Bonus Code Days - Don't Forget to Use Your Coupons

 Bonus Day Redemption Period: 

August 1–31, 2017

We're half way through August now so just a reminder if you haven't already used your $6.00 Bonus Day coupons, time's a ticking!  

There's no limit on the number of coupons you can use on an order during the month of August.  Bonus Days coupon codes can be redeemed for any product, excluding Starter Kits.
So, if you earned codes in July, be sure to use them in August before time runs out.. See the redemption details below.
 
Deadlines
        Phone: August 31, 2017 by 6:50 PM (MT)
        Online: August 31, 2017 by 11:50 PM (MT)

Where to Start
If you’re looking for a place to start, you’ll find plenty of goodies to treat yourself with here:

• Just-Released Annual Catalog
• Stamp Sets
• Early Release Carols of Christmas Products

How to Use the Coupon Codes: 
Click here to learn how to redeem your coupons with four easy steps:

Happy Stamping!
Penny Tokens Stampin' Spot

Watercooler Wednesday #WWC131 - Kath's All About Birthdays Challenge

It's time for another Birthday challenge over at the Watercooler.  Our host this week is Kath Rick's and she's created a beautiful  card to inspire us.

Here's My Card: 
My favourite colour in the Stampin' Up! In Colours this season is Tranquil Tide and I love to create monochromatic cards with it.  Here's my birthday card featuring a Diagonal Split Card in Whisper White and Tranquil Tide.

Supplies:
Stamp Set:  Birthday Blooms #140658
Ink:  Tranquil Tide
Card Stock:  Whisper White, Tranquil Tide
DSP:  Fresh Florals Specialty DSP #144131
Accessories:  Paper Trimmer, Tom Bow Adhesive, Basic Pearls, Adhesive Strips, Aqua Painter, Wink of Stella

Details:
I first saw this Diagonal Split Card in a post by Lisa Currico a month or so ago and filed it in my "Got to Try It" file, and then forgot about it.  Then, I was reminded again when I saw a similar card posted by Beth of CraftsbyBeth and I decided to give it a whirl.  I want to thank both Lisa and Beth for their tips and measurements, because it made the production of this card very straight forward.  

1.  Card Base  - 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" piece of Whisper White.

2.  First Layer - 5 1/2" x 4 1/4" piece of Whisper White.

3.  I followed Beth's diagram of how to cut out the diagonal strip, by marking a small dot 3/8" from the top on the left hand side of the first layer piece.  Then I made a second mark on the top of the panel and 1/4" in from the left edge.

4.  I drew a line in pencil from the top mark to 4 1/8" down on the right hand side of the layer and from the 3/8" mark to the bottom right hand corner of the layer to create cut lines for the diagonal piece. I centered the lines on my trimmer and separated the panel into two pieces.

5.  I followed Beth's example for this card and cut a piece of the Fresh Florals DSP that measured 1 1/4" x 8".  I glued this piece to the card stock extending over the pencil marks from corner to corner, and cut away the excess DSP on the reverse side.

6.  I cut two pieces of Tranquil Tide card stock that measured 1/2" by 7" and glued these strips to the inside edge of the top and bottom triangles leaving about an 1/8" showing on the top side.  Again I trimmed off the excess.

7.  I stamped the "Happiest of Birthdays To You" sentiment from the Birthday Blooms stamp set on the bottom triangle before affixing this piece to the card base.

8.  I lined both triangles on the outside edge and then affixed them to the top and bottom of the card making sure the edges aligned with the card base in both sections.

9.  I stamped the large blossom from Birthday Blooms in Tranquil Tide ink on two scraps of Whisper White card stock and fussy cut around one image. I coloured the images with Tranquil Tide ink and an Aqua Painter.  To add depth, I cut out the small blossoms and center part of the flower, coloured and attached them with Dimensionals to the original image.  To finish off I added the smallest Basic Pearls I could find to the flower centers.  

I diluted the Tranquil Tide ink and painted some shadows around the affixed blooms.  I added the small dark flowers to hide a mistake I made.  They were fussy cut and attached with dimensionals.  I splattered Tranquil Tide ink and added a Wink of Stella on all the flowers to add some subtle shimmer. 

11.  For the inside of the card I stamped a sentiment from a retired Stampin' Up Stamp set (can't remember the name). There is a similar "Live, Laugh, and Love" in the current Beautiful You stamp set if you like that saying.  I added a Tranquil Tide panel of card stock that measured 4 1/4"x 1 1/4" to the bottom of the inside panel and a piece of DSP that measured 4" x 1".  

