Tag Archives: Card Making

In the jungle..the mighty jungle..

Posted in 2018-2019 Annual Stampin' Up! Catalog, Designer Series Paper, Stampin' Blends, Uncategorized by

I bet you now have the classic song by the The Tokens stuck in your head right now, I know I do.  While I type this I’ll just be singing a-weema- weh, a weema weh,a weema-weh……

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I am loving the Animal Outing set right now, not only does it have the cutest images but it just screams out to be colored by Stampin’ Blends.  This bright cheery card was one of my projects for my stamp club this month and my ladies LOVED it!  It features Lemon Lime Twist paired with Smoky Slate and focuses on the little Rhino and his bird friend. And what makes this set even better, I received it for free when I went to OnStage this past April.

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It is an easy card perfect for any level stamper.  Don’t be intimidated by the Blends, they are super forgiving and easy to use.  If you love to color this is the project for you!

Directions:

  • You will need Smoky Slate for your card base 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″, scored at 4 1/4″, a piece of Lemon Lime Twist (4″ x 5 1/4″), a strip of Whisper White (2 1/4″ x 4″), a strip of Animal Expedition Designer Series Paper (2″ x 4″) and a piece of Whisper White cut from the largest Stitched Square framelit.

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  • Next stamp the rhino image onto the stitched square using Memento Tuxedo Black ink.  Hint: When using blends you need to use a dye based ink so the lines don’t blur.  And when water coloring you need to use a solvent or archival ink.  Just remember opposites attract.  When using alcohol to color with use a dye or water based ink and when applying water use a solvent based ink.

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  • Next you want to color your image using Stampin’ Blends.  I used light & dark Crumb Cake for his horn, light and dark Granny Apple Green for the little bird, dark Pineapple Punch for his beak, light and dark Smoky Slate for his body, light Flirty Flamingo for the inside of his ears and light Granny Apple Green for the grass.  If you make a mistake and go outside the lines or want to add a highlight you will use the Color Lifter.

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  • Stamp the greeting on the bottom using Tuxedo Black Memento ink.  Stamp the leaves around the edges using Lemon Lime twist ink.  Attach the Lemon Lime Twist DSP to the Whisper White strip.

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To finish the card adhere DSP strip to the middle of the card using SNAIL and the entire panel to the card base.  Finally attach your little rhino to the middle using Stampin’ Dimensionals.

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As an added bonus the Animal Expedition is part of the Buy 3, get 1 FREE DSP sale during July!!  For more information CLICK HERE.

Supplies Used:

I hope you have enjoyed this card!  As always if you have any questions please let me know!

Be sure to join my e-mail club! You will receive a monthly newsletter, videos and specials,  just for club members and more!

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If you would like to get a notification each time I post a project share, specials from Stampin’ Up! or myself, class schedules or video tutorials, please make sure you click “Follow By Email” at the top of this post.  That way you won’t miss a thing!

As always, please feel free to share any post on Pinterest or Facebook! If you are interested in attending classes or any of my all day events be sure to visit my events page for a current schedule.

Happy Stamping!

~Jo

Making the world a happier place, one card at a time!

Time for a change – Part 2 – The New Ink Pad Design

Posted in 2018-2019 Annual Stampin' Up! Catalog, 2018-2019 Color Collections, In Colors 2018-2020, Special Promotions, Uncategorized by

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Welcome back!  Today’s post will focus on the new design of the classic ink pads.  Like I said in Part 1, change can be a good thing and I think the ink pad redesign is a wonderful change that will make your stamping much easier. You may wonder why the new design?  The case’s manufacturing mold was about to expire and they can only be used certain number of times before it needs to be replaced.  Instead of ordering new molds of the same design, Stampin’ Up! decided to make some improvements that I know you will love!  In addition the ink has been reformulated to reduce bubbles, especially with brand new juicy pads.  This will ensure you get exceptional ink coverage on solid stamps.

Lets do a side by side comparison of the old pad versus the new pad:

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The new pads are a little more square, the outer case measures 3 5/8″ x 4 1/4″, with the ink pad itself measuring 2 5/8″ x 3 1/2″ x 1/2″.  The old style is slightly narrower and longer with the outer case measuring 3 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ x 3/4″ and the pad at 2 3/4″ x 3 5/8″.

There are still grooves along the edge so you can easily grip the pad when inking larger stamps.

Now lets see the new improvements to the design:

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The old style pads have a lip running around the bottom edge.  Making them a little thicker and when stacking they tend to be a bit wobbly.

The new pads are completely flat except for four tiny little “pegs” on the bottom and four little holes on the top of each pad.

