Stampin' and Scrappin' With Kristin

A Romantic Valentine?

I am back from Hawaii!  Did you even know I was gone?  I hope not - I scheduled blog posts to show up daily so you wouldn't miss me.  I got home last night and am back to work already!  I have a workshop tonight - and in true "Kristin Style", hadn't planned a thing before I left! 

My hostess had some very specific requests for the projects she wanted to work on.  She wanted a Romantic Valentine.  What on earth does that mean?!?!!?!?!?  Seriously.  Does "romantic" mean the same thing to everyone?  Right now, to me, that means something frilly and feminine. Hopefully Suzie likes this one!

Because I was running short on time, I turned to CASEing my friends' cards!!!  I remembered seeing a card awhile back on a Tiffany Bauer's blog.  You can click on the link to see her original card.  Well, since vintagey (is that a word?) is more Vanilla than White (at least in my opinion), I had to change up the colors. 

What do you think?  Did I accomplish a Romantic Valentine Card? 

Here are the supplies I used to make this card:

• Very Vanilla Card Stock (8-1/2" x 5-1/2")
• Blushing Bride Card Stock (4" x 5-1/4")
• Rose Red Card Stock (4" x 7/8" & 2-1/2" x 2-1/2")
• Springtime Vintage DSP (4" x 3/4")
• Victoria Lace Ribbon
• Heart of Hearts Embosslit (I totally forgot we sell this thing until I saw it on Tiffany's card)
• Framed Tulips Embossing Folder
• Big Shot
• Small Vanilla Rosette
• Three Little Words Stamp Set (you can get it for FREE during SAB)
• Rose Red Classic Ink

A Valentine - No Stamps Required!

I was digging through some piles of stamping stuff that I had tossed on my classroom table when I ran across a pack of Love Impressions Rub-Ons!  The best part?  They were FREE from Stampin' Up!  That's right - they just threw them in the box as a bonus to all demonstrators!  How cool is that?  I love those little surprises.

So, since it's almost Valentine's Day and I haven't showed them to you yet, I thought it was time that I did!!!  I made this card using the Love Impressions Rub-Ons - and no stamps!

Here are all of the supplies I used:

• Love Impressions Rub-Ons (121886 - $7.95)
• Love Impressions DSP (121780 - $11.95)
• Pink Pirouette Card Stock
• Basic Gray Card Stock
• Real Red Card Stock
• Big Shot
• 3/16" Corner Rounder
• Scallop Rectangle Clearlit

Vintage Valentine

What's your definition of vintage?  I copied this card straight out of the Occasions Mini catalog because the heart image reminded me of an old-fashioned valentine.  And, just like any card in a Stampin' Up! catalog, it was a bit labor-intensive, but not too bad.

We made this card at Heather's Vintage Valentine workshop a couple of weeks ago.  I love it.

Did you know that ALL of the supplies used to make every single project in the Stampin' Up! catalogs (including the minis and Sale-a-Bration) are listed online?  YES!  It's a great resource. 

You can find the supply lists online on the Stampin' Up! website at the following navitagion:  Our Products > 2010-2011 Catalogs.  You'll see all of our current catalogs listed.  You can even download a PDF of each catalog to save for ideas!  And, below each catalog is a link to the supplies - also a PDF that you can save to your computer for future reference.  I've been saving ALL of these for years!

• Be My Valentine Set
• Crumb Cake Card Stock
• Very Vanilla Card Stock
• Cherry Cobbler Card Stock
• Subtles Patterns Designer Series Paper
• Cherry Cobbler Classic Stampin' Pad
• Chocolate Chip Classic Stampin’ Pad
• Pearl Basic Jewels
• Big Shot
• Clear Circle Die
• Scallop Circle Die
• Kit #4 Texturz Texture Plates

Downline Swaps

My group of demonstrators gather every month to stamp, chat, visit, and have fun!  We talk about the accomplishments during the past month.  We talk about upcoming promotions.  We share ideas - both business and stamping.  But, one of the highlights is swapping cards!  I surprised my downline this month by starting a Swap Contest.  They didn't really know about it (not sure if that's really fair or not).  But, everyone who swapped had their card entered - I'm thinking that I'll make that optional next month!  Everyone voted for their favorite.  This month's card was definitely a favorite (although the others were fantastic as well (and one was really tasty)!  This winning card was designed by Dawn Kifer! 

I met Dawn at work a few years ago.  She came to a couple of classes.  She hosted a workshop.  And, during last year's Sale-a-Bration, she signed up to be a demonstrator!  Happy Anniversary, Dawn!  I've enjoyed watching fall in love with stamping over the past few years.  And, I love seeing her get excited about sharing her love of stamping with her friends and customers! 

