Best of Autumn Stamp Set

 

We get a head start on September - Stampin' Up! has released September's Best of Stamp set focusing on Autumn.  Just in time for all your fall themed cards. I can see the bucket of apples stamp used on a lot of fall baking items. It is wonderful for the fall bake sales when you can include a hand stamped label or card with your contribution. 

 

To get this set, you can order from my site www.HilarySmith.StampinUp.net using item number 134390 priced at $14.95. 

 

A great item to go with this would be the fall Sweater Weather Designer Series Paper. Item 132184 priced at $10.95

 

 

Hopefully you will find a little time this weekend to be creative and do some stamping!

15% off Butterfly Bundle

Who doesn’t love butterflies? No one, that’s who. Butterfly shapes are great on projects for any occasion. So make sure to get in on our current offer: bundle and save 15 percent on this butterfly stamp set and punch between August 29-September 30, 2013!

 

Bundle Item	Description	Retail Price	15% Savings Price	Amount Saved!
135311	Butterfly Bundle (Clear-Mount)Papillion Potpourri Clear Mount Stamp Set Bitty Butterfly Punch	$30.90 US $39.90 CA	$26.27 US $33.92 CA	$4.63 US $5.99 CA
135312	Butterfly Bundle (Wood-Mount)Papillion Potpourri Wood-Mount Stamp Set Bitty Butterfly Punch	$34.90 US $44.90 CA	$29.67 US $38.17 CA	$5.23 US $6.74 CA

Here is a peek at the Papillion Potpourri Stamp set that is included.

Shop now by clicking the link on my blog or by visiting my website, www.HilarySmith.StampinUp.net 

Too Kind - Stepped Up Card

 

This is the cute little card we did at our meeting last night.  Using the pre-packaged note cards and envelopes, you can get right down to the fun stuff..... stamping!  Combined with the Too Kind stamp set, you can create a bunch of these cards in no time. Awesome for the busy schedules we all have. 

 

If you have a little more time, add a layer of colored cardstock. Here I have used Pumpkin Pie.

 

Have another minute available? Well, then step up the card again by adding a punched Curly Label and 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon.

If you really want to jazz it up, the give it a background with patterned Designer Series Paper or use the Dictionary Stamp as I did below. 

 

Here is a list of all the materials used if you are ready to get stamping.  You can shop my website at any time of day www.HilarySmith.StampinUp.net

Base card
Item #	Description	Price
131527	Card & Envelope Pack (20)	$5.95
130450	Too Kind Stamp set	$14.95
126944	Daffodil Delight Stampin’ Pad	$5.95
126945	Pumpkin Pie Stampin’ Pad	$5.95
126959	Wild Wasabi Stampin’ Pad	$5.95
Stepped Up Versions
102892	Sponge Daubers (bag of 12)	$10.95
104332	Snail Adhesive	$6.95
105117	Pumpkin Pie Cardstock	$6.95
119683	Daffodil Delight Cardstock	$6.95
119253	Pumpkin Pie 1/8” Taffeta Ribbon (10yds)	$5.95
130351	Dictionary Stamp	$13.95
131179	Smoky Slate Stampin’ Pad	$5.95
119851	Curly Label Punch	$16.95

Bike Stamp Thank You

Here is another sample of a technique we will be doing at the Change it Up Class on September 7. Are you signed up yet?  The background is done with So Saffron, Crisp Cantaloupe, and Coastal Cabana. I really can't get enough of these new colors. I love Stampin' Up!'s new In Color selection for 2013-15.  Here is another example of the bicycle stamp that came in the August Paper Pumpkins kit. The words come from the Lots of Thanks stamp set.

So take advantage of the Paper Pumpkin deal. It only lasts until August 31! You can get two months at half the price if you sign up now at www.mypaperpumpkin.com with the code  PUMPKINDEAL.  Also remember to sign up for the upcoming class via my website or Facebook page.  I hope you are enjoying the samples and finding some inspiration from them.

