Reverse Words 2nd Release Sale-A-Bration 2017

On February 21st Stampin' Up released four new products for the 2017 Sale-A-Bration season. 
Today I'd like to share a video of one of the stamp sets included in that release.  It's called the Reverse Words stamp set. I know you're going to love it! 

Wow the designs Andrea created are simply awesome and so simple.  It’s amazing all you can do with just two awesome stamps!  The images in the Reverse Words Stamp Set are bold enough to stand on their own for a cute, simple effect or you can get more creative. 

This is the perfect set for creating lots of party invites or thank you cards and the designs also look gorgeous when stepped up with layers and bling for a project worthy of someone special.

You can get the Reverse Words Stamp Set for FREE with a qualifying purchase during Stampin' Up!'s annual Sale-A-Bration event (through March 31, 2017). 

What's a qualifying order? 
All you have to do is place a minimum $60.00 order (before S&H and tax) on my online store and you qualify for a FREE product from the Sale-A-Bration 2017 product line.   Double that and you can get two free products and so on.  Here's a look at the Sale-A-Bration Free Products.

Sale-A-Bration 2017 Flyer

 

Sale-A-Bration 2nd Release Flyer

Happy Stamping!
Penny Tokens Stampin Spot

Watercooler Wednesday - #WWC108 Gail's Sketch Challenge

The week's just keep flying by, and once again it's time for the weekly Watercooler Wednesday Challenge.  This time around it's a fun sketch #WWC108 that's being hosted by Gail Allen.

We welcome all submissions so why not make a card using this sketch and link it to our challenge site.  This sketch challenge runs from March 1st through March 6th, 2017 at 5:00pm MST. 

Here's My Card:

What a fun sketch!  Since I had a 70th birthday party to attend on Friday I decided to make another birthday card using the Shadowbox fancy fold technique.  This sketch layout worked perfectly for the card front. For details on how to make this fancy fold and the link to a video created by Dawn Griffith just click on this link.

Here's a view of the inside:

Supplies: 
Stamp Set: Balloon Adventures
Ink: Momento Tuxedo Black Ink, Pacific Point
Card Stock: Whisper White, Pacific Point, 
DSP:  Party Animal, Pumpkin Pie Glimmer Paper
Accessories: Big Shot, Balloon Pop-Up Thinlet Dies,Stitched Rectangular Squares (Non SU), Mini Treat Bag Thinlet, Tweezers

I purchased the Balloon Adventures and Balloon Pop-Up Thinlet Dies as a bundle and saved 15%.  I knew I would use both of these sets many times over so they were a great value!

 

In this first card I didn't add a sentiment other than the "No One Deserves a Happier Birthday Than You" to the front of this card because the rectangle took up so much room and there wasn't a lot of space left to stamp along the line.

Assembly:
1. Card Base - Tangerine Tango 5 1/2" x 101/2" scored at 1/2", 4", 4 1/2", 8"
2. 1st Front Layer - Whisper White 4" x 5 1/2"
3. 2nd Layer - Tangerine Tango 3 3/4" x 5 1/4"
4. Party Animal DSP 3 1/2" x 5" Cut on an angle
5. Tangerine Tango 2 1/4" x 3 1/4"
6. Whisper White for sentiment 2 1/8" x 3 1/8". Also a scrap for sentiment on second card.
7. Whisper White layer for inside front panel 3 x 5 1/2"

Stepped Up Version:
I liked this design sketch and Shadow Box card so much that I made a second  version.  This card will be for a girlfriend whose birthday is in April.  I wanted to step up this version and make it a little more feminine than the first version so I began by changing the colour scheme from Pacific Point to Tangerine Tango and the DSP patterns.  

Other changes included swapping out the Pumpkin Pie Glimmer paper balloons used in the first card to Dazzling Diamonds.  I added the "Party On" sentiment along the paper division so it was true to the sketch challenge.

The "Party On" and "No One Deserves a Happier Birthday Than You" are just two of the great sentiments from the Balloon Adventures stamp set. 

I glammed up the inside of the card by adding the negative images from the Pumpkin Pie balloons to the Dazzling Diamonds ones. The result is a super shiny pumped up version of the balloons.  I also punched out some Pacific Point stars and glued them behind the balloon images to enhance the background. 

For the left hand side of the card I cut out the word "enjoy" from the Mini Treat Bag Thinlets and another balloon image.  

I'm happy I left more white space for writing my happy birthday messaging on this version of the card.  Isn't that balloon string gorgeous?  It's from the Balloon Adventures stamp set too. What fun!  

Mini Treat Bag Thinlet dies - lots of great dies in this set beside the bag frame.

