occasions catalog sneak peek ~ you plus me

Over at the Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration blog, we are counting down the days until the new Occasions Catalog is live...which officially starts on January 6th! We have already shared some great inspiration over the last few days, but today we are showcasing the You Plus Me stamp set. This set is perfect for Valentine's Day and comes with some super cute images!

I just received my box of Occasions Catalog pre-order goodies on Friday night, so I locked myself in my stamping studio until I created a card using this set. I didn't stop at using just the stamp set (the "Be Mine" is the image from the set), I also used the new Stacked with Love DSP Stack, Happy Heart Embossing Folder, Stacked with Love Washi Tape, and Confetti Heart Border Punch. There are so many great products in this new catalog to create fun Valentine's Day cards!

Stamp Sets	You Plus Me
Ink	Real Red
Paper	Whisper White, Real Red, Stacked with Love DSP Stack
Accessories	SNAIL Adhesive, Stampin’ Dimensinals, Pearl Accents, Stacked with Love Washi Tape
Tools	Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine, Happy Heart Embossing Folder, Confetti Hearts Border Punch, Sweetheart Punch

friday favorites - farewell to happy watercolor

Today it's Friday Favorites at Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration. My current favorites are two items in the 2014 Occasions Catalog. With all of the excitement of retiring products and the new catalog coming out, the Occasions Catalog has been a little forgotten. There are quite a few sets and products you will see in the new catalog that will be carrying over from the Occasions Catalog, but there are also a lot that won't be available any longer after June 1st when the Occasions Catalog is over.

One of those stamp sets we will have to say farewell to is Happy Watercolor ($21.95 clear mount / $29.95 wood mount). I definitely didn't get to play with this set enough. I think I'll hold onto it for awhile, though. It needs some more ink...even if it's just for personal use! 

 

Another product we have to say goodbye to is the Watercolor Wonder DSP. I have used this paper quite a bit since the mini catalog was released. In fact, I mostly just have scraps left! 

 Now onto today's card...

I started out with following a sketch, but then my card kind of took on a life of its own and the sketch was no longer to be seen! Have you had that happen before?!

 

I wanted to zoom in on the flowers and butterflies to show off the tiny little pearls. So fun to accent a card with these! The butterfly is punched once with Daffodil Delight cardstock and then again with vellum and I "fluffed" the wings to look like it was flying.

Stamp Sets	Happy Watercolor
Ink	Early Espresso, Daffodil Delight, Calypso Coral
Paper	Whisper White, Daffodil Delight, Vellum, Watercolor Wonder DSP
Accessories	SNAIL Adhesive, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Pearl Accents, 1/4" Daffodli Delight Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon
Tools	Bitty Butterfly Punch

 

To check out what the other designers have created for Friday Favorites, visit our blog!

SSINK - Occasions Catalog Card Swap Blog Hop

This past month, many of the Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration designers participated in an Occasions Catalog Card Swap. Instead of keeping all of these beautiful card samples to ourselves, we wanted to share them with you, too! Today's blog hop will spotlight a handful of Stampin' Up's Occasions Catalog products as each of us who participated chose a different stamp set to showcase.

As you hop along, please be sure to comment and show some love on every blog...and be sure to pin it, too! We are always excited to hear from our followers! You should have just left stop number 5 on the SSINK Occasions Catalog Blog Hop – Bree st Craft-Somnia. If so, you are in the right spot. If a link doesn’t work or you get off track, you will find the full blog hop lineup below. And, be sure to come visit us at Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration where we 'inkspire' you 5 days a week, 52 weeks a year!

The stamp set I chose to showcase is called Starburst Sayings. You can buy the set separately (clear mount or wood mount) or as a bundle...which of course saves you 15%!

Stamp Sets	Starburst Sayings, Gorgeous Grunge
Ink	Bermuda Bay, Strawberry Slush, Daffodil Delight
Paper	Whisper White, Silver Glimmer Paper, Kaleidoscope DSP
Accessories	SNAIL Adheisve, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Pearls, Strawberry Slush Ruffled Trim, Rhinestones
Tools	Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine, Starburst Framelits Dies

Hop along to Cynthia's blog!!

