Extra! Extra! Limited Time Offer! Stampin' Up offering $25 in Extra Hostess Benefits

Hi Everyone,

I am so excited to share the latest news from Stampin' Up!

Extra, Extra Hostess Promotion

From July 27 to August 31, Stampin' Up! hostesses can earn an EXTRA $25 to use toward Stampin' Up! products of their choice when they host a workshop totaling $350 or more!
This extra benefit is included along with the standard hostess benefits they receive when they host a workshop. The standard hostess benefits include
•A free 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalog worth $9.95!
•Free stamp sets only available to hostesses (with qualifying orders; select from the products on pages 10-16 of the Idea Book & Catalog)!
•Free Stampin' Up! products of your choice!

Workshop total          Free                  Extra, Extra     Grand
(before tax and        Stampin' Up!         hostess           Total
shipping)                 merchandise           awards


$350 - $399              $40               +        $25              $65


$400 - $449              $45              +         $25              $70


$450 - $499              $50              +         $25              $75


$500 - $549              $60             +          $25              $85

Now is a great time to get together with friends for a fun and relaxing time. Learn new techniques and create a fun project with products from the new 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalog. No stress involved, just lots of creative fun.
This extra hostess benefit is only being offered for a limited time, so contact me TODAY to schedule a workshop!
Until Next Time.
Happy Stampin',
Tricia Butts
http://www.triciabutts.stampinup.net/

Holidays in July Creative Card Share - Christmas in July Part 2

Hi Everyone,
I am back with the second Christmas card we created during last weekend's Christmas in July Creative Card Class. It is also the 5th and final card that we created.
This Christmas card could be considered the complete opposite of the previous card. Instead of traditional Christmas colors, I chose colors that reflect winter with icey blues and white.

The card base is created from Temptine Turquoise cardstock and the Whisper White cardstock has a stamped background created using the Sparkle and Shine Stampin' Around Jumbo Wheel in Tempting Turquoise Classic ink. I then embossed the stamped Whisper White cardstock using my Big Shot and the Square Lattice Textured Impressions Embossing Folder. I then matted the Whisper White carstock with a piece of Pacific Point cardstock to make it pop.

The ornaments were created with the Ornament punch, punching one of each from Tempting Turquoise and Pacific Point cardstock. I then embossed them using my Big Shot and two different Textured Impressions Embossing Folders. For the Tempting Turquoise ornament I used the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder and for the Pacific Point ornament I used the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder.

To adhere my ornaments to my card I used Snail adhesive for the Pacific Point ornament and then I used Stampin' Dimensionals to pop up the Tempting Turquoise ornament to create some dimension.

To finish off the card I used a sentiment from the Stampin' Up stamp set, Four the Holidays. This time I chose "Happy Holidays" and stamped it on the Tempting Turquoise card base using Pacific Point Classic ink.

This is such a fun and light hearted card that would be great to create for friends, teachers, co-workers and family. Again, you can change the colors around to vary your cards. Try adding some shimmer paint to the ornaments for a little added sparkle. Try using Platinum Shimmer paint for a silvery sheen or Frost White Shimmer paint for a softer look.

Thanks for taking the time to view my Holiday cards and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed creating them.

Stay tuned for more new ideas for the holidays as well as fun projects created with new and exciting products from Stampin' Up. Please contact me if you have any questions or you would like to place an order. Don't forget, you can also place an order using my Online Store that can be found on my Stampin' Up Website.

I hope you all have a wonderful, creative weekend.

Until Next Time.

Happy Stampin',

Tricia Butts

http://www.triciabutts.stampinup.net/

Supplies Used (All Stampin' Up):

Stamp Sets:

Sparkle & Shine Jumbo Stampin' Around Wheel Price: $8.50

Four the Holidays 116921  Price: $13.95  Set Quantity: 4

Cardstock: Tempting Turquoise, Pacific Point, Whisper White

Inks: Pacific Point, Tempting Turquoise Classic inks

Accessories: Big Shot, Square Lattice Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Vintage Wallpaper Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Ornament punch, Jumbo Stampin' Around Wheel Handle, Snail Adhesive, Stampin' Dimensionals.

Holidays in July Creative Card Share - Christmas in July Part 1

Happy Saturday Everyone,
Did you realize that tomorrow is July 25th, aka Christmas in July? Hard to believe isn't it? I actually went online just to see how long it is until each of the big 3 holidays and this is what I learned (as of July 24th):
99 days until Halloween
123 days until Thanksgiving (November 25th in the U.S.)
153 days until Christmas
Scary isn't it? So with that little piece of trivia to ponder, I will share with you today the two cards we made last weekend for my Holidays in July Creative Card Class. Hopefully the cards I have shared with you will help inspire you to start making your holiday plans.
Now everyone has their own favorite style when it comes to Christmas. Today I will be sharing two cards that have very different styles that are very easy to create.

