Wild Wednesday Deal #3

Make a $35 purchase from the Growing Up section of the 2009-2010 Stampin' Up! Idea Book and Catalog (pages 74-90) and you can purchase the Small or Jumbo Grommets (page 179) for only $5.95 (save $1.00). Don't forget - you'll also receive a free package of your choice of the Designer Buttons - Playground, Sherbert, or Button Latte.



The grommets are so fun and very easy to use. Here is an example of the Jumbo Grommet:

My stampers made this card - which is a scratch and sniff card - at last night's Technique Tuesday class. With a foam pad behind the card stock, they just pushed the grommet through by hand and then used a small hammer or bone folder to push back the grommet prongs.

Making a scratch and sniff card is easy when you know the ratio of clear embossing powder to smell powder (in this case Lemonade Kool-Aid). The ratio is 1 and 1/2 to 1.

Here are the basic instructions for a scratch and sniff technique:

With the powder mixed and the card stock brushed with an embossing buddy, stamp the image in a VersaMark pad first, then reink the same stamp into a dye inkpad (in this case Crushed Curry), and then stamp the image onto card stock. Cover the image with the mixed powder, tap off excess, and heat emboss. Be careful as the embossing effect will not be as smooth as usual - the embossed image will look a bit bumpy due to the nonmelting powder added to the mixture. Kool-Aid (in the little packets), coffee granules, and spices work great for the scratch and sniff technique! Jell-O does not as it has too much sugar to give a strong smell.

Under the Stars One Sheet Wonder

A while back, I showed my stampers one of my favorite techniques for quick stamping results - the One Sheet Wonder. Basically, you stamp a collage on a full sheet of card stock. Then you cut it in smaller pieces to serve as a focal point or a background for cards or other projects.

This is the sheet I started out with:

You can view the slide show above to see the results! There are a few tacked on the end of the slide show which didn't use the OSW sheet...but they were so cute I had to include them!

Enjoy!

Technique Tuesday - Aged Tiles Technique

At last month's Technique Tuesday class, I taught the Aged Tiles technique. This is a really fun and easy technique. My customers loved it! For this card, I used Upsy Daisy and the Sale-A-Bration stamp set Congratulations.

25 Cards of Christmas - December 17th

My second stair step card features Jolliest Time of the Year. Here it is!

25 Cards of Christmas - December 16th

For December 16th and December 17th, I will be showcasing a card format called the stair step card. I learned this technique online from a fellow blogger (thanks, Gretchen!). This card was tweaked from her example. The Holy Triptych stamp set is perfect for this format!

I taught my stampers this technique/format at my latest Technique Tuesday class. Here were the instructions I gave them:

STAIR STEP TECHNIQUE

Supplies
Holy Triptych/Many Merry Messages Stamp Set
Snow Swirled Stamp Set (for Star)
Confetti White/Night of Navy CS
VersaMark/Gold Glory EP/Emb Buddy/Heat Gun
AquaPainter/Various Inkpads
Scoring Blade/Pencil/SU Grid Paper

Cardbase
5 ½” x 11 piece of CW CS
Score as follows:
1 ½”; 3”; 5”; 7”; 9”
Fold on the score lines like an accordion.
5 ½” x 4 ¼” piece of CW CS for back base.
Attach back base to front of last “mountain”.

Stamp images in Stazon.
Cut out images (leave off star on Holy Family image).
Color in images with AquaPainters and inkpads.
Let dry.
Emboss star to center of large Night of Navy piece.
Emboss phrase on right end of small Night of Navy piece.
Adhere pieces.
Wise men on left, Holy Family in Center, Angel on right.

25 Cards of Christmas - December 8th

For today's card, I chose one that uses a technique that I have always been scared of. I know this sounds silly, but although I have been stamping since I was 15 years old (I'm closing in on my mid-40s right now), there are just a few techniques that intimidate me.

The reflection technique used to incorporate using the Stamp-a-ma-jig. I have owned one ever since I became a demo...but honestly, I've never used it. Shame on me.

I learned a different way to do the reflection technique using an acetate sheet (much like the SAMJ, I know). However, all you had to do is stamp the image with Stazon on the top of the base piece and then once on the acetate and then flip the acetate and smoosh it down at the bottom of the base piece. Voila! OMG! I was giddy with excitement when I tried it the first time and it worked!!!!!! My Technique Tuesday class loved learning this easy method!

To be honest, I didn't have too many stamps that I immediately thought of when I wanted to try out the technique EXCEPT Lovely As A Tree. That stamp set is the PERFECT choice for this technique...and I am crossing my fingers and toes that it is not one of those on the chopping block tomorrow morning when the 2008 Fall Winter Stamp Set retirement list comes out.

Ok, enough talking and typing....here is my card!

What technique(s) intimidate you?????

25 Cards of Christmas - December 2nd

Tonight I held my December Technique Tuesday class. I adore these ladies - they are the core of my business and are fabulous and fun to be around.

One of the techniques I taught tonight was Faux Quilting. This is a great technique to use with bits and pieces of your Designer Series Paper. Many samples I found online used the larger square punches. For the card below, I actually used the 3/4" square punch. It made a smaller quilt, but it was easier to plan a card around this size. Here it is:

To make the quilt - punch out 6 squares. Take one square and cut in half diagonally and then cut each of those again diagonally. The Old Olive piece is 2.5" x 2.5" for the 3/4" punch quilt. Start and ahdere one full square, and then use one of the squares as your spacer. Get the four corners done this way (using the spacer square really helps line it up). Then use those four cut pieces in between the full squares. Finally adhere the spacer square in the middle. It is hard to see, but there is some paper piercing on the upper right and lower left of the More Mustard piece.

