Nutz about Stamping

Tastes of Summer

When you think of summer, what do you think of? I think of warm days, sunny skies, butterflies on my butterfly bush and the taste of sweet fruit. My favorite stamp set in the Occasions mini catalog is Tart & Tangy because it reminds me that warmer, sweeter days are just around the corner. Yesterday I sat and created card after card using this cute set. I kept them simple because the stamp set (in my mind) is simple. Cards don't have to be elaborate all the time. Simple is good too!

Rise to the Occasion

Wow, this mini catalog really does have something for everyone! I am so excited about the Carousel notes that I just had to share a bit about them. You know how much you love your Scallop punch? Well, blow up that scallop shape and the Carousel notes are born. The possibilities for these notes are endless. Yes they are large notes that you can send to someone (they come with Chocolate Chip envies!) but they can also be used on scrapbook pages too. You get 12 die-cut notecards in Groovy Guava, Soft Sky and Wild Wasabi, four notecards in each color. And check out the Love Bird Rub-Ons which coordinate beautifully with the notes - you are gonna LOVE these! And when I was at Leadership I learned that both these products also coordinate with the Pick a Petal Classy Brass Stencil. Don't you just love that Stampin' Up! does all your thinking for you?

Rub-Ons Fun

At my What in the World are...Rub-Ons? class this week, attendees created a variety of projects using our fabulous Rub-Ons. Each person selected a pack of Rub-Ons from page 182 of the Spring/Summer Collection catalog and used those images for each project I had designed. The really cool thing was that each project looked a bit different depending on which pack of Rub-Ons was used! Here's a teaser picture of one of the projects created. Click on my calendar found on the right hand sidebar of this blog so you can see my upcoming classes and won't miss out on all the fun!

New Feature - subscribe to my blog

A few of you have so kindly informed me that when you tried to subscribe to my blog it didn't work. So tonight I sat down to figure this out and I think I have it. As you read this entry, look on the left hand side bar where it says "subscribe to this blog's feed". Click on that button and it takes you to several choices, such as Google, Yahoo, AOL, etc. When you choose one of these and enter in your username for the site, it should add an alert system so when I add a new blog entry you get an automatic alert.

Shall we try again and see if it works?

Build-a-brad How-to

This weekend my hostess clubs played with the ever-so-cool Build-a-brads while creating a card. These neat new accessories have such potential! Here's a basic how-to:

1. Stamp an image on scrap card stock. I used the small flower image from Make it Count.

2. Punch stamped image out using the 1/2" circle punch.

3. Adhere punched circle onto base of Build-a-brad, using Snail Adhesive.

4. Add "bubble" to to brad.

5. Attach brad to card, or scallop punch image or whatever you create!

Have you created a project using Build-a-brad? Email it to me and I might post it to my blog for everyone to see. Now.... go create!

Color Combos

In my last post, I shared with you how I couldn't live without my Color Coach as I am totally color challenged. Another resource that I get ideas from is color trends in fashion through looking at catalogs, fashion magazines or sometimes even junk email advertising sales. Here's a resource for you that will help you match our fabulous Double-sided Designer paper series with the cooresponding card stock colors:

Afternoon Tea: Groovy Guava, Chocolate Chip, Soft Sky, Wild Wasabi
Bali Breeze: Old Olive, Taken with Teal, Rose Red, Pumpkin Pie
Berry Bliss: Close to Cocoa, Pretty in Pink, Purely Pomegranate
Cutie Pie: Bashful Blue, Basic Black, Certainly Celery, Rose Red, So Saffron
East Coast Prep: More Mustard, Real Red, Tempting Turquoise, Wild Wasabi
Fall Flowers: Old Olive, Really Rust, Sahara Sand, Soft Sky
Flowers for You: Certainly Celery, Lovely Lilac, Regal Rose, Tempting Turquoise
Ginger Blossom: Ruby Red, River Rock, Cameo Coral, GroovyGuava
Jersey Shore: Bashful Blue, Brilliant Blue, Pumpkin Pie, Wild Wasabi
LeJardin - River Rock, Soft Sky, So Saffron, Very Vanilla
Notebook: Kraft, Soft Sky, Very Vanilla
Olive Press: Old Olive, Very Vanilla
Porcelain Prints: Blue Bayou, River Rock, Wild Wasabi
Spring Break: Blue Bayou, Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, Soft Sky
Spring Fling: Certainly Celery, Pretty in Pink, Sage Shadow, So Saffron
Spring Silhouettes: Certainly Celery, Soft Sky, Very Vanilla, Wild Wasabi
Summer Picnic: Real Red, Bashful Blue, Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie
Western Sky: Blue Bayou, River Rock, Ruby Red ,Soft Sky

Catalog Trivia Contest

How much do you think it would cost if you purchased 1 of every stamp and wheel in the Spring/Summer collection catalog? On February 14th I will share the love and the contest winner. The winner will receive: one pack of 8 1/2 x 11 Real Red cardstock! (In the event of a tie, a winning name will be drawn from a hat)

Trivia Contest rules: Email your name and guess to: nutzaboutstampin@aol.com no later than Feb. 13, 2008. Calculators prohibited - if you take the time to add this all up, you have too much time on your hands and you need to come and volunteer to work for me! Contest winner will be announced on my blog posting on February 17, 2008. Contest prize needs to be picked up at my home or postage provided for mailing.

Have you played with Rub-Ons yet?

I had not even heard of rub-ons until the Spring/Summer Collection catalog came out. When I attended Leadership and had a chance to play with them, I knew what the buzz was all about! Rub-Ons are quick and easy to apply and fabulous to enhance a card or scrapbook page - you can also rub them onto glass and candles! And to me, the best part is that you get a ton of them per page so the value of each pack is tremendous.

Instead of raving about them all day long, I have created a What in the World are...Rub-Ons? class on Saturday, February 16 from 1:00 - 3:00 pm. Take a look at page 182 in the Spring/Summer catalog and pick a pack of Rub-Ons you want to use for the class. I will show you how to apply rub-ons to cards and other surfaces so you can take your pack home and continue to use them in the months ahead. The class fee is only $30 and includes a bone folder, a 12x12 craft keeper to store your Rub-Ons, all project supplies and the Rub-Ons (except Snail adhesive).

Please pre-register by February 6th with payment and let me know when you register what your choice of Rub-Ons are so they are waiting for you the day of the class.

Here's a sample of a 5-minute card using Rub-Ons. Don't you agree that they are fabulous?