 

Note: When I cut out the balloon images with my Big Shot I always set the negative images that are removed aside just in case I want to re-use them. I don't want to dig through the garbage can later on.  To make these teeny tiny pieces easier to handle use a pair of tweasers or a short bamboo skewer to pick them up.  I add my Tom Bow glue to the negative space and then re-insert the pieces. The Pumpkin Pie Glimmer paper came out this year with the Fall Occasions and I was so happy I had some left for this card.  This Glimmer Paper combination seemed to work really well together.  I'm excited to get the new Glimmer Paper Stack that's being offered in the Sale-A-Bration second release, and will use it the same way. 

Thanks so much for checking out my card today.  So what do you think?  Let me know which version of the card you like more or whether they're both okay.  I know that I'll be using this sketch often as it was so quick to pull together and it will be terrific on any card front and for any occasion.

Happy Stamping!
Penny Tokens Stampin Spot 

On February 21st Stampin' Up! let us know about their second release of FREE products for the 2017 Sale-A-Bration sales period.  The release included two new stamp sets and today I want to share a video by Carrie Cudney demonstrating how to use one of them.  

She's demonstrating how to be creative with the Make a Medallion stamp set, which is so versatile.  This set is an 8 piece Photopolymer that coordinates with the Circle Framelit Dies.  You can't purchase this stamp set but you can earn it for FREE by placing a minimum $60CDN order (before tax & shipping and handling) with me before March 31st, 2017.  Check out my on-line store.

Here's Carrie's great video presentation:

Happy Stamping!
Penny Tokens Stampin Spot

Sale-A-Bration - 2nd Release - New Items

Just when you think Sale-A-Bration couldn't get any better… Stampin' Up has
added 2 new stamp sets and a super awesome 6x6 stack of Glimmer Paper. How cool is that!  This additional promotion is available between February 21st and March 31st.  Get yours while the supplies last.

What Is All The Fuss About?
To earn any of these three new products you simply have to place an order of $60 CDN.  Other ways to take advantage are by hosting workshops or joining Stampin' Up!
 

Make a Medallion Stamp Set - photopolymer - #143274

6x6 Glimmer Paper Pack Assortment: Bermuda Bay, Mint Macaron, Sweet Sugarplum #143831

Reverse Words Stamp Set, clear mount #143319 or wood mount #143316

New Flyer:

CLICK HERE to view the brochure with the 3 new releases

Bringing Back Birthdays .... cards that is!

In this day of technology and speed most people tend to respond to special occasions and events by sending out e-cards and Facebook messages.  Sending or giving a friend a card the old fashioned way, is often overlooked by the sender, but the receiver never forgets the delight of picking up the mail and discovering something special, just for them.  It's like getting extra presents!

For my birthday this month I received greetings both electronic and by mail and I was delighted with all of them. Everyone was so thoughtful and it made my day so special.  

I just had to share three very special handmade cards I received.They simply made my day and you couldn't wipe the grin of my face or replace the joy in my heart as I opened them.  Thanks Betty Lee, Phyllis and Heather for not only remembering my day but for sharing in my joy of a hand made card and taking the time to drop them in the mail.  

Betty Lee's card was made with the beautiful Botanical Builder Dies and paper.  The tropical feel of this card just made me so happy.  I loved it!

Oops that stamen got a little bent out of shape when I was photographing this card.  The colouring on this flower and leaf are fantastic.  I also like the burlap die cut in the background.  It really enhances the sentiment.  Great job Betty Lee.

Phyllis' "Beautiful You".  This is like a mini piece of art!

I'm a super huge fan of the Stampin' Up! Beautiful You stamp set  and this card just embodies the versatility you can achieve by adding colour.  Beautiful Phyllis.  I was blown away by the colour mix and artistry in this card, not to mention the good wishes for my day!

Inside and out these cards designed by my wonderful sister Heather, were so awesome.  I'm a huge fan of Graphic 45 Designer papers and Stamps and this one is especially beautiful.  I love that this card is tall.  I'm so used to seeing A2 sizes that it was refreshing to get one in this style.  Something I'll have to remember. 

I love the sentiment Heather used for this card.  It's absolutely so true and I really try to live that mantra.   The stamped image reminds me of one of my favourite paintings by Jack Vetriano, "The Singing Butler".  Awesome!  Thanks so much Heather for remembering me in this way. 

I hope you enjoyed this card share as much as I did.  Once again ladies thanks for making my day!

Happy Stamping!
Penny Tokens Stampin' Spot 

Watercooler Wednesday - #107 Penny's Masculine Anything Goes Challenge

Hi stampers!  Welcome back to the Watercooler Wednesday challenge.  This week I'm happy to bring you a Masculine Challenge.  The style is an "anything goes" challenge so there aren't really any restrictions other than it has to be a guy card.    

Here's My Card:
I made this masculine birthday card for my dear brother-in-law Ken's February birthday.  Ken's kind of a burly guy but he's not reluctant to say he likes bling and he certainly is a fan of Stampin Up!, so I thought a combo of Bear Hugs and Balloon Adventure would fit the bill for his special day.

