Remember my list of top picks from the 2017-18 Annual Catalog? There was never any question that This Little Piggy would be on it!  This fun notecard was the first thing I made with it.  

I stamped the flying piggy on Blushing Bride cardstock with Archival Basic Black ink and colored in the hooves with my black marker.  Then I colored the nose and the inside of the ears with my Blushing Bride marker, and the wings with Clear Wink of Stella.  I cut it out with my Paper Snips, which wasn't too hard to do.

Some demonstrators have managed to pull selvedge threads on the ½" Finely Woven Ribbon to get it to pleat, but try as I might I didn't manage it on this piece of Lemon Lime Twist.  So I put a piece of Tear & Tape down on the piggy and pleated onto that.

The little cloud stamp that is part of this set was inked in Soft Sky and stamped on cardstock of the same color, which was mounted on a Crumb Cake Notecard.  The sentiment was punched out with the Classic Label Punch, and both it and the piggy were adhered with Dimensionals.  Inside is the rest of the sentiment, "...so she did!"

Get a head-start on your cards for this year by making 5 Christmas cards featuring great Stampin’ Up! products.    

Suitable for experienced and novice paper crafters alike.

​$20 - all supplies included

RSVP Deadline:  Sunday, July  23

Thursday, July 27
in Nancy's Craft Room in Scottsdale
9:30 am - noon
OR
​6:30 -  9:00 pm

This card packs a big punch for being relatively simple to make.  It's all thanks to the fantastic Eastern Beauty Suite of products.

I used one of the Eastern Medallion Thinlits dies to cut the Very Vanilla cardstock.  Then I stamped the flourish from Eastern Beauty around the inside with Dapper Denim ink.  I also stamped the sentiment and ring of dots on a piece of scrap, and cut them out with a scallop circle from the Layering Circles Framelits.  I also cut a slightly larger circle from the Eastern Palace Designer Series Paper. All of these were layered onto a Lemon Lime Twist mat and a Dapper Denim card base.  Finishing touches were a strip of Eastern Gold Vinyl Stickers and now-retired 2016-18 InColor Enamel Shapes in Dapper Denim.

There are a lot of nice, large sentiments in the current catalog, which when paired with some great Designer Series Paper (DSP) can make quick and easy cards that pack a large punch.

Here's one I made with some now-retired DSP and Layering Love:

I stamped the sentiment in Whisper White Craft ink (though VersaMark would work, too) directly on the DSP, and then heat embossed with White Embossing Powder.  Once it was cooled and set I outlined the sentiment with my Island Indigo Stampin' Write Marker, which both grounded it and made it pop more.  Layered on Island Indigo card stock and coordinating DSP, my card was ready to go!

The supply list below includes other stamp sets that would work well with this technique...give it a try and show me what you made!

Yesterday I showed you one graduation card I made at the request of a customer.  Today I've got another pair, made for a high school marching band's two drum majors.

My friend emailed me a picture of her kids in their marching band uniforms, and asked me to do something that reflected them.  Here's what I came up with:

Here's the inspiration picture:

I used a long-retired stamp set, called Varsity, for the front school initials by stamping them in Whisper White Craft ink and using White Embossing Powder on top.  The year is made with the Number of Years stamp set and coordinating Framelits, inked in VersaMark and then Gold Embossing Powder. The sentiment is from the now-retired BYOP set, likewise stamped and then gold embossed.  I sketched and cut the front curves freehand, which is why they are neither identical nor particularly smooth.  The Metallic Enamel Embellishments were perfect to represent the buttons on the belt/sash.  Emerald Envy was the winner of the green color match challenge.

I know it seems like I've been missing-in-action again...sorry about that!  I've actually created quite a few cards in the last few weeks!  In addition to playing with my goodies from the new Annual Catalog, I've had a couple of requests for custom graduation cards.

One was for a young woman who had been very involved in the music and drama programs at her school, which has burgundy and gray for the school colors.

This is a 5" x 7" card that features a stage that I cut with my Silhouette Cameo e-cutter.  The image was in the Silhouette library.  I cut the curtains and seats from retired Bravo Burgundy, and the stage from Basic Gray.  I adhered a strip of Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Paper to the back to show through the holes for the footlights.  The gold ties were cut from Gold Foil, and the music backdrop is retired This Christmas Specialty Designer Series Paper.  I pulled the image of the school's logo off the Internet and printed it out so that I could punch it with the ¾" Punch and adhere it above the stage.  I likewise printed out the sentiment and punched it with the retired Large Oval Punch to layer with a Scalloped Oval Punch piece.

