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Order Your 2012-13 Stampin' Up! Catalog Now!

The New Catalog Is Available
for Purchase May 7, 2012

 It's never too early to start thinking about fun things.  And on May 7, 2012 the  new 1012 - 13 Stampin' Up! Catalog will be available for you to drool over.  We don't know what it will look like yet, but we know it will be fabulous! 

If you are anything like me, you can't wait to get you hands on it.  So why wait?  Place your order now with me and on May 14th your personal copy will be one of the first to be mailed out.  With premium shipping you could have it in as little as a week from the time it's shipped.  That gives you plenty of time to start creating that new Wish List.  In fact, click here and print out two copies of a wish list ready to be filled in.   Simply click on the PayPal button and you're done.  The sooner you order, the sooner you'll get it!

This offer is valid for US customers only

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PPA133 - So Long, Farewell

Stampin' Up! Triple Treat Flower &
Borderlines

Welcome to the Pals Paper Arts Sketch Challenge.  Remember what it felt like May of your graduation year from high school.  It was exciting to think about the future and new adventures, but at the same time it was sad to leave your friends.  Some friends just from your senior year and some that may have gone back as far as grade school.  Well that's how I feel every May when we anticipate the new Stampin' Up! catalog.  I know that there will be many new adventures and exciting stamp sets unveiled.  But I also know I will be saying goodbye to some very dear “friends” as well as we prepare to retire a collection of our stamp sets.  Some have been around a short time and some for many years.  This is my hommage to our dear friends leaving us.  Clicking on the “Retired List” in the upper left column of my blog will take you to the complete list.  But here are just a few that will be leaving us May 31st, 2012.

Stampin' Stuff:

Stamp Sets -

• Triple Treat Flower (122909) Retires May 31, 2012
• Borderlines Clear Mount (122642) Retires May 31, 2012
• Upsy Daisy (111710) Retires May 31, 2012

Ink -

 

• VersaMark® (102283)    

Paper -

• Very Vanilla Card Stock (101650)
• Cajun Craze Card Stock (119684)
• Basic Black Card Stock (102851)
• Well Worn Designer Series Paper (122359) Retires May 31, 2012    

Accessories -

• Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder (109129)    

Tools -

• Fancy Flower Paper Punch (118073)    

Putting It Together Tips:

• I love the look of metallic embossing powder on black card stock.  I think it is such a rich look.  The Embossing Buddy is the perfect tool for preventing stray bits of embossing powder from adhering to the crad stock.  This tool, unfortunately, is not currently available for purchase.  I'll be sure to let you know when it is.
• I love coordinating punches for stamped images.  The Triple Treat Flower stamp is perfect as it coordinates with three different punches, Fancy Flower, Five Petal, and 1/2'' Circle punches.
• Finding the right color to match with Designer Series Paper is as simple as referring to the Stampin' Up! Catalog.  Under the DSP name is the list of coordinating colors.  If you haven't already signed up for my newsletter, you should do that soon.  I will be posting the DSP matrix that lists all the 1012-13 DSP choices with the coordinating colors in the form of a QRC that makes it a snap to determine the perfect color choice.
• Although Borderlines was only available for a year, I will really miss this stamp set.  It's the perfect economical substitute for ribbon when you're making a lot of the same card.   

Purchase the Stampin' Up!  Starter Kit.
For $175 you'll receive product and business supplies valued at over $340

Pals Paper Arts Challenge 133 - Sneak Peek!

It's time for the sneak peek of my upcoming sketch challenge.  Twice a month the Pals host a challenge with alternating color and sketch subjects.  This is the week!  And I thought I'd share with you a quick peek at mine.  As always a little hint that absence makes the heart grow fonder!  It's so easy to play and you could earn the prestigous honor of being the PPA Pick of the Week.  Use whatever supplies you have on hand.  Any company's products will work.  Check out the Pals Paper Arts website tomorrow for our next exciting challenge.

Round Peg - Square Hole!

