Sneak Peek at the "Eastern Palace" bundle!

Hi there weekend stampers!

I wanted to share some exciting news!  For those of you who can't wait to see what's coming in the new catalog, Stampin'Up! has released one suite of products early, the "Eastern Palace" Suite!  Check out this video and then I'll share some details as to how you can get this awesome stuff!

There are two bundles available starting on Monday, a full month before the new catalog premiers. If you like bold, rich, geometric designs and colors, this may be for you! These bundles include stamps, paper and 3 of the new In Color Inks.  There are two different bundles of products available:

STARTER BUNDLE:  #147196   $60.50

Eastern Beauty Photopolymer Stamp Set
Eastern Palace Specialty Designer Series Paper
Eastern Gold Vinyl Stickers
Lemon Lime Twist Classic Stampin’ Pad
Tranquil Tide Classic Stampin’ Pad
Fresh Fig Classic Stampin’ Pad
Very Vanilla Note Cards & Envelopes


PREMIER BUNDLE:  #147207  $109.50

Eastern Beauty Photopolymer Stamp Set
Eastern Palace Specialty Designer Series Paper
Eastern Palace Cardstock Pack
Mini Tassels Assortment
Eastern Gold Vinyl Stickers
 Lemon Lime Twist Classic Stampin’ Pad
Tranquil Tide Classic Stampin’ Pad
Fresh Fig Classic Stampin’ Pad
Eastern Medallion Thinlit
Very Vanilla Medium Envelopes
Very Vanilla Thick Cardstock

Here are some ideas!
Let me know if you want more details about these two early release bundles!  Everything else will be out on June 1st, but sometimes it is hard to wait, right?

Have a great weekend!
Sarah

New "In Colors" for 2017-2019 !!

Hi Stampers!
Every year, Stampin'Up! introduces five new "In Colors" that will be around for 2 years.  I've known what the colors are for awhile, but haven't blogged about them. Next week, the preorder time for demonstrators kicks off and I'll be able to get my hands on these lovely colors!  I've been able to get 3 of them in limited doses, but can't wait for the rest!  Are you curious?  Here they are:

What do you think?  When I can get the ink and card stock, I will begin to combine these brand new colors with some of our existing colors and share what the results are. I think this lineup will be a very interesting addition to our current color families. I'm especially curious to play with Lemon Lime twist as it is almost neon!

The new catalog will premier on June 1st, which some days, can't come fast enough!  I'll be putting in my order for paper catalogs on Tuesday and plan on having an open house for catalog pickup and preview of the new colors suite on May 11th from 4 to 7 p.m. at my house. Mark your calendars, stop by and grab a catalog. It's like Christmas!

Have a great weekend!
Happy Stampin'!
Sarah

TBT - Some old favorite stamps!

Hi there stampin' friends,
It's Thursday and occasionally I like to feature "Throw Back Thursday", a tradition that I believe started on Facebook. It gives you a chance to post an old photo or memory that you think of fondly and share it with others.  I think in this "in between" period between the old and new catalog, it's fun to look back at some old favorite stamps!  I sell cards locally in the Gallatin Valley and am always looking for a new idea in my old stash!  Here are a few I came up with recently!

When we moved a year ago, I really cleaned out my  supply of old 12 x 12 paper, some of which I had been hanging on to for nearly 20 years. I let some papercrafting friends go through it first, then the rest went to my daughter's school where she is a first grade teacher. If you have anything useful for an elementary school teacher, you can put it in the teacher's lounge and it will be gone by noon!  I also kept plenty of the paper and have fun going through some of those wonderful papers to make cards. I love the freedom of not sticking to a particular catalog's lineup of products but using whatever suits my fancy.

Don't forget about your stash o' stuff!  It's lurking back in the cupboard, closet or drawer and would love to see the light of day!

Happy Stampin'!
Sarah

Dad's turn!

