Sharing the delights of rubber stamping and paper crafting with beginning and experienced crafters!
Terri Walker
[email protected]
(919) 280-1020
http://www.nutzaboutstamping.com
One of my stamping loves this year has been to show my customers how to use stamp sets and inks to make projects other than cards and scrapbook pages. I even started an "Anything but a Card" club to feature such projects. Friday evening my club met and we had so much fun creating three 3D projects using the Love You Much bundle for two of the projects. Today is the final day to order the Love You Much bundle at 20% off. Beginning tomorrow you will pay full price for all bundle contents.
Here's a very unique project idea. It looks very complicated but is really very simple!
Yep, those are test tubes! And you thought test tubes were just in Science class. Contact me to join my Anything but a Card club. There is one spot open and guests are always welcome!
Of all of the wonderful new items in the Spring/Summer 2009 Stampin' Up catalog, I was very excited to see the collection of Stampin' Up exclusive Texturz plates that can be used with your Big Shot Die Cut machine.
On my first catalog order I chose Stampin' Up! Backgrounds 1, which feature 3 plates with 6 different designs...a small argyle, floral with dotted trails, big polka dots, small polka dots, a pretty swirly design and a brocade. My card sample today uses the small polka dots and I am not sure you will be able to see them in the photo below. If you like texture, you are going to LOVE these plates and I have some neat tips to share with you as you try them out the first time. My card club in February is in for a treat!
This sample uses a new stamp set that arrived on Tuesday. Trendy Trees is a stinkin' cute stamp set with a matching wheel. Prepare to see lots of samples using this set!
I just can't get enough of this stamp set! You can create cards with several layers, especially if using the Candy Cane Lane designer series paper, or you can make simple but elegant cards with very few details.
Here's a simple but elegant card. I used two of my favoite color combos: Pink Pirouette and Going Grey. Add a bit of Whisper White and see what a cute card can be created in just minutes?
You only have three more days to get the Love You Much bundle at 20% off. Click here to order online - my "store" is open 24/7!
So many of you have been asking when you will be receiving your Sale-a-bration mini catalog in the mail. I received mine last week so yours should be coming any day now. You are going to LOVE the free stamp sets and products featured! I am not allowed to give you a peek inside but I can sure show you what to look for in your mailbox:
Have you booked your Sale-a-bration party yet? You had better get to it right away as my calendar dates are filling up very quickly! Click here to see my available dates and then call or email me to book your party. Sale-a-bration begins this Sunday and ends March 31st.
My new catalog Open House yesterday was so much fun. As I told everyone there, I BAKED! If I have any free time on the weekends, I stamp never bake but since this was such a special occasion and I wanted to spoil everyone who came, I baked brownies, cookies, cherry braid, and made the most delicious white hot chocolate (which was a hit!). I also had door prizes with several winners and a grand prize Raffle draw. Congrats to Melissa A. who won the Raffle and got to choose a free stamp set from the new catalog!
I think the favorite part for my attendees was the two cards that they got to make (for free!) using two brand new set in the catalog. It was a really hard choice but I finally decided to use Sweet Stems for one card and Petal Pizzaz for the second card.
Which card do you like best? Feel free to post a comment below.
Funny, but six months ago I had not heard of the Sizzix Big Shot but now can't imagine creating without it. Having the capability to add different elements to my pages and cards has bumped up my creativity quite a big notch. And to be able to easily create 3-D projects in a quick crank of a handle and to create 4 at one turn is simply amazing to me. When the Spring-Summer Idea Book and Catalog was launched two weeks ago I was blown away by the eight pages featuring new products for the Big Shot! I didn't know where to begin when placing my first order, lol. I narrowed it down to the brand new Stampin' Up! Texturz Plates and purchased the Backgrounds Set 1 as it was designed to coordinate with our stamp sets (amazing huh). Here's what sold me besides the fact that they coordinate - and I have a customer to thank for excitedly pointing this out: I have loved the big background stamps and have purchased several at the cost of $17.95 each. The Texturz Plates sell for $11.95 and you don't get one, you get six for that cost! Come back often to see some new cards, projects and scrapbook ideas using this new product which will be arriving any day now.
But I digress. Today's Sizzix sample uses the Scallop Circle (#113468) as a photo or journaling element. I also used Garden Greetings, the stamp set I got for free at Leadership's Managers Reception. I stamped the flower elements in Black craft pad and embossed in black embossing powder before coloring with blender pens. I love the tiny bit of texture embossing brings to the page. The designer series paper is Manchester. Here this paper is used for a floral design but the colors and designs make great masculine cards too.
If you want to check out all the new Sizzix products in the Spring-Summer Idea Book and Catalog click here, then click "die cutting" in the left hand side bar.
Have you purchased this bundle yet? If not, you only have 7 more days to get it at 20% off and don't forget I am offering a special class on March 31st to show you several new ideas to help you get value for your dollar.
Here's a sample to whet your appetite a little bit. This card was created by my Card Club last night and they loved it! It uses all the items in the Love You Much bundle: the Heart to Heart punch, the Candy Cane Lane designer series paper and Love You Much stamp set.
