Hello Life for Pals Paper Arts

As I continue to highlight some of my favourite stamp sets and other products that are being retired when the new Annual Catalogue comes out on June 1, today I thought I would feature the Hello Life stamp set and the Decorative Dots Embossing Folder. The Hello Life stamp set was brought out originally to coordinate with the Hello Life project kit, which looks like this:

You can still get this kit, as supplies last, until May 31.

I used the Pals Paper Arts Colour Challenge for my colours for this card:

Don't you love those pastels together? Here's how the card ended up looking:

• The sentiment is the star of the show for this card, as the other elements just showcase it. I stamped it in the darkest of the three colours, Wisteria Wonder.
• Figuring out the colour order in which to put your borders can be a tricky art. Usually, I decide by how it looks to me. With three colour plus Whisper White to play with, I line up scraps of cardstock in those colours to help me decide. Here the Pool Party and the Wisteria Wonder definitely had the magic going for them side by side, but the yellow into the mix was a little harder. The Daffodil Delight worked with a very narrow border of Wisteria Wonder, but not with a border the same size. It added definition to the yellow without competing too much with it.
• The Decorative Dots embossing folder is one of quite a few that are retiring. I've always liked the large, random dot design that it made.
• And I am quite madly trying to use up my Pool Party Glitter Ribbon before it, too, retires. Once the Occasions Catalogue is done, I won't have much opportunity to use it again.

Here are some other past projects that I used the Hello Life stamp set with:

If you have been thinking of becoming a Stampin' Up! demonstrator and joining my team, this is a great time to do it! Starting May 3, you can get the new pre-order items from the 2016/17 Annual Catalogue in your Starter Kit if you would like them. That means you not only get to see the new catalogue a whole month ahead of the public, but you can also order some selected products ahead of time to play with and become familiar with before the general public can order them. Also, you can still get the kit at it's usual price of $125. There is no guarantee that prices will not be going up when the new catalogue comes out. To join, click on Join My Team and follow the prompts from there or shoot me an email and I will help you with any questions you may have.

Click on the links below to take you to my On-Line Store, where you can read about, look at, and purchase if you wish, the products used to make this card today.

Product List

Hello Life Photopolymer Stamp Set [137136]	Pool Party 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [122924]	Wisteria Wonder 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [122922]	Daffodil Delight 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [119683]	Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [100730]
Wisteria Wonder Classic Stampin' Pad [126985]	Daffodil Delight Classic Stampin' Pad [126944]	Pool Party 3/8" (1 Cm) Glitter Ribbon [140561]	Decorative Dots Textured Impressions Embossing Folder [133520]	Big Shot [113439]
Liquid Multipurpose Glue [110755]	Fast Fuse Adhesive [129026]	Stampin' Dimensionals [104430]

Faux Steampunk for Mojo Monday Tall and Skinny

I can't begin to tell you how much fun I had with today's card.  I sat down to create for MOJO Monday's Challenge #343 and the next thing I knew I was right in the middle of a steampunk heaven!

The last Mondays of the month used to be round or square weeks where you would create a card that had either of those shapes.  I rarely liked doing them, because there was too much symmetry for me.  I'm loving that they've changed it up so that the last Monday of the month is Tall and Skinny week!  Tall and skinny is much more appealing to me than round or square.  So I approached this challenge with a GOOD attitude!

The design said masculine to me and the steampunk wheels started turning.  This is the result:

• To be honest, this isn't true steampunk.  The genuine article would have real metal cogs and Victorian images.  This is more a grunge/faux steampunk look.  But I like it a lot and grunge marries well with steampunk elements.
• Last week, I learned a trick from Nicky Dexter, a demonstrator in the UK, about using a combination of the Starburst Framelits with the Circles Framelits to make cogs or gears.  I was SO excited about that.  Here's a photo of how that worked on this project:

• I used the Epic Day This and That Designer Series Paper for all the back panels.  It is such awesome grungy paper and the colours are great for masculine cards.

• The exception is the one matted with Pool Party cardstock.  I created that design using images from Clockworks and Gorgeous Grunge.  This is kind of a swan song for Clockworks as it is retiring this year.  I am mega-depressed about that, but I'll get over it as soon as I see the awesome NEW sets in the coming catalogue.  I will get a sneak peek at it tonight and I am so excited to be able to preorder starting tomorrow!
• The sentiment is from Chalk Talk and it's perfect for this masculine card.  I added a bit of Gorgeous Grunge as well.

If you would like to learn how to create this card, you have two options:

1. If you live in my neck of the woods, register for my technique night classes May 5 & May 6.
2. If you don't live in my area, but are a resident of Canada, sign up for my Stamp of the Month club.  Everyone who signs up will receive a photo tutorial for this card FREE.

My Stamp of the Month On-Line club will be getting started in June 2014.  Each month, I will feature a different stamp set from the brand new Stampin' Up! Annual Catalogue.  Every member will receive, in addition to the featured clear stamp set (or their choice of another of equal price if they already have the featured set or don't like it), three completed hand stamped cards using that stamp set, and three photo tutorials, complete with a list of materials used and measurements so that you can duplicate these cards.  