 

I think the next time I make this card style I'll try stamping the panel like Lisa did instead of using DSP.  All in all, this is a very easy card to make  and it delivers a real WOW look in real life so I hope you'll try it too and I hope you enjoyed my version.

If you visit Lisa and Beth's video and postings, please leave them a comment for their work in producing their cards, and let them know I linked you. To visit the rest of the Watercooler Wednesday Design Team and check out the great variety of Birthday cards they've contributed to this week's challenge just click here.

I've also linked my card to one of my favourite challenge sites, SU! Only Challenges, because they also have a #180 Birthday challenge happening. What fun!

If you liked my card I hope you'll leave me a comment. It simply makes my day and encourages me to keep on creating and posting my cards. Until next time.....

Happy Stamping!
Penny Token's Stampin' Spot    

Creative Circle Design August 2017 Blog Hop - Birthday Blast!

In early July I received an invitation from Liz Holloway to join her amazing design team called the Creative Circle. This small international group of super talented stampers hosts a monthly "themed" blog hop where they featuring Stampin' Up! products.  I was deeply honoured by this invitation and quickly accepted the challenge.   Let me tell you I had butterflies for days!   

And now, I'm very excited to share this news with you and to invite you along on this fantastic blog hop which is entitled "Birthday Bash". The Creative Circle Blog Hop happens monthly on the first Thursday, so make sure to make a note of it in your calendar! 

Here's My Birthday Bash Project: 

I've made two projects to share with you today that I've been anxious to post.  While I was nervous going into this I had a lot of fun deciding what I would be making and which Stampin' Up! products I would be show casing. Both of my projects feature products from the "Color Theory Suite".

Project One:   Happy Birthday Z-Fold Card

I never get tired of Balloons, and today's project promises to have lots of them!  When I think of fun interactive cards the "Z-Fold" immediately comes to mind.  I originally made this card back in August 2016 for the Watercooler Wednesday challenge and you can see that card plus all the instructions by clicking here.

This card is made with a base of Dapper Denim card stock, Whisper White panels and the coordinating Dapper Denim Color Theory Designer Series Paper from the stack of the same name.   I loved this paper stack with it's paint chip colour variation on one side and wood grain paint crackle on the other.

The center balloons bobble around for a fun effect on pieces of acetate window sheet that I cut from the Color Theory Memories and More Card Pack.  How handy was that, I didn't have to go searching for any. 

Here you can see one of the acetate window sheets I used on the center of the card.  It says "happy", and I certainly was with the way this card turned out.  What fun!  There was a striped card in the Color Theory card pack that featured all the coordinating colors so I couldn't resist making a little banner from it using a retired die cut from the Celebrate Today Dies set. 

Supplies:
Stamp Sets:  One Wild Ride, Boys Will be Boys (happy birthday sentiment) (R)
Card Stock:  Berry Burst, Crushed Curry, Dapper Denim, Old Olive and Whisper White and Color Theory Designer Series Paper Pack
Inks:   Berry Burst, Crushed Curry, Dapper Denim, Old Olive, Crushed Curry Embossing Powder and Versa Mark Ink
Punches and Dies:  Bunch of Banners Dies, Small Star, Celebrate Today (R)
Other:  Big Shot, Paper Trimmer, Mini Glue Dots, Tom Bow Glue, Gold Enamel Stars, White Gel Pen, Basic Rhinestones

In case you're wondering the back of this Z fold card has a Whisper White Panel for adding additional sentiments and writing space. 

Project Two: Perpetual Calendar Birthday Bash Book
Family and friends birthdays are so important to me, yet I must admit in this busy world, I'm sometimes apt to be late in getting out a card. So, for my second project I decided to design something I've been thinking about for some time, a Perpetual Calendar. It features a page for each month that I can record all those special dates for friends and family members. 

When I began this project I was planning on making something small, so  I purchased a chip board base from a big box store that measured 4" x 6".  However, during the process, different ideas evolved based on the template I used for the Perpetual Calendar, and so the finished project now measures 11 1/4" x 4 14".  Some of the pictures of the individual pages may be small because of this, and I apologize.  