Paper Pumpkin Bike Stamp

Yes, the bike stamp! I just sort of played with this one, thinking I knew what I wanted to do, but I couldn't fully see the finished card yet in my head. Does that happen to you? I find once I get playing with the materials the card sort of falls together.  I knew I wanted a background stamp, so I went to my new favorite Dictionary stamp. Love that!  I wanted to say thank you, and there are so many choices! I chose one from the Lots of Thanks stamp set seen below.

 

Then it was a matter of playing with the bicycle stamp to get the forward motion. I had fun with this and was quite pleased with the final result.  The colors used are Pistachio Pudding (Dictionary stamp), Coastal Cabana (card stock and ink for the bicycle), Raspberry Ripple for the words and Whisper White card stock. 

August Paper Pumpkin

So have you signed up for Paper Pumpkins yet? The special discount is good until August 31, so time is running out!  This wonderful little red box will arrive on your doorstep each month with inks, papers, and stamps that are exclusive to the Paper Pumpkins program. You can't buy these stamps individually!  This is the sample card that was included in the box this month, along with enough to make four cards. Of course, I never follow the directions completely!  I tend to make one according to the package and then split up the rest of the materials for whatever I am working on. 

If you want to get the special deal, go to www.MyPaperPumpkin.com to sign up. Choose me as your demonstrator and use the promo code PUMPKINDEAL  You can join for only $10 a month for the first two months.  After the first two months, the price will be the standard $19.95 which includes the $5 shipping fee. There is no contract or minimum purchase, but I think once you start getting the red box each month, you will want to continue! 

Amazingly - this wonderful stamp arrived on my doorstep just days before the Tour de Saints hosted by my church. This cycling event is to raise money for CCM, The Cooperative Christian Ministry which helps people and families in need. Whether it is food, clothing, shelter or other needs, CCM helps as many people as possible and those numbers keep growing.  Keep watching the blog to see other ways that I am using the materials in the Paper Pumpkin kit for this month. 

Flower Shop - Change It Up Class

Here is a technique that is making the stampers rounds lately, the painters tape method. Want to learn how to do it? Well, this is one of the cards we will be making at the Change It Up Class that is scheduled for Saturday, September 7.  I will be showing you five different ways to use this stamp set. So if you want to learn how to get the most use out of your stamps and learn to see them in different ways, this is the class for you.  Class fee is $15. Please RSVP via my website or Facebook page by Sept. 4. 

New Photopolymer Stamp - Another Thank You

Here is another new stamp set!  Another Thank You has been released as a Photopolymer set (completely clear).  Here is another peek at the stamps. There are ten stamps in the set which is priced at only $13.95.  What a great combination of stamps as you can see from the few samples above. 

Stampin' Up sure has been keeping us busy with new products all year long. What an amazing 25th Anniversary year it has been.  I can't wait to see what they will come up with next! 

 

Petite Purses Party Favors

I had a lot of fun making these special purses.  Today I was fortunate enough to be able to attend a fundraiser for a local organization, CVAN. My table mate (partner in crime) and I decided it would be fun to have party favors at our table. So with the help of Stampin' Up!'s Petite Purse die cut, I was able to whip these up in no time.  Yes, it would have been a little faster if I did the same pattern, but where is the fun in that?

If you live in the Cabarrus County area of North Carolina, and are not familiar with CVAN, they are a very special organization that provides help and shelter to battered women and children.  If you would like to learn more about what they do and perhaps how you can help, please visit their website at www.CVAN.org.

So I will keep it simple and just show you the different purses up close, and the different ingredients used. All start with the Petite Purse Bigz L die cut. 

The one above has Basic Black card stock for the base. The Language of Friendship (retired) stamp set and Boho Blossom Punch creates the flowers. Basic Jewels Rhinestones were added.

 

Baked Brown Sugar card stock gets this one started. The flower is the Flower Shop stamp set, with the Pansy punch. The center was created layers a Vintage Faceted Designer Button and with a Basic Jewels Pearl in the center.