This is a Shadow Box card. I've haven't made a Shadow Box card for some time now, but when I saw a recent Dawn Griffiths post on Youtube  using Balloon Adventures and this card style, I knew I wanted to CASe it.  

What a fun card to make! I fell in love with this card style all over again.  For sizing and details on how to make a Shadow Box card just click on Dawn's name above for a direct link to the video.

Supplies:
Stamp Sets: Bear Hugs, Balloon Adventures, Bella and Friends
Card Stock:  Soft Suede, Very Vanilla, Basic Black
DSP:  Gold Glimmer Paper,  Type Style Designer Paper (R)
Ink: Tuxedo Momento Black, Soft Suede, Crumb Cake
Accessories:  Balloon Pop-Up Thinlet Dies, Bunch of Banners Thinlets, Big Shot, Trimmer, Dimensionals, Tom Bow Glue,Glue Dots.

Balloon Pop Up Thinlet Dies

Balloon Adventures part of the Party Animal Suite in the new Occasions 2017 Catalogue.

The sentiment is from Balloon Adventures, the little bear is from Bear Hugs and the small balloon  image is from Bella and Friends. The Very Vanilla panel is 5" x 3 1/2" and is layered on Basic Black.

The layers for my card front are:  5 1/2 x 8 1/2" Soft Suede card base.  1st layer is  5 1/4" x 4" Very Vanilla, 5" x 3 3/4" DSP layer.  For the layers with the bear I cut a 3" x 3 1/2" Soft Suede, 2 3/4" x 3 1/4" Basic Black and a 2 1/2" x 3" Very Vanilla panels.

Here's a side view of the sentiment and balloons.  The "Party On" sentiment is from the Balloon Adventures stamp set. I stamped it in Momento Tuxedo Black ink on a scrap of Very Vanilla card stock and then cut it out with the Bunch of Banners Thinlet Dies.  The edges  were sponged with Soft Suede ink and I used a thumping technique to apply for ink to the banner to give it a mottled appearance.   I used the negative image dots from the die cut balloons as additional trim and applied them with glue dots. 

The Gold Glimmer Paper balloons were perfect for this card.   They add such sparkle to the soft Suede paper.  The large balloon die from Balloon Pop-Up Thinlets fits perfectly on this panel of the card so no extra trimming is required.  I used the "Let's Celebrate" stamp from the Balloon Adventures Stamp Set.

Well that's it for today.  I hope you enjoyed this card and will add this technique to your collection of fancy fold cards. If you haven't already checked out the other Watercooler Wednesday Design Artist's cards make sure you stop by. This challenge is open until 5:00pm MT so if you'd like to link up your masculine card creation, we'd be thrilled to have you join us. 

Happy Stamping!Penny Tokens Stampin' Spot 

Wacky Watercooler February 2017 Spring Fever Blog Hop

Hope you had a wonderful Valentine's Day this week. I know for some of you you're still getting winter storms so you'll probably welcome our thoughts of better things to come with our Spring Fever Blog Hop which runs from today through Saturday February 18th, 2017.  Hopefully no matter what your weather situation, you'll be able to have happy Spring thoughts.  

The Wacky Watercooler blog hop is a circular hop so no matter whether you start at the beginning of the list or enter at some other point, if you continue moving from participant to participant you'll always wind up where you started. 

This time around I'm very excited to be starting off the hop, so you're either beginning or ending at my site.  Hope I don't disappoint.  There are a total of 8 other talented paper crafters following me who're all eager to share their creative and exciting projects with you, so I hope you'll relax, settle in and enjoy the hop! 

My First Project - Sparkles:  

It seems I'm caught up in Sparkles and Birthdays this week, so it's appropriate that my first project combines both.  This is a fun birthday/gift card holder I've made for a very special girlfriend of mine who absolutely "sparkles" in everything she does.  

Supplies:
Stamp Sets:  Love Sparkles #143183
Card Stock:  Whisper White and Smokey Slate, Silver Glimmer Paper, Silver Foil Card Stock
DSP:  A Little Foxy Designer Series Paper Stack #141637
Ink:  Momento Tuxedo Black
Accessories:  Big Shot, Mini Treat Bag Framelit, Balloon Pop-Up Thinlet #142753, Star Blast Edgelits#142763, Tom Bow Glue, Basic Rhinestones, Stitched Rectangles (Non-Su)

 

This project started with a Mini Treat Bag made with the dies of the same name.  Since my friend is such a glam and glitzy girl, I chose this beautiful designer paper from the "A Little Foxy Designer Series Paper stack to go with my gray and white theme. It was perfect.  Note:  You need two 6x6 sheets to complete the mini bag.