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This allows them to “lock” onto one another when stacking.  An added bonus the thinner design saves space!!

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When the pad is open you now can add a sticker to the inside allowing you to see the color at a glance.

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The label on the front has a larger color block with a small icon showing the color collection it belongs to.  While the In Colors on the old pads did show that they were in that collection the core colors did not.  I love this feature, if you are like me I keep my ink pads by collections.  Now at a glance I can make sure they are in the right grouping.

Opening your new pads:

The pads have been designed to open easier.  They also are not as loose as the old pads reducing the chance of the pad coming out of its track.  That being said here are step by step directions and tips on opening your new pads.

Step 1: Grasp the pad in your hand and place your thumb in the little groove. Then simply lift up and open as you would a compact. No more push and slide.  This may take some getting used to, but once you get the hang of it opening them is super easy!  Tip: The pad will be stiff when you first open it,  but the more you open and close the pad it will loosen and the easier it will be to open.

Step 2: Once open, slide it along the track toward you and lock in place.  Again it will be stiff the first few uses.  This is normal and will loosen the more the pad is used.  The tighter fit is part of the design so the pad portion doesn’t come off the track.  Tip:  To help “grease” the track – try rubbing a birthday candle in the groove.  The wax will act as a lubricant.

Step 3: To close the pad grasp in your hand and place your finger in the channel pull sightly to unlock and then continue pulling until fully extended. Then flip over and snap closed.

Another final note on the ink pads.  Stampin’ Up! will no longer carry Archival Basic Black and Archival Basic Gray.   The Basic Gray will be replaced with a dye based Classic ink and be included the Neutrals Collection.  Note: You cannot use the Archival reinkers on the dye based pad you must use the classic Basic Gray reinker. 

As a substitute for the Archival Basic Black you will now use Jet Black StazOn for stamping on non-porus surfaces and  watercoloring.  When using your Blends you will continue to use your Tuxedo Black Memento pad.  Tip: Remember when choosing your ink pad, you want the ink to be the opposite of the medium you are using.  For watercoloring you want a solvent based pad (StazOn) and when using the alcohol based Blends you want a dye based ink (Memento or Stampin’ Up! Classic ink).

As a special promotion, you can purchase the 2018-2020 In Colors with the new pad design along with three different bundles  ranging in price from $57.00 – $127.50 and all include a free item as part of the promotion. These bundles are a sneak pre-view of the stunning Share What You Love Suite from the new 2018- 2019 Annual catalog and this offer includes an exclusive stamp that will not be available in the catalog.  See the video below for more details.

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The Gotta Have It All Bundle #149526 $127.50  The bundles includes all items pictured plus you will receive a package of Very Vanilla       8 1/2″ x 11″ cardstock, Very Vanilla Medium Envelopes and the Exclusive Statement of the Heart Single stamp for FREE.

SHOP NOW FOR ITEMS FROM THE SHARE WHAT YOU LOVE SUITE 

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As always, please feel free to share any post on Pinterest or Facebook! If you are interested in attending classes or any of my all day events be sure to visit my events page for a current schedule.  I welcome your questions on any stamping technique, Stampin’ Up! products or suggestions for future posts.  Please email me anytime!!

Happy Stamping!

~Jo

Making the world a happier place, one card at a time!

 

 

 

 

It’s Time to Sale-A-Brate!!

Posted in 2018 Occasions Catalog, Big Shot, Card Ideas, In Colors 2017-2019, Quick n' Easy, Special Promotions by

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This is my absolute favorite time of the year!  Sale-A-Bration is in full swing and as an avid paper crafter I am always excited when I can get more for my stamping dollar. This year Stampin’ Up! went all out, not only can you choose from some awesome stamp sets, there is ribbon, Designer Series Paper, Kits, Thinlits, and a even a Dynamic Textured Embossing Folder!  And not only can you get a free item for every $50 you spend you can also choose a few offerings at the $100 level.  Such choices…where to start??

First up a new style stamp, photo realistic.  It is patent pending and makes such an impressive statement.

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For this card I used Calypso Coral, Basic Gray and Whisper White.  The little pearls are colored using Calypso Coral and Smoky Slate blends.  Such an easy way to color coordinate all your projects!

How about something fun for a birthday?  Party Pandas is perfect!

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The fun bright colors of Lemon Lime Twist and Melon Mambo make this a card anyone would love!  The Melon Mambo balloon is created using the Balloon Bouquet punch then I added some Basic Black bakers twine for a cute little bow.  To give the balloon some dimension the edges were sponged using Melon Mambo ink then attached to the card with Stampin’ Dimensionals.

