and Vanilla Shimmer Smooch Spritz

One inside page spread-notice the spritz

     May is scrapbook month and I will be teaching a class using this same scrapbook layout.  Look on my class schedule next week to find the date and time and sign up for the class.

    What pictures would you place on these pages?

      

My This and That Journal

     I love the This and That Journal!  Why you might wonder since you know I am already are a scrapbooker?  Well, my reply would have to be....have you seen any pictures on the pages that I create?  All of my pictures are in boxes and not organized.  One of my projects in the next few months is to start organizing the pictures because I have plenty of layouts for the pictures to find a final home.  So, here is why the This and That journal is my new favorite thing.

1.  It is meant to be quick.

2. It does not need a lot of journaling.

3. It is a great place to put some simple souvenirs.

4. It does not need a picture to make a great page.

5. Did I already say, the pages can be done in a short amount of time.

 

     Last week I was in the car driving to events more than I was out of the car but it was an amazing weekend I wanted to remember.  Saturday was a trip to Champaign to attend the Spring into Stamping event.  I saved the agenda, my name tag, the LOSING door prize ticket, and scraps from  the make n takes.  I loved using the Washi tape to put the items in the book, and used a sticker from the This and That bundle to remember who went on the trip with me.

 

     Sunday I attended a 50 year celebration for Weight Watchers and traveled to Bloomington.  We had some Dove candy for dessert (yes, Weight Watchers can still eat candy) so I saved the wrapper with the fortune it in, my name tag, and made some observations about the day on the Washi tape.

Fast and Fun that's what it was creating these pages and the cover.  Now I will have an even harder time throwing things away because they might fit in my Journal. But when I have two or three items I want to save, I have a cute place and the tools to put them in a book, instead of in a pile. 

     Do you think you might want one of these journals for yourself?  Then go Shop with Sushi on the link at the top of this page and get yourself a This and That Bundle.



    

Awesome Painter's Tape Mistake

     An incredible mistake!  My sister Nan misread the directions I sent her on how to create the Painter's Tape look.  And this is what she came up with.  I think it is an awesome technique.  I am calling it Reverse Tape Technique until I can think of a better name.  Here's the how to....

1. This works best with wide Painter's Tape.  Choose your 4 colors you want in the background.

2.  Tear one piece of tape and lay it on the top and bottom of your ink pad.

3.  Now, press your ink pad into the cardstock.  You will have a solid image with torn lines on the top and the bottom.

4. Repeat with a different color ink but place your painter's tape in different parts of the ink pad.  When you press the pad this time you will get ink in a different part of the card stock.  Some overlapping a little.

    Try this yourself and let me know what your card looks like.

Painter's Tape Technique Challenge

     

     Remember the Painter's Tape Technique that I posted a few days ago?  Well, last night was my downline meeting and the people that came brought their cards made with the background.  I was wowed with their creativity.
Dana made this card and added color behind her punched out shapes.  She shared with us a fast and easy way to emboss the x design.
 

     Janet punched out her background design with a Butterfly punch.  Isn't that clever.  I love how she thought outside the box.

 
     Amanda focused on the background with her simple, but tasteful anniversary card. I love how the colors of the background shine in her card.

     My sister Nan sent her card all the way from Eugene, Oregon.  She loves participating in our challenges.  Makes her feel a part of the group.  She had different sizes of painter's tape which made her plaid design look awesome.  She told me she feels that these challenges stretch her as a stamper.

   I wonder what challenge I can think up for next month?  If you want to try this challenge send me a picture of your card and I will show it on another entry.

Painter's Tape Technique

     Did you know you can use painter's tape to make a great card background?  At the last Jubilant Butterflies meeting my friend Karla showed us how to make a great background using the following steps.

1. Choose 4 colors in the same color family ranging from light to dark. I chose Certainly Celery, Wild Wasabi, Garden Green and Always Artichoke.

2. Starting with the lightest color first, lay a strip of painter's tape ontop of your ink pad a press down into the pad.

3. Pull the tape up and lay it ontop of a neutral color cardstock. I used Whisper White. 

4. Repeat with each darker color until the cardstock is covered with ink.

     Finish your card using the paint strips as your background. Have fun creating.  I can't wait to try some more color combinations. This is the challenge for my downline meeting on Tuesday.  I can't wait to see what they do with this idea.  We all had the same colors for our background.
What would you put on your background to complete this card?

A Photopolymer Card for Brayden

     My grandson, Brayden, who is in first grade just got his latest school report with mostly E for excellent.  I decided that needed a card from grandma.  It also gave me a chance to play with the photopolymer stamp set.  It was great fun.
This is what I loved about the stamps.

1.Very easy to use

2. Clung to the acrylic block and never slipped

3. Great image with little pressure on the new ink pads.

4. I could see through the stamps and place them wherever I wanted with no worries.

   These stamps are very inexpensive and available only while supplies last. So go to Shop with Sushi above and check them out.  If you are interested remember there is free shipping for two more days (offer ends on Monday)

My Personal Paper Pumpkin Welcome Kit

 

March 20th  5:30  My Paper Pumpkin finally arrives at my door. I am pretty excited even though I know what the inside of the box looks like already (I got a sample at Leadership)  But hey this was delivered by my mailman!!!!