Are you interested in joining my card club? New members are always welcome so email me for more information.
Click the buy now button to order your Love You Much bundle today (price includes shipping and tax)!
What a treat that I got to participate in an afternoon chat & challenge this week. Warm and cozy inside tapping my creativity while the snow fell outside (a rare event in central NC). Two days off to play and extra time to prepare for my card club Friday evening and Cocoa and Catalogs Open House on Sunday!
Here's the card map for the challenge:
As soon as I saw this challenge map, I knew immediately that I wanted to use Petal Pizzazz for the circle pieces. The large flower in this set can be quickly punched out using the Scallop Circle punch, making this quick and easy. And for the background paper? Raspberry Tart of course! Here's my card:
For colors I used Rose Red to create a 5x5 square card and Basic Black for the scallops and strips to create the box sections on the card front.
Give this map a try and see what you can come up with!
Do you ever struggle for a scrapbook layout idea when you finally find the time to scrap? Here's a quick tip for you - have a look at card samples that you love and turn them into scrapbook pages! That's exactly what I did when I created this blog posting using the Crazy for Cupcakes stamp set:
This is based on a card sample that another demonstrator had created and shared with a group of Stampin' Up! demonstrators. I loved its simplicity and bright colors and was looking for an idea for my scrapbook club. I recreated the idea, added the 1/4" punched circles on the black strips and a couple of extra layers under the balloons. (The card idea had the balloon layer in the center of the card, overlapping the colored squares and minus the black strips) So the next time you are struggling, try my idea!
Would you like to be part of my scrapbook club? Would you and your friends like to start your own club? There is no supply fee - the only commitment is a minimum product purchase each time we meet. Contact me for club details.
Today marks the release date of Stampin' Up!s Spring-Summer Idea Book and Catalog!
You will be amazed at the samples, new stamp sets, accessories and exclusive Big Shot dies that are featured. Want to get a catalog for FREE? There are three ways to do so: a. attend my Cocoa and Catalogs Open House this Sunday, January 25th from 1:00 - 5:00 pm (drop in), b. join one of my clubs or start a new club with your friends, c. hostess your own stamping party at my house or yours. Stampin' Up! also just announced that online orders placed between February 1 - April 30th will also receive a FREE catalog as long as the order is placed through your favorite demonstrator's website (er...that would be ME!)
If you can't wait until my Open House or next club meeting to see this fabulous catalog, click on the side bar catalog that says "just released!". You will be able to download one to your desktop!
Not all scrapbook pages have to be filled with fancy decorations, especially if you want attention to focus on some great photos you have taken. This scrapbook page uses Heard from the Heart, stamped with White craft ink and embossed in white, and the Snowflakes Sizzlet diecuts. To add a touch of interest to the background, I used the snowflake stamp from Scandinavian Season (I am going to miss this stamp set!) and stamped in both Whisper White craft and Baja Breeze. This page can be created in just minutes.
Do you have lots of scraps of designer series paper, can't bear to throw them out, but don't know how to use them on a scrapbook page? That's exactly how I felt until I attended a gather of Stampin' Up! demosntrators and got this great idea:
Create a page similar to this one and use up bits of Designer series paper (these are Holiday Treasure scraps, 3"x3"), left over rub ons (Chit Chat phrases work great here), and ribbon lengths (I attached the bow with a glue dot). Then have a look at all the holiday photos you took. Are there any that be punched out using your 1 3/8" square punch? Not all photos on a scrapbook page have to be 4"x6". Punch out photo elements that will someday trigger warm memories such as your stocking on the fireplace, a special present under the tree, faces of friends and loved ones, etc. You can also use the solid squares as journaling blocks to explain why the square photos are special to you. My Scrappers 10 club members created this page at our December meeting and will be bringing this page to our meeting tomorrow to share how they used this layout.
REMINDER:Tomorrow is the last day to place your order for retiring stamp sets and ALL sets and products in the Holiday mini catalog. Except for the Big Shot products, NONE of the other Holiday mini catalog products are in the Spring/Summer Idea Book and Catalog.
Click here to go to my online ordering system. Once there, click on "Shop Now".
Last night I participated in another chat & challenge with several Stampin' Up! demonstrators. We were given a card map and had one hour to create a card following the map idea. We can use any stamp sets, card stock colors and accessories we want; the only requirement is to complete a card following the challenge map. I really enjoy these challenges because it motivates me to create something but I don't have to think up the layout idea myself. And it is really fun to see what the other demonstrators create using the same map idea.
Here's the map:
And here's what I created:
I would love to see what you can create with the same map. Email a card you created and if I post it on my blog, you will receive a little gift from me in the mail! Hmmm, don't recognize that stamp set? You will on Monday when the brand new Spring/Summer Idea Book and Catalog is released!
This is my personal blog: as an Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator, I am responsible for its content. Stampin' Up! does not endorse the use of or contents of the classes, services, or non-Stampin' Up! Products I may offer here.