Good day for a sweater!

Brrrrr... good snowy morning Stampers!

Right now it is 3 degrees and that is as good as it will get. Heading to 20 degrees below zero shortly!  You know what that calls for... sweaters!  I'm a big fan of sweaters, all kinds, but especially cool Norwegian looking ones. Back when I was knitting alot, I made several and they were as fun to knit as they are to look at and wear.   You won't be surprised by my card today:

There are a couple of sweater ideas on this card. First, obviously, the bear is wearing a great sweater. I managed this by stamping the bear with his sweater twice, once in Early Espresso and once in Cherry Cobbler and then cut out just the sweater on the Cherry Cobbler and put dimensionals on it and added it to the bear. Couldn't be any easier!  I also used our wonderful cable knit embossing texture folder which screams SWEATER!  This was a simple card with a powerful theme... stay warm!

Hope you have a great weekend!
Happy Stampin'!
Sarah

Be Filled With Wonder

Hi there Stampers!
I'm enjoying looking back at all the Christmas cards I made since July!  I hosted 5 Christmas card buffets and estimate that between 75-100 cards were made at each and that is a whole lot of Christmas cheer that is being spread around the country!  Making the card is one thing... actually getting it in the mail is another, right?  I love that we always have so many choices for designs and themes. There is never a style I don't like at Christmas!  Here's a card that combines some new and old:

Want to know something crazy?  You people love purple!  Every time I have a purple colored card option in my buffet, it is one of the first cards chosen by almost everyone!  I have no idea why purple is so popular, but it is!  I used Perfect Plum and Elegant Eggplant for this card. I used the nativity stamp from the Annual Catalog and then used the snowflake "Flurry of Wishes" from last year that is also in our catalog. I used some silver ink for the snowflakes and a little blingy silver glimmer paper for a star. I also used my tag topper punch!  See below for the supply list. This style of card is a breeze to make for any occasion!

There are only a couple more week to take advantage of the Holiday Catalog so look it over and make sure you've ordered what you can't live with out!  Orders should be placed this week in time for Christmas delivery!

Well, I'm off to shovel some more snow... it's coming down pretty hard today!  Have a good one!
Sarah

The Prince of Peace

Hi stampers!

I'm back to Christmas again and somewhat losing track of what I have already shared with you. I hope what I have today is new!  I need to figure out a system that doesn't involve reading my old blog posts which is too time consuming! I love trees, all kinds. This card features them!

This combines a couple of tools that are in the main Annual Catalog, that we've enjoyed for a couple of Christmas seasons now; Peaceful Pines and the Woodland embossing folder. They are so versatile and fun to use. I switched up my colors just a tad to get away from red/green. This is the retired Mossy Meadow green (which is perfect for pine trees) combined with Rose Red. I really liked the combo along with the white birch trees in the background. The stamped sentiment is in the shape of the largest tree and gets the message of the true reason for Christmas across in a eye-catching way.

I'm getting my schedule for classes set for January. They are posted on my Stampin'Up! web site calendar so check them out!  My goal for 2017 is to try to hold an online class and see how that works. Have to figure out how to do it first!

Happy Wednesday!
Sarah

Hoo's having a birthday?

Hi friends!
I thought I would take a break from showing you new stuff today. I realized that can be exciting to see but also terribly frustrating as you have to wait to be get your hands on hand of it!  January 4th will be here all to soon, I fear!

I am always in need of birthday cards and I wanted to show you what you can do with Christmas product to make it non-holiday and therefore, more versatile!  Here's my card:

I used all Christmas product in this design, other than the sentiment and card stock.  The owl is from the "Cozy Critters" hostess set in the Holiday catalog; the background paper is from the "Warmth and Cheer" paper stack (as well as the washi tape!) and the stocking cap you have seen many times on my blog, also from the Holiday Catalog "Jolly Friends" bundle. I purposely picked a color scheme that would make this card appropriate for a guy or gal. As you can imagine, it wasn't very complicated to make and a breeze to assemble!  Have you thought about how to use your Christmas products in non-Christmas ways?  Try it, you might like it!