Hi stampers!
I few posts ago, I featured a Mother's Day card... here's one for the Dads!  I love making masculine cards, primarily because I love the typical color schemes and themes. The Occasions catalog this year had a great tool stamp and framelit set to perfectly capture a lot of Dads interests and hobbies. Unfortunately, the framelit set is sold out, but the stamps are still available!  Here's one of the cards I made with a stamp set and this theme:

The stick-on metal stars are so fun and easy to apply to any card.  I decided to double stamp my sentiment. I first stamped DAD in Smoky Slate and then went over the top of it with "You're the Best" in Delightful Dijon. As you can see, the DAD letters took up a lot of space on the card so I didn't want to take more with another sentiment. I love how this turned out!

Here's another card I made using the framelits and the "Nailed It" stamp set:

I used the new Hexagon dynamic impressions folder for my background. I colored the tools with our new Watercolor Pencils and then used blender pens to blend the color a bit better. I will be hanging on to this set for a long time! It's so perfect for the handymen in my life ;)

Big news in the SU store!  The Clearance Rack has been updated and is loaded with products from last fall's Holiday Catalog. There are some screamin' deals. To check it out, go here:




Stampin'Up! Clearance Rack!

We are halfway through another week! I hope you are finding some time to be creative and inspired!
Thanks for stopping by and taking a peek at what I'm up to!

Happy Stampin'
Sarah

W*O*W

Hey Stampers!
I hope you are enjoying your spring so far... We are getting lots of rain which is welcome now as it should help with reducing the forest fire risk later in the summer when everything gets so DRY!  At least, that is what I'm telling myself as I look at the raindrops.

I have a really fun card for you today. I recently participated in a local card swap and the "rules" were to use things that you have purchased but not yet used. Unfortunately, that is all toooooo easy!  Why is it I just have to have something, then never use it?  Crazy, right?  Here's what I came up with:

I had quite a bit of 12 x 12 paper that doesn't get alot of attention so I decided to start there. I also had a Big Shot Die that does banners. It happened to retire shortly after I purchased it. I also had a couple of stamp sets that were brand-spanking new. As you can see, I combined all of that into this card. It was easy to score my card at 4" and 8" and have 3 panels to work with. I used some extra old Sale-A-Bration paper for my color scheme and went from there. In order to make it truly look like a banner, I I punched some holes at the top of each banner and threaded some Baker's twine throughout. I really like how this turned out. Due to my design, I limited myself to 3 letter words. I decided to make a Congratulations card as it is graduation season and I wanted the gals who received my card be able to use it!  Another idea would be "MOM" or "DAD" etc. You could also make 3" panels and have four of them, allowing for 4-letter words (only nice ones ;)

Anyway, there's any idea for you on a rainy Tuesday!  Challenge yourself to use something you have purchased but not tried out yet - It's fun!

Happy Stampin'!
Sarah

Many Words for Birthday Wishes!

Hey there!
I have a great birthday card to show you today. It features a retiring stamp set that is really fun to use. All the words and cake layers are angled! Curious?  Here's my card :

Here's a picture of the stamp set (Crazy Cake  #142850) so you can see how it works:




I think it helps to see all the angled pieces. You can build a sentiment, build a cake or build both. You could even throw some candles on top for a truly wonderful celebration.  I want to play with this set some more and see if I can come up with some ideas that aren't cake-related. I love to think outside the box and get a more versatile use out of my Stampin'Up! tools, papers and stamps.  You're imagination is the limit!  For this particular card, I used some Fiesta Designer Series Paper and I inked up some bubble wrap and then placed some white card stock on top of that and ran a brayer over it for my second layer. That's a great way to get some color and texture.

Don't forget about our retiring products!  Some things have already sold out but there are still some great deals. Here's the best place to see them:

Retiring Products 2017

You can contact me if you would like to place an order, or you can conveniently shop from the site listed above. Setting up a profile is easy and you can shop to your heart's content! It's a great time to check your supplies and make sure you have what you want from what is retiring. Once it's gone, it's gone!

