Stamping Girl

as promised...

As promised, I'm posting a project today, even though it's quite late in the day...really it's evening. Does this still count as keeping my promise? :) Today I was determined to spend my day off crafting and I think I did a pertty good job. I didn't do any laundry, wash the dishes or clean up the house. It was really hard to pull myself away from those chores and stamp instead ;) Ha!

This is one of the projects I came up with...

This stamp might look familiar to you. It was from a hostess set a couple of years ago. This year is SU!'s 25th anniversary and each month they're releasing one stamp set that has a collection of oldies, but goodies from the past. This was included in March's set which is all spring/flower images. I love this flower and am so glad they brought it back!

I inked up half the flower in Wisteria Wonder and with a blender pen, removed the ink that had gotten on the leaves. I then used a Pear Pizzazz marker to color the stem and leaves. I added a small strip of Calypso Coral scallop border at the top to give it a pop of color. One thing that I saw in a magazine was a main image layered on to another light neutral color. I think the original card I cased was actually white on white. It looked really cool because it gave it a little dimmension even though it was the same color. Anyways, I tried it on this card and I really like the way it turned out. The difference between the Very Vanilla and Whisper White is subtle, but it makes a difference. I'm definitely going to have to try this technique again!

That's all I have for tonight. Hope you have a great weekend!

ang

Congratulations to the Fristers graduates!

Yesterday evening I had the opportunity to attend something really wonderful and I wanted to share my experience with you. Sorry today is non-stamping related, but I hope you'll read on. I've mentioned the organization Fristers on my blog a couple of times in the past. This is a non-profit organization that strives to break the cycle of poverty and abuse within the teen mom population. They do this by meeting once a week and providing them with dinner and a lesson. Lesson's range from parenting classes, interview techniques, relationship classes, etc. At the beginning of each "year" (the program runs from September to May), each girl gets a scrapbook and the first half hour of each week is spent putting together a scrapbook page to keep their memories. This is where I come in. I've been volunteering with their scrapbook program for probably five years now. The past two years, I've been the lead and I prepare all the design and the materials for 75 girls each week.

So last night was graduation night for those girls that have reached the age limit of the program. They will now become part of the alumni program and are welcome to come back and be volunteers and in turn help new moms through their difficult times. There were five moms that graduated yesterday and the stories I heard last night about their transformation through their time at Fristers was so amazing. Each one of them truly inspired me. These girls are so courageous. Yes, they made mistakes, but they had the strength and courage to make themselves a better person and a better mom. If I were in their shoes, I don't know if I would have the courage to do that. These girls come from broken familes, broken relationships, poverty, partying, drug abuse and now they are responsible adults with families, jobs, goals and self respect.

I am so grateful to be a part of this organization. It really hit home what kind of difference I can make by contributing even a small part. Please check out their website if you feel inclined at www.fristers.org. And if you're in the Orange County area and are looking for something to be involved in, please let me know! They operate almost solely on volunteers and could use all the help they can get.

If you've read this far, thanks for sticking with me today! I'll be back tomorrow with actual projects cuz I'm taking the day off!! :)

Have a great day!
ang

in the know - retiring lists

It's that time again...time to retire! You're probably thinking, yeah, I'd like to retire! Me too! haha.

But it's not quite that time yet. No, I'm talking about the annual retiring list of stamps and accessories. As SU! preps to release the new catalog, it's time to say goodbye to the old and hello to the new!

To see the retiring stamps, click Download Retired_List_stamps_en-US

To see the retiring accessories, click Download Retired Accessories Availability_en-US

Don't forget that these items are not being restocked. Once they sell out, they will be gone forever!

If you'd like to get your hands on these goodies before they're gone, you can order directly online HERE or email me with your order.

Thanks for visiting and have a great weekend!

ang

 

miss you card & tip for fussy cutting

Hey there!

This weekend went by way too fast. I need another day off! Steve has been getting serious about his schoolwork (he's getting his doctarate), so half the day Saturday and all day Sunday, he was holed up in our room working away. I got to be Hanna's playmate during that time. For those of you who have children, you know that can be tiring! I need a weekend from my weekend! Ha!

For this card, I drew inspiration from a sketch layout I found in Paper Crafts magazine. I think it was maybe 2 or 3 issues ago. Anyways, I did end up making a whole bunch of them because when you cut out the diaganol pattern for each piece of paper, you end up with all these extras! So I was able to make 7 of these cards, mixing and matching the patterns. It was a little bit of work up front, but after that, assembly was pretty quick!