For a quick and easy card try using Beautiful Peacock!

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The colors of Lemon Lime Twist and Bermuda Bay go beautifully together, very peacock like don’t you think?  This card is done very clean & simple leaving a lot of white space and the set is photopolymer so lining up the peacock is a breeze!

Finally as I mentioned, Stampin’ Up! has added a few items that are available at the $100 level.  One of those is the Celebrate You Thinlits and they coordinate with the Amazing You set available at the $50 level.  If you have an order of $150 or more not only will you earn Stampin’ Rewards but you can get the set and coordinating thinlits for free!

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For this card I used the colors from the stunning Painted with Love Specialty Designer Series paper; Calypso Coral, Melon Mambo, Powder Pink, Rich Razzleberry, Whisper White and accents of Gold Foil.  I cut the “YOU” from Melon Mambo and “amazing” from Rich Razzleberry cardstock.  The little heart was cut from the Lots to Love Box Framelits Dies using Calypso Coral.  I decided to pick up the gold accents and embossed “are simply” with gold embossing powder on Powder Pink cardstock.

The BIGGEST sale of the Stampin’ Up! year is almost over.  Did you take advantage and get your FREE stamps and accessories??  If you haven’t there is still time – the sale ends March 31, 2018.

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How do you take advantage of this awesome event??  It’s so easy!

Just click here for all the details!

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Supplies Used:

As always, please feel free to share any post on Pinterest or Facebook! If you are interested in attending classes or any of my all day events be sure to visit my events page for a current schedule.

Happy Stamping!

~Jo

Making the world a happier place, one card at a time!

CPC Creating Pretty Cards – Card Sketch #78!

Posted in CPC Projects by

I am so excited to have been asked to be a guest designer for Craft Project Central for December 2017.  My project will be featured later in the month but here is another awesome project for December!  This month’s card sketch is by Monika Davis.  See the sketch below and be sure to enter the contest!

Each month in addition to the great 3D projects that Craft Project Central has for you, they also host a monthly card challenge – Creating Pretty Cards!! To help you recreate the sketch each month, they also provide a free Sketch Mini Tutorial! This mini tutorial has information about how the inspiration card (using the sketch) was created, supplies used, and basic measurements!!  For every ten cards submitted, they’ll pick one winner of a free one month subscription! The winner(s) will get to select the month of their choice! Head over to Craft Project Central to learn more and submit your creation!!

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If you would like to learn how to make any of the projects for this month, you’ll want to subscribe for the month of December. With your subscription, you’ll get illustrated, step-by-step instructions for five wonderful projects for only $10! You can find out how to gain access to a bonus sixth project over at Craft Project Central.

Be sure to check back during the month to see the other great projects featured!

If you would like to get a notification each time I post a project share, specials from Stampin’ Up! or myself, class schedules or video tutorials, please make sure you click “Follow By Email” at the top of this post.  That way you won’t miss a thing!

As always, please feel free to share any post on Pinterest or Facebook! If you are interested in attending classes or any of my all day events be sure to visit my events page for a current schedule.

Happy Stamping!
~Jo
Making the world a happier place, one card at a time!

 

I Miss You!!

Posted in 2017-2018 Annual Catalog, About me, In Colors 2017-2019, Uncategorized by

As many of you have noticed I haven’t posted in quite some time.  That is because as much as I would love to work my Stampin’ Up! business full-time, I do have a full time job at a CPA firm.  And as you may know,  in the US from December through April  15th it is tax time! And this year it went an extra 3 days until April 18th.  During this time I am so busy at work that I barely have time to breathe let alone devout as much time as I would like to my stamping business.  And that is OK.

As I keep saying this business can be run any way I want and each year I have to step back for a few months but I know when I return my business is right where I left it.

I still hold classes during tax season and we had a wonderful all day stamp event in January but finding the time for my videos and daily blog posts is an uphill battle.  With my classes and events I do get to see many of you on a regular basis but I miss sharing all my card and project ideas with you on my blog.  But I will be back very soon with videos and project ideas galore!

Oh and I have some very exciting news!!  As many of you know my daughter Sarah helps me so IMG_0993much with my website and videos, plus she is my right hand when it comes to my classes, events and craft shows.  Without her guidance and support I really don’t think I would have a website up and running let alone videos and pictures.  Well she decided to join the Stampin’ Up! family and recently became a demonstrator!  She plans on focusing her business on children and bringing stamping to them. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Lesley University College of Art and Design in Cambridge, MA and will be going back to school for her Master’s in education as she plans on opening a pre-school centering on education through art.  And she will be joining me this November in Salt Lake City for Stampin’ Up! OnStage.  So proud to have her join me!!