The first card I want to share with you has a vintage feel to it using traditional Christmas colors of red and green with a hint of gold. I love this card because it gave me the chance to try out one of my new favorite Stampin' Up colors, Cherry Cobbler, combined with Old Olive and Very Vanilla. The card base and matte for the image are created with Old Olive cardstock and the embossed layer is a piece of Cherry Cobbler cardstock that I embossed using my Big Shot and the new Vintage Wallpaper Textured Impressions Embossing Folder.

The hint of gold comes from Stampin' Up's Champagne Mist Shimmer paint, which gives the card that wonderful antique glow. I gently sponged the shimmer paint onto the embossed ares of the Cherry Cobbler cardstock using a sponge dauber.

The stamp I used is Dasher, from the Ala Carte stamp selection in the new 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalog. I stamped this image on the Very Vanilla cardstock with Chocolate Chip Classic ink. To add a little sparkle, I used my Two Way Glue Pen to add Dazzling Diamonds to his antlers.

The finishing touch is the wonderful Old Olive 5/8" Satin Ribbon which just ties all the elements of the card together. I also stamped my sentiment on the inside with Chocolate Chip Classic ink. I chose to use the Merry Christmas stamp from the Stampin' Up stamp set, Four the Holidays, which has four wonderful holiday sentiments perfect for your holiday cards.

This quick and simple card would be great to send out to your family and friends for the holidays. Add a photo and a short newsletter to the inside of your card and your Christmas cards this year will be the talk of the town. Add a little variation by switching the colors around or come up with your own holiday color combination. Change the stamp and you will have a completely original card of your own.

I hope you enjoyed this Creative Card share and I hope it provides you with ideas to create your own Christmas cards and help to reduce the stress of the holidays.
Have any questions or want to place an order? Please contact me today and I will be happy to help you. Or place your order online via my Stampin' Up website using my Online Store. Just click Shop Now to start shopping.
Until Next Time.
Happy Stampin',
Tricia Butts
http://www.triciabutts.stampinup.net/

Supplies Used (All Stampin' Up):
Stamp Sets:
Four the Holidays 116921  Price $13.95  Set Quantity: 4
The perfect set for the holidays, the Four the Holidays stamp set has the perfect four phrases that will let you say Merry Christmas in just the way you want.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Dasher 116816 Price: $8.95
When you only have room for one of the reindeer, Dasher's your man! Stamp him once for a simple card, or multiple times to make up Santa's famous team!
Set Quantity: 1

Cardstock: Old Olive, Cherry Cobbler, Very Vanilla
Inks: Chocolate Chip Classic ink
Accessories: Big Shot, Vintage Wallpaper Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Old Olive 5/8" Satin Ribbon, Champagne Mist Shimmer paint, Dazzling Diamonds, Two Way Glue Pen, Stampin' Dimensionals, Snail Adhesive

Holidays in July Card Share - Happy Thanksgiving

Hi Everyone,
I am back with two more cards from last weekend's Creative Card class, Holidays in July. Today's card share focuses on Thanksgiving, that wonderful holiday spent with family and friends.
I love the colors of Fall and for the first card I used a Very Vanilla card base and gave it a lift with More Mustard cardstock embossed with the Square Lattice Textured Embossing folder using my Big Shot.

The top half of the Very Vanilla was stamped with the leaves image from the new stamp set, Confetti, to create a Fall background using the new In Color, Peach Parfait Classic ink. This stamp set has six different images suitable for holidays throughout the year. It is a great set and I am looking forward to playing with this set more in the future.

Once my background was stamped and the More Mustard cardstock was adhered to the bottom half of the card base, I used my new Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border punch to create a paper ribbon for my card from the new Cajun Craze cardstock. I love this color and I can see it being perfect for my Fall projects this year.

Let me tell you, this punch is so cool! It punches out the scalloped strip in one punch (no punching one side then flipping it over and trying to match it to punch the other side). You don't even have to cut a separate strip of cardstock to use it. I just punched it from a large piece of Cajun Craze cardstock and it left a neat straight edge on the remaining piece. Quick and easy to use and you have this neat paper ribbon to use on your cards, scrapbook pages and gifts.