 

The base purse is from Smoky Slate card stock. The Flower Shop stamp set and Pansy punch create the flower. A Basic Jewel Pearl has been added to the center.

Here I used some retired Designer Series Paper in Old Olive.  The Best of Butterflies stamp set was used along with the Elegant Wings punch.  A couple of Basic Jewels Pearls were added to the butterfly. 

I do try to keep them pretty simple so as to not overwhelm the whole purse.  These were filled with Dove chocolate, but you can add any type of candy or trinket.  I hope that you enjoy these - with Christmas coming up, this would be a great way to make favors for all your friends or co-workers.  Don't have time to do it? Contact me about placing an order for the holidays!  Email me at MightyOakStampers@yahoo.com 

Undefined (That is not a Typo)

Have you ever wanted a stamp but couldn’t find the perfect image? Maybe you have a special family logo or a sketch you’d like to have as a stamp. Well now you can! Undefined is Stampin’ Up!’s new stamp carving product line. You define the rubber stamp any way you want.

Included in the Stamp Carving Kit:
* 2 carving tools
* 3" x 4" rubber
* 3" x 4" foam
* 4 wood blocks (various sizes)
* 1 Island Indigo Stampin’ Write Marker
* 3 postcards
* Instruction sheet
* Stamp image templates





To get started order the full kit which is item 133402 priced at $19.95.  The refill kit which includes additional rubber, foam, and 4 wooden blocks is item 134808 and is priced at $9.95.  Order yours now at www.HilarySmith.StampinUp.net

Washi Tape, Tape It and Gorgeous Grunge

Have you played with the Washi Tape yet? If not, what are you waiting for?  This stuff is a blast to add to cards, and especially fun for scrapbooks or smash books. 

Here the Epic Day This & That Washi Tape has been blended with the Tape It Stamp set.

 

What a fun combination - a little of each makes you start to wonder, when looking at the card, exactly which is which!  The Stamp Pads used were Gumball Green, Daffodil Delight, and Pool Party. Gumball Green and Very Vanilla card stock were used.  The Itty Bitty Banners stamp set provides the sentiment. It is accented with Basic Jewels Rhinestones.  A piece of Gumball Green Stitched Ribbon add a little texture. Another stamp called Gorgeous Grunge was layered to break up the tape look.

 

I was a little hesitant about this one at first actually. It was one that I was given at Convention and wondered if I would use it after getting home. I love the controlled spatter!  These stamps are fabulous at providing that extra element that you don't really want detracting from your main event, but provide the depth and that missing "thing" from your card or page. 

If you are still not so sure about the Washi Tape, Stampin' Up has made it even easier for you by providing a downloadable class bundle offering seven different sections of Washi wisdom, this class includes everything you need to know to make the most of one of the hottest crafting trends out there. Washi Tape has taken the crafting world by storm, offering an incredibly quick, easy way to add a fresh, colorful look to any project. Our What to Washi Class explores a myriad of Washi options and provides much more than the basics for you to begin your own Washi adventures. This class includes written instructions, step-out photos, instructional videos, and supply lists for more than 30 projects.

Bundle Includes:
* 7 PDF Documents
* 2 Instructional Videos
* 4 pkgs of Washi Tape (3 rolls per pkg)
* 20 Whisper White Note Cards & Envelopes

The following topics are covered in the class:
* The Washi Basics
* The Next Step
* Washi-Above and Beyond
* Sharing Washi with Others
* Memory Keeping
* Storage
Only the Beginning. . .

If you are ready to check out the Washi Tape bundle, click here http://www.stampinup.com/ECWeb/ProductDetails.aspx?productID=134743

There is also a class only option, for more information, follow this link
http://www.stampinup.com/ECWeb/ProductDetails.aspx?productID=134742


The card shown today was cased from Sandy Wingate and was one of my many swaps from Convention!

Single Stamps for the Holidays

  

So here are the latest Single Stamp releases - all holiday stamps and yes, just in time!  And just to make it more fun, they are all new!  Oh the choices. Here they are one by one so you can see the detail. 