Blog Hop Participants

1. Darla R. of Stampin with Darla and Sisters
2. Kim R. of Stamping with Kim
3. Pam S. of Stampin' in the Sun 
4. Erica B. of Stamping Starlette
5. Bree R. of Craft-Somnia
6. Heidi B. of Stuck on Stampin'
7. Cynthia R. of Ink-a-Doodle Creations 
8. Diana E. of Stampin' Fun with Diana
9. Donna S. of Organized Chaos
10. Kathy P. of Katrina P's Creative Corner
11. Tonya B. of Stampin' with Tonya 

Stylin' Stampin' Squad Blog Hop - in with the new!

Thank you so much for joining us for our January Stylin' Stampin' Squad Blog Hop!  Love is in the air and our talented group of design team members have a whole lotta love goin' on as we are excited to be sharing some NEW Occasions Catalog goodies and some Valentine's Day projects with you this month! As you hop along, please be sure to comment and show some love on every blog!  We are always excited to hear from our followers!

You should have just left stop number 16 on the Stylin’ Stampin’ Squad  blog hop – Tonya at Stampin' with Tonya. If so, you are in the right spot. If a link doesn’t work or you get off track, you will find the full blog hop lineup below.

Deciding whether or not to create something with my new products or choose a Valentine's theme was an easy decision for me! I was just too excited about playing more with my new Occasions Catalog goodies!! Although I haven't ordered much yet, I am sure having fun playing with what I do have!

My absolute favorite is the Fresh Prints Paper Stack! It is 48 sheets of 4-1/2" x 6-1/2" double-sided paper (you get 4 pieces of 12 designs). The colors are Coastal Cabana, Crumb Cake, and Real Red. It is such a great color combo and there are so many fun prints to choose from. I just knew this was going to be my inspiration for my project for the hop! I also had ordered the Perfect Pennants stamp set and coordinating Banners Framelits as a bundle, so somehow these were also going to be a part of my project...one way or another!

I decided it would be fun to make a set of notecards...but my one stipulation was that they had to be quick and easy! Whisper White Notecards come in a package of 20 (including envelopes). They are a tad smaller than the kind of cards I normally make (notecards measure 3-1/2" x 5"). I decided that I would choose 10 different prints from the Fresh Prints Paper Stack and create 5 different card designs (making 2 of each design). Here are the designs I came up with. The notecards even come pre-scored, so all you have to do is fold and go! I told you...quick and easy, right?!

 I kept the designs super simple and just let the paper do most of the talking! All of the sentiments are found in the Perfect Pennants stamp set with the exception of the "thanks" on the card with the star.

 

I wanted a place I could put all of these notecards...and possibly give as a gift! I took one of our full wood mount cases and created a cover I could slip in the front. This sentiment comes from the same Perfect Pennants stamp set as shown above and I really think it's the best motto for me this year as I am learning to NOT reach for perfectionism, but to simply enjoy the journey...in life and in my creativity!

 

Tucked inside are 10 envelopes and 10 notecards ready to use at a moment's notice!

And, just one more reminder...for me AND you!

Thank you so much for hopping along today! To continue on the hop, click on the next button and it will take you back up to stop 1 to visit Anastasia at Stampin' Blondie. Happy hopping! Hope you come back to visit my blog again soon...you're always welcome here!



Blog Hop Participants:

1. Anastasia R. of Stampin' Blondie 
2. Cynthia R. of Ink-a-Doodle Creations
3. Dawn S. of Dawn's Creative Chalet
4. Kathy P of Katrina P's Creative Corner 
5. Pamela W. of Stinky Tofu
6. Diana E. of Stampin' Fun with Diana
7. Darla R. &Nancy K. of Stampin With Darla and Sisters 
8. Jamie H. of Unique Ink
9. Rose C. of Stamp with Rose
10. Kim R. of Stamping with Kim
11. Darcy J. of DJ's Stampin' Place
12. Bree R. of Craft-Somnia 
13. Kristina M. of Mama's Sanity
14. Annie L. of Love Me Cards
15. Jennifer B. of NW Stamper
16. Tonya B. of Stampin' with Tonya
17. Heidi B. of Stuck on Stampin'

SS INKspiration - perfect pennants!