Regarding my blog, my traffic has exploded the last couple of months. I want to thank you for stopping by and seeing what I'm up to. I would love to hear from you!  You can leave comments below, shop in my online store or even join my team of Big Sky Stampers!  We have a great time and are already comprised of people spread far and wide!  The links to shop or join are to the right and I would love to get to know you!
Happy Stampin'!
Sarah

Card for the Handyman!

Happy Monday Stampers!
Hope you are ready for another week of December and all that brings. Last week was my busiest week of the month so I'm okay with having that behind me!  I'm continuing to play with some new product and think about ways to use it. One thing I consistently hear from people is that they need more ideas for guys. It's fairly easy to come up with projects for women, flowers being an easy "go-to" for instance. It is harder to make a masculine card that isn't cheesy.  Stampin'Up! has a new set in the upcoming Occasions Catalog that will be perfect for such cards and projects... TOOLS!  I didn't get to elaborate with my design but just made a simple pocket out of the Envelope Liners framelits to store my tools.  Here's the card:

Once we are officially underway in January, I plan to tweak this a little and incorporate some foil duct tape, two-toned tools, etc. We'll see what I come up with. Put this bundle on your wish list if you need more ideas for guy cards, or the handy ladies in your life!

Happy Stampin'!
Sarah

Eight steps to a successful Christmas tag party!

My daughter had the great idea of asking some friends to come to my house, make some tags or Christmas cards, eat food, mimosas and possibly hot tub!  Sounds like a very festive thing to do on a very snowy Saturday, right?  I was game and in a couple of hours,  I threw together a tag and card party. It was easy and I want to share my  "how to" steps in case you want to do something similar. Part of being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator is nurturing a flexible spirit... haha!

1.  Gather up some old paper that is sturdy and color appropriate, cut into tags. Also scrounge around for old tag kits:

2. Find some fun stamps you've bought over the years that work for tags!

3.  Clean out your Christmas stash of doodads... ribbon, bells, glitter, washi tape, etc... add it to the pile!

4. Gather up some punches and ink... lots to choose from!

5. Grab the Paper Pumpkin kit you haven't opened yet and let them all try their hand at making a card!

6.  Welcome your daughter and her friends, step back and let them play with all the stuff!

7.  Have them bring the food and beverages they want and add more paper to the stack!

8.  Take fun pictures of their ideas!  

And all had a great time!  That's how to throw a spur of the moment Stampin'Up! party!

Christmas Cheer!
Sarah

Stylish women

Hi Stampers!
If you are spending any time on Pinterest, looking at the cards people are making with new products from the Occasions 2017 catalog, you will recognize the stamp set I want to feature today!  This is a set that has 3 different sketches of women, some swashes of color and oodles of sentiments to customize your design!  Here are my cards:

These are all basically the same design, but I switched up 1) color, 2) which woman stamp I used, 3) sentiment and 4) stitched framelits shape. There is also a little clear Wink of Stella on the color swashes. I used my background paper stack, Subtles version.   I love these cards. How great would it be to make a stack of cards with no sentiment and then customize the card with a sentiment that suits the occasion?  You will be seeing much more of this stamp set!

Have a great weekend!  Hope you are partaking in some festive merrymaking!
Sarah

Lifting Me Up!

Hi stampers!
It's well below zero here in Montana but that never affects my creative spirit!  In fact, some days it enhances it as there is no good reason to be outside doing anything else!  I grabbed my second stamp set from my preorder box and whipped this out in about 5 minutes. I barely even had to think about it, the design was obvious!  Here's my card:

There is a fabulous stack of paper related to hot air balloons, clouds, sky, landscapes that is one of the Sale-A-Bration deals. You can get it for free by ordering at least $50 worth of product. The hot air balloon is part of a framelit set which is in the new Occasions's Catalog. There are 2 more balloons and many accompanying elements like clouds, a basket, etc.   This will be fun!!