 

Stamp 1, Be Merry

 

 

 

Stamp 2, Joy and Love

 

Stamp 3, Prince of Peace

 

 

Stamp 4, A Gift for You

 

Stamp 5, Cheers

 

Stamp 6, Christmas Star

 

 

Stamp 7, Magical Season

 

 

Stamp 8, Wonderful Blessing. 

 



 

I hope that you are as excited about these stamps as I am! You can shop any time at www.HilarySmith.StampinUp.net. 

 

Here is another listing of the individual stamp and the blocks they fit on.



1	$8.95	134767	Be Merry	Block E
2	$6.95	134771	Joy and Love	Block E
3	$6.95	134811	Prince of Peace	Block E
4	$4.95	134765	A Gift for You	Block C
5	$5.95	134769	Cheers	Block D
6	$9.95	134813	Christmas Star	Block F
7	$5.95	134777	Magical Season	Block D
8	$8.95	134779	Wonderful Blessing	Block E

Lovely as a Tree Reflections

I follow a few other demonstrator pages on blogs and Facebook. Yes, that is how we sometimes get inspired and the goal is that by showing you all these samples, you too will get inspired to try a new technique. So here is your challenge!  The reflection technique was going around the different pages and I just loved the look. 

To do this, first stamp the image on your card stock. I am using the Lovely as a Tree stamp set on Whisper White card stock.  Then stamp the image again on a piece of clear plastic such as a bag or piece of packaging. You want the plastic to be firm enough to retain the shape when you pick it up.  Then while the ink is still wet, flip the plastic over and line up your images on the card stock. Place the plastic face down on the card stock and gently rub it to transfer the ink to the paper.  Lift the plastic and there you have your reflected image.  You can then use your blender pens or sponge daubers to color in the image.  The images above were stamped in Early Espresso and colored in with Wild Wasabi and Soft Sky.  The Woodgrain embossing folder gives some texture to the first layer. The layered frame was created using the Oval Framelits and Crumb Cake card stock.  The sentiment is from the Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set and placed on a Modern Label punch. 

I hope that you have enjoyed this card and go experiment to make your own. If you ever want to learn more techniques like this, but feel uncomfortable taking a class with a bunch of other people, please contact me. I offer private lessons by appointment that can be tailored to your stamping level and needs.  I can be reached at MightyOakStampers@yahoo.com 

Rev Up The Fun Mini Muslin Bags

I am so excited about these Mini Muslin Bags!  I can't wait to use them all fall - Back to School gifts, Halloween, Thanksgiving and of course, Christmas!  Not to mention all the opportunities in-between.

Here I used it as a gift bag for a "prize patrol" at the Convention After Party. Yes, this was tailored to the kids and held a couple of matchbox cars. Hey, it's no fun if only the grown ups get the prizes.  It was easy enough to create using the bag and the Rev Up The Fun stamp set. The card were stamped in Pacific Point, Real Red, and Gumball Green. This would be a great way to package party favors, and they get to keep and re-use the bag. I don't know about your kids, but mine loves little bags that he can stash his stuff in.

 

The bags are item 132180, priced at $9.95 for a package of 8. So start looking ahead on your calendar and think about all the ways you can use these bags.  If you are ready to order yours and get started on those projects, you can order yours now at www.HilarySmith.StampinUp.net.

Flower Shop In-Color

Here is a great look at the 2013-15 In Color collection.  From left to right are Strawberry Slush, Crisp Cantaloupe, Pistachio Pudding, Coastal Cabana, and Baked Brown Sugar.  What a bright and cheery collection it is! I am so enjoying playing with all of the colors this year. 

This card was originally designed by Sherrie Schintz.  The color samples have been embossed with the Perfect Polka Dot embossing folder.  The Flower Shop stamp set and Pansy punch provide our flowers.  The flowers have a little bling from adding Basic Jewels Rhinestones.  The words come from the Bring on the Cake stamp set.  To get the different scalloped edge on the sentiment tag, place the end of the tag in a scalloped punch (I used the Scallop Oval Punch) feeding it from the bottom of the punch so you can see it. Just put the end in where you want it punched.  Try it out to create your own tags of any size!