Now here's a little trick for the image. This was from one of the older hostess sets. For the clear mount sets, save the paper backing of the stamps. Just tuck it between the box cover plastic and save it. When you want to cut out an image like the one above, stamp the image, color, and use the paper backing as an outline. Trace it around the image and cut. You'll be sure to get a nice even border that fits your image exactly! Love it! :)

Hope you have a great day and thanks for visiting!

ang

supplies:

paper - tangerine tango, whisper white, so saffron, summer smooches dsp

stamps - retired hostess set (airplane), up, up & away (clouds)

ink - versamark, real red, so saffron, tempting turquoise

tools - finishing touches edgelit

in the know - color refresh

As promised, today's post is all about the new catalog, what's going on with retiring products and most importantly when the new catalog is coming out and how you can get your hands on one!

In 2010, when SU! did their big color renovation, they planned on color refreshes every several years to make sure we were staying on trend. It's been 3 years now, and they are updating 10 colors this year. The good news, is that 9 out of the 10 colors are returning In Colors from previous years. So if there was a favorite color that you thought you wouldn't be able to find cardstock or ink for anymore, fear not, it may be back!

See below for the new color line-up that will appear in the 2013-2014 catalog.

 
Ok, now here's the part that you need to read carefully. Starting from now, the discontinued colors will no longer be restocked at Stampin' Up! So whatever inventory they have left, is all they're going to have. And let me tell you, they're going fast. So fast, in fact, that Not Quite Navy has already SOLD OUT!!! Crazy!! I have to say, out of all the colors that are retiring, that's one of the ones I'm going to miss the most.

Dates to look out for:

April 24  Retired List available

May 31   First day to order from the new catalog

June 3    Last day to order retiring product

So no you're probably asking yourself, how do I get a hold of one of those beautiful, drool worthy catalogs. And if you're not, you should be! :) Here's the deal. SU! now gives us Demo's the option to ship catalogs directly to you (like the Mini Catalogs). If you've been an active customer of mine in the past, most likely, you will see one show up in your mail sometime in mid May. If you'd like a catalog and weren't an active customer in the past, don't worry, you can still get one. All you need to do, is email me that you'd like one and I will have one shipped out to you. Now my catch 22 to this, is that around mid-June, I'm going to give you a call to see if you'd like to order anything. That's it!

Ok, I know this was a lot of information to digest, so I'm going to leave you with this so you can mull over it all and get as excited as I am. It's no fun being this excited by myself, you know? Alrighty, have a great day!

ang

In the know - Photopolymer Stamps

My apologies!! I just realized that I never posted last week's "In the Know" article! Duh!! haha. You probably had no idea what I was talking about yesterday when I said this week's In the Know article would be about the new catalog. So without further ado, here was last week's In the Know! Don't worry, I will still be posting this week's later this week :)

Here's what I said last week...

There's so much going on at Stampin' Up!, it's so hard to keep up! Each week, I'll write a post to keep you "In the Know"! Keep reading for a surprising new product!

Stampin' Up! has long been the gold standard in rubber stamps. You know when they offer something, it's going to be quality product. If you've stamped with me before, you know that I'm not a big clear stamp lover. I haven't had the best of luck with image crispness. BUT, if SU! is offering clear stamps, I'm willing to give them another shot because I know SU! wouldn't offer substandard products.

Recently, SU! has announced that they are offering a couple of initial sets as a trial to see how we like it. Based on popularity, they will determine if this product line will continue. Never used clear stamps before? Below are just a couple of things that make them great!

• Our top-quality photopolymer has just enough give to create a perfectly stamped image every time and with the introduction of our firm-foam pads, let's just say they're meant for each other!
• Photopolymer stamps will also be unique, fun designs that will inspire you and provide more versatile options you may not see in our traditional wood- and clear-mount stamp options. 
• They're entirely transparent for perfect placement every time! 
• They are durable. The photopolymer material is designed to last. 
• Can you say sticky? (Don't worry; in a good way.) These stamps stick amazingly well to our clear blocks.
• They're age tested. They won't yellow or cloud up over time. 

So, do you want to see what the sets looks like?? :)

The first set is an alphabet type set. This set would be great for making custom sayings or adding names to a card. How cool would it be to make a birthday card that says "Happy Birthday (name)!"?? And with the set being clear, you know you will have perfect alignment. Awesome! The second one is a sarcastic new birthday set. I love the sayings of this set! I'm not sure I necessarily like the bomb image, but I'll definitely use the sayings. Watch out, dear hubbie. Ha! :)

If you've always wanted to dive into the world of clear stamps, but hesitated, now's the perfect chance to try it out! If you'd like to try it out, I've got a set at my house or if you'd like to go ahead and order it for yourself, you can shop online here!

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

ang

happy tax day

It's Monday. It's April 15th. Two very good reasons to not be happy. I get it. But look on the bright side, at least taxes are over! Yay!! And to help lift your spirits, I'm going to give you 2 pieces of eye candy. One for being Monday and one for being April 15th. How's that for a happy day? :)

Btw, stay tuned for the In the Know post later this week. I'm going to be talking about the new catalog that's coming out soon. I know!! It's almost time for the 2013-2014 Annual Catalog. I'm so excited that I've been doing the happy dance for a while now. On top of that, Demonstrators were told that tomorrow is the opening day to register for Convention. YIPEEEEEEE!!!!!! I am SOOOOOOOO excited :) :) :)

On to the projects...