I adhered the paper ribbon with Snail adhesive to cover the seam between the More Mustard and Very Vanilla cardstock.

Next I used my second stamp set for this card, Falling Leaves, to create the sentiment and the circle embellishment. I stamped the acorn Thanksgiving image using Cajun Craze Classic ink on Very Vanilla cardstock and then punched it out using the 1" Circle punch. I adhered this to the Cajun Craze paper ribbon using a Stampin' Dimensional. 

Finally, I stamped the Grateful sentiment with Cajun Craze Classic ink on Very Vanilla cardstock and then used the Word Window punch to punch it out. I adhered it to the More Mustard cardstock with Snail adhesive.

I love the informal, fun feel of this card and this design would be great to use to create a set of cards or to use for an invitation for a get together.

The second card we created has a more elegant, almost formal feel to it. This card really does showcase how amazing heat embossing looks on a card to create a tone on tone look that can be dramatic.

For this card we used the stamp set, Autumn Splendor, a wonderful leaf set that is perfect for the Fall and we combined it with the Jumbo Stampin' Around Wheel, Bright Blessings. For this card I chose to use Cajun Craze cardstock for my card base and Chocolate Chip cardstock for the accent strip.

The leaf background on the Cajun Craze card base was created by stamping the image using Versamark in randomly over the cardstock. Then I applied clear embossing powder to the images and heat embossed to bring the leaves to life. I love heat embossing, it's like watching magic happen as the embossing powder heats and melts to leave a raised, glossy image. Too Cool!

The next step, I used my jumbo Stampin' Around Wheel, Bright Blessings, with the Versamark ink and rolled my stamped image onto the strip of Chocolate Chip cardstock. Once again, I sprinkled embossing powder onto the image and heated it with the heat tool until the embossing powder melted to create the desired effect. I adhered the Chocolate Chip cardstock to my card base using Snail adhesive.

The last step is to create the acorn embellishment for the top of the card. Once again we will be heat embossing but this time we stamped the acorn stamped image (also from the Autumn Splendor stamp set) using Chocolate Chip Craft ink on Whisper White cardstock. Craft ink has a longer drying time and is perfect to use with embossing powder and gives you the option of many colors to choose from.

After stamping the image, I again sprinkled it with embossing powder and heated it with the heat tool. I then used the 1 1/4" Circle punch to punch out the image. Next I punched out a circle with the 1 3/8" Circle punch from Cajun Craze cardstock and adhered it to the back of the Whisper White circle to create a matte.

Finally, using the Scallop Circle punch, punch out a scalloped circle from a piece of Chocolate Chip cardstock and adhere it to the back of the Cajun Craze circle with a Stampin' Dimensional. The last step is to attach it to the top part of your card using a Snail Adhesive.

This is another great card design that would be great for making multiple cards at one time. It would also make a great masculine card and you could change the theme of the Stampin' Around wheel to suit the occasion.

I hope you have enjoyed these two Thanksgiving cards and hope that it inspires you to start thinking about your Thanksgiving projects. After all, Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday to spend with family and friends, so why not get your cards and projects done early so that you have the chance to enjoy a stress free holiday.

Until Next Time.

Happy Stampin',

Tricia Butts

http://www.triciabutts.stampinup.net/

Supplies Used (All Stampin' Up):

Card 1 Grateful Thanksgiving

Stamp Sets:

Falling Leaves 115368  Price: $21.95  Set Quantity: 9

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Confetti Wood Mount 116960  Price: $16.95  Set Quantity: 6
               Clear Mount 120465  Price  $12.95
 

  Cardstock: Very Vanilla, More Mustard, Cajun Craze
  Inks: Peach Parfait, Cajun Craze Classic Inks
 Accessories: Big Shot, Square Lattice Textured Embossing Folder, Dotted Scallop Ribbon punch, 1" Circle punch, Stampin' Dimensionals, Snail adhesive







Card 2: Autumn Splendor Thanksgiving
Stamp sets:
Bright Blessings Jumbo Stampin' Around Wheel 115626 Price $8.50
Autumn Splendor 116503  Price: $20.95  Set Quantity: 4

Cardstock: Cajun Craze, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White
Inks: Versamark, Chocolate Chip Craft ink
Accessories: Clear Embossing powder, Heat Tool, Stampin' Around Jumbo handle, 1 1/4" Circle Punch, 1 3/8" Circle Punch, Scallop Circle Punch, Stampin' Dimensionals, Snail Adhesive.