March 20th 5:31 The inside of the box.  I love the sticker and that was not on the sample I got at Leadership.  Plus the paper is a pale blue, not just plain white.

March 20th 5:35  It took a while to get the wrapper open and the items inside posed for their picture.  The insides of the box.  What can be more exciting than this?  Well, it would have to be waiting for the April kit because I have no idea what it will be like.

Sound like fun to you?  Well, just go to my paper pumpkin.com and sign up for your kit.  If you have no demonstrator than I would love to be your paper pumpkin contact person.  List my name, Sue Scheets, as your demonstrator and then you can join the fun.  WARNING  You must sign up by April 10th to have the Welcome kit sent to you this month.

Do you love your kit, if you have already signed up?  Then check out these posts of mine for ideas of how to make up the cards in a way that is not listed in the directions. And go to Pinterest and type in My Paper Pumpkin.  Be prepared to be blown away by all the great ideas out there.

Valentine's Layout for Scrapbook Your Life

Two page spread for Valentine's Day

 

Closeup of an accent piece

     Scrapbook Your Life is the name of my scrapbook class.  Due to family problems we were unable to meet in February so in March everyone made 4 two-page spreads instead of the usual two we make each month. Clara and Cammie have been coming for 4 years.  Wow but the most amazing thing about this is that I issue a challenge each month to put pictures on your pages and bring them back next month to share.  They have done that for 4 years also.  So count that up, they have made 24 layouts a year for 4 years, so they have 96 finished pages in their scrapbooks. Guess I need to get those pictures organized so I can join the club.
     When you bring back the layouts with pictures I give you a little incentive gift.  Those girls keep me on my toes thinking up new gifts to give them. If you are interested in joining this group, click on the Stamp with Sushi page above to check out my April schedule of classes.
     I wonder what themes I should do for April.  Any suggestions out there?

 

World' Greatest scrapbook page

     What pictures would you place on this two-page spread?  I think I have some of the grandkids in the park that would great on these pages. Here's what I like about the spread ..........

1. The Sale a Bration stamp set called Feeling Sentimental.  It is no longer available but you could substitute a similar stamp set on the same layout.  I love this stamp set and will probably save it because of the Ferris Wheel which is famous here in Jacksonville.

2. The colors of the World's Greatest designer paper. It gives the feel of an exciting outing at the fair or a park.

3. The accent piece with the 3 banners, and the bottle cap.  I placed the bottle cap on a piece of cardboard and then ran it through my Big Shot.  It flattened the bottle cap into a metal piece that was the perfect place for the #1 stamp.

How would you change this spread using a different stamp set, designer paper, and accent piece?  Look for a new sample in a future blog entry.

Making a hybrid card for a swap

 

 

For my second card to swap this Saturday, I decided to create a new My Digital Studio Hybrid.  Here is how you can do what I did to make a hybrid card.........

 1.  The first step is to create a background piece for your hybrid card.  I found a card I liked on My Digital Studio templates, eliminated the bird and branch elements, and the saying.  Then I changed the colors a little from the original and sent this design off to StampinUp to be printed.

 

 

2.  When the background came back from being printed I trimmed it up and  added items that I thought made the card look good.  

 

     Scalloped circle punches

     Dotted Scallop border punch

     Delicate Details lace tape

     A Round Array stamp set ( A sneak peak stamp set you can order now that will be in the new catalog.

      Rhinestone

 

Notice how the first card differs from the Hybrid card I made a month or so ago.  Same background, totally different look.

 

 

  Sam told me he liked this card better than the first card.  Which one is your favorite and why?

 

My Paper Pumpkin Swap

      Do you recognize the stamps used on this card?  They are the stamps that come with the first My Paper Pumpkin kit.  And this time, the card is my own design.  I have been seeing lots of ideas of ways to use the stamps and tried one of my own.  I like it.  How about you?

Supplies needed

Not Quite Navy, Sahara Sand, Whisper White and Cherry Cobbler card stock

Not Quite Navy ink

Parker's Patterns designer paper

Hey There stamp set from Welcome kit of My Paper Pumpkin

 

     I'll be attending a stamping event in Champaign this Saturday and am taking this card as one of my swaps.  Would you swap for this card?

Paper Pumpkin Alternative Project

     What do you love about this card?  Here is what attracted me to this card that I received as a swap at the SU regional in St. Louis from Martha Swift.

1. It uses the stamps from the Welcome Kit for My Paper Pumpkin. I wanted some ideas for ways to use the stamps once the cards from the kit were made and Martha came up with such a great idea.

2.  It is perfect for a male card and I will feature it in my Fill Your Card box Male birthday card class on April 15th.

3. It uses a neutral color scheme and has some wonderful silver accents made with silver embossing powder.

    Haven't signed up yet for My Paper Pumpkin?  If you think you might like getting a surprise package in the mail each month with a simple crafting project you can make in a half hour then check out this site and sign up.  Make sure you mention a demonstrator when you sign up and if you do not work with a demonstrator already, I would love to have you sign up under me, Sue Scheets.  Make sure you sign up by April 10th to have your kit included in the items shipped out this month.