Save the Date - Holiday Sale Coming Soon

Hey ladies hold the date and hang on to your orders for just a few more days. Why?  Because the Stampin' Up! Annual Holiday Sale (previously known as the Online Extravaganza) is just a few days away.  

Check back with me on November 19th when I should have all the details on how you can take advantage of this fun event! You won't want to miss out on this event which will be kicked off with a 24-hour doorbuster sale!  

The sale starts November 20th and runs through December 2nd, 2013.

Tag It Bundles and MDS Get Em' While You Can

TAG IT BUNDLES  - ONLY AVAILABLE FOR THREE MORE DAYS

Stampin' Up!s  two new holiday bundles are only available until November 19 that's just three more days! These bundles are excellent for packaging treats and small gifts this holiday season. 

The Holiday Tag It Decorative Box Bundle (item 135811) includes:
Stamp a Tag Kit

• Cherry Cobbler 1" Stitched Edge Grosgrain Ribbon (10 yards)
• Decorative Window Gift Boxes (6 boxes)
• The Holiday Tag It Extra-Large Box Bundle (item 135812) includes

Stamp a Tag Kit

• Cherry Cobbler 1" Stitched Edge Grosgrain Ribbon (10 yards)
• Extra-Large Gift Boxes (3 boxes)

Click here to find out more

MY DIGITAL STUDIO SAVE WITH 30% OFF DIGITAL - 

ONLY AVAILABLE UNTIL NOVEMBER 30, 2013

Whether you're designing Christmas cards, gifts for friends and family, decorations for your home, or your 2013 photobooks—Stampin' Up!s got what you need with 30% off of a variety of downloads. 

And, once you've designed your projects, don't forget to place your orders before November 30. You can get 30% off photobooks, swatchbooks, cards, tags, and individual pages.

Need a little inspiration check out MyDigitalStudio.net  they've been posting projects and ideas all month long.  You can post your samples to the gallery too! But, hurry, the sale ends November 30.

JOYFUL CHRISTMAS

Yesterday I shared this sneak peak of the second project I made at Cheryl LeFore's Friday Night Stamp Club.

Wanna know what it is?  Well I won't keep you in suspense any longer. This is the beautiful poinsettia  from the "Joyful Christmas" stamp set.  If you have a love for this Christmas icon, then this set is for you. 

Joyful Christmas in the Holiday Catalogue 

Our second project was a Pop n' Cut Gift Card Holder that comes together in a flash and is topped with this great poinsettia.  Here's a shot of the completed gift card:

I love the Joyful Christmas wishes sentiment on this card front, it's simply perfect.  

Supplies:

Stamp Set:  Joyful Christmas
Ink:  Crumb Cake, Stazon Black Ink
Reinkers:  Cherry Cobbler, Starfruit, Pear Pizzazz
Card stock:  Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White, Season of Style DSP Paper Stack, Window Sheets
Diecut:  Pop n' Cut Base
Punch:  Word Window 
Framelit:  Apothecary Accent Framelits
Miscellaneous:  Dimensionals, Crystal Effects, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, Paint Brushes or empty Aqua Painter 

Cutting Directions for Gift Card Holder:

1. Cut a piece of Cherry Cobbler card stock to 4 1/4 x 11 and place on the Pop n' Cut base.  Score this piece at 3 1/2", 5 1/2" and 7 1/2".
2. Cut a piece of Whisper White card stock to 2 1/2 x 4" for the inside of the card, and a 2 1/4" x 3 1/4" piece for the sentiment "Joyful Christmas Wishes" which is stamped in Crumb Cake ink.  Cut out the sentiment piece with the Apothecary Accent Framelits, and layer on Polka Dot dsp.
3. Cut a piece of the Crumb Cake/ Polka Dot paper from the Season of Style Paper Pack to 2 1/8" x 4 1/4" and attach this across the center of the card. 
4. Stamp the poinsettia in Stazon Black Ink and then cut out with scissors. See instructions below for painting both the poinsettia and leaves on the acetate sheet.  

Inside verse stamped in Crumb Cake ink

Outside verse, stamped in Crumb Cake ink on Whisper White card stock and then cut out with Apothecary Accents framelit. 