Holidays in July Card Share - Happy Halloween

Happy Friday Everyone,
I can't believe another week is over already. This summer really feels like it is flying by at lightning speed. This weekend I have to brave the stores to do my kids Back to School shopping. Who knows, maybe I will find some good deals for crafting while I am there, lol.
Today I thought I would share with you the cards that I created for last weekend's Holidays in July Creative Card class. It was so much fun to design these holiday cards and I am already coming up with new ideas for next month's classes. Stay tuned for details.
The first card share I have for you is a cute Halloween card made with one of my favorite stamp sets from Stampin' Up, Batty for You. This stamp set has 8 different stamps that will make creating Halloween projects so much fun. It works great with the 1 3/8" Circle punch and the Scallop Circle punch so that it is as simple as choosing your stamp, stamping it and then punching it out.
For this card I wanted to try out a new color combination for me using 2 of the new In Colors, Concord Crush and Pear Pizzazz. They work so well with the Pumpkin Pie card base and the Basic Black really made the colors pop.

I chose to use just one stamp, Batty for You, stamped in Basic Black Classic ink, to create my card but when we had the class I told my students to have fun and choose their own stamps and color combinations. They did a fabulous job and gave me so many great ideas to try. No two cards looked the same and I loved when they used the coordinating classic inks to stamp their images.

Everyone was amazed at how quick and simple this card was to put together and it is a perfect design for making multiple cards at the same time without taking a lot of time.

I hope you enjoy this card and hope it gets you inspired to start creating your own Halloween cards and projects. Batty for You is a great stamp set that works great for cards, scrapbooking and gift ideas. It is quick and simple to use and great for kids to create their own Halloween Treats. So why not get started today? Contact me to place your order or visit my Stampin' Up website and click Shop Now to place your order through my Online Store.

After all, Halloween will be here before you know it.

Until Next Time.

Happy Stampin',

Tricia Butts

http://www.triciabutts.stampinup.net/

Supplies (All Stampin' Up):

Stamp Sets: 

Teeny Tiny Wishes 114968  Price $36.95  Set Quantity: 24

Batty For You 116576 Price: $23.95

Create crazy tags or accents for cards or scrapbook pages with the adorable images from the Batty for You set. This set also coordinates with the Batty wheel and our Ghostly Greetings Designer Series paper for a monstrously fun combination.
Set Quantity: 8

Cardstock: Pumpkin Pie, Pear Pizzazz, Concord Crush, Basic Black, Whisper White
Inks: Basic Black (optional - Pumpkin Pie, Pear Pizzazz, Concord Crush)
Accessories: 1 3/8" Circle Punch, Scallop Circle Punch, Scallop Edge Border Punch, Stampin' Dimensionals, Snail adhesive

Creating a Card with the Stained Glass Technique

Hi Everyone,
I am so excited to share with you how I created the card from the previous past using the Stained Glass Technique on Vellum. This technique is created when you stamp an image onto vellum and then apply color using markers or ink to the reverse side so that when it is turned back to the front, it appears to look like stained glass. I hope that you will love this technique as much as I do.
Now because I created my original card for a swap, I didn't take photos of the steps along the way, so I chose to make a new card and took photos of the different layers (although I still forgot to take a photo of the colored vellum layer).

Here is a photo of the completed card I created. This time I decided to use orange and yellow for my flowers and although I like the color combination, next time I would switch it so that my roses were yellow and my blossoms were orange.

Ok, so to create this card I started with a card base of Very Vanilla cardstock because I wanted a vintage feel to my card.

Next I took my En Francais background stamp and using River Rock Classic ink, I inked the whole stamp. Then, with my background stamp on the table facing up, I carefully placed the front of my card face down onto the stamp and gently rubbed the back to transfer the image evenly. Carefully lift the card straight up to get a clean, crisp image.

This is how your card front will look when you are done. This will provide that soft background script that will add dimension to your card design. Put your card base to one side ready for the next step.

Now we will work on the top layer by cutting a piece of White Vellum Paper, 4 1/4 x 5 1/2. Place your piece of vellum on top of a clean piece of white typing paper to protect your surface and your image. This will make it easier to work on this part of the card.

Using the large rose floral image from the stamp set Elements of Style, I stamped this image on my vellum. Now I used Crumb Cake Classic ink but looking back at my card I wish I had used an ink that was darker so that the image stood out a little better. I would suggest trying Chocolate Chip or perhaps even Early Espresso Classic ink for a more defined stamp image that will allow it to show through when colored with the Stampin' Write Markers.

