Stamp Happy

Just Rite Hot Cocoa treat

My New Product Showcase at the store on Thursday night was a huge success, and a lot of fun!  If you'd like to see some pictures from the evening you can check out the Toyrifix blog!  I'll also be posting pictures soon of the projects that were made.

One of the things showcased Thursday night was products from Just Rite Stampers.  On Wedneday, I pulled out an old display rack and set up all the new products on it.  On the top of the display there were some slots on each side where you can insert pictures, or a logo or something.  Well, I didn't want to leave those areas the way they were because they actually had permanent logos from toy company that the display originally came from.  I wanted to get a logo that I could print off from Just Rite Stampers but that didn't work out.  So I made a phone call on Thursday morning and got to talk to the Queen of Stamp Simply, Sharon Johnson!  Sharon was so nice and agreed to let me use images of her work from her blog to add to the display and took the time to email me the pictures because I was having trouble printing directly from the blog.  So here are some pictures of how nice the display looks now, adorned with Sharon's gorgeous designs!

 

 

The display is a little more "bare" now because a lof of the items got sold out, but it has more samples on it now because of what was made during the demonstrations!

I wanted to help out a little with some ideas to display for the showcase on Thursday night, and while blog browsing last week I found some gorgeous inspiration!  Check out this sweet Sparkly Hot Cocoa Holder I found on Laurie Schmidlin's blog!  Isn't it adorable?  I just love all the sparkle she added and those sweet colors!  So I CASE'd her little folder design and came up with this!

 

As soon as I have time, I'll post measurements for anyone who wants to give this a try!  I don't know if I designed mine with quite the same measurements as Laurie's but this is what worked for me!  The papers I used are from My Mind's Eye and the cardstock is all Bazzill.  The Hot Cocoa stamp is of course, from Just Rite Stampers!  If I'd had a little more time, I would have done some paper piecing on the mug but had too many other details to attend to this past week in preparation for the showcase.

My Mom is visiting for the weekend, so I won't get much stamping done!  But I'll be around tomorrow evening to draw a winner for the blog candy, so stayed tuned!  And get your comment in here if you haven't yet to try and win!

Have a great weekend, and thanks for stopping by!

The Style Shop

I have a class at the store this week that was planned about 2 months ago.  I knew what stamp sets I wanted to use, and had them all ordered or in stock.  Last week would have been my normal time to begin working on the card designs for the class, but being sick with that stinkin' cold brought everything in my life to a screaming halt.  So on Sunday I knew I needed to sit down and get serious about coming up with these card designs!  Then Hurricane Ike showed up, and the lights went out!  So yesterday was crunch time, and I needed help!  So I headed over to Splitcoast to look for some inspiration, and found this adorable design by Linsey Rickett!  I loved her idea with the little scored/scalloped awning, so I took the inspiration and ran with it!

 

I know my customers at class tonight are just going to love this!  They're also going to think it's difficult, but it really isn't!  I love it when they're surprised by how easy a card is to complete!

For the awning, I simply cut my piece of designer paper 1 1/2" wide, then scalloped the edge by cutting with a long scalloped rectangle Nestabilities.  Then I scored 1/2" from the straight edge.  I glued it to the top just slightly, then attached 4 brads every 1/2".

 

I can't wait for class tonight!  Linsey, if you're reading this, thanks for the inspiration!

Happy stamping!

 

 

 

Stamps:  Retro Boutique (Rupe Shevde design for Gina K Designs)
Cardstock:  Berrylicious, Parakeet (Bazzill), white (Gary Burlin), designer paper (Scenic Route)
Inks:  Palette Noir hybrid ink (Stewart Superior), Versafine Onyx Black (Tsukineko), markers (Copic)
Accessories:  long, scalloped rectangle Nestabilities (Spellbinders), scoring tool (Scor-Pal), white brads (Gary Burlin).

Beat the Bears!

OK, if you've got thin skin and are easily offended, just stop reading now!

Still with me?  Good!  This is another treat for my daughter to give to her volleyball secret sister for tomorrow's game!  It turns out that her coach is a real piece-of-work and it's very likely that Kaylie won't ever play volleyball again as long as this dingbat is in charge, but that doesn't mean Kaylie won't continue to support her teammates and have a good time!

Tomorrow the Smithies play the Golden Bears, so I thought this poor teddy all beat up with his bandages and his arm in a sling would be perfect for game-winning inspiration!   I decided to use the One Sheet box template from the 3-D Design Challenge blog once more this week, and just filled the little box with some candy.  The teddy bear comes from the 3-Step Get Well Teddy set from Kitchen Sink Stamps, and the sentiment is computer-generated.