The prize for winning was a pack of Red Glimmer Paper out of the Occasions Mini Catalog.  I LOVE this paper.  Why?  Because the glitter does not come off!  There is no mess!  I can be a glitter girl without looking like I'm covered in stripper dust.  Yes, I just said that.  And, I've decided that each month, I'll share the winning swap with YOU!

Thank You Cards

One of my New Years Resolutions is to send thank you cards....and LOTS more of them.  We're not even halfway through January, and I already had a list of 20 people that needed to be thanked!  Who am I thanking?  Anyone who placed an order or attended a class!  I thought I remembered seeing a card similar to this somewhere.  So, I turned to Stampin' Connection to see if I could find it.  I found one by Emily LaBonte that I liked.  I tweaked it a bit and continued to use the Basic Gray and Real Red combo with some of the Love Impressions DSP.

So, what else did I use on this card?  Well, here's a full list:

• Valentine Defined Stamp Set (121941-C or 123057-W)
• So Happy For You (SAB 2011)
• Owl Punch (118074)
• Real Red Classic Ink
• Basic Gray Classic Ink
• Real Red Card Stock
• Whisper White Card Stock
• Basic Gray Card Stock
• Love Impressions DSP (121780)

Don't forget, you can order any of the supplies to make this project online 24/7!

Valentine Banner

I didn't leave the house this past weekend....and I loved it!  The snow kept me inside, but I also was getting caught up on some much needed stamping!  I'll be showing you more projects over the next few days. 

This banner was inspired by the banner that I made here with my Die Cut Divas.  Everyone seemed to love it.  Well, one of my divas was over for my January class last week and mentioned she was making love banners.  Thanks for the idea, Suzie!  What a great idea!  I'm not sure what hers looks like, but I decided to make my own!

I used the color choices from the Occasions Mini Catalog in the Love Impressions Specialty DSP"  Pink Pirouette, Real Red, and Basic Gray.  LOVE this combo!

So, how did I make it?  I cut squares of chipboard and Red Glimmer Paper (121790) in 3.5x3.5, adhered them together with the Sizzix Multipurpose Adhesive Sheets (120805), then ran them through my Big Shot with my Scallop Squares Duo Bigz Die (120903) which is still available from the Holiday Mini Catalog.

I cut layering background pieces out of Whisper White card stock and the Pink Pirouette DSP from the combo.  What's that?  You're wondering where that is?  Well, the swatch in the catalog doesn't show it, but the "All You Need in Love" swatch has about 8 inches of fabulous heavy-weight pink pirouette over the sentiment.  Also look for those little hearts on a project sometime soon as well.  So, if you're not a scrapbooker, you can still use this paper!

I cut the letters with my Big Shot as well with my most favorite alphabet, Simple Letters (115960).  I should have used my multipurpose adhesive as well for the letters, but I was lazy and used glue dots.  I must have used a few thousand glue dots this weekend!  I then embellished with a punched glittery heart and some basic pearls. 

I assembled the final project with some Pretty-in-Pink 1-1/2" striped grosgrain ribbon and my hot glue gun.

January Die Cut Divas

I wanted to share a project my Die Cut Divas made this month.  It uses one of the new dies in the Occasions Mini Catalog - Fun Flowers.  It's a Bigz die so it will cut paper, fabric, tin, chipboard, and over 60 other materials!  We used paper to decorate a box.  The box was inspired by a gift I received from my friend and demonstrator, Kristin Allcorn.  She used a box that was on the Clearance Rack awhile ago.  I just loved it so much, I thought my girls would like to make one, too!

We cut two of each of the flowers in the die and used the three largest.  The flowers were cut from Pink Pirouette Card Stock.  We sponged some Rose Red Classic Ink on the edges of the petals.  Then we spritzed the petals and crumpled them to make them more "fluffy".

I think there are all sorts of possibilities for this flower! 

Here's a photo of the box my friend, Kristin, made.

Letterpress!

I know I shared my first letterpress card with you earlier this month.  Here's another card I made for the Open House.  I inked up just one "love" with a sponge dauber and some Real Red Craft Ink.  In the closeup you can see I hit a couple of other letters without realizing it.  BUT, I love how this looks.  I didn't want to embellish it at all so you could fully enjoy the letterpress effect!

 

With All My Heart Class Reminder

I just wanted to give you a quick reminder that today is the last day to sign up for this class!  The class is just about half-full so there's still plenty of room for you!

Here are the details:

This class will feature the "With All My Heart" stamp set seen on pages 12 and 13 of the 2010 Occasions Mini Catalog.  Each participant will receive the With All My Heart stamp set in their choice of Clear Mount (a $13.95 value) or traditional Wood Mount format (a $17.95 value). 

During the class we will make five projects showcasing fun ways to use this cute stamp set!  Two of the projects you will make are pictured over there on the right.