I had to paint each of the six chip board panels with a mixture of Gesso and White Acrylic paint prior to embarking on this adventure.  I also had to use one of the panels as a template so I could enlarge and cut out panels for the cover and back pages of this calendar.  

Cover Supplies:
Stamp Set: Happy Birthday Gorgeous
Card Stock and Paper: Berry Burst, Old Olive, Crushed Curry, Whisper White and Dapper Denim card stock, Color Theory Card Stock Pack and Color Theory Designer Series Paper, 1 piece of Dapper Denim DSP from Eastern Palace Specialty DSP pack, 
Inks: Berry Burst, Old Olive, Crushed Curry and Dapper Denim
Dies and Punches: Happy Birthday Thinlets, Seasonal Layers, Stitched Shapes, Balloon Bouquet Punch, Celebrate Birthdays (R)
Accessories: Big Shot, Paper Trimmer, Embossing Paste, Pattern Party Decorative Mask - Clouds, Palette Knives, Basic Rhinestones, Dimensionals, Tom Bow Adhesive and Tear N' Tape

Pages:
I printed out a template from a Pinterest site for the Perpetual Calendar.  My printer does not do card stock well, so my first hurdle was realizing I had to print it out on photo copy paper so they weren't very sturdy.  To remedy this I mounted each of the months on card stock.

 
I have grouped the months in twos so the calendars are mounted back to back on one chip board panel. They were mounted on card stock. I added a 4" by 4" holder at the bottom of these pages to hold the perpetual calendar page. it was mounted on three sides with Foam Adhesive Strips.The whole book is held together with binding rings and I have tied several ribbons in coordinating colours around them.
  
January:

The Color Theory Pack includes 52 double-sided 3" x 4"  cards, 2 each of 26 designs; 20 double-sided 4" x 6" cards, 2 each of 10 designs; 2 card stock sticker sheets; 4 printed acetate cards, 1 each 4" x 6"  and 3 each 3" x 4".  I used these pieces to assemble the decorations on each of the calendar pages. 

Here you can see the holder for the Perpetual Calendar Page.  I used a 1 3/4" punch to put a slot in the front so the calendars could be removed easily.  In future I will also house my mailing labels in these holders.

Note:  I found that when I opened and closed the Perpetual Calendar that the pages seemed to move around or fall out, so when I added the decorations at the top of the page I measured them carefully so that the bottom half of each design would slightly overlap the calendar and hold it in place.

Supplies:
Stamp Set(s): Date It(R), Badges and Banner Badges and Banners #141610, Happy Birthday Gorgeous #143662 
Card Stock: Dapper Denim, Whisper White
Ink: Dapper Denim
Punches/Dies: Stitched Shapes (Squares) #145372, Seasonal Layers #143751
Accessories: Big Shot, Paper Trimmer, Tom Bow Glue, Dimensionals, Tear N' Tape, Foam Adhesive Strips, Basic Rhinestones

February:

Supplies:
Stamp Set(s): Date It(R), Badges and Banner Badges and Banners #141610, Happy Birthday Gorgeous #143662 and Colourful Seasons #143726. 
Card Stock: Dapper Denim, Whisper White
Ink: Dapper Denim
Punches/Dies: Stitched Shapes (Ovals) #145372, Balloon Bouquet #140609 and Best Badge Punches #140633
Accessories: Big Shot, Paper Trimmer, Tom Bow Glue, Dimensionals, Tear N' Tape, Foam Adhesive Strips, Basic Rhinestones 
 

March:

Supplies:
Stamp Set(s): Date It(R), Butterfly Basics #137154
Card Stock: Berry Burst, Crushed Curry, Soft Suede
Ink: Berry Burst 
Punches/Dies: Stitched Shapes (Circles) #145372, Seasonal Layers Thinlet Dies #143751
Accessories: Big Shot, Paper Trimmer, Tom Bow Glue, Dimensionals, Tear N' Tape, Foam Adhesive Strips

April:

Supplies:
Stamp Set(s): Date It(R), Happy Birthday Gorgeous #143662, Lift Me Up #14289
Card Stock: Berry Burst, Crushed Curry and Whisper White
Ink: Berry Burst
Punches/Dies: Stitched Shapes (Squares) #145372, Balloon Bouquet #140609
Accessories: Big Shot, Paper Trimmer, Tom Bow Glue, Dimensionals, Tear N' Tape, Foam Adhesive Strips, Basic Pearls, Sponge Dauber

May:

