Green is the Theme for the Week

There is a bit of a long story to this card, but I can't explain until Friday.  Suffice it to say that it was a dry-run for another challenge, but for several reasons I couldn't use it, so here it is, to be entered into The Paper Players Challenge #201.  Like I said, long story!

Here's the wonderful sketch by Nance over at The Paper Players:

This sketch challenge really appealed to me for some reason, so I'm happy that I got a chance to play with it. It features some new products that I really like, so I'll highlight a few of them for you.

• First is the Flower Patch Photopolymer Stamp Set.  This set has 19 (I'm not kidding) stamps in it and it doesn't cost the moon.  Making the images photopolymer made it lighter and more affordable.  The flower images are amazing because you can double or triple layer your images and it looks so good! And the big bonus is that you don't have to use a Stamp-a-ma-jig to line them up just right because you can see clear through the stamp!  I also love the sentiments!  This stamp set has the Flower Fair Framelits that coordinate with it so you don't have to fussy cut.  This product, to quote one of its own sentiments, overwhelms me with it's awesomeness!!
• I cried real tears when the Victoria Crochet Lace trim retired.  But look at how beautiful the new Venetian Crochet trim is!  I love the little scallops that work so well as a border.
• Check out the center of the flower.  What colour is that pearl?  You're right, it's green, and no, Stampin' Up! isn't finally selling coloured pearls or rhinestones.  You can do it yourself using the new Blendabilities Markers.  Because they are alcohol based inks they won't rub off. And here's some exciting news about them:

Stampin' Up! just announced  yesterday that the new Blendabilities Markers will be available to customers starting July 1!!  Customers will be able to order a limited selection of colours plus the colour lifter, and Skin Tones along with the Memento Tuxedo Black ink pad and refill.  The colours available to the customers are Cherry Cobbler, Coastal Cabana, Daffodil Delight, Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, and Rich Razzleberry!

If you happen to sign up as a Demonstrator and join my team before then (and you can do it for only $60 right up to the end of June 30, 2014),  you will be able to pre-order 6 remaining colours so that you will have all 12 of them.  These will be available to customers August 1.  Good news, eh?

Thanks for dropping by today!  Leave me a comment about what you think of the new photopolymer stamps.

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

Flower Patch Photopolymer Stamp Set [134207]	2013-2015 In Color Designer Series Paper Stack [130136]	Pistachio Pudding 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [131294]	Old Olive 8-1/2X11 Card Stock [100702]	Always Artichoke 8-1/2X11 Card Stock [105119]
Very Vanilla 8-1/2X11 Card Stock [101650]	Pistachio Pudding Classic Stampin' Pad [131177]	Pear Pizzazz Classic Stampin' Pad [131180]	Old Olive Classic Stampin' Pad [126953]	Always Artichoke Classic Stampin' Pad [126972]
Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad [132708]	Venetian Crochet Trim [134581]	Always Artichoke 1/2 Inch Seam Binding Ribbon [121000]	Pear Pizzazz 1/4" Cotton Ribbon [134562]	2-1/2 Inch Circle Punch [120906]
Flower Fair Framelits Die [133731]	Basic Pearls Jewel Accents [119247]

House Warming Congratulations for My Stamper's Dozen Class

I enjoy coming up with cards for my classes.  It gives me a direction to go with my designs.  Yesterday, I was designing for my All Occasion Stamper's Dozen class and, previously, one of my customers had mentioned to me that she had every kind of card except a Congratulations card.  So I set out to come up with a couple of designs.  The one that you see above would make a good "Congratulations, you've just bought a home!" or even a Housewarming card.  I decided I would use the layout for Pals Paper Arts Challenge #208:

• I really love Baked Brown Sugar and Hello Honey together, especially with a little touch of Blackberry Bliss.  I rounded the corners of the Hello Honey panel and embossed it using the Stylish Stripes embossing folder.  Just rounding the corners made it more a part of the design instead of just being in the background.
• The house stamp is from a set called Life's Adventure.  It's a 5 stamp Hostess set which means that, in order to get it, you have to receive Hostess Benefits.  How do you do that?  Well, you host a party or private class which will hopefully put the orders from the party over $200 or more.  Then you are eligible for at least $35 in free product, and you can use your Hostess dollars to purchase the special Hostess stamp sets, which are priced lower so you can get more for your money as a reward for being a hostess.  Another way is to place an order on-line for over $200 before shipping and taxes, and you will earn at least $35 in free product yourself.
• There is one more way, and that's to join Stampin' Up! as a Demonstrator.  Then you can order all those Hostess stamps you want!  To do that, look for the "Join My Team" buttons and follow the prompts.  I'd love to have you on my Papercraft Cats Team!