Date:  Thursday, February 11th - 7pm

Location:  Kristin's Classroom in Elmer, NJ

Materials Fee: 
- Clear Mount Option $30:  Includes Clear Mount Stamp set.  BYOB (Bring Your Own Blocks - A, B, C, D, and G are recommended.)
- Wood Mount Option $35:  Includes Wood Mount Stamp set.

Registration Options:
- E-mail me (kristinfuller@aol.com) to register
- Call me (856-503-7459) to register
- Click HERE for online registration or to register and pay with a Credit Card via PayPal

Nancy's Vintage Valentine

Each month I have a group of ladies who get together to stamp.  I'm a little too nice sometimes and let them tell ME what to do.  Each month I'm a bit scared of what they might request.  Well, last night was Nancy's month to host stamp club.  She requested a "Vintage Valentine incorporating the Medallion Background stamp".  Well, at least the Medallion looks vintage!  BUT, after watching Shelli's Vintage demonstrations at Leadership and Regionals, I REALLY wanted to use the Very Vintage wheel.  I was struggling to think up a Valentine's sentiment that was vintage.  Then I remembered the Holiday Best hostess set!

Here's what I came up with.  What do you think?  First, I took some naturals ivory card stock and rolled my Very Vintage wheel this way and that all over using Soft Suede.  I simply inked up the wheel on my Soft Suede ink pad.  But, before I rolled it on my card stock, I rolled off a bit of the excess ink first.  I never reinked the wheel.  I just let portions get lighter and lighter.  I purposefully overlapped the designs.  (Shelli did that on a scrapbook page and it looked great.) 

Next, I had to incorporate the Medallion that Nancy requested.  Well, Shelli showed us how she layered lots of stamped images.  So, I inked up that darn Medallion in Rose Red, stamped off once, and then stamped in the corner.  LOVE IT.  Why did I choose these colors?  Well, at the time I was designing the card, I was packed for a workshop and didn't want to unpack my workshop bag!  I never would have paired these two up, but they WORK!  I'm glad I was too lazy to find another ink pad!

I stamped the Valentine Sentiment on more naturals ivory using my Rose Red ink again.  I punched it out with my Wide Oval Punch.  But, I hate that that punch doesn't have a punch that's a bit larger.  So, I whipped out my Big Shot and cut out my favorite label.  When I think about vintage, I think about distressed.  So, I crumpled my label.  LOVE IT!  I adhered it right in the middle of the medallion.

But, I wasn't done yet.  The card still need something.  Of course I was trying to work in some ribbon, but it just wasn't happening.  I punched out a couple of hearts using my Full Heart Punch, ran my Very Vintage wheel over them inking them up with any remaining Soft Suede residue that might be remaining and then crumpled away!  I also inked the edges just a bit so the popped when layered.

I then distressed all of the edges of the card stock, tore a little, sponged a little, layered a little, and voila...you have Nancy's Vintage Valentine card.  What do you think?

January Die Cut Diva Projects

Each month a group of ladies who have all purchased the Big Shot from me get together and make three adorable projects.  This month was fun because of the new catalog!  I must confess that all three of these projects were inspired from someone else. 

First up, the snowman box.  We make an adorable box every month.  This box was designed by fellow demonstrator, BJ Peters.

Next was an adorable card inspired by my sideline, Ilina Crouse.  She is SO very talented.  She made several cute cards where she punched out hearts and put paper or ribbon behind them.  I loved the idea and had to incorporate it.  The Sending Love Specialty DSP is peeking through the hearts on my card.  I also used the brand new Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Folder for the background.  It's a great addition to our Impressions Folder collection!

Finally, my Die Cut Divas made a card inspired by a MJ Albright card.  She used different colors and the Impressions Folder used above.  But, I cased the idea, layout, and the butterfly idea.  These butterflies were made using the brand new Beautiful Wings Embosslit.  This is a MUST HAVE Embosslit for anyone with a Die-Cutting machine...Big Shot or not!  She layered them with a half pearl on top.  I used the teeny tiny Epoxy brads in the Occasions Mini.  The paper is actually the DSP pack from the SAB catalog!  I love how this one turned out!  And what colors did I use?  Melon Mambo, Pretty in Pink, and Chocolate Chip.  I LOVE Melon Mambo and Pretty in Pink together!!!

 

Valentine's Love Notes

Do you see a theme here?  I'm all about Valentine's Day this week!  I pulled out all of my new stuff and just started stamping.  I wanted to use the new "Kisses" in the Occasions Mini catalog.  They're these really cute die-cut notes.  They're TEENY TINY...and inexpensive.  You get 20 for $3.95.  I was struggling to figure out which was was up!  So, I made one of each!  I also love the assortment of "a la carte" stamps in the Occasions Mini.  They're smaller background stamps which were designed with the "kissing technique" in mind, but I thought they were perfectly sized for a 3x3 Love Note as well - and perfectly priced under $10 each!!!

