Snow Day!

Happy Thursday friends! I don't typically take snow days but I had to take one today. It was way too dangerous to be out driving - let alone driving 30+ miles to work. I wish I could say I spent my whole day stamping...but alas, I can not. I spent some time on Facebook drooling over the Krispy Kreme torture message they posted - Oreo Donuts - seriously! And on a snow day! Argh!

Instead of crafting, I made icee frappes for everyone. I made home made fudge to add to them as well. Then we spent time cooking dinner together and just hanging out. I don't get to spend much time with all my family at the same time because I work evenings and they are either at work or school during the day. So I spent the evening enjoying their company.

Now that its about 11pm, I am in the craft room ready to get busy working on my monthly newsletter. I was hoping to have it sent by now but I have been super busy. Maybe by Monday it will be ready for mailing! Here's hoping you had a great snow day and were warm and safely snug as a bug at home!

Happy Stamping!


Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator

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Disclaimer:  I am a new Stampin' Up! demonstrator.  I am working on replacing all my craft supplies with only Stampin' Up! product, but I will occasionally use some of my non-SU stash. Bare with me as I work to replenish my stash with only SU product. I will be highlighting new products as they come in and I will always point out great alternatives to my non-SU product that are Stampin' Up!. Thanks for understanding.

What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday Feb 20

Here is my desktop in all it's glory! I have the typical tools and supplies on my desk - some left over DSP, card stock, inks and markers, etc.  I also have the one thing no one should be without - a Candy Stash! I use that for a quick energy burst to get me going... Like our host of WOYWW, my cards are finished! Everything is piled up ready to be put away though...tidying won't take long! Initially, I only needed one Thank You card, but I wanted to use up my scraps and since trying to stay only with Stampin' Up! supplies, I have been really missing my washi tapes! Sooo...I decided to use some SU DSP scraps and make them look a bit like Washi Tape.  What do you think?

Today, I worked on a couple Thank You cards using Vintage Verses stamp set from the Sale-A-Bration flyer. You can get this stamp set FREE with a $50 purchase from my online store.  My weekly color scheme uses the 2012-14 In-Colors - Primrose Petals, Gumball Green, and Summer Starfruit.  I used those colors to make my cards. On my desk, you can see my Stampin' Write Markers in Primrose Petals and Summer Starfruit as well as my Classic Stampin' Pads in Gumball Green and Primrose Petals. For both of my cards, I used the Print Poetry DSP stack from the 2013 Spring Catalog. I just love using this paper - it coordinates perfectly with the 2012-14 In-Colors.  You can also see my retired Stampin' Up! Mat Pack. I used that to set the brads on my first Thanks card.

There are also a few non-Stampin' Up! products on my desk - my Fiskars Circle Cutter and my We Are Memory Keepers Brad Setter. I have had those for a while - love my circle cutter - I have the Martha Stewart circle cutter too but I really don't like using it. The Fiskars one is by far the best for the money.

Thanks for stopping in to take a look at my desk. I hope you come back again soon and feel free to post a comment! Many thanks to all of you WOYWW posters for stopping in and bringing a little traffic to my humble little blog. Happy Stamping...

FYI:  Participating in WOYWW posts is a bit tough for me. I rarely get to work during the day so I am always crafting/posting the night before.  So this IS from Wednesday's work desk, it just happens to be the wee early morning hours - from just after midnight to about 2 a.m. Wednesday morning. See, I happen to work evenings and babysit during the day. My most productive times are late nights. If I am lucky enough to get to spend time in my craft room during the day I am also working on entertaining a 2 1/2 yr old at the same time. Needless to say, she handles a scissors quite well, has her own ink and stamps, and even knows how to use punches and glue sticks! Way to go Omah!!!  She is well on her way to becoming the next stamper in my family! 

Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator

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Disclaimer:  I am a new Stampin' Up! demonstrator.  I am working on replacing all my craft supplies with only Stampin' Up! product, but I will occasionally use some of my non-SU stash. Bare with me as I work to replenish my stash with only SU product. I will be highlighting new products as they come in and I will always point out great alternatives to my non-SU product that are Stampin' Up!. Thanks for understanding.