The Pop N' Cuts card base is perfect for making gift cards, because when folded the end tabs help to keep the card closed and hide the gift card inside. Cut out the card stock with this die and then score at 3 1/2", 5 1/2" and 7 12".  Fold in a valley, mountain, valley fold style with the mountain in the middle.  This piece will be in the center or inside of the gift card holder. i Glue this part together with a thin strip of sticky strip on the outside bottom edge.  Cut out a section from the mountain part with the Word Window Punch. This is where the gift card will slide in.  Tip:  Before punching use your gift card to line up where you want to begin cutting so that the slot is even on both sides of this piece.  You'll have to make two cuts with the Word Window punch.

The Pop n' Cuts Die Cut Base is very versatile and can be used for making boxes, gift cards, and of course pop up cards.  

Painting the Poinsettia and Leaves: 
The poinsetta and three leaves were stamped on an acetate window sheet with Stazon Black ink. Let the ink completely dry before you begin painting. 

You'll need three small containers to mix the Crystal Effects with each of the reinker colours.  Simply mix a small amount of Crystal Effects with a couple of drops of re-inker until the desired colour is reached. Using a paint brush pick up some of the mixture and paint it on to the stamped image side of the window sheet. Use a dabbing motion as opposed to a stroking motion to fill in the flower or leaf images and make sure all the acetate in the design is
covered.  Try to stay in the lines and not overlap outside of the image. 

Once you've painted all the acetate images and you're happy with the paint coverage sprinkle Dazzling Diamonds Glitter over the wet surface.  Shake off any excess glitter and set aside to dry completely (this will take some time and don't try to dry with your heat gun or you'll warp the acetate).  

Once the images are completely dry, then cut them out with scissors.  
finally, attach the flower and leaves to the front of the gift card holder with dimensionals.  

Make sure when you're painting the images that the paint is thick enough and bold enough that you wdn't see any gaps through the acetate. When it's finished all you should see is the colour and glimmer of the glitter as per this closeup.

So here's one last look at the finished card.  Believe me the pictures just don't do the card justice.  In real life the colour is just dancing off the images.  

I hope you enjoyed these projects.  Leave me a comment if you like this one and the instructions.  You'll find it a very simple and fun technique and it really delivers that WOW factor that so many of us love!   I'm so happy Cheryl taught us how to make these. 

Here are a few more Joyful Christmas creations from other Stampin' Up! Demonstrators and Publications:

On Saturday, November 2, a variety of projects created by Stampin' Up! demonstrators Anne Granger and Susan Bruyn were posted on the Scrapbook and Cards Today on-line magazine, using the Joyful Christmas Stamp Set. They are in the Stampin' Up! Saturday section on the right hand panel of the on the Scrapbook & Cards Today blog.  Here's the link: http://www.scrapbookandcardstodaymag.typepad.com 
.  

Joyful Christmas Gift Bags

This beautiful gift card set by Sandra Hanedamian and Amelia Amador of www.morethanstamping.blogspot.com is called Bedazzled Poinsettia.

Gift Bow Bigz Die - Angel Ornament

Last Friday I participated in a very enjoyable stamping evening with Cheryl Lefore's Stamp Club.  It was nice to see familiar faces and be so well pampered by Melina, our fabulous and friendly stamp club hostess.  I always enjoy attending Cheryl's stamp clubs and making her wonderful creations and Friday was no exception. We made two projects, both of which were fun, enlightening and very inspiring. 

Project No. One:  Christmas Angel Ornament

I've seen variations of this angel made with the Gift Bow Bigz Die on Pinterest and other boards but it didn't really pique my interest until I made this little cutie. This sweet little angel is so adorable and so quick to make.  I can see myself making these for gift tags, hostess gifts and for decorations on my tree. They're addictive!  

But before I get to the finer points of how to make the angel, I want to share that the Gift Bow Bigz Die is currently on sale for 25% off, but only until the end of this week.

Click here to see the Weekly Deals for Nov. 11 to 17th, 2013:

Weekly Deal Nov 11 to 17th, 2014.  Check it out at link above. 

To make one of these little cuties yourself, check out the You Tube video by Tanya Bell  that shows how to cut and assemble her version and  Cindee Wilkinson for her written tutorial on this version.

Cindee Wilkinson's version of the Gift Bow Angel Ornament.  Pretty Darn Cute. Her tutorial includes instructions for creating the Merry Christmas Banner.