It's a great way to build up your supply of stamp sets plus get inspiration for making your own cards. You will also have private access to a special video tutorial channel for the occasional video tutorial using that set and access to a private Facebook group so that you can interact with other club members and myself.           

You may start or stop at anytime, BUT if you commit to a term of 6 months, you will receive the hostess benefits from all the other Stamp of the Month Club orders during one of those 6 months.  The cost for all these benefits, plus a free Annual Catalogue and any other catalogues that come out during your term, is $35 a month.  You will also earn a Papercraft Cat Customer Reward point each month.

If you sign up, you will receive the tutorial for the card above FREE to download.  What a great way to get stamps AND the inspiration to use them! To get more information and indicate your interest, please go to the Stamp of the Month On Line Club page and fill out the information in the form.

Congratulations on 200 Challenges for Pals Paper Arts

Wow!  200 Challenges is a lot of work, but Pals Paper Arts recently achieved that milestone.  They have a special challenge to commemorate this accomplishment and I really wanted to play along with them. It is a sketch challenge but there was also the requirement to make it monochromatic.  One colour plus neutrals. Here is the sketch:

I chose Crisp Cantaloupe (Surprise! Surprise!) and paired it with Early Espresso and Whisper White as the neutrals.

• Soho Subway has that great vintage Crisp Cantaloupe/Early Espresso DSP that is the basis of the design.  I also used the more defined Early Espresso Fancy Fan design from the Neutrals Designer Series Paper Stacks for the back vertical panel.
• The Lovely Romance stamp set has some beautiful vintage designs including this one, which fit perfectly on the 1 7/8" die cut circle using the Circles Collection Framelits.  I backed it with the  Crisp Cantaloupe Ruffle Stretch Trim, which for some strange reason is retiring even though Crisp Cantaloupe isn't!!  If you want some you'd better order it pronto, because items are flying off the Retired list already!
• Express Yourself is another retiring stamp set and the sentiment, feel better soon, is one of the stamps from this set.  You can only get this one with Hostess Dollars, however, so you would need to get some friends together and book me for a private class or workshop to get it.  It's really one of my go-to sentiment sets, so it would be worth it.

• The main image is backed by a 2 1/2" Circle punched from Early Espresso cardstock.

I will again remind you of the free shipping on all orders this whole week until Friday night (April 25).  This is perfect timing for you to get the retiring products you have been wanting less the 10% or more charged for shipping.  Items are already starting to be sold out so don't delay.  Call me, or email me your order today. Or go directly to my On-Line Store and submit an order yourself at anytime.

And if that isn't enough,  here are your weekly deals for April 22 - 28:

Click on the links below to take you to my On-Line Store, where you can read about, look at, and purchase if you wish, the products used to make this card today!

Product List

130264	130267	130336	130339	130132	130140
131298	119686	100730	126974	130021	130911
120906	113439

What's Black and White and Red All Over?

Here's an oldie for you?  What's Black and White and Red all over? Why, an embarrassed zebra of course! I don't know if animals blush.  I've heard it said that Man is the only animal that blushes - or needs to!

For our As You See It Challenge this week, the theme is animals!  What fun!

I got out my Zoo Review stamp set and picked ... you guessed it, a Zebra!  And a black and white colour scheme, with a little pop of Crushed Curry.  I was really thinking African!  The circle of life and all that!

• Look at that DSP from the Kaleidoscope collection!  Is that perfect or what?  It has stripes like a zebra and it's black and white!
• I stamped the Zoo Review Zebra in StazOn Jet Black and the grasses from Wetlands stamp set in Crushed Curry for a little bit of colour.
• The Natural 5/8" Chevron ribbon is found in the Occasions catalogue.  I would sure like to see that stick around in the new Annual Catalogue!

• The Antique Brad makes a perfect embellishment for the overall African design of the card.
• The sentiment, from Petite Pairs, is a little humorous on this card.  The zebra looks like he could be saying this to the recipient of the card.

Contest

I can't seem to think of anything very profound to say today, so I'll leave you with a reminder to enter my Retired List Contest.  If you're a Canadian resident, send me an email  (hcooper52@gmail.com) listing 10 stamp sets that you think Stampin' Up! will be retiring this year.  The person with the most correct answers will win a $25 gift certificate.  The contest closes at 8 pm PDT on Sunday, April 20.  The Retired List comes out the next morning, Monday, April 21st.  

This year, BOTH stamps and other products on the Retired List will only be available while supplies last.  Make sure you get your orders in promptly so you aren't disappointed!

Click on the links below to take you to my On-Line Store, where you can read about, look at, and purchase if you wish, the products used to make this card today!

Product List

128769	122199	126695	126697	128706	122497
132995	121045	131199	100730	101406	131173
132982	117273