This is how it will look once you have stamped your image. As you can see, it has a very soft, sepia look to it. Allow the ink on the vellum to dry completely before moving onto the next step to avoid smearing.

While you are waiting for the vellum to dry, start choosing the colors that you want to use to color the elements of your stamped image. Remember that you want colors that will not be too dark so that you can still see the original stamped image through the color. I chose to use Pear Pizzazz (New In Color) for the leaves, Peach Parfait (New In Color) for my roses and Daffodil Delight for my blossoms. All three of these are brand new colors just released this month, and I am having so much fun coming up with new color combinations.

Once your stamped image on the vellum is dry, flip the vellum over so that the reverse side is facing up. Starting with the leaves and stems, color them in using the brush tip of the Pear Pizzazz Stampin' Write Marker to add soft subtle color to your leaves. Be careful not to smudge where you have colored with your hands (I find rotating the vellum as you color helps with this).

Next I colored the roses with my Peach Parfait Stampin' Write Marker. Now, when I first started I realized that it was a little too dark and my stamped image was not showing through as I would have liked. So then I tried just outlining the stamped areas with my marker and gently smudging the color with my finger tip which gave it a softer look. Another alternative would be to use a sponge dauber to carefully add color to the image. Play around with this to come up with what works best for you.

Using my Daffodil Delight Stampin' Write Marker to color my blossoms with just a touch of the Peach Parfait to add depth to the centers. When complete, allow it to dry to prevent the colors from smudging.

The sentiment on the front of the card is created using the new Level 3 Hostess stamp set, Occasional Quotes. I love having lots of different sentiments to choose from and this set has a wonderful variety that work for many different occasions. I used Pear Pizzazz Classic ink to stamp the sentiment onto Very Vanilla cardstock and then I punched it out using the Modern Label Extra Large punch and then sponged the edges with Pear Pizzazz Classic ink. The scalloped oval that mattes the sentiment is actually created from two halves of the Extra Large Scallop Oval punch from Pear Pizzazz cardstock, so that it evenly frames both sides of the sentiment. To add a little sparkle, I applied Dazzling Diamonds using my Two Way Glue Pen.

So now it is time to assemble my card. If you have any experience with vellum you will know that using adhesive with it can be a little tricky. Most adhesives will show through the vellum which is not a desirable look. I discovered that my Two Way Glue Pen worked great with the vellum without showing through, yippee!

Before you glue your vellum on your card, flip the vellum over to the right side and place it on top of your card front. Check and make sure that everything looks the way you want it and fix anything before the next step. Once you glue the vellum in place there is no going back.

To adhere the vellum to your card front, flip the vellum to the reverse side again and using your Two Way Glue Pen, draw a thin line along all four sides of your vellum. It will look blue but once it dries it will be clear and will not show. Carefully place your vellum onto your card front starting with the top and lining it up as you work your way down. You can carefully lift the vellum as you work with it to make sure it goes on smoothly. Gently smooth the vellum to make sure there are no bubbles or kinks.

Once you are happy with how it looks, you can adhere your sentiment to the vellum using snail adhesive. For the finishing touch, I took a sponge dauber and gently sponged the outside edges of the front of the card with Pear Pizzazz Classic ink for a soft shadow look. Because the ink will be on the vellum, you will still be able to see the background script through the sponged color. Here is photo of the finished card again for you to see.

There are so many ways you can use the Stained Glass technique to design your cards and papercrafting projects. Think of how pretty it would look for a Christmas card design or to enhance a scrapbook page. Please contact me if you have any questions or you would like to place an order. Remember you can also place your order online through my Stampin' Up website by clicking Shop Now.

I hope you have enjoyed today's Creative Card share and I hope that it will inspire you to create your own works of art.

Until Next Time.

Happy Stampin',

Tricia Butts

http://www.triciabutts.stampinup.net/

Supplies Used (All Stampin' Up):

Stamps: En Francais Background, Level 3 Hostess Set Occasional Quotes

Elements Of Style - Clear-Mount Stamp 120045 Price: $19.95

                                - Wood-Mount Stamp 118611 Price: $27.95 Set Quantity: 5

Creative Card Share - Stained Glass Technique with Vellum

Hi Everyone,
Well, my house is slowly getting back to normal and it no longer seems strange that we don't have guests here anymore. It was wonderful to have family visiting us and even though it was for only a short time, the memories will last a lifetime.
Today I thought I would share with you a technique that I have wanted to try for quite a while, but just hadn't gotten around to it. Thanks to a swap that I joined on the group "Art for the Creative Mind", I played with this technique and now I am addicted to it.
Honestly, it is really very simple but the effect is amazing and everyone that I have shown my cards to has just gone "Wow"! Now is that something that we all love?
Here is the original card that I created for my swap partner, Jeri, using the stamp set Elements of Style, the retired stamp set Asian Artistry (the dragonfly) and the background stamp En Francais (all from Stampin' Up). The butterflies are embossed and diecut with the Sizzix Embosslit die, Beautiful Wings and they are enhanced with Dazzling Diamonds for a little sparkle. The floral image has been stamped on vellum and colored on the reverse with my Stampin' Write Markers.