Tool Tip Tuesday - Stampin' Sanding System

Stampin' Up! has replaced it's previous sanding block with the new Stampin' Sanding System. The Stampin’ Sanding System consists of a soft, easy-to-grip sanding block with four pieces of sanding paper, 2 of each size. The fine 150 grit and ultra-fine 180 grit sanding papers are ideal for distressing and sanding Core’dinations card stock. The Stampin' Sanding System (129367) can be found on page 12 of the 2013 Spring Catalog, and was originally featured in the 2012 Holiday Mini. It costs $3.95 US.  Refills (129368) are also available for purchase and come with 8 sheets of sandpaper, 4 of each grit. Refills cost $1.95 US.

I love this product! Prior to joining Stampin' Up! I had used everything from a cheap paper emery board to buying sandpaper at the hardware store. Both of which are not that convenient methods for adding distress to my creations. I am a bit stingy when it comes to buying tools - I'd rather have stamps and ink than specific tools so I could never bring myself to buy the Tim Holtz Sanding Block - although I do love Tim Holtz products and I'm sure I would have liked his version as well - I just never would spend the money to get it.  I did, however, read a review where the reviewer really liked Tim Holtz sanding block. Below is a comparison of the two systems, based on my online research. Items I compared were cost, ease of use, and refill/replacement.

Stampin' Sanding System
#129367 - $3.95

Stampin' Sanding System cost is only $3.95. It comes with the block and 4 pieces of sanding paper in two different grits - letting you quickly and easily distress any kind of surface. The sanding paper is removable/replaceable using hook and loop style attachment. You get two surfaces for sanding - a wide surface and a narrow surface. Refills are only $1.95 and come with 8 replacement sheets - 4 of each grit 150 grit and ultra fine 180 grit.

Refills: #129368 - $1.95

Tim Holtz Ideology Sanding Block costs $5.99.  It comes with only 1 sheet of sanding paper.  It has two spikes that hold the paper at each end. Hook and loop is pretty secure - I would be worried that the paper may wiggle and move on the block when using spikes to hold it in place. Ideology brand refills cost $1.52 on Amazon and only come with 4 refill sheets - no mention of whether or not they are different grits or all the same. This sanding block has only one large surface (2" x 3") to sand with.

Both systems appear to be adequate for sanding the Core'dinations Card Stock. Initial start up costs for Tim Holtz though appears to be more pricey  For the cost of Tim's Sanding Block, you can purchase the Stampin' Sanding System and its refills - which would initially give you 6  sheets of each grit just to get started with. For me, that would be enough to last a year or two.

The initial investment and maintenance of the Stampin' Sanding System appears to be a much better economical choice at this time. I have only had mine for a few weeks - time will tell if this product will last - but my guess is that it will stand the test of time. Stampin' Up! does their homework.

Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator

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Disclaimer:  I am a new Stampin' Up! demonstrator.  I am working on replacing all my craft supplies with only Stampin' Up! product, but I will occasionally use some of my non-SU stash. Bare with me as I work to replenish my stash with only SU product. I will be highlighting new products as they come in and I will always point out great alternatives to my non-SU product that are Stampin' Up!. Thanks for understanding.

Monday Make-Over Feb 18, 2013

Today is supposed to be Monday Make-Over but life has been super busy and I haven't made it into the craft room yet today. So I thought I would quickly take a minute to do a Monday Break Down post instead.

What is a Monday Break Down post? Well, its what I do to prepare for a Monday Make-Over post. I take a card that has inspired me - say from Pinterest or another blog. Then go through the motions to break it down into manageable pieces.  I take it apart in my mind and try to match up my own supplies with what was used in the original - changing punch shapes, stamps, etc as needed.

Image found on Pinterest - original card created by Sara Rayner from CraftingAndStamping.com

So I thought I'd start with a fairly simple card and attempt to put my process into words. When I begin looking at this card, I imagine what it might look like using items I already have. I don't have a square punch or the postage stamp punch but I do have the curly label punch and it looks really cute when you back-up the curly label punch with another one that's been cut in half. I can easily create my own banner without a punch... And the butterfly and bird - well those are elements I can replace with a bow or button, possibly even another stamp that's been fussy cut.