Have a great day!
Sarah

Mother's Day with Flirty Flamingo

Hi friends,
It's a rainy Friday here, kinda dark and moody outside. I decided I needed to post a happier card to lighten the mood!  I've been focusing on products that are retiring soon so if you are at all interested, I would get them while supplies last!  I have a special Mother's Day card today:

When the new 2016-2018 colors came out last June, my least favorite was Flirty Flamingo. I've since made my peace with it and decided it has it's place in the world of color. I think it was a little toooo bright or something. Then, Stampin'Up! offered the "Falling in Love" Designer Series Paper in the occasions catalog which incorporated this color. I really jumped on board then... I love the subtle brown tones with it to tame down the brightness!  The main feature of this card is the tag set, "That's the Tag". There are plenty of sentiments to use but my favorite part is the cut out dies that include butterflies, stars and petals. I also added an embossed background with the "Petal Burst" embossing folder. I was really happy with the simplicity of this card and Mother's Day is a perfect occasion for a hand made card.

Keep checking my blog each day as we count down to the new catalog!  I'm continuing to feature retired products now but will soon transition into the preorder time of new products and then the full new catalog on June 2nd!  I hope I've inspired you today to get creative!

Happy Stampin'!
Sarah

It's that time of year! Graduation!!

Hi there stampers!
I have an easy graduation card today that makes a dramatic statement. Any guesses what school this recipient is graduating from?!!

I love to do cards with school colors because then it's a no brainer for color scheme!  Montana State grads bleed blue and gold forever and this card will help launch the graduate I have in mind with her future plans!  I'm excited for her and can't wait to give it to her!  My supplies are listed below. If you don't have the Large Letters Framelits, I would save up your pennies and buy them!  You can spell anything and they won't go out of styles!

Happy Thursday!  My retired product sale starts tonight at 5 so stop by my house if you can and pick up some awesome bargains. Contact me if you need directions!

Sarah

With Sympathy

Hi Stampers!
Sorry for the few days off... I can't really account for my time lately as it seems like I've been spinning in circles with almost nothing to show for it. Ever have days or weeks like that.  I'm usually pretty focused and organized but lately... yikes!

I figured one of the best ways to get back on track was to blog again. This is a weird time of the Stampin'Up! year... lots of favorite things are going away with the retired list and some new favorites are just around the corner, but I can't quite get my hands on them yet - haha!  I've been cleaning and sorting my craft room and will be having a big Rubber and Paper sale this week. Contact me for details of you are close to Bozeman at all. It will be worth a stop by my house and see what goodies you have always wanted that I'm parting with!

For today, I have a simple sympathy card. This is a special stamp set  (Gift of Love #141796) in that it is a hostess stamp set which means it can only be purchased with hostess dollars, which means an order totaling at least $150.  I only purchase hostess sets if I really like them!  This is a fun three-step set. You stamp the outline, then the flowers, then the leaves; all with different colors. Here's my card:

Another great thing about this simple flower design is that it could be used for any color scheme and for any occasion; I just happened to need a sympathy card.

Curious about what is retiring?  Click on the "shop now" link to the right and in the store, you'll see a "Retiring Products" link you can click on. It is updated throughout the day so stays current on what is still available. Products are available while supplies last until May 31st!

Happy Stampin'!
Sarah

Rest of the Easter Cards!

Hi Stampers!
We got an Easter weekend surprise of about 2" of snow after 75 degrees yesterday. That is spring in Montana at its finest!

I have some more Easter cards for you. These are ones that were part of my recent card buffet, as well as others that I made and one very special one a friend made.  Here's the first, which is the real reason for Easter, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The next one uses the Basket Builder bundle and stamps to create a colorful bunny and egg scene.

The next one uses some retired stamps and paper to call to mind the spring/Easter theme of renewal, rejoice and refresh.

And finally, a special one from a special friend. A little context first... Ever since our son hit about middle school, he somewhat lost interest in hunting for Easter eggs. He still liked the candy, but it was not so much fun to hunt for it, especially when your much older sisters are away at college or even married. Sooooo, I was thinking about something fun we could on Easter that would make a great day for him. After church and a big brunch, we headed to the local gun range with some pistols and practiced target shooting on Peeps!  It's crazy, very disrespectful to Peeps and fun. We've done it several years since and even the girls, son-in-law and our son's girlfriend have joined us!  I've shared this tradition with a few people and a great friend and Stampin'Up! Upline made this card for our family this year. Isn't it great??!!