Supplies:
Stamp Set(s): Date It(R), Colourful Seasons #143726
Card Stock: Berry Burst, Crushed CurryI
Ink: Berry Burst
Punches/Dies: Happy Birthday Thinlets Die #143700, Seasonal Layers Thinlets #143751
Accessories: Big Shot, Paper Trimmer, Tom Bow Glue, Dimensionals, Tear N' Tape, Foam Adhesive Strips, Basic Rhinestones , Sponge Dauber
 
June:

Supplies:
Stamp Set(s): Date It(R), Happy Birthday Gorgeous #143662, Good Guy Greetings #137178
Card Stock: Berry Burst, Crushed Curry and Soft Suede
Ink: Soft Suede and Crushed Curry
Punches/Dies: Happy Birthday Thinlets Die #143700, Seasonal Layers Thinlets #143751
Accessories: Big Shot, Paper Trimmer, Tom Bow Glue, Dimensionals, Tear N' Tape, Foam Adhesive Strips, Sponge Dauber

July:

 

Supplies:
Stamp Set(s): Date It(R), Happy Birthday Gorgeous #143662
Card Stock: Old Olive, Soft Suede, Whisper White
Ink: Berry Burst
Punches/Dies: Itty Bitty Punch Pack Star (R), Balloon Bouquet Punch #140609, Stitches Shapes (Circles) #145372
Accessories: Big Shot, Paper Trimmer, Tom Bow Glue, Dimensionals, Tear N' Tape, Foam Adhesive Strips, Basic Rhinestones , Sponge Dauber

August:

Supplies:
Stamp Set(s): Date It(R), Happy Birthday Gorgeous #143662, Balloon Celebrations (R)
Card Stock: Old Olive, Soft Suede, Whisper White 
Ink: Old Olive, Soft Suede
Punches/Dies: Seasonal Layers Thinlets #143751Balloon Bouquet Punch #140609, Stitches Shapes (Circles) #145372
Accessories: Big Shot, Paper Trimmer, Tom Bow Glue, Dimensionals, Tear N' Tape, Foam Adhesive Strips, Basic Rhinestones , Sponge Dauber

September:

Supplies:
Stamp Set(s): Date It(R), Number of Years #140653
Card Stock: Old Olive, Soft Suede, Whisper White and Crushed Curry
Ink: Soft Suede 
Punches/Dies: Stitches Shapes (Circles) #145372, Seasonal Layers #143751
Accessories: Big Shot, Paper Trimmer, Tom Bow Glue, Dimensionals, Tear N' Tape, Foam Adhesive Strips, Sponge Dauber

October:

 

Supplies:
Stamp Set(s): Date It(R), Happy Birthday Gorgeous #143662Card Stock: Old Olive, Soft Suede, Whisper White and Crushed Curry
Ink: Soft Suede 
Punches/Dies: Stitches Shapes (Circles) #145372, Balloon Bouquet #140609
Accessories: Big Shot, Paper Trimmer, Tom Bow Glue, Dimensionals, Tear N' Tape, Foam Adhesive Strips, Sponge Dauber
 
November:

Supplies:
Stamp Set(s): Date It(R), Happy Birthday Gorgeous #143662Card Stock: Dapper Denim, Whisper White 
Ink: Dapper Denim
Punches/Dies: Stitches Shapes (Circles) #145372, Seasonal Layers #143751, Balloon Bouquet #140609, and Happy Birthday Thinlets #143700
Accessories: Big Shot, Paper Trimmer, Tom Bow Glue, Dimensionals, Tear N' Tape, Foam Adhesive Strips, Basic Rhinestones Sponge Dauber

December:

Supplies:
Stamp Set(s): Date It(R), Carols of Christmas (NEW) #144804, Happy Birthday Gorgeous #143662
Card Stock: Dapper Denim, Whisper White 
Ink: Dapper Denim
Punches/Dies: 1/2" Circle Punch, Card Front Builder Punch (NEW), #144674
Accessories: Big Shot, Paper Trimmer, Tom Bow Glue, Dimensionals, Tear N' Tape, Foam Adhesive Strips, Basic Rhinestones Sponge Dauber,Wink of Stella.

Whew that was sure a long post.  I hope I didn't lose you along the way.  Now on to the next stop on our Creative Circle Tour.  You'll be visiting Liz Holloway who has an incredible project for you. 

Happy Stamping!

Penny Tokens Stampin' Spot