Happy stamping!  Remember, you have until 9:00 p.m. EST tomorrow evening (Thursday) to enter the blog candy contest celebrating the anniversary of the Stamp Simply challenges!  You can find the blog candy here.  If you've already entered once, please don't enter again.  Also, please read the specifications for entering the contest!  It's very obvious that a LOT of people are just stalking blogs that are offering candy and really don't take the time to see what it's all about.  It's very sad really.  I will be drawing a random number tomorrow after 9:00 p.m. and honestly... it's very likely that anyone who didn't actually follow the "rules" will be disqualified.  It's not fair at all to the people who took the time to read the post and understand what the celebration is all about.  There's a lot of freebies being given away as part of this celebration and I for one don't think one should win if they don't take the time to play fair.  Many thanks to those of you that did take the time to comment about your holidays!  I've enjoyed reading all the responses!

You can get updates on all the other blog candy offerings for this celebration by visiting Sharon's blog.

Pink Cat Studio - New Release Sneak Peeks!

On Wednesday, September 10th, Pink Cat Studio will be releasing a new set of stamps called Christmas Kitty!  With these stamps, Pink Cat is ready to celebrate the upcoming holiday, but is sometimes getting into some mischief (as you will see tomorrow!)  If you'd like a chance to win these stamps, please stop by the Pink Cat blog before 5:00 p.m. EST tomorrow to enter! 

For today's sneak peeks, the team members are showing you two of the images available with this set.  The first is the Angel Kitty here on my card.  Isn't she sweet?  I wanted to take advantage of this new Stampin' Up! Pink Pirouette ribbon that I got from my friend Anita, so I decided to dress Pink Cat in a pink angel gown, and make a pastel Christmas card with this designer paper from Paper Salon!  It's hard to tell from the picture but her wings are accented with my silver and clear Copic Spica glitter pens (yes, I found them!) and her horn and halo are accented with the gold.  The sentiment and tiny snowflake stamp are also from this new stamp set.

 

My second item for today shows you just how versatile this set is!  Pink Cat is shown here playing in the gift boxes and ribbon, but the nice thing is she doesn't necessarily have to be Christmas-themed!  This stamp set comes with a cute Santa hat that can be perched on top her head for Christmas cards, or for an all-occasion card you can just use the stamp as I have here!  (And tomorrow, I'll show you another fun stamp from the set that works this way, too!)  For today, I decided to use the One Sheet box template from the 3-D Design Challenge blog!  I've never tried one of these before, and was really surprised to find it super-easy to do!  (That's a bonus when you feel as lousy as I do the last few days!)  Now that I've tried it and see how easy it is, I'll definitely keep this in mind for quick gift needs.  Plus my wheels are spinning on all the cool ways you can embellish and accent this, too!

The Pink Cat design team has been hard at work using these new stamps, so please pay a visit to their blogs too for more great designs!  You can find them all linked in my right-hand sidebar!

Thanks to everyone for the get well wishes in recent comments!  My head feels like it's dead weight but since I have the next 2 days off work, I'm hoping I can get lots of extra rest and stamping time!  And yes, I'm drinking lots of fluids! 

Don't forget that the Blog Candy I offered for Sharon's Stamp Simply Celebration is still active!  You have until Thursday evening at 9:00 p.m. EST to get entered!  Check this post for all the details, and also be sure to stop by Sharon's blog each day for other fun goodies to win!

Have a great day, and happy stamping!

 

Joy card
Stamps:  Christmas Kitty (Pink Cat Studio)
Cardstock:  Baja Breeze, Pink Pirouette, Cranberry Crisp (Stampin' Up!), white (Gary Burlin), designer paper (Paper Salon)
Inks:  Adirondack Pitch Black (Ranger), Versamark (Tsukineko), Cranberry Crisp (Stampin' Up!), markers (Copic)
Accessories:  Nestabilities (Spellbinders), ribbon (Stampin' Up!), Spica glitter pens (Copic).

One Sheet box
Stamps:  Christmas Kitty, sentiment from BirthdayPlate #1 (Pink Cat Studio)
Cardstock:  Parakeet (Bazzill), white (Gary Burlin), designer paper (We R Memory Keepers)
Inks:  Adirondack Pitch Black (Ranger), Colorbox Scarlet pigment (Clearsnap), markers (Copic)
Accessories:  scalloped border punch, red brads (Stampin' Up!), Nestabilities (Spellbinders), red grosgrain (Gary Burlin).

Catchin' Up!