I absolutely love the Star Blast Edgelits.  They just instantly create happiness and excitement on a project.  For this bag I cut both a Smokey Slate and a Silver Glimmer Paper star blast image.  I attached them with Mini Glue dots at the base so the stars would still bob and move around once they were adhered to the bag front. For some additional glam I added a strip of silver foil to the Smokey Slate card stock base and adhered this piece on an angle across the bag. 

For the sentiment I stamped the "Sparkle" sentiment In Momento Tuxedo Black ink on a scrap of Whisper White card stock and cut it out with a non-SU stitched rectangle die.  I added some silver foil stars and Basic Rhinestones to complete the sentiment piece.    

The inside gift card was made with a piece of Whisper White card stock that measures 5 1/4" x 3 7/8".  The overlay was made by cutting a piece of Smokey Slate card stock with the Balloon Pop-Up Thinlet.  

I added touches of Silver Glimmer paper for the balloons and stars and some small Basic Rhinestones.  I cut two Smokey Slate bows using the Bow die cut from this set for the handle on the card.  The sentiment "It's Your Day" is from the Love Sparkles stamp set.

The back of the insert has a 2" by 3 7/8" piece of the designer series paper across the bottom. It was attached with a small amount of Tom Bow glue on three sides. The gift card slides in length-wise in the center. The sentiment "happy birthday" was stamped at the top of the insert with Momento Tuxedo Black ink. 

My Second Project:  A No-Cut DSP Gift Folder CASE

My second project is also birthday related and uses products from the Party Animal Collection in the Occasions 2017 catelogue.  My inspiration for this project came from the very talented Diane Barnes, who has been making what she calls a "No-Cut Patterned Paper Gift Folder" since 2008.   

Here's What I Came Up With:

This is the front of the folder.  

Inside the gift folder are two side pockets where you can add notes.  I've left mine blank so I can personalize for the fellow I'm going to give this to. 

This is the back view of the gift card holder. The Pacific Point bow on the side is the gift card pullout. Because of the additional pull-out, you would have to custom make an envelope to hold this card.


Supplies:
Stamp Sets: Balloon Adventures #142823, Love Sparkles #143183, and Avante Garden (143272 - Happy Birthday)
Ink: Emerald Envy, Watermelon Wonder, Pacific Point
Paper: Party Animal Designer Series Paper, Silver Glimmer Paper
Card Stock: Emerald Envy, Tangerine Tango, Watermelon Wonder, Pacific Point, Whisper White.
Accessories: Balloon Pop-Up Thinlet Dies #142753, Star Punch from Itty Bitty Accents Punch Pack (R), Banners Framelits #132173, Lots of Labels Thinlet Dies #138281, Emerald Envy Bakers Twine, Dimensionals, Tear N' Tape, Tom Bow Glue, Simply Scored, Trimmer and Big Shot.

Side view of the Gift Folder

The blue tab on the side is for the gift card.  It is tucked into this side-seam.

 

This is the front of the actual gift card holder that I designed and added to the card.  It comes complete with it's own little tab on the side that I cut out with the Balloon Pop-Up Thinlet Dies.  I slid this into the side seam created by the fold in the card stock and it fits snugly inside. 

Here you can see I just created a small pocket on the reverse of the holder that the gift card can just slide into.

I loved the fact that there are all kinds of neat little folds and hiding places on this gift card holder. And, although I basically CASED Diane's design I like adding my own take on a project, such as adding glue on some folds so that the package didn't come apart and I also created a square gift card holder that I could tuck into the side seam. 

Assembly:
Because Diane happily shares her template and fabulous instructions for this Gift Folder, on her blog, I've provided this link so you can check out her post on this topic.  I'm sure you'll be just as eager as I was to create one or maybe several of this fun gift card bag(s).  Whatever you do please acknowledge her and drop her a comment, let her know I sent you.  

Project Three:   Avant Garden Spring Card

With Spring just around the corner and a plethora of birthdays coming up in March and April I decided to make a simple card using the Avant Garden stamp set for my third project.  You can't buy this stamp set, but you can earn it for free during Sale-A-Bration with the purchase of $60.00 CDN from any of the other Stampin' Up! catalogues currently available.  

I stamped three of the bouquet images on a piece of 3 1/2 x 3 1/2" Very Vanilla card stock.  I water coloured the flowers and stems with Sweet Sugarplum and Pear Pizazz inks.  To get the fullness in the image, I restamped three more floral images, painted them and fussy cut them out attaching various bits and pieces to the original stamped flowers with dimensionals.

Well you've come to the end of my projects for this hop and I hope that I've inspired your creative side in some way.  Now it's time to move on to the wonderful Kath Rick's blog so she can wow you with her projects.  Have fun and remember to leave some comments along the way..... we love to hear from you.

Kath Ricks

Heidi Weaver

Wacky Watercooler Feb 2017 Blog Hop

Happy Stamping!
Penny Token's Stampin Spot