 

Hello! Things have been a little quiet around here, haven't they? I've spent the last 2 weeks enjoying family, friends, the holiday season, and a little unexpected tummy bug sickness that lasted for a few days post-Christmas! But, I was able to spend an hour or so in my craft room yesterday blowing off the dust from my crafting supplies and found my NEW Occasions Mini Catalog goodies I ordered before Christmas! One of the {many} perks of being a demonstrator is that you get to order out of upcoming catalogs a little earlier before everyone else. I decided to be a "good girl" and kept my spending at a minimum...starting off with ordering all of the DSP options and choosing a stamp set/framelit bundle, oh and one embossing folder, too! I'm sure I'll order more down the line as I get inspired by all of the new products!

Thanks for coming back to take a little peek at my card today! I hope that you all had a beautifully blessed holiday season with your loved ones and I am excited for all of the creative inspiration we have ahead of us as we begin a new year!!

Head on over to visit more of the Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration design team to see what other Occasions Mini Catalog products they are showcasing. The catalog debuts TOMORROW, so let me know if you want one mailed to you ~ complimentary, of course!

card making night - valentine's day style!

Every other month I travel to my mother-in-law's house house (about a 45 minute drive) and I hold a 3 for $6 card night there with her and her friends. We've been doing this just a little over a year now. Everyone seems to have a great time and it has worked really well into my schedule of having one more event I can count on to create cards! The turn out has always been really good, but last week there were 21 ladies, which was awesome!! This time around we decided to make all Valentine's Day cards. What fun!

The first card I designed using the sketch from The Paper Players.

Card #1
It's difficult to see but the Bashful Blue background has polka dots using the Backgrounds 1 Texturz Plate created with the Big Shot.

Stamp Set: Send Me Soaring (available in wood & clear mount), Teeny Tiny Wishes (sentiment)
Paper: Whisper White, Real Red, Bashful Blue, Marina Mist
Ink: Bashful Blue (clouds & inked edges), Chocolate Chip, Real Red, Red Glimmer Paper
Accessories: Sponges, 1/4" Real Red Grosgrain ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals
Tools: Pinking Hearts Border punch, 1" Circle punch, 1-1/4" Circle punch, Owl punch (for extra small hearts on the bottom), Word Window punch

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Card #2

Stamp Set: I {Heart} Hearts, Delightful Dozen
Paper: Whisper White, Cherry Cobbler
Ink: Cherry Cobbler
Accessories: Pearl Accents, Stampin' Dimensionals
Tools: Heart to Heart punch, Small Heart punch, Adorning Accents Textured Impressions Embossing Folder

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Card #3
I wanted to use some different colors out of the normal Valentine's Day red and pink, so with the third card I used the beautiful Sweet Shop Specialty Paper in the Occasions Mini Catalog!

I added some Dazzling Diamonds glitter to the words to give it a little extra sparkle.

Stamp Set: Outlined Occasions (Sale-A-Bration)

Paper: Whisper White, Pool Party, Wisteria Wonder, Lucky Limeade, Sweet Shop Specialty Paper

Ink: Black Staz-On, markers - Pool Party, Lucky Limeade, Wisteria Wonder
Accessories: Dazzling Diamonds glitter, 3/8" Wisteria Wonder Ruffled ribbon, Rhinestone Accents, Stampin' Dimensionals
Tools: Fashionable Hearts Embosslits Die, Labels Collection Framelits Die,

downline card swap - make n takes

On Saturday the Papercrafting Professionals gathered together for a downline meeting. We're a small group, but little by little we're growing! (There were four who couldn't make it to the meeting.) My direct upline (and friend) Andrea Botten is the "head honcho", but since our downline is scattered everywhere, we share in our hosting duties. This time the meeting was at my home. It just so happened to come on the day after my stamp club, but at least many of my stamping supplies were already out and the house was clean!!

At this particular meeting we all decided we would bring a "box swap" and we would create each other's cards. We were encouraged to plan a card with items from the Occasions Mini Catalog or Sale-A-Bration brochure, but we could pretty much do what we wanted!

I thought I'd share the cards we created...

