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.

Stampin' Up! and YouTube

Stampin' Up! has launched their own YouTube channel. They've created the YouTube channel to help spread the word about fabulous Stampin' Up! products and opportunities. These videos are a great way to learn about current and upcoming products as well as assist you in learning new techniques.

http://www.youtube.com/stampinupvideo

Happy Stamping and Surfing!

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.

Branch Out Stairstep Card

Branch Out is one of the new stamp sets from the 2009 Spring/Summer Catalog - and I am having so much fun creating samples with this set! I'm using some different colors too!

These stairstep cards are so fun to make! I demonstrated this format to my Stamper's 8 group this month.

The supplies and card format instructions for this card are as follows:

SUPPLIES
Branch Out/Heard From the Heart Stamp Set
SAB DSP/SAB Ribbon
Scoring Blade/Pencil/SU Grid Paper
Very Vanilla/So Saffron/Bashful Blue/Certainly Celery CS
Bashful Blue Inkpad and Marker/So Saffron & Sahara Sand Inkpad
Sponge
Gold Brads/Flower Brads and 1/16” and 1/8” Hole Punch
Corner Punch/Boho Blossoms/Large Oval and Wide Oval Punch/Eyelet Border Punch
Rubber Scraps/Sticky Strip/Monoadhesive

CARDBASE
5 ½” x 11 piece of 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 CS for back base.
Attach back base to front of last “mountain”.
Stamp, punch, and/or cut images and attach to “mountains”.
Adhere pieces.


Welcome, Spring!

25 Cards of Christmas - December 24th

Remember the Reflection Technique card featuring Lovely As A Tree? Well, the transparency I used for that card will be featured in today's card. I didn't restamp it at all - just reused it as the focal point.

25 Cards of Christmas - December 23rd

Sorry for the late posts - but after scurrying around prior to Christmas, and then enjoying Christmas with my family, my back decided to go out. Ouch...I am still recouperating, but will finish up my 25 Cards of Christmas.

Here is my 23rd card:

This card has a faux denim background and features many SU punches. This could easily be transformed into a birthday card by changing the "noel" phrase!

25 Cards of Christmas - December 20th

Today's card is an example of Reverse Poppin' Pastels. This card uses Snow Swirled and To You and Yours.
Reverse Poppin' Pastels is such an easy technique. All you need is dark colored cardstock and lighter pastels. I use a QTip or a cotton ball and spread the pastel (in this case I used white) all over the piece of cardstock. Then ink your image with Versamark and stamp onto the pastel piece. The Versamark takes off the pastel to leave the image.

Enjoy!

25 Cards of Christmas - December 15th

It was a chilly day around here today...and I luckily got to do some stamping. This card is a shaker card featuring the Santa from Jolliest Time of the Year.

I used some tiny gold star confetti and Christmas cookie decorations for inside the shaker. I hope you like this one!

25 Cards of Christmas - December 14th

Today's post includes one of my favorite stamp sets and one of my favorite techniques.




Lovely as a Tree is just one of those sets I hope never retires. I use it for almost every occasion (and see I don't even have a greeting on this card - just in case I need it!). The technique I used is called polished stone - I used Mellow Moss, Always Artichoke, and Silver Encore refills for the background.

25 Cards of Christmas - December 13th

Ok, so it is not really December 13th when I am posting this. Sorry, but I just couldn't fit this in on Saturday.

Here is my card using Holiday Lineups and Sincere Greetings:

I used the Big Shot Top Note die and the Button die. I have used the direct-to-paper technique for the background and embossed the snowman on the Top Note. I just love these snowmen!

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 4th

Today's card features the Big on Christmas stamp set. Paint chips are great to use as a canvas for your stamping! The only trick to using them is they can be a bit slippery so I don't usually use my Classic inkpads. I use my Stazon pad or emboss on them to have the best effect.

The jeweled brad adds a nice touch too!

In my neck of the woods, we have had about 10 inches of snow this week...my boys love it (they even had off of school on Monday). My yard looks like a race track with all the snowmobile tracks! They are so happy when they get to ride!

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.

Bleach Brushing Technique

I have been neglecting my blog while I have been feverishly updating my card gallery website. In the last few weeks, I have posted about 200-300 cards (including several new stamp set pages) as well as linking my technique classes with example pages. If you haven't checked out my card gallery, it is worth the trip!

http://www.stampwithjane.com/

On the index page, there is a card using the Winds of Grace stamp set.

The technique used for this card is called Bleach Brushing. So many variations happen to cardstock when bleach comes in contact with it. For this technique, all you need to do is use a bristle brush, sweep it in some bleach, brush it over the cardstock, and let it dry. In this card, however, the bleach pooled a bit on the bottom of the Not Quite Navy cardstock. I searched my stamp set inventory for just the right image. The Winds of Grace sailboat, which was embossed on top of the dryed bleach brushing technique, was perfect! In fact, the excess bleach pool left an image of rushing waves hitting the sailboat.

However, best results happen when you are lighter to the touch with the bleach and leave some unbleached areas on the cardstock. Be sure to thoroughly rinse out all materials used when bleaching. Bleach can wreck art supplies, clothing, furniture...you get the picture.

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.

Where is Spring?

If you live in the Midwest, you may be asking the same question. We've certainly had a quota for snow and winter weather this year. Well, if Spring needs a little nudge, I've got the perfect little card for it.

This card uses two very simple techniques - the spotlighting technique and one of my favorite background techniques - smooshing (yes, that is a technical term). For spotlighting, stamp the image twice and leave one of them uncolored. Then punch out the spotlighting section on the other image and color in and mount to another but slightly larger punched out piece. Attach on top of the uncolored image. For "smooshing", use your inkpad to make marks on the cardstock. I prefer to use the same color ink on cardstock, but coordinating colors look good on most cardstock as well.

Maybe this little birdie will chase the winter blues away!