Don't you just love the soft, vintage feel to this card? The vellum gives the impression that the colored, stamped flowers are just floating on the surface of the card. In case you were wondering, the theme for the swap was Dragonflies & Butterflies and I think this card covered them both with style.

Would you like to see how I created this card? Stay tuned for my next post for details on how to create a card similar to this using the same technique.

Until Next Time.

Happy Stampin',

Tricia Butts

http://www.triciabutts.stampinup.net/

Supplies Used (All Stampin' Up):

Stamps: Elements of Style, En Francais, Asian Artistry (retired)

Inks: Basic Brown (retired), Crumb Cake Classic Inks

Papers: Very Vanilla Cardstock, White Vellum Paper

Accessories: Big Shot, Sizzix Beautiful Wings Embosslit, Stampin' Write Markers (Marina Mist, Blushing Bride, Wild Wasabi, Daffodil Delight, Bashful Blue), Sponge Daubers, Dazzling Diamonds, Two Way Glue Pen

Say Hello to Stampin' Up!'s New Color Collections

Hello Everyone,
I hope you are all having a great week. The weather is fine and hot here in Denver, Colorado, a big change from the big chill we had a week ago.
Today I wanted to share with you a video that Stampin' Up has just released, with wonderful details on the new Color Collections that were launched July 1st as part of the new 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalog.
Just click the video to view (if you are receiving this as an email update please visit my blog to view the video)

I love the new possibilities that the new Color Collections provide and the wonderful combinations available to bring your projects alive. Currently I am working with the new Cherry Cobbler (such a yummy sounding color isn't it?) and how beautifully it works with Old Olive and Very Vanilla for traditional Christmas cards. With the holidays just a few months away, it is not too earlier to get a jump start on your holiday cards and projects.
Contact me today if you would like to learn more about Stampin' Up!'s New Color Collections or the new 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalog.
Want to place an order? Please visit my Online Store here and click Shop Now or contact me to place your order.
Hope you all have an inspiring day.
Until Next Time.
Happy Stampin',
Tricia Butts
http://www.triciabutts.stampinup.net/

P.S. Don't forget, Stampin' Up! has some fantastic new Color Kits that make it even easier and affordable to add these new colors to your collection. Click here for details.

My Digital Studio - Birthday Splendor Card Creations

Hi Everyone,
I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and 4th of July holiday. We had a very wet day yesterday so we didn't venture out to watch the fireworks this year. Mind you, our neighbors more than made up for that and we had a spectacular display going on all around our house. It was rather fun to watch them from our doorway as the rain came pouring down. Our poor little dog didn't like it at all and she spent the evening safely in her kennel, warm and dry.
Yesterday I spent the afternoon cleaning my craft area and reorganizing my supplies. With our guests arriving in a few days, I decided today to create my card share with My Digital Studio rather than mess up my nice, clean studio.
Today's card creation is a birthday card I created using one of the recent downloads available to add to My Digital Studio. It is a set of beautiful backgrounds called "Summertime Splendor" and I love the soft, watercolor feel they have.

This quick and simple card was created entirely using My Digital Studio. The sentiment is one of the stamp images available as is the punch shapes I used to create the frame and matte for the sentiment.

The other wonderful thing about My Digital Studio is that you can still access the retired colors and use them to create your digital projects. The cardstock cardbase is Lovely Lilac and the scalloped oval is Pixie Pink (I reduced the opacity to give it a softer look).

This Lily design is just one of 6 designs from the Summertime Splendor digital designer series paper and the download is just $4.95.  That is amazing value when you consider all the possibilities available to you with these designs. You can use it to create 12x12 digital scrapbook pages as well (wouldn't this make a beautiful wedding page for a bride).

If you would like more information about My Digital Studio, please contact me and I will be happy to introduce you to the wonderful world of digital creations. Remember, you can place your order by visiting my Online Store here, just click Shop Now.

I hope you have a wonderful day.