We used the same method to make our angel, but made the following changes:

1.  We added velum wings.  To make the wings, cut out a heart matching up with the size of your angel using the Heart Framelits. Cut down the center of the heart to get 2 wings.  Attach the wings by slightly overlapping them and attaching with sticky strip to the angels back. See photo for placement. When I make this again I'm going to texturize the velum with the Square Lattice Embossing Folder before cutting out the heart.

2.  The angel's body is made with Designer Paper:  While the card stock used in both Cindee's and Tanya's samples is nice, our angel is cut from Winter Frost Specialty DSP, and I think it looks awesome. 

Silver Glimmer Paper instead of Champagne: Our angel's halo and the circle backing are cut with the circle punches from Silver Glimmer Paper.

Here's a tip on making the eye templates.  Use the circle punch from the Itty Bitty Shape Punch or other small circle punch and the sticky part of a post it note to punch out the two circles for the eye templates. The sticky part will hold the circles in place while you draw the outline of the eyes and lashes.

Supplies:
Stamp Set:  Very Merry Tags
Classic Ink Pad:  Island Indigo
Stampin Write Marker:  Basic Black
Cardstock and Paper:  Blushing Bride or Crumb Cake (head), Silver Glimmer Paper, Winter Frost Specialty DSP, Vellum
Diecuts:  Gift Bow Bigz Die (Holiday Catalogue and this week's Deals of the Week), Heart Framelit, 
Punches:  1" Circle, 1 1/4" Circle, 1 3/4" Circle, 7/8 Scallop Circle, Itty Bitty Punch Circle
Miscellaneous: Liquid Adhesive (Tom Bow), Glue Dots, Linen Thread (or Silver), Dimensionals.

If you like this post please leave me a comment and be sure to come back tomorrow when I'll be posting the second project.  Here's a teaser:

Best of 25 Years Stamp Set for November - Snow

Snow

I can't think of very many, in fact any, of my stamping friends and customers who aren't thrilled when they see snowflake or snowmen stamp sets. Everyone loves them, right?  Well I can honestly say that I do and when I saw the November Best of 25 Years Stamp set I was thrilled because it's all about "snow" and includes some great classic stamps.

I also really love the new never before seen stamp "Let It Snow" that's included with this set.  It's absolutely perfect and can be either fussy cut out with paper snips or with the new Bracket punch that's in the Holiday catalogue. 

Bracket Label Punch 132153  Price: $15.95  Use with the Tags 4 You set to create one-of-a-kind tags for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Valentine's Day! Punched image size: 1-5/8" x 1-5/8".  You can also purchase the Tags 4 You and Bracket Label Punch as a bundle.  Check it out here.

To see some great cards created by Jennifer Timko, a member of the 2013 Stampin' Up! Artisan Design Team using this new stamp set, you'll want to check out this post from the Stampin' Up! Blog, or Jennifer's blog by clicking on her name above.  It's worth the trip, Jennifer's card's are simply awesome:

Sneak peak of Jennifer Timko's awesome card featuring the hedgehogs.  See the full card on her link above.

Things to Remember:

All Best of stamp sets will include 3-5 images, including a never-before seen image, and will be priced at $17.95

• While we are releasing just one Best of stamp set per month (with a new theme each month), all of the Best of sets will be available until March 31, 2014.
• A new flyer will be released every month for each new Best of set.
• All Best of stamp sets are available in Clear-Mount only.

While we are releasing just one Best of stamp set per month, all of the Best of sets will be available until March 31, 2014.

As a special incentive to collect the Best of stamps, we’re including a collector’s card and 25-year proof of purchase sticker with every Best of set. Collect six stickers, and send it in to redeem a FREE set of your choice valued up to $17.95! Free sets must be redeemed no later than April 30, 2014.

Check out my page on Best of Stamp Sets for more details and all the other stamp sets previously released.  

Deals of the Week and Product Updates for November

There's still time this week to take advantage of the "Deals of the Week" selections for the week of October 28th to November 3rd, 2013.  All available items are discounted at the prices noted below in red.  The framelits are an exception deal.  Just thought you'd like to know.

Product Updates and Information for November:

While you're shopping in my on-line store be sure to check out these other new products and specials:

The Clearance Rack:  
Don't forget to check out the deals on the Clearance Rack, it's updated regularly.  You could save up to 80% on these specially priced items.  