My Card
{inspired by a card I saw on Patty Bennett's blog...
I believe it was something from Leadership}

Card by Andrea Botten
{inspired by a card out of January Stampin' Success, a demonstrator only magazine}
Andrea turned this into a shaker card, which was so fun! We used the Champagne Glass Glitter for the inside.

Card by Tami Gaumer
{Tami used the Love Letterpress Plate for the Big Shot for the background!}

Card by Terri Takashige
{Terri and I were thinking alike with using the Everyday Enchantment Sale-A-Bration DSP!}

Card by Laura Howell
{Laura's card highlighted a fun folding card and she used the shimmer paint on top of the Night of Navy ink...definitely shows up more in person!}

It was a great time with the girls and we probably could have kept chatting all night long!! So fun to be inspired and share ideas about our Stampin' Up! businesses...and to do it with such fun women is a real treat!

the 2012 Occasions Mini Catalog is here!

Today (January 4th) is the debut for the Occasions Mini Catalog!

View it in...
Flash Version or Pdf
Shop Now
or leave a comment below and I will send a hard copy your way!

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Some of my favorites include the...

{Mouthwatering Stamp Set}

which coordinates well with the...

{Sweet Shop Specialty Designer Series Paper}

which would look great with the...

{Sweet Shop Jelly Bean Brads}

and the new dies look like so much fun...

{Hearts Collection Framelits Dies}

{Labels Collection Framelits Dies}

a new mini catalog wouldn't be the same without a new punch...

{Blossom Punch}

I love me some...

{Baker's Twine - lots of colors!}
and for only $8.95 you can get this cute single stamp...

{Candy Conversations}

View the catalog for more great products you'll love!

2 cards, 1 project...and a whole lot of fun!

Last Saturday, my direct upline and I co-hosted an event at her home where we were showcasing products from the 2011 Mini Occasions Catalog, upcoming Sale-A-Bration, and some Valentine's projects. Each guest created 3 projects and 3 cards for the cost of $15. Andrea, my direct upline and I each created 1/2 of what would be showcased. I designed 2 cards and 1 project. It was a great turn out and lots of fun!

Here are the things I created...

Bold Blossom Card - front

Bold Blossom Card - inside

Stamp Set: Bold Blossom (from the *NEW* 2011 Occasions Mini)

Paper: Whisper White, Rich Razzleberry, Melon Mambo, Old Olive, Brights DSP pack (Old Olive polka dots)

Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive, Melon Mambo, Pumpkin Pie

Accessories: 2-way glue to adhere Dazzling Diamonds glitter (on the butterfly), Rhinestones Jewel Accents, Dimensionals

Tools: 3/4" Circle punch

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This next card was inspired by the amazingly talented, Mary Fish.
Check out her card HERE.

Stamp Set: Punch Bunch (coming soon as part of this year's Sale-A-Bration!), Party Hearty (party hat)

Paper: Whisper White, Marina Mist, Night of Navy, Tangerine Tango

Ink: Night of Navy, Tangerine Tango

Accessories: Dimensionals, 1/4' Marina Mist grosgrain ribbon

Tools: 1 3/4" Circle punch, Owl punch

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I also was able to design 1 project for this event. I had wanted to make acrylic frame post it note holders that I have seen all over blog land for the the craft bazaars I was a part of last November/December, but I just never got around to it. I thought this event would be the perfect opportunity to have some fun with making these!

The acrylic frames I found at The Dollar Tree and they are 3 1/2 x 5. The pen you see in the picture are the Pentel RSVP pens and was able to place some patterned paper inside the pen to help match the project. I used regular sized post it notes and adhered it to the frame with one strip of Sticky Strip.

I slipped the patterned paper behind the frame and then decorated the rest in a snap! This would make a wonderful gift for a friend or teacher.


Stamp Set: Funky Four (coming soon you will be able to earn this set FREE with Sale-A-Bration)

Paper: Whisper White, Tempting Turquoise, Real Red, Play Date Designer Series Paper

Ink: markers - Real Red, Tempting Turquoise, Old Olive

Accessories: 1/2" Old Olive Striped Grosgrain ribbon (retired), Dimensionals

Tools: 1 1/4" Circle punch, 1 3/8" Circle punch, Large Scalloped Circle punch