Technique Tuesday Faux Denim Colored Ribbon Slide Card

This card was a big hit at my recent Technique Tuesday class. I showed my customers the faux denim technique (see the background strip). I also showed them how to color the new ribbon slides in the Spring Hodgepodge Hardware kit using Crystal Effects and ink refills.

Colored Embellishment - On a deli lid, pour a dime-sized amount of Crystal Effects. Add 1 drop of Brocade Blue ink refill. Mix with toothpick. Using the same toothpick as a paintbrush, paint the inner part of flower embellishment. Let dry before completing card.

Faux Denim - Swipe Brocade Blue inkpad over the Brocade Blue cardstock in long swipes lengthwise. Set aside to dry a bit. In the same direction, swipe the Night of Navy inkpad in long swipes. Again, set aside to dry a bit.

Lightly swipe the white craft ink over the blue ink in the same direction. Let this dry or use a heat gun to speed up drying process. Turn cardstock 90 degrees. Apply long stroke of the Night of Navy ink over the piece. Allow all inks to dry before finishing or matting faux denim pieces. Be aware, your Craft White pad will suffer a bit from this technique in appearance - but the effect is so worth it!

Stamp main flower in Stazon. Color with WCCrayons/Aquapainter. Sponge edges. Stamp small flower/phrase and punch out. Punch out label. Attach pieces.

Technique Tuesday Shaker Card

This Tuesday was my scheduled Technique Tuesday stamp class. One of the techniques I was planning on showing was the shaker card technique. I created my class sample with the adorable stamp set Happy Heart Day. I knew my customers were going to love this card!

Sadly, the Wisconsin winter weather forced a cancellation - the 50 mph winds and -35 degree windchills were not conducive to stampers driving to my home.

February's Technique Tuesday's group will be making a different shaker card as it will be held towards the end of the month.

Here are some quick instructions - Stamp mouse image in StazOn on Real Red cardstock. Attach brads. I then used a non-SU circle punch for the window - you could also use a Coluzzle. I then layered and attached some acetate over it. Stamp butterfly image on a separate piece of Whisper White (make piece larger than punched circle), color in, and play with placement of image inside shaker.

After this is done, you need to put some double-stick foam tape or excess rubber from your cut-out stamp sets in a square design to buffer/block the shaker insides from scooting all over. Do not tear off protective strips on the outside yet.

Now carefully put in your shaker items - don't use too much or too little for the best effect. I used some heart confetti and Stampin' Up!'s micro beads.

Tear the protective strips off the double-stick foam tape. Place your focal image on top. I then put double-stick foam tape on the underside edges of my layer - it just helps with propping it up correctly.

I then colored in the flower with a white gel pen and made a tag and popped it up with Stampin' Dimensionals and added the jeweled brad! Mount on Basic Gray and Basic Black cardstock and attach to a Whisper White card.

Hope you enjoy!

Stamping (and Laughing) With My Customers

This week, I held my third Technique Tuesday event. I had the techniques picked out for quite a while. I was actually surprised at how much I had prepared ahead of time. Thank goodness because it was one of those days when the to-do list was much too long (volunteering, cleaning, homework help, baking...).

I have three great boys and a husband who do help when it comes time to preparing the house for company. With my stamping business, that translates to about four or five evenings a month. There are jobs they love to do, and of course, some they don't like to do (you can include me in that one!).

Well, I was cutting out some of the pieces for a project and having to run a little interference in the household chores and the homework battle. I must have been pretty distracted because when my stampers got to the project later that evening, the pieces were not evenly cut. I wanted to just cry...I really love to pamper my stampers and try very hard to have projects all ready.

Leave it to my customers - they just laughed, took it in stride, and kept reminding ME that these were just samples for them. They totally understood and made me feel so much better.

Well, November is I Am So Thankful Month...and to all my customers...I am so thankful for you!

September Technique Tuesday Class

Last week I held my September Technique Tuesday class. Another FULL HOUSE this month - and my stampers were thrilled with the techniques, color combos, finished cards, and their ability to quickly complete the projects!

I showed my stampers how to do the faux aging technique, the brayered bleach technique, and the rolling marble technique. Here was one of my favorites using Serene Sunflower and the faux aging paper technique:

All of the cards from the Technique Tuesday class have been uploaded to my stamped art gallery. I even posted the other samples I shared with my stampers - you can check them out here:

http://www.stampwithjane.com/techniquetuesday92007.html

My First Technique Tuesday Class

Because my customers keep asking for more ideas and stamping events, I started a new event with the 2007-2008 Fall/Winter Collection. On one Tuesday each month, I will be hosting a Technique Tuesday stamping class in my home. For only $5.00, my customers will get to make 3 different cards using techniques I will teach them!

As a bonus for my customers, when they attend their first Technique Tuesday class, I will be handing out one pack of my card sample protectors so they can keep the instructions with the cards they make! Here is a scan of my card protectors -

It was a FULL HOUSE this month - and my stampers were thrilled with the techniques, color combos, finished cards, and their ability to quickly complete the projects!

I posted the 3 cards from the Technique Tuesday class to my stamped art gallery - you can check them out here:

http://www.stampwithjane.com/techniquetuesday82007.html