• This was the first time that I have effectively used the little Essentials Wooden Elements on a card, but these were the perfect embellishment!  You can stamp with regular ink right on them and it doesn't rub off.
• I stamped the house in Baked Brown Sugar but I added the ink using a Stampin' Write Marker instead of the stamp pad so that I could avoid using the Welcome sentiment that's part of the house image.  I used the Mossy Meadow Stampin' Write Marker to ink up the tree top as well.  After the image was stamped, I used Hello Honey and Blackberry Bliss Stampin' Write Markers to add the accents you see.
• The Congratulation sentiment that I did use came from the set, Something to Say, as did the heart on the Essential Wooden Accent.
• You may recognize the Designer Series Paper strip across the top as part of the Moonlight Designer Series Paper stack.  It's a great little bargain, with 48 sheets of double sided DSP for just $8.50!

On to the Weekly Deals:

These are Stampin' Up!'s deals for the week of June 24 - 30.

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

Life's Adventure Wood Stamp Set [133931]	Life's Adventure Clear Stamp Set [133934]	Something To Say Wood Stamp Set [134177]	Something To Say Clear Stamp Set [134180]	Moonlight Designer Series Paper [133701]
Baked Brown Sugar 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [131296]	Hello Honey 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [133678]	Very Vanilla 8-1/2X11 Card Stock [101650]	Baked Brown Sugar Classic Stampin' Pad [131174]	2013-2015 In Color Stampin' Write Markers [131260]
2014-2016 In Color Stampin' Write Markers [133654]	Hello Honey Classic Stampin' Pad [133643]	Essentials Wooden Elements [132258]	Stylish Stripes Textured Impressions Embossing Folder [132174]	Stampin' Dimensionals [104430]
Mini Glue Dots [103683]

Rubber Rummage Sale

Well, yesterday I spent far too long making up inventories of all my retired products and today I want to share them with you.  For those of you who couldn't make my Rubber Rummage Sale on June 14th, you now have access to the deals on-line!

I will share the links with you today, but they will always be accessible using the buttons on the side bar.  Over there!  See??

Here are the links:

My Retired Stamps for Sale

My Retired Tools and Accessories for Sale

My Retired Cardstock and DSP for Sale

For every dollar you spend on my retired products, you will get $.50 to spend on new products from the 2014/15 Annual Catalogue!  

Contact me if there are items you want to purchase.  If you don't live locally, I will invoice you through PayPal.

I have a quick little project to show you today:

• These are the little 3" x 3" Thank You cards that I like to give my customers, with their orders.  These were stamped in Versamark with an image from the new Hostess set, I Like You!  I heat-embossed the images with Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder. 
• The sentiment is from a really versatile and useful set called Lots of Thanks and it is also embossed using Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder.
• I didn't have time, while making 30 cards, to watercolour each one, so I used a quick trick I learned several years ago.  Simply quickly sponge a variety of ink colours strategically over the appropriate areas and don't worry about staying within the lines.  It just gives a soft impression of colour.  Here I used, Crisp Cantaloupe, So Saffron, Pool Party and Pear Pizzazz - definitely a pastel selection.

• The card bases are cut 6" x 3" from Crisp Cantaloupe, Pear Pizzazz and So Saffron.  (I also did some Pool Party ones not shown here.)  They are scored and folded at 3" along the 6" side.
• The DSP in the background is from the Lullaby collection DSP.  It has a lot of the same colours that I used on these cards.

That's it for today!  Make sure to browse through my Rummage Sale Items!  Back tomorrow with a Challenge card!

Product List

I Like You Clear Stamp Set [133958]	I Like You Wood Stamp Set [133955]	Lots Of Thanks Wood-mount Stamp Set [129687]	Lots Of Thanks Clear-mount Stamp Set [129690]	Lullaby Designer Series Paper [133695]
Crisp Cantaloupe 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [131298]	Pear Pizzazz 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [131201]	So Saffron 8-1/2X11 Card Stock [105118]	Pool Party 8-1/2 X 11 Card Stock [122924]	Whisper White 8-1/2X11 Card Stock [100730]
Versamark Pad [102283]	Crisp Cantaloupe Classic Stampin' Pad [131176]	So Saffron Classic Stampin' Pad [126957]	Pool Party Classic Stampin' Pad [126982]	Pear Pizzazz Classic Stampin' Pad [131180]
Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder [109129]	Heat Tool [129053]	Sponge Daubers [133773]