Inside I stamped this sentiment from the now-retired BYOP set.

This card and the sunflower birthday card I showed you here were ordered by the same customer.  Unfortunately, the USPS managed to lose them at the Phoenix sorting facility, so I wound up having to remake both of them.  Thankfully, the USPS was amazingly quick to respond to my insurance claim, and I have been adequately compensated for my lost time, stress and materials.  

​Check back soon and see the other set of custom cards I made!

Still time to Register for Class in Peoria!Make 5 cards featuring great Stampin’ Up! products and a variety of techniques.  Suitable for experienced and novice paper crafters alike.
​$20 - all supplies included

RSVP Deadline:  Sunday, June 18

Tuesday, June 20
​6:30 -  9:00 pm at Ellen's House in Peoria

Here's what's topping my wish list for June (in no particular order).  Add them to your online order and play along with me!

Oh So Eclectic Bundle (p. 133).  Beautiful, soft images layer with dynamic color and shapes to make eye-catching projects.

This Little Piggy (p. 48).   Who can resist these adorable pigs? 

Embossing Paste (p. 201).  Use this with decorative masks, other stencils or freeform to add texture!  Very fun to play with, especially when you add reinker to create your favorite shade.

At Home with You Bundle (p. 54).  A super-versatile set with door décor for the entire year.  Whether your style is soft and vintage or bold and sleek, this set belongs in your stash!

Climbing Orchid Bundle (p. 21). Whether you're using it on a card or for a 3-D project, the detailed stamps and coordinating framelits will take your breath away.  Looking for inspiration?  Check out your supermarket's floral department - right now mine has a stunning array of orchids!

Designer Series Paper Stacks (p. 187).  These 6" x 6" collections give your lots of color and pattern in little sheets.  Big enough for an entire card front, plus some left over to add impact on another project, yet not as much paper or money as a full pack of 12" x 12" DSP, these are easy investments to make!

Eastern Beauty Bundle (p. 19).  I've already shown this one to you...but it's still topping my list!

Make 5 cards featuring great Stampin’ Up! products and a variety of techniques.  Suitable for experienced and novice paper crafters alike.
​$20 - all supplies included

RSVP Deadline:  Tuesday, June 13

Thursday, June 15
​9:30 - noon in Nancy's Craft Room
6:30 - 9:00 pm in Nancy's Craft Room

Tuesday, June 20
​6:30 -  9:00 pm at Ellen's House in Peoria

Directions to class sites will be provided upon registration.

It's finally here: June 1, the day we can order from the complete, new catalog!  I am so excited to be able to order products I've been eyeing since April!  Tomorrow I'll show you my to picks.

One thing that I like to offer to my customers is affordability and the best value for money. Please listen to me right now.... are you listening?? Do you want $26 of FREE Stampin' Up!® Product with NO CATCHES? When you join Stampin' Up!® and my wonderful team you pay only $99 and get $125 of ANY product you like. You are not forced to stay, or to sell either. You can join up and enjoy the 20% discount. If you don't want the discount any more - you can just come back as being one of my customers. You have NOTHING to lose - especially if your wish list is over $99 - it just makes perfect sense. To join my team drop me an email or give me a call at 217-621-1050.

For those that want to continue being a customer - I 💓 my customers! You can totally continue purchasing from me!  Did you know that when you place your order you can earn Stampin' Rewards?  Any order of $150 or more earns you Rewards you can spend on anything in the catalog...but they're the only way you can get any of the fabulous Host sets on pp. 220-223.  And in June you can earn a $35 bonus in Stampin' Rewards if your order is $350 or more!  Contact me to find out about hosting a party to earn even more!  Check out the details below:

If you're not working with another Demonstrator I'd be happy to send you a catalog.  Alternatively, you can add one to your online order by entering item #146113.  While you're waiting you can check out the PDF version.

​Make 5 cards featuring great Stampin’ Up! products and a variety of techniques.  Suitable for experienced and novice paper crafters alike.

​$20 - all supplies included

RSVP Deadline:  Tuesday, June 13

Thursday, June 15
​9:30 - noon in Nancy's Craft Room
6:30 - 9:00 pm in Nancy's Craft Room

Tuesday, June 20
​6:30 -  9:00 pm at Ellen's House in Peoria

Directions to class sites will be provided upon registration.