I do want to share a quick sneak peek at one of the suites that will be available in the NEW 2017-2018 Annual Catalog, the Eastern Palace Suite.

Shareable-1_EasternPalace_Apr0417_ENG[1]See those three ink pads peeking out?  Say hello to three of the new In-Colors!! From the top there is Tranquil Tide, a gorgeous blue-green color, Lemon Lime Twist – a fun bright green and Fresh Fig a rich deep berry.   You will also see a new product, Gold Vinyl Stickers that coordinate with the suite beautifully.  I can’t wait to try them out on all types of cards and home decor!  The detailed Designer Series Paper features Very Vanilla, Fresh Fig, Lemon Lime Twist, Tranquil Tide and Dapper Denim.  The photopolymer stamp set, Eastern Beauty is bold yet elegant and can be bundled with the coordinating Eastern Medallions Thinlits.  Such a fun suite!  I will be having a class on May 6th featuring three projects using this suite.  For more info please see my current class schedules.

During the month of May, Stampin’ Up! will be releasing the entire suite prior to the catalog release in June.  This is something they have never ever done before!  I am so excited about that, plus there will be several bundles with bonus offerings.  Please make sure you stop back by next week, I will have several samples up and more information on this great offer!

Thank you for visiting! Over the next few weeks I will be posting several project ideas using stamps and accessories from the retired list.  These items are available through May 31st or while supplies last.  For an up to date list please visit my online store.

If you would like to get a notification each time I post a project share, specials from Stampin’ Up! or myself, class schedules or video tutorials, please make sure you click “Follow By Email” at the top of this post.  That way you won’t miss a thing!  As always, please feel free to share any post on Pinterest or Facebook!

Happy Stamping!
~Jo
Making the world a happier place, one card at a time!

April Specials

From Stampin’ Up!:

Out with the old….in with the new!!

Yes it’s that time of year again!  While we are always sad to see our favorites go, it is the perfect time to complete your wish list from the 2016-2017 Annual Catalog and the 2017 Occasions Catalog ! And as a bonus many items are on sale at reduced prices!  What could be better!!!

Be sure to check out the entire list as items are selling out quickly and once they are gone they are gone forever!

To see all the items on sale and shop now at my online store [CLICK HERE]

From Me:

As a thank you for supporting my business, with any order of $35 or more (before shipping and tax) you will receive a FREE Sampler of Designer Series paper!

Just enter the Hostess Code FWYFSKEF when you place your order online. I  will send your gift to the address used for your order. If your order is $150 or more DO NOT enter the code. If you enter the code you won’t get your Stampin’ Rewards for FREE goodies and I wouldn’t want you to lose out on those! I will automatically send your gift when the order is placed.

This offer is only available only through Joanne Mulligan, an Independent Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator.  At this time I can only accept orders in the United States.  

To shop with me [CLICK HERE]

 

Thinking Outside of the Framelit!

Posted in Big Shot, Card Ideas, Card Share, Designer Series Paper, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Video Tutorial by

Something I like to do is think outside of the box when it comes to stamps, punches or in this case framelits.  While they are fantastic to use for their intended purpose I love the challenge of trying to find a new use for them.

Today’s share uses the Layering Ovals, Snow Friends and Cupcake Cutouts Framelits to create an adorable fall pumpkin!  Enjoy!

For a video tutorial on how to use the Big Shot [CLICK HERE]

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Card Dimensions:

  • Crumb Cake cardstock – 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″, scored at 4 1/4″
  • Halloween Night Specialty DSP (Pumpkin Pie graph check pattern) 4 1/8″ x 5 3/8″
  • Garden Green cardstock – 3 1/2″ x 4 1/4″
  • Crumb Cake cardstock 3 1/4″ x 4″
  • Pumpkin Pie – scrap pieces to cut 5 ovals
  • Garden Green – scrap pieces to cut the swirl and top hat

Framelits Used:

  • Oval Framelit – Inner dimension  1 1/4″ at the widest part x 2 1/4″ long
  • Top Hat – from Snow Friends
  • Swirl – from Cupcake Cutouts

Supplies Used:

Thank you for visiting!  If you would like to get a notification each time I post a project share, specials from Stampin’ Up! or myself, class schedules or video tutorials, please make sure you click “Follow By Email” at the top of this post.  That way you won’t miss a thing! As always, please feel free to share any post on Pinterest or Facebook!
Happy Stamping!
 ~Jo
Making the world a happier place, one card at a time!