I thought I'd better get back to some blogging before you all think I went on a permanent holiday this weekend!  Many thanks to those of you that emailed and asked if things were alright, and tremendous thank you's to everyone who took the time to write about our situation with my daughter and volleyball.  I will update what's been happening at the end of my post, because I know you wanna' see the good stuff first, right?  Stamping!

 I made this card over the weekend using some new stamps from My Favorite Things, and another recent new discovery!  My stamping friend and former Kitchen Sink Crew Member Becky Oehlers has created digital papers that are super-easy to download and FREE!  You can check them out on her blog!  This paper I downloaded and printed is from her Bats in the Belfrey collection.  I recommend you check it out!  I have lots of others already printed out, now I just have to find time to use them!

Here's a little close-up picture of my witches, so you can see how sparkly their boots are, and also the hat!  I colored these images with my Copic markers, then just went over the hat and boots with a Gelly Roll glaze pen (since I can't find my Spica pens!)

Here's another card I made recently using a new set from My Favorite Things.  I actually made this one while I was at work last week while I had 3 ladies taking my card class!  This card is on display with the stamp sets for sale, so hopefully it'll inspire someone to want this cute set!

Finally, Kaylie and I brainstormed a little yesterday and came up with another cute idea for her to give to her volleyball secret sister.  Today they play a team whose mascot is the Bobcat, so I made her a pull treat card!  Here you can see the front with the obvious instructions to "pull."  And here's what is inside with a Smithie green pack of Stride gum!

Thanks for stopping by!  Happy stamping!

 

 

Card #1
Stamps:  Totally Witchin' (My Favorite Things)
Cardstock:  Fiesta, Parakeet, Forget-Me-Not, Black OP (Bazzill), white (Gary Burlin), designer paper (Bats in the Belfrey Demi Design by Becky Oehlers)
Inks:  Adirondack Pitch Black (Ranger), Brilliance Platinum Planet (Tsukineko), markers (Copic), Gelly Roll glaze pen (Sakura)
Accessories:  ribbon (Creative Impressions), brads (Making Memories), Nestabilities die (Spellbinders)

Card #2
Stamps:  Monster Squad (My Favorite Things)
Cardstock:  Black/White duplex (The Paper Cut), Parakeet, Fiesta, Concord Grape (Bazzill), white (Gary Burlin), designer paper (Anna Griffin)
Inks:  Adirondack Pitch Black (Ranger), Versafine Onyx Black (Tsukineko), markers (Copic)
Accessories:  ribbon (Creative Impressions), Nestabilities dies (Spellbinders)

Pull Treat card
Stamps:  Snap Stamps (Karen Foster), small alphabet letters (Hero Arts), arrow from Playful Ovals (Kitchen Sink Stamps), volleyball (unknown)
Cardstock:  Deep Emerald Isle (WorldWin), white (Gary Burlin), volleyball paper (Karen Foster)
Ink:  Versafine Onyx Black (Tsukineko)
Accessories:  ribbon (Offray).

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Kaylie was very, very cheered by the many wonderful things you all had to say and the suggestions for how she get through this trying time.  At this time, she's at least well-rested after the long weekend and was happy to have gotten some playing time on Saturday.  She's bound and determined to stick it out!  We have a game tonight, so we'll see how it goes and tomorrow after practice we are meeting with the coach and athletic director.  Our aim with this meeting is not to go in and angrily demand that she be given this opportunity and that opportunity, but to just simply ask why things aren't going the way Kaylie understood things would happen.  While we don't ever intend to spend the rest of our lives fighting battles for our kids, this is a case where we feel it's time to intervene on Kaylie's behalf.  She followed the appropriate and recommended course of action by approaching her coach to talk things over three times now, and isn't getting results.  My husband and I plan to write everything down so that we make sure we have all bases covered before we go in, and know that with prayer and God guiding us, we'll leave with a good outcome!  Thank you all so much for your prayers and support!  I will keep you posted!

I'm Pullin' for You!

Flopsy is part of some of the newest stamp sets from My Favorite Things.  Isn't he the cutest!  I got this set, and others at the store last week and my wheels just started turning with this set.  Gardener Flopsy is just a'tugging and pullin' on that carrot and look what he ended up pulling out of the ground?!?!

  He pulled TAFFY!  LOL  I just thought as long as he's doing all that pullin' I might as well make my card a Pull Card, and while we're at it, let's pull some taffy instead of carrots!  (Yeah, carrots are healthier, but oh that sweet gooey taffy!)

Pull Treat Cards are super easy to make and a lot of fun!  I did something similar with Trident gum years ago for swapping at Stampin' Up regionals. 

I'm not sure yet who I might give this card to!  I think I'll just save it until the right occasion comes along (but not for too long... wouldn't want that taffy to go to waste!)