Here are the supplies I used on these two, adorable notes:

• Fine Flourish Stamp (OccMini)
• Dot, Dot, Dot Stamp (OccMini)
• I {Heart} Hearts Stamp Set (OccMini)
• Well Scripted Stamp Set (OccMini)
• With All My Heart Stamp Set (OccMini)
• Kisses Love Notes (OccMini)
• Real Red Satin Ribbon (OccMini)
• Real Red Card Stock
• Pretty in Pink Card Stock
• Whisper White Card Stock
• Real Red Classic Ink
• Pretty in Pink Classic Ink

On Board Plaques

I ordered a bunch of the new On Board Books from the Occasions Mini Catalog.  Since I was in a Valentine's Mood, I used the heart first.  I had intended to make a banner and cut letters with my Sizzix Dies, but they seemed too small.  So, I made a plaque instead.  I simply covered a heart in Sending Love Specialty DSP.  It's hard to tell in the picture, but it's glittery paper!!!  LOVE IT!!!  You get 12 sheets in each pack.  One side of each sheet is glittery.  I can tell this will be a hit!!!  I adhered the DSP to the chipboard using my Anywhere Glue Stick.

Next, I cut letters using my Big Shot out of Real Red Card Stock.  I used Snail to put them on.  I then gathered up some 1 inch strips of DSP and adhered them to the back of the chipboard for a ruffly look.  It reminded me of boxes of chocolate that you receive on Valentine's Day.

Finally, the On Board Books come with a pre-punched hole on one corner.  But I needed two.  So I used a second heart as a template to make sure my second hole was perfectly placed.  I then used my Crop-a-Dile to punch through the DSP and Chipboard.  I used Pewter Eyelets and some Real Red Satin Ribbon to create the hanger.  What do you think?

Here's another close-up of the ruffled edge.

Leadership 2010 Swap

Hello friends!  Did you have a great holiday?  I'm enjoying a much-needed rest!!!  Mike and I had our annual holiday open house the weekend before Christmas...and it never fails, I got sick!  I think I completely wear myself out from all of the stress that my body gives up.  I was hoping to spend all of that weekend stamping, but instead I napped, read, and watched my husband dig us out of 2 feet of snow!!!  I had high expectations of all of the stamping I'd get done between 12/15 and 1/13 (the month I'm taking off from stamping events).  But, it wasn't until yesterday that I sat down and stamped!!!  I made my swaps for our Leadership Conference in Arizona next week!  I made 48 of these.  I may make another batch, but I make far fewer for Leadership.  I used as many new products as possible.  I purchased all of the stamp sets in both wood mount and clear mount versions.  That way I'd have double for my events.  I chose to use the clear mount stamps to make these.  The stamping went SO fast!!!  I love my Stamp-a-ma-Jig, but being able to easily see where the words and images were going saved so much time!

Here are the supplies I used:

• I {Heart} Hearts Stamp Set (OccMini)
• Whimsical Words (SAB)
• Chocolate Chip Classic Ink
• Pretty in Pink Classic Ink
• Chocolate Chip Card Stock
• Pretty in Pink Card Stock
• Old Olive Card Stock
• Whisper White Card Stock
• Card Stock Vellum
• Tea Party DSP
• Small Heart Punch (OccMini)
• Pinking Hearts Punch (OccMini)
• Pretty in Pink Satin Ribbon (Occ Mini)

Occasions Mini Sneak Peek - With All My Heart

Today's card was the project I created for last week's downline meeting.  I wanted to use as much new product as I could on this card.  First, we HAD to use the new clear-mount stamps.  Second, I'm in love with our new, epoxy brads.  So, I had to use those.  Next, the specialty paper in the new mini is fabulous!  It's glittery on one side of each of the twelve.  Finally, wow wow wow...I LOVE all of the new satin ribbon.  It now comes in 10 colors (if you include the white we have been selling).  It's a nicer option than the wide grosgrain. 

So, if you couldn't keep up, here are the supplies I used:

• With All My Heart Clear Mount Stamp Set (Occasions Mini)
• Clear Block Bundle (Occasions Mini)
• Sending Love Specialty DSP (Occasions Mini)
• Sending Love Epoxy Brads in Pretty in Pink (Occasions Mini)
• Real Red Satin Ribbon (Occasions Mini)
• Pretty in Pink Card Stock
• Real Red Classic Ink
• Pretty in Pink Classic Ink
• 1 3/4" Circle Punch
• 1 1/4" Circle Punch
• 3/4" Circle Punch
• 1/16" Cirle Punch