Holiday Tag It Bundles:
Our two Tag It bundles include the tags, the ribbon, and the boxes to make your own pretty packages.

Holiday Tag It Decorative Box Bundle  
Item #135811 Price $24.95, includes: 

• Stamp a Tag Kit
• Cherry Cobbler 1" Stitched Edge Grosgrain Ribbon (10 yards)
• Decorative Window Gift Boxes (6 boxes)

Holiday Tag It Extra-Large Box Bundle 
Item #135812 Price $23.95, includes:

• Stamp a Tag Kit
• Cherry Cobbler 1" Stitched Edge Grosgrain Ribbon (10 yards)
• Extra-Large Gift Boxes (3 boxes)

Only available October 29th to November 19, 2013

POP N' PLACE GIFT TAGS AND BUNDLES:

Check out the Pop N' Place Gift Tags and Bundles 

Pop & Place Holiday Gift Tags Book  134975  Price: $11.95  
  

Pop & Place Holiday Gift Tags Book is a booklet of 70+ tags in five paper designs, 2 pages of each design—created from our existing punch and die shapes. These gift tags are perfect for making cute tags for any gift this holiday season.

Pop & Place Holiday Gift Tags Bundle  135921  Price: $22.95  
  

This bundle includes the Pop & Place Holiday Gift Tags Book (which includes 70+ tags in five paper designs, 2 pages of each design) plus the coordinating Christmas Tagables Photopolymer Stamp Set. These gift tags are perfect for making cute tags for any gift this holiday season.


Pop & Place Holiday Gift Tags Starter Bundle  135290  Price: $27.95  

This bundle includes the Pop & Place Holiday Gift Tags Book (which includes 70+ tags in five paper designs, 2 pages of each design), the coordinating Christmas Tagables Photopolymer Stamp Set, a Soft Suede ink spot, and a clear block to stamp with. These gift tags are perfect for making cute tags for any gift this holiday season.

Christmas Tagables Photopolymer Stamp Set  134623  Price: $16.95  

Christmas is a time for tags; you need tags for gifts and treats for everyone. This photopolymer stamp set coordinates with the Pop & Place Holiday Gift Tags Book to help make it easy to create tags. Our photopolymer stamps offer a versatile all-clear stamping option. You’ll find that our photopolymer is top-quality and gives a perfectly stamped image every time. The stamps stick amazingly well to our clear blocks (we recommend using the C block with this stamp set) and are easy to place just where you want them. And best of all, you get to enjoy tons of images for a great price!

MDS Studios 

It's the most wonderful time of the year-30% off select holiday downloads and print products! 

What's included?
A variety of festive downloads to help you get a head start this busy season. See them here.

Once you've designed your holiday projects, you'll need to print them, right? You can also get 30% off photobooks, swatchbooks, cards, tags, and individual pages. View pricing here. 

October 29-November 30: We're kicking off the most wonderful time of the year today with 30% off select holiday downloads and print products.  

November 1-8: Join us as we celebrate Digital Scrapbooking Days. Go to MyDigitalStudio.net every day for guest bloggers, challenges, daily deals, videos, and more! Don't miss the FREE download on Saturday.  

The My Library for My Digital Studio app is now available for iPads, Android tablets, and the Kindle Fire. 

We have a lot of other surprises in store for you in the coming weeks. Stay tuned and don't forget to check out our latest downloads, here (PDF), including the FREE November wallpaper.  

Digital Scrapbooking Days Nov 2-8

It's official-Digital Scrapbooking Day 2013 has arrived! And with style we might add. One of Stampin' Up!s talented concept artists, Jen Campbell, created the FREE Moments Ago Stamp Brush Set and today she's sharing some project ideas. Plus, My Digital Studio has more guest bloggers to highlight the daily deal with the Hello There Kit being one of the favorites!

So, what are you still doing here? You're late for the party. Remember, it lasts all week, with more bloggers, daily deals, prizes, challenges, videos, and of course, YOU!

Daily deals: 
11/2 Hello There Kit + FREE Moments Ago Stamp Brush Set
11/3 All Time Fave Photobook Template
11/4 Modern Medley Overlays Kit
11/5 Be Brave Pocket Cards
11/6 Nobody's Business Photobook Template
11/7 Autumn Traditions Kit
11/8 Afternoon Daydream Kit