Basic Banners Class - August 25

Are you ready to create something new? Well, let's get you out of your card comfort zone and do some home decorating. On August 25, I am offering a Basic Banners Class from 1:30-4pm.  We will be using Stampin' Up!'s Build A Banner Simply Created kit.  Let me show you how quickly they can go together.  $30 class fee includes your Build A Banner kit which includes 18 banners, alphabet and design stencils, twine, and a spritzer (valued at $19.95).

 

Please RSVP by August 15 by visiting my website, signing up on my Facebook page or by emailing me at MightyOakStampers@yahoo.com 

Too Kind 2013-15 In Colors

This is a great all occasion card, create the card but leave the words unstamped until you know what you want to use it for, thank you, birthday, or even sympathy. It really will work for anything. 

The card starts with a base of Crisp Cantaloupe. A thin strip of Chocolate Chip has been given a nice edge using the Scallop Trim Border Punch. I then embossed it with the Perfect Polka Dot embossing folder.  To create the piece with the flowers, start with Whisper White card stock. Then use your spritzers to add just a splash of color. Here is was Tangerine Tango done from a distance to get a very light splatter effect.  Then the flowers from the Too Kind stamp set were inked on with Crisp Cantaloupe, Tangerine Tango, and Pistachio Pudding.  I layer of Pistachio Pudding was added behind the Whisper White.  "Thank You" comes from the Best of Greetings set. One of the Naturals Buttons and some Linen Thread finish the card.

This was one of the many samples that I brought home from Convention. Unfortunately, it was swapped unmarked!  It was also one of the cards that we made at the After Convention Party.  It you haven't tried the spritzers yet - go ahead and take the plunge.  I was a little hesitant at first but love the effect.  We even joked about re-decorating my office if we experienced over-spray during the party. I am excited about using the spritzers to do some super fast and easy banners and bags this fall. So check out the fall schedule and get signed up today!

Rev Up the Fun - Joy Ride

 

Here is a card we did at the Convention After Party.  I saw the Rev Up the Fun stamp set a lot with the swaps from Convention.  Here the Silver Glimmer paper added around the motorcycle takes it to the next level.  The base is Basic Black card stock. That is then layered with Smoky Slate and then Real Red.  The Smoky Slate is stamped with the tire stamp from the Rev Up the Fun set. The words were stamped using Black StazOn ink.  The motorcycle is stamped in Real Red and Smoky Slate on Very Vanilla card stock.  The card was designed by fellow Stampin' Up demonstrator Sara Cimbaro. 

I really love the Smoky Slate and Real Red together.... I have a feeling I will be combining them somehow for my holiday projects.  If you are loving this set or the color combination, you can shop anytime at www.HilarySmith.StampinUp.net

Punch art flower

There were so many (okay, even more than that!) samples on display at convention. I took a ton of photos but accepted the fact that I would not capture on film all the ones I loved. I saw this one and had to try to duplicate it. This little flower is created using the Large Oval Punch.  I punched out five ovals using Summer Starfruit card stock. I then used my dauber to add a little in in the same color around the edges and on end.   Using the Little Leaves Sizzlit, I created the leaves in Gumball Green. I drew in the stem from the flower to the top leaf with a Gumball Green Marvelous Marker.  The flower was assembled on Whisper White card stock, then layered on Gumball Green and Summer Starfruit.  The words Thank You come from a new stamp set called Lots of Thanks. I don't know, but there was just something so sweet about this little blossom that I had to try to create. 

I hope that you are inspired by some of my creations, even the ones that I have shared from other sources. Creativity creates creativity... if you are ever stuck and feeling uninspired, they say the best thing to do is get your hands working. Copy this card or anything else and once your hands start working, the brain will release itself and you will be off and running. Hey, it can't hurt to try, right?