Stampin' Up! Simply Scored &
Diagonal Score Plate

Hi everyone,

A few weeks ago I posted a video tutorial that led you through the process of creating a custom envelope for any size card.  The response was overwhelming!  You all validated that there was indeed a need for this type of tutorial.  But along with the large number of comments came some that asked for a video on how to make a custom envelope for a non-standard shape.  Let's face it.  Not every card we send is square or rectagular.  So today I am providing you with a tutorial on how to determine the size of a non-standard card envelope.

Enjoy!

 

 

PPA131 - Birthday Wishes

Stampin' Up! Itty Bitty Shapes & Little Leaves

This week Pals Paper Arts Challenge is a color challenge.  And what beautiful spring colors ther are.  The rich warm soil color of Chocolate Chip, and the cherry blossom colors of Certainly Celery and Pretty In Pink.  How can you go wrong with this palette?  You may remember the post I did a few weeks back called Welcome Hostess where I recreated a cherry blossom branch using Little Leaves die and the Itty Bitty Shapes punch.  I warned you that you might see it again!  This time I decided to place them in a frosted vase!

Stampin' Stuff:

Stamp Sets -

• Perfect Punches Clear Mount (120516)

Ink -

• Chocoilate Chip Stampin' Write Marker (100071)
• Chocolate Chip Classic (100908)

Paper -

• Very Vanilla Card Stock (101650)
• Chocolate Chip Card Stock (102128)
• Certainly Celery Card Stock (105125)
• Pretty In Pink Card Stock (100459)
• White Vellum Paper (101839)

Accessories -

• Basic Pearls (119247)

Tools -

• Extra Large Oval Punch (119859)
• Ornament Punch (119847)
• Itty Bitty Shapes (118309)
• Little Leaves Sizzlits Die (114511)
• Simply Scored (122334)
• Simply Scored Diagonal Plate (125586)

Putting It Together Tips:

• This project appears to be very heavy on the Tools end, but I always tell my friends when we're creating cards like this that purchasing tools are an investment.  Purchasing a punch or a tool like Simply Scored is a one time investment and you'll always have it.
• I had one of my readers ask how to do the quilted effect on the back of the card.  This is created using the Simply Scored Diagonal Plate.  I scored in both directions at 1“ marks.  You will need to rotate the paper 4 times - once for each edge of the paper to complete the pattern.  But here's a tip.  If your paper is not evenly divisable on all edges by the space between your score lines, it will be more challenging to get these marks even.  So if you sometimes have trouble with fractions on a ruler, cut a piece of card stock a size that is evenly divisable by your score space and then cut it to size afterwards.  For example, this card uses a piece of 4'' x 5 1/4'' Chocolate Chip card stock for the background.  The score space is 1'' So cut the card stock 4'' x 6''  Score it on all four edges and then cut it to size.
• I used the Chocolate Chip mrker to create both the petal definition on the flowers and the leaf veins.  For the flowers, I simply created four partial circle flower petals and then outlined the edge of the other four scallops in the punch to create the illusion they were petals behind.
• Placing the pearls on the cross scores was a piece of cake using my Paper Snips.  I simply opened them, picked up the pearl from the sheet and placed the pearl on the score marks.  Another tip.  Place your pearls AFTER you position your focal point.  That way you don't waste pearls behind the focal point where no one can see!

Purchase the Stampin' Up!  Starter Kit. 
For $175 you'll receive product and business supplies valued at over $340.

Ask me how!

Pals Paper Arts Challenge 132 - Sneak Peek!

It's time for the sneak peek of my upcoming sketch challenge.  Twice a month the Pals host a challenge with alternating color and sketch subjects.  This is the week!  And I thought I'd share with you a quick peek at mine.  As always a little hint that this post is almost transparent!  It's so easy to play and you could earn the prestigous honor of being the PPA Pick of the Week.  Use whatever supplies you have on hand.  Any company's products will work.  Check out the Pals Paper Arts website tomorrow for our next exciting challenge.