I just love it and will keep it forever ;)

I hope you have a blessed Easter, no matter what your traditions and celebrations. It is a time to welcome spring, celebrate the resurrection of Jesus and what that means for all people of faith. Have a great weekend!

Sarah

At Least.....

Hi Stampers!
I've been super busy the last couple of days with organizing my stamp room upon the release of this year's retired products list. I discovered that there were some things that have retired previous years that I missed so I tried to do a really thorough job. Then I pulled stuff I think I can part with for a big stamp sale I plan on holding later this month. What a job!  It felt good but it's certainly hard to pry some stamps from my hands!

We, as demonstrators, have gotten our first looks at the new catalog and I"m excited for what's ahead. While many of the themes remain the same such as birthday, thank you, memory keeping, gift giving, the designs and colors are all fresh. I just got my first box of new products that we were allowed to preorder so I plan on playing with some new things the rest of this week.

Meanwhile, I have plenty of cards to show you until you will be able to order from the new catalog, which is June 2nd.   Today's card is a stamp I have mixed feelings about. I finally decided it was great so long as it went to the right person. It would have to be someone who gets this humor!

Obviously, it's a play on the fact that with each birthday you are getting older, but hey, at least you're still pretty!  Not everyone would appreciate that comment, right? I used an older pack of paper for my background and color scheme and kept this card simple. If this was going to someone who loves bling, this would be a good card to add some bling to as well! This set is in the Occasions Catalog, "Big on Birthdays" (#142877) and includes some more awesome birthday related stamps!



I hope you've been able to enjoy some crafting time recently. Isn't it a great opportunity to relax, make something pretty and enjoy life at a slower pace?! I love it!

Have a great Wednesday!
Sarah

Hot off the press - THE RETIRED LIST FOR 2016-2017!!

Hi stampers!
It's hard to know what we are more curious about... what is coming or what is going!  I have the retired list for you right here:



Retiring list!

Check it out and shop quickly if there is anything you HAVE to have!

I'll be back with more news tomorrow about what is coming!
Happy Stampin',
Sarah

Shaving cream?? Really??

Hi friends,
I wanted to share my most "out of the box" inking technique that we did at my last class. It involves healthy amounts of shaving cream and not the fancy, blue, designer stuff, but the cheap, standard, lowest shelf at Walmart stuff, plain white!  Here's my card:

This technique was used on the background layer. I apologize for not taking pictures of the actual process and I don't have time to recreate it this morning... next time!  First, grab some kind of container to squirt shaving cream into, small cake pan, pie plate, etc.   Then, using a plastic knife, spread it around like you are frosting a cake. Then choose some reinkers of different colors, your choice. This is where different seasons or themes could be featured. Squeeze several drops of different reinkers in the shaving cream. Taking the plastic knife again, swirl the color to your liking (similar to making a marble cake).  Take a sheet of card stock, in this case, Whisper White, and place it on top of the shaving cream/ink concoction. Press it lightly down until all surfaces of the card stock are covered. Peel it up and scrap off the excess shaving cream with your plastic knife. Wipe any remaining shaving cream off with a paper towel.  You now have a unique, marbled background piece to do something amazing with. One tip I also have is to use disposable gloves while doing this technique. It is messy!  We had so much fun doing this in my class and we will repeat it again!  Get a can of shaving cream next time you are shopping and give it a try!

Thanks for your interest and enthusiasm for my blog and ideas!  Be sure to check back Monday!  the Retiring Product list is going to be released around 1 p.m. MST and as soon as I can, I will post it to this site so you can see right away what products are hitting the road, so to speak! 

Have a great weekend!
Sarah

Inking with acrylic blocks

Hi Stampers!
I'm back today with another fun and easy inking technique.  I neglected to take any pictures of the process, but I think I can adequately describe it with words. It is not rocket science!  Here's my card:

I used some more subtle colors in this card, but I think you can see the blocks of ink on the background of this card. That was accomplished by taking an acrylic block with no stamp on it and tapping it on the ink pad directly. I then stamped on the paper. See, super easy.  I used 3 different sizes of acrylic blocks, the 3 smallest ones we sell, sizes A, B and G.  Both sheets of black and very vanilla Designer Series Paper are from a retired collection. I wanted the contrast to stand out so kept that part simple.  This isn't a fancy card and the point of it was to have my class practice stamping with an acrylic block and no stamp attached to it.