This card uses a sneak peek item from the new catalog. It's from a new product line called This and That. This new product line is meant to help you record the little everyday happenings of your life. You know, a little of this, a little of that. One of the items in this new product suite is a journal filled with 30 pages of DSP. There's stickers, embellishments, and other little things that you can add to your album. I sense a future class coming! :) But of course, the great thing with all SU! product is that you can use it for all kinds of other things, like this card. So don't be afraid to step out of the box and use your product for things they weren't intended for!

Here's a really simple, but cute layout. Sometimes I know we get intimidated by scrapbooking and how complicated pages need to be. This is an example that it doesn't have to complicated with layers and layers of paper and embellishment. The most important thing is to capture the memory.

I hope you can create some wonderful memories to capture today. A little of this, a little of that...it's all memorable. Have a great day!

ang

 

shabby thanks

Hi there! Hope your week has been going...well, just going! haha. It's been a pretty crazy few weeks at work with audit and taxes in process. Just FYI, my day job is in finance & accounting. Quite the opposite of crafts! Baking, cooking and crafting is my outlet :) I'm looking forward to some down time. Although, at my office, there's really no such thing.

Anyways, today's card uses the product from the Spring Catalog. I love how shabby and feminine it is. I think this would also make a great birthday card for a girlfriend, or even just a hello. I'm going to try to send out cards this year just to say hi. With all the junk mail and bills we get, wouldn't it be nice to receive something different? I think so. Now, let me just get organized and fit it in my schedule!! :)

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you have a wonderful day!!

Angie

 

First time for everything!! (You won't want to miss this!)

Hi there! Before I get to the super exciting announcement, I wanted to share a card with you. Because, after all, that's one of the main reasons you visit this blog!! :)

Today's card is pretty simple, but still super cute. It's perfect for someone of any age. I love how playful the pinwheel is. And now that we have a pinwheel die, it's even easier to make!

Ok...I know you want to know what the exciting "first time for everything" news is. Get this, for the first time in Stampin' Up! history....

Drum roll please...

They are offering...

Is the suspense killing you yet? haha

 

FREE SHIPPING!!!

 

For 3 days only, April 6-8 (that's THIS WEEKEND) SU! is offering FREE shipping on EVERYTHING (excluding expedited orders)! That's right. There are no minimums or limits and all order types qualify (customer, demonstrator, online). Did I mention that the free shipping is on everything?

You want that pinwheel die? FREE SHIPPING!

You want just 1 inkpad? FREE SHIPPING!

You want the entire spring catalog? FREE SHIPPING!

You get the idea :)

I'm so excited, I'm making my list in my head already! hahaha. Anyways, hope this brightened your day just a little bit and you're already making your list in your head. If you want to order something over the weekend, email me with your order at angie@stampinggirl.com or order directly online at the Stamping Girl SU! website. Either way, happy shopping!!! :D :D :D 

(Can you tell how excited I am? I love free shipping!)

Ang

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Supplies used in today's card:

Stamps
• Essentials

Paper
• Island Indigo Cardstock
• Tea for Two Designer Series Paper
• Watercolor Paper

Ink
• Island Indigo Classic Stampin’ Pad
• Gold Glow Smooch Spritz®

Stampin’ Up! Accessories
• Basics Glimmer Brads
• Stampin’ Dimensionals®
• Aqua Painters®
• Big Shot™
• Pinwheel Sizzlits® S Die
• Toothpick

Hello...

Hello?

Is anyone still out there?

It's been quite some time since I've visited here and it feels a little odd to be putting thoughts to "paper" again. It's been quite a year for me. Hanna is now 14 1/2 months old...I know!! Crazy right? She's walking and babbling and is the cutest thing in the world. Don't worry, I'll be posting pictures :)

What I really wanted to let you know is that I'm tentatively back. I say tentatively because I truly miss writing here, posting projects, crafting and interacting with all of you. But I also know that I won't be able to put as much time into it as before I had Hanna. It's just a reality of life and so I'm going to try and find some way to balance the two. My goal is to post 2-3 times a week, either with projects, video's, updates from Stampin' Up! or even just pictures and stories about what's going around here. I am thinking about different ways to keep in touch with you that will be easier for me to commit to. At the moment, I am not planning on starting up monthly classes. However, I am considering doing a bigger quarterly event.

So for today, I just wanted to say hi, let you know that I'm still alive and doing quite well! If you're still out there, please leave a comment and let me know you're there. I'd love to hear from you!!