This card uses the Bloomin' Marvelous stamp set from the Sale-A-Bration flyer that you can get for FREE when you buy $50.  I do have that stamp set but I would like to use something different this time around - I am going to replace the Bloomin' Marvelous set with the Ciao, Baby! (129648 CM or 129645 WM) stamp set from the Spring 2013 catalog (page 16). And I am going to pair it up with some of that pretty DSP from the Print Poetry DSP (129312) stack from the spring catalog (page 16 as well) - one pattern for the long rectangular piece in the far back and possibly alternating patterns for the banner and curly label squares.  I plan to stick with my weekly color scheme - Primrose Petals, Summer Starfruit, and Gumball Green - using Summer Starfruit card stock for the card base. I also have some of the Primrose Petals Core'dinations (129322) Card stock from page 12 of the Spring catalog. I'll use my Big Shot (113439) and the Perfect Polka Dot embossing folder (117335) to put some dimension into the card stock (rather than using DSP), then use the Stampin' Sanding System (129367) found on page 12 of the Spring catalog to rough it up a bit, showing that alternate core color below the Primrose Petals top layer. I will use Gumball Green card stock for matting the elements then use the coordinating ink for my stamps.

The beauty of this process is, you don't have to own all the supplies - but it will help you decide what supplies you might use the most. If you find yourself drawn to inspirational cards that use that postage stamp punch and the square punch, then that might be something you would want to purchase because you seem to be inspired by it (note, that example set is sure to be in my next order as it is always in my inspiration photos) Just a thought...  You can also use this method for card sketches - its easy once you get the hang of it.

Stop in and visit my Facebook page tomorrow and I will post a picture of the finished card in all its glory!

Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator

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Disclaimer:  I am a new Stampin' Up! demonstrator.  I am working on replacing all my craft supplies with only Stampin' Up! product, but I will occasionally use some of my non-SU stash. Bare with me as I work to replenish my stash with only SU product. I will be highlighting new products as they come in and I will always point out great alternatives to my non-SU product that are Stampin' Up!. Thanks for understanding.

Sunday Share February 17, 2013

Today's Sunday Share is all about my hubby. Today is his 36th birthday. We spent our weekend celebrating his birthday with family. His mom came up for a visit and she brought an ice cream cake and we all went to eat at El Vaquero's in Moberly, Steve's favorite Mexican restaurant - they have a Chili Rellano to die for.  And their service is top notch. Every time we have gone out to eat there our food is hot, fresh and oh so fast!  We always bring home a to-go box. Surprisingly enough, Avah enjoyed it very much - and she is a picky eater.

Pappy Steve and Avah coloring in her Crayola marker book at El Vaquero's

Steve's mom had surgery before Christmas so we hadn't been able to celebrate Christmas with her yet - so our Saturday was pretty busy. She brought gifts from Christmas and we had a late Christmas gift exchange. It's really strange getting gifts on someone elses' birthday....

I made a card for Steve using last week's color scheme and the new Honeycomb Textured Impressions Embossing Folder. I paired our in-colors from last week with the Print Poetry Designer Series Paper Stack. That stack is a perfect match for all of our 2012-2014 in-colors. Last but certainly not least, I pulled out my Sale-A-Bration goodies - Pretty Petites Stamp Set and the Petite Curly Label Punch to embellish the card. He loved the card and I thought it turned out pretty good too.

So what do you think of the lighting for the photograph of Steve's card? I used the light box that my husband helped me build last week. First time ever using this light box. We used one in my college photography class that we built from PVC pipe - it was pretty cool then. I do so love my new light box but I need to pick up new light bulbs as the ones I have are not quite right.

Thanks for joining me this week for my Sunday Share. Hope you have a blessed week where ever you may be and have some fun stamping! I know I am going to.

This week's color scheme is bringing back a bit of Valentine's but with a Spring twist. Our colors this week are Primrose Petals, Summer Starfruit and Gumball Green. Look for several cards using these colors to appear on my blog this week. I am excited to be getting ready for Spring!

Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator

Shop Online Now

Disclaimer:  I am a new Stampin' Up! demonstrator.  I am working on replacing all my craft supplies with only Stampin' Up! product, but I will occasionally use some of my non-SU stash. Bare with me as I work to replenish my stash with only SU product. I will be highlighting new products as they come in and I will always point out great alternatives to my non-SU product that are Stampin' Up!. Thanks for understanding.