I've got more ideas and am heading back to the stamp room to try them out... Stay WARM!!!
Happy Stampin,
Sarah

Birthday Ferris Wheel!

Thank you so much to those of you who viewed my video on Facebook.  I didn't have time to trouble shoot why I couldn't post it here and frankly, that's alot of tech stuff that I don't always get. I need to find a blog guru!

My video was a quick peek at my preorder from the new Occasions 2017 catalog and Sale-A-Bration brochure. I've been through them multiple times now and am excited about what's available. There are a wide variety of themes, styles, moods, etc so we should all find something to be happy about!  As promised, I started creating yesterday and here's my first card with new stuff!

This is a card that is a tad flashier in person!  All the frosting on the cupcakes has clear Wink of Stella brushed on them so they are a little glitzy in real life!  It's hard to capture that in a picture.  What do you think about the color scheme of this new paper?  It features Bermuda Bay, Peekaboo Peach, Calypso Coral and So Saffron, along with Chocolate Chip!  I love the freshness of it and what a breath of fresh air after red and green for the past few months! The frosting was also die cut with another new set of framelits that will be mentioned tomorrow with my next card!  

Are you curious about seeing the catalog and SAB brochure up close? Here they are!

I'm not allowed to show you the inside until January 4th, when the catalog goes live, but I can show you projects that I am making with the new stuff. You will be very happy, I promise!

Until then, don't forget about the fantastic Clearance items on sale in the store. Some things are discounted up to 60%.   It's a great time to stock up!  Just click on the "shop now" icon to your right and you'll be at the online store.

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Stampin'!!
Sarah

My first video - on Facebook!

So, my big plan was to feature my first video today on my blog... ALAS, I can't get it loaded as I keep getting an error message that the video is too long (it's only 2 minutes!). I'm a rookie with video uploading so while I try to fine tune this whole thing, I invite you to view it on my Facebook page!  I think that will reach most of you ;)  

On Facebook, do a search for Big Sky Stampin' - Sarah Cade and you'll find my page and the video!

Stay tuned for more as I continue to unpack my preoder from the new Occasions Catalog!

Christmas Joy and LIght

Hi stamper friends!
I hope you had a great weekend as we ushered in December!  Our house is all decked and we even found a spot for the tree after a little brainstorming in our new living room!  My mom was a pretty serious Christmas decorator but my family has taken it to soaring heights!  We really get into it.

As I was fiddling with different Christmas card ideas this season, I thought about something that could be a card but also a stand-up decoration. Here's my idea:

this is a version of an easel card, although the mechanics are a slightly different take. The outside base of the card is 11" x 4-1/4". I scored the card at 2-1/4" and 3-1/4". The top layer is adhered to the 2-1/4" side and the other flap is my easel base.  I used the Jar of Love framelits, copper foil and plenty of pine boughs and berries to decorate. I also used a battery-operated votive for my light in the jar.   I hope you like this fun and festive idea!  This could easily be adapted for other occasions and seasons as well. As usual, your imagination is the limit!

I'm excited for today... Mr. Brown (UPS) is due to arrive later this afternoon with my preorder box from the new Occasions Catalog which goes live on January 4th!  I can't wait to see what some of my choices look like in person (especially the paper) and then start creating!  Stay tuned as I switch gears away from Christmas and towards the New Year!

Just a reminder that many products are retiring from the Holiday Catalog Come January 3rd. If there's something you have been hoping to get, I would get it while it is still in stock as some things are only available while supplies last ;)  You can see everything that's available, some of it at great discounts, in the store. Click on the  "shop now" button and you are on your way!

Happy Stampin'!
Sarah

Merry and Bright!