I sure hope you like my creation!  The wheels in my head have been turning for 2 days now with plans for this, and I'm so glad I finally got it done tonight!  Stay tuned for some more pullin' ideas!  And be sure to check back later in the day Thursday for my Sketches! by Tamara card!  Happy stamping!

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Stamps:  I'm Pullin' for You (My Favorite Things); Cardstock:  Green Tea (Bazzill), orange, glue (Hollo's), white (Gary Burlin), designer paper (My Mind's Eye); Inks:  Adirondack Pitch Black (Ranger), Pumpkin Pie (Stampin' Up!), markers (Copic); Accessories:  blue brads, flowers (Bo Bunny), orange brad (craft supply), corner rounder, twill ribbon (Stampin' Up!).

Boxes and Bags

Well, Kelsey and I have had a full day, and no stamping time (yet!) for Mom.  After picking her up after soccer camp, we got a call from our local charity organization.  I had called there last week to see if there was something Kelsey and I could do to help out this week as sort of our own mission here at home, since Dad and Kaylie are at ASP.  So after soccer camp, we came home so Kelsey could quickly shower, grab a bite to eat, and we headed to People to People Ministries in Wooster where we helped sort clothing as they prepare for their big Back-to-School project.  They provide clothing and school supplies to any area children in need, and my good friend Laura is their coordinator for this great, awesome project.  So, after that we took ourselves to Applebee's for an early dinner (had a gift card just begging to be used!) and now we are in for the night, other than needing to walk the dog but we'll wait until the sun sets and it's cooler for that.

Since I'm behind on any stamping projects, I thought I'd show you 2 more projects I did recently at the store for a Boxes and Bags demonstration.  Everyone really loved these projects, and I've had more than a few customes share with me since then how many they've made themselves!

Online instructions for this Box-in-a-Bag can be found here.  If you think it looks complicated, do give it a try... I promise it isn't but turns out to be the sweetest little project!  I made this one using paper from My Mind's Eye and cardstock from Bazzill.  The flower pot is from Gina K Designs, as is the sentiment.  The tutorial you'll find uses the round tab punch from Stampin' Up for the little handles.  However, I don't want to use that product at the store, so I punched out ovals from my Nestabilities, folded them in half, and attached them to the top of the bag for handles.

This second bag was made with paper from Scenic Route, and stamps from Kim Hughes at Cornish Heritage Farms.

And finally, this star box from Scor-Pal (instructions can be found here.)  The same goes for this one... looks complicated but really isn't.  Give it a try!  I had a customer that said she was going to make these for the 4th of July, and she was going to fill them with individually wrapped pretzel rods dipped in white chocolate and sprinkled wth red, white and blue candy stars!  How CUTE would that be?  The stamps used on this are from Stampendous.

For this demonstration at the store, I also showed customers how to make this Criss-Cross box that I posted here.

Give these a try!  I promise, you'll be making them over and over again!

Thanks for stopping by!

Friends Furever - Puppy Chow!

I have a demo at the store this coming Friday on different boxes and bags you can easily make with paper or cardstock.  I was searching for some ideas last week and ran across this cute box on Tracy Harp's blog, Inky Doodles.  Further investigation revealed the pattern for this cute Criss-Cross box was designed by Nicole Heady from Papertrey Ink!  Well, I knew this little box would be perfect for the demo on Friday, and had a lightbulb moment when I was looking through the stamps I have in stock and ran across Friends Furever from My Favorite Things!  My original thought was to go in seach of mini Milk Bones to fill the little bag, but then I thought what fun would that be?  CHOCOLATE is a lot more fun!  So I made up a batch of what my family calls "Puppy Chow" tonight and completed my little box for my demo!

Unfortunately, I can't seem to take a decent picture tonight so it's hard to see that the dog bone is stamped with the "You're My Best Friend" stamp from the set.  The band is repeatedly stamped with "Friends Furever."  For my box, I chose to add the striped insert to the inside flap for contrast but you don't have to do that.  This is super-easy to make, and of course the Puppy Chow is awesome so why not make some of these up yourself!

Happy stamping!

Stamps:  Friends Furever (My Favorite Things); Cardstock:  white (Gary Burlin), Mocha Divine (Bazzill), Kraft (Stampin' Up!), designer paper (Felicity from Scribble Scrabble); Inks:  Versamagic Jumbo Java, Oasis Green (Tsukineko); Accessories:  jumbo eyelet (We R Memory Keepers), jute (Stampin' Up!), scalloped scissors (Fiskars), ribbon (Bo Bunny).