I think a bolder color scheme would make this style of stamping very dramatic. I may try it for some graduation cards with school colors used for my block stamping!

Hope you have a great Thursday...
Happy Stampin'!
Sarah

With Sympathy

Hi Stampers,
I have the sad thing on my list today to send out two sympathy cards, one to a dear high school friend and one to a fellow SU demonstrator on my team, both for the loss of their husbands at way too young of ages. Both of these women have told me they are heartbroken and I believe them completely. What do we do for a broken heart?  I've experienced loss in my life, but nothing like that of losing a husband or child.

Admittedly, sending a sympathy card is the right thing to do, but it seems sorta inadequate, doesn't it? Perhaps a handmade sympathy card helps a little bit, showing you care and were thinking of them as you made it.  In my recent inking class, we made a sympathy card and here it is:

While the effect is stunning, you may be hard pressed to guess what I used to get the background green and blue ink on the paper... Blue Painter tape!  All you do is tear a piece of blue painter tape which is wider than the piece of card stock you want to ink up. Gently place the tape, sticky side down, on top of an ink pad and GENTLY press the tape on top of the pad with your finger.  You can move the tape along the pad if your piece of tape is longer than the ink pad. Once it is inked up, lay the tape on top of your paper and rub the tape across the paper. Then, peel the tape up and the ink stays on the paper. This couldn't be easier, but it creates a unique effect which ends up looking sorta watercolored, but not quite.   To top off the card, we used the "Lovely as a Tree" stamp set and "With Sympathy" from Teeny Tiny Wishes.   I love the simplicity and elegance of this card and the trees seem perfect for the theme.

Today, my prayers are with my friends as they navigate life going forward now, without their beloved husband at their side. It causes me to be mindful of the blessing of my husband and be grateful for the gift of days together.

Blessings,
Sarah

Shabby Chic Butterflies

Hey Stampers!
I have another inking technique for you. This is a slight misnomer as I didn't use ink for my technique. Instead, I used a white quick dry craft paint. Here's my card:

So, how did I do this?  First, I painted a light coat of white pain on Basic Gray card stock. After letting it dry, I embossed it with the "Fluttering" embossing folder. After that, I sanded over the whole area, taking off some of the white paint and thus, highlighting the butterflies.

This was very fun and the technique could be switched up with different colors, different embossing folders, etc. Our Brick folder and Woodlands folder would be stunning! This technique provides a perfect backdrop to vintage or shabby chic style cards. I love it! I finished off the card with some butterfly related stamps and thinlits, including some retired ribbon and glimmer paper.

Hope you like my idea for today!  Thanks for stopping by!
Sarah

Inking Techniques Week!

Hi friends,
I wanted to share some cards and samples from an inking class I held last week. We had alot of fun with ink and some household items believe it or not!  We used bubble wrap, shaving cream, blue painter's tape, white felt and more. Sometimes crafting gets messy, but it is always fun!  I thought I would take a week and show you what we were up to.

The card I have today is one where we used rubber bands as our stamps. How?  By placing rubber bands on the acrylic blocks and using that as a stamp. Here's the card:

And here's how we created the stamp:

And here's some of the beginning stages of my stamping. You'll note the different widths of rubber bands make different stripes and also, I twisted some really long rubber bands on the block which created a cool ripple effect!

This is a great technique for a bold, graphic image. I'll be trying this again in the future! Meanwhile, I'm looking around my house for other "useful" ink delivery systems!

Have a great Monday!
Sarah

HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY

Hey Stampers!
I usually don't post on the weekend, but I'm so excited about what I just watched that I want to share it!  Check out this video featuring two products from our spring Occasions Catalog!

Isn't that amazing!  I would love to do a class with these two products!  Who's in?  Contact me by emailing (scade403@hotmail.com) me and we will set up a class in April and play with it! I think the creative possibilities will explode!

Happy Stampin'!
Sarah