Hi Stampers!
As I'm thinking about and designing a card, I like to go out of the box if I can but not get toooo weird. I sometimes do that by using a stamp or die or embellishment in an unexpected, unintended way. Another thing I like to do is change up the traditional color scheme for a card or project. That's what I had in mind with today's card!  It's a sidestep design which are always interesting and fun. The "out of the box" moment came when I incorporated blue instead of red with my Christmas card theme.
Here's my card:

You would not think twice about brown reindeer or green trees but I used a medium blue, Marina Mist, for the sleigh and sentiment. I really liked it as it is a little on the unexpected side. No red anywhere!  I used the Santa's sleigh framelits for my design elements and really liked how it turned out. I especially like the silver glimmer paper on the sleigh. I wanted to "tie" the reindeer to the sleigh somehow so I settled for some baker's twine around his neck. I'm positive that would never work in real life but it worked for me !

I hope you try some out of the box ideas. It's fun to challenge yourself and see what you like and don't like. There are things that end up in the garbage and there are things that end up on a blog!

Happy Weekend!
Sarah

Year End Close-Out Sale with Stampin'Up!

Yeah! It's December!  I've been making Christmas cards and samples since July so I'm kinda relieved December is finally here!  I will be peppering my blog with more samples to inspire you!  Here's one for today:

This is a rendition of the popular Z-fold card style. You take a regular card base (5-1/2" x 8-1/2") and score at 2-1/8" and 4-1/4". You take another piece that is 1-1/2" x 8-1/2" and score in the same places.  You fold these opposite each other (see the picture above) and then decorate to your heart's content!  I used some retired Christmas paper for my Z fold piece and the trees and then went back to my favorite Candy Cane Lane paper.  I punched out the gingerbread men on Early Espresso paper and hand drew the faces, etc. Try this out sometime! It's a really fun card!

And in big news...... Just what we needed.... another sale!  This one is bigger, better and blingier (I'm pretty sure that is a word !)   Stampin'Up! decided to give us all another reason to buy some more Christmas paper, stamps and embellishments and even reached back into the inventory of surplus product from last spring!  You should take a look at all the deals and see if there's something on your wish list that is there now.



Here's a link!

Year-End Close Out Sale!


As always, you can get online and submit an order (the above link works for that), or let me know if there's something you would like me to order for you.

My plan is to be really thoughtful and purposeful this year with Christmas shopping, meals, activities, baking, etc.  I don't want to be run ragged!!!!  I hope you are looking forward to this wonderful time of year as well!

Happy Stampin'!
Sarah

Thanksgiving Blessings and Gratitude

Isn't it awesome that we set aside a day specifically to focus on our blessings but isn't it sad that we don't do that all the time?  Ah... Thanksgiving!  It means so much to so many. I was thinking over some of my most memorable Thanksgivings; trips to Big Timber to Grandma's,  surprise visit home to my folks when I was in college, many feasts with treasured friends wherever we have lived, the first Turkey dinner I cooked, a recent one in Rapid City (my home town) where all of my siblings and their families were able to attend and now, this year, a first Thanksgiving in a new house. I love that my kids are old enough to help and can't wait to just be together.   For those of you who have some sad associations with this holiday, I am there with you too. Last year at Thanksgiving, my mom was still alive but soon after, she really started declining and was gone by January 2nd. I'm anticipating some wonderful nostalgia tinged with loneliness for her. I hope you have some way special to spend this wonderful holiday.

I thought I would share some Thanksgiving related cards I have made over the past few years. The first one is from this year and the rest are a random collection. Enjoy the inspiration!

Hope that puts in you the mood to be thankful while you are being creative!  Have a blessed Thanksgiving!

Blessings,
Sarah

My favorites!

The list of what is on sale this week is looooong.... It's Online Extravaganza and you can shop here:

https://www.stampinup.com/ECWeb/CategoryPage.aspx?categoryid=10500

I thought I would share some of my favorites, in no particular order, except my first one is

1)   #142202    Glamper Greetings

2)  #140619   Rose Garden Framelits Dies

3)  #141841     Christmas Stockings Thinlits Dies

4)    #141632 and #141635  Affectionately Yours DSP and washi tape

Those are just a few of the goodies! Be sure to check the complete list out.

Have a wonderfully creative day!
Sarah