Until Next Time.

Happy Stampin',

Tricia Butts

Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator

http://www.triciabutts.stampinup.net/

Summertime Splendor Designer Series Paper - Digital Download 121067

Price: $4.95
The Summer Splendor Designer Series paper digital download for My Digital Studio are an elegant and artistic addition to your digital library. Ideal for backgrounds or cut down for embellishments, these Designer Series papers are just what you need to capture the warmth and beauty of summer in your digital projects.

Because I Care - Stamped Tile Coasters

Hi Everyone,
Well, it has been a very busy week and I still have so many things to do. With my husband's family coming to visit next week, we have been getting things cleaned up and organized ready for their stay. Plus with the new catalogs going live yesterday to add some excitement, it has meant that I haven't had a much time for stamping.
Today's stamping creation is not a card but a gift idea with so many possibilities. As a decorative painter I learned that there were a lot of different surfaces I could paint on besides canvas. With ink and rubber stamps, I have discovered that I can do the same thing with my rubber stamping.
Tile Coasters are a fun and easy way to create a personalized and unique gift for friends and family. You can tailor the images you stamp to suit the recipient as well as vary the colors.

Today I wanted to play with some of my new catalog products. I chose the new Level 1 Hostess Set, Because I Care and the new Stampin' Write Markers New Color Kit, which contains the 13 new colors just released as part of Stampin' Up's Color Renovation.

The tiles are 4"x4" in size and I found mine at my local hardware store. The surface of the tiles does have some imperfections, so I recommend that when you select your tiles that you choose tiles that are relatively smooth with as few imperfections as possible to make stamping on them easier.

Using Stazon Jet Black Ink, I inked up the hydrangea stamp image and carefully stamped it onto the tile surface. If you find that the image does not come out the way you want it, quickly take a baby wipe and clean the stamped image off before it has a chance to dry. Allow the tile surface to dry and then try again. It is important to get even pressure on the stamp to get a nice clear image.

Next I stamped the sentiment Because I Care, again using the Stazon Jet Black ink. You now need to allow the ink to dry so that it will not smear or smudge.  Stazon ink is a solvent ink and is great for non-porous surfaces and dries very quickly which makes it great for this project.

Once your ink has dried (should only take a few minutes at the most), you can now add some color to the hydrangea images. This is where you can have some fun and make each coaster unique or you can create a set that looks the same.

For the blue coaster tile, I chose to use my new Baja Breeze Stampin' Write Marker and carefully colored in the blossoms of the flower. You only need to use the lightest touch to add the color with the brush tip of the marker so that you don't damage it. Next I used the new Wild Wasabi Stampin' Write Marker to color the leaves and the stems of the image. Again, you only need the slightest touch with the brush tip to add color to the image on the tile. If you want to add some depth and shadow to the leaves, just add a little more color to those areas.

To add some depth and shadow to the blossom of the hydrangea, I used the new Marina Mist Stampin' Write Marker to add color to the shaded areas of the petals.  I loved the way this gave the flower dimension and made it pop.

Now for the second tile, I basically did the same thing except instead of using shades of blue, I used shades of pink.

I still used the new Wild Wasabi Stampin' Write marker for the leaves, but this time I colored the blossoms with the new Pink Pirouette Stampin' Write marker. Can I just say, that I love that we have a pink that is slightly lighter than Pretty in Pink. It makes a very pretty combination and it meant that I was able to use my Pretty in Pink Stampin' Write marker to add the shadow and depth to the petals without being overpowering to the soft color of the flower.

I love that we now have the chance to own Stampin' Write markers for all of our colors and with the new Stampin' Write Markers New Colors Kit, it is a great way to add these new core colors to your existing collection.

Now because the Stampin' Write markers are water based, you will need to seal your tiles to make sure that the color does not bleed or fade. I used a clear sealer that is used to seal engines and can usually be found in automotive parts stores. The reason I use this particular spray sealer is because it is heat resistant so that it will be suitable to use for hot and cold drinks. You can also use other clear sealers but I recommend that you test them on a sample first.  Make sure that you use the spray sealer in a well ventilated area, preferably outdoors. It is best to spray a very light mist over the tile and then allow it to dry before applying another light coat. Do this several times to build up a good seal to your tile. These tile coasters can be cleaned with a damp cloth.

The final step is to add round felt discs to the corners of the bottom of the tile to protect your furniture surface. You can also choose to use cork or rubber "feet" for the bottom of your coasters.

I hope you have enjoyed today's stamping creation and I hope it inspires you to look at rubber stamping in a different way. Think outside the box, and look at surfaces other than the traditional cardstock and papercrafting supplies for a whole new world of possibilities.

Have a great day!

Until Next Time.

Happy Stampin',

Tricia Butts

Project Supplies (All Stampin' Up unless indicated):

Stamp Set: Because I Care Level 1 Hostess Set

Ink: Stazon Jet Black

Accessories:

Stampin' Write Markers -Baja Breeze, Marina Mist, Wild Wasabi, Pink Pirouette, Pretty in Pink

Tiles (available from hardware or tile stores), Clear Sealer (variety of stores).

Because I Care  Clear Mount 120118
                           Wood Mount 118384
Set Of 5
Level 1 Hostess Set (Contact me today to learn how you can get this stamp set for Free!)

Stampin Write Markers - New Color Kit 120948

Price: $35.95

If you already have Many Marvelous Markers and want to switch out retired colors for new colors, you'll want this kit. It includes new core colors and an updated insert for your Many Marvelous Markers case.

■ Dual tipped markers: .5 mm fine point and flexible brush

■ Includes 13 markers: Pink Pirouette, Baja Breeze, Pacific Point, Tangerine Tango, Crumb Cake, Wild Wasabi, Riding Hood Red, River Rock, Cajun Craze, Early Espresso, Cherry Cobbler, Marina Mist, Daffodil Delight

■ Odorless, water-based dye ink

■ Coordinates with Classic Stampin’ Pads and exclusive Stampin’ Up! card stock

■ Finger grips on cap aid in easy cap removal

Contact me today to place your order or visit my Online Store here, just click Shop Now, to start shopping.

Stampin' Up Color Renovation - New Color & In Color Kits

Hi Everyone,
I hope that you are enjoying the new catalogs and are as excited as I am about all the new products.
One thing I am really excited about and wanted to share with you is the new colors that were launched today. With the new Color Renovation, Stampin' Up now has 4 Color Collections - Brights, Neutrals, Regals and Subtles. For those of you who are familiar with Stampin' Up and their colors, you will notice that the colors that are returning from the previous catalog may not be in the same color family they were in before. There are also 5 brand new colors:
Cajun Craze, Daffodil Delight, Cherry Cobbler, Early Espresso and Marina Mist.
Plus, they decided to change Kraft to its new name Crumb Cake and now we not only have cardstock but we also have inks and a Stampin' Write Marker to match.
To celebrate these new colors, Stampin' Up has created an amazing New Color Kit Bundle so that you can add these wonderful colors to your collection:

Card Stock Bundle & Classic Pad New Color Kit 120950

Price: $34.95
Add our new colors to your existing collections with our card stock and Classic Stampin' Pad kit. It's like getting the card stock for free when you purchase this kit. Kit includes 6 new colors.

■ Colors included in kit: Cherry Cobbler, Cajun Craze, Daffodil Delight, Marina Mist, Early Espresso, Crumb Cake
■ Includes 24 sheets total of 8-1/2" x 11 smooth card stock: 4 sheets each of 6 colors
■ Includes 6 Classic Stampin' Pads, 1 each of 6 colors
Now the price of one Classic Stamp Pad is regularly $5.95, so when you multiply that by 6 you will realize that this is an incredible price, not to mention that you are basically getting the cardstock for Free!

The other great thing about the new catalog is the brand new "In Colors". This year there will be 5 new In Colors and they will be available for 2 years!  To celebrate the release of this year's In Colors, Stampin' Up has created a kit for the occasion:

Card Stock & Classic Pad In Color Kit   120952

Price: $29.95
Add our new In Colors to your existing collections with our card stock and Classic Stampin' Pad kit. It's like getting the card stock for free when you purchase this kit. Kit includes 5 new In Colors.
■ Colors included in kit: Poppy Parade, Blushing Bride, Pear Pizzazz, Concord Crush, Peach Parfait
■ Includes 20 sheets total of 8-1/2" x 11 smooth card stock: 4 sheets each of 5 colors
■ Includes 5 Classic Stampin' Pads, 1 each of 5 colors
This is a fantastic way to add the new In Colors to your collection and start creating fabulous new projects.
So you see, Stampin' Up has come up with some great ways for you to experience the new Color Renovation. Contact me today to place your order or visit my Online Store by visiting my Stampin' Up website and click Shop Now.
Until Next Time.
Happy Stampin',
Tricia Butts

P.S. Stampin' Up has more "RetroFit Kits" that will amaze you. Click here to view the details: