December's Sunday Sketches

I had lots of ideas for cards this year that never materialized (thanks COVID!), but crafters are eternal optimists. Late for this year, early for next!

Merry Christmas friends and all the best in 2023!

Feeling Festive and Festive Feelings!

Adding to my perpetual feeling of being behind on posts, ideas, and more--well, after dodging the plague for two and a half years, it struck our household and despite what some may say, it affects people very differently. Hubs slept most of the symptoms off in four days and has a lingering cough. For me, COVID ran the whole ten days. I was super thirsty, napped a lot, and lost my appetite. Then, afterward, I was unbelievably tired and constantly reminding myself to take it easy. I'm only now finally feeling 100% again. We were doing all the right things, but our luck just ran out!

One of my favourite holiday suites this year was the Santa Suite. I wanted to do a whole video about it because I thought the whole ensemble was just wonderful. It just has so much possibility and I hope Stampin' Up! makes more suites like it.

There was co-ordinating paper for die cutting shapes and stamps perfect for colouring! Other elements included envelopes and a Memories and More pack with matching and retro elements. Originally, I wasn't sold on the Parakeet Party sky, but once you put it all together, it just works! Here are two samples while spending the afternoon with friends, who went wild for the set. Despite the two other ideas I had, all we worked on was the trains :-D

Here are two cards made with metallic snowflakes and two of the Santa Suite Memories and More cards. When you're pressed for time, a card from one of these packs often has the right message or image you need. They're such good value IMHO.

Lastly, here are two cards made with DSP from the Lights Aglow suite. This festive paper with a touch of gold was super popular. Consider yourself lucky if you snagged a pack because it was unavailable and not restocked. I used some scraps from the stash for the letters. I'm not 100% sure they're finished--but they are lovely!

Sadly, I didn't send out as many Christmas cards as I hoped. A stack of bases will become New Year's cards. Fortunately October's Paper Pumpkin came to my rescue. This kit made 9 cards and the Santa theme was great for my friends with children. Did you know, by the way, you can gift Paper Pumpkin? They're also great to have on hand for yourself or to share with others :-)

That's a wrap for Christmas crafting in 2022! Have a healthy, joyous, and wonderful time with your loved ones!

November Stampin' Up! News

Oh my goodness, where does the time go? How is it November? I think my brain is still stuck in October :-D

Anyway, there's lots of exciting Stampin' Up! stuff going on in November, namely, the Seasonal Sale, which, if you live in North America, know it's kinda of a Black Friday sale. It's a-m-a-z-i-n-g!

Between 15 and 18 November 2022, select products from the 2022–2023 Annual Catalog will be on sale with the following discounts:

• 10% off all punches
• 15% of all stamps
• 20% off all dies
• 20% off all embossing folders
• 20% off all non-specialty Designer Series Paper

Dust off those wish lists and maybe leave one where your SO can see it ;-D Contact me at stampingfriendchristine@gmail.com or shop with me online.

Another exciting release is the Fitting Florets bundle, which I have in my hot little hands and haven't used yet! You may have noticed that Stampin' Up! releases products outside of the Annual Catalogue and Mini-Catalogues and this is one of them. Don't worry--it's carrying over until next year. It's kind of a fun sneak peek at what's coming :-)

I have been working on Christmas cards lately, although I'm not as organized this year as I have been in previous years, but I promise my next blog post will be sooner than later.

Summer Card Swapping!

One of the fun things about Stampin' Up! is being able to live my values which corresponds pretty handily to SU's "inspire, create, share". I love sharing knowledge (even in my day job!), I enjoy a creative and colour ful life and I love taking in inspiration from others and sending it back out into the world.

I haven't done a team swap--or even a group swap--in forever, so I jumped at the chance back in May to sign up for one. Swaps are a great way to try a new technique or use up some supplies and the theme for my swap was use your oldest, uninked set that's still in the current catalogue..

Challenge accepted! It turned out my oldest, uninked and still current set was Jar of Flowers which also has a matching punch. I had to sneak a sentiment from another set as Jar of Flowers does not contain any. While I sketched the card to be horizontal, it would have been much easier to create it vertically. Once the flowers go on top of the jar, it's easy to run out of space. I made four of each flower for some variety.

It took a while to patiently wait for the other swaps to come in and each one was a delight to receive! Thanks gals!

And the last card came in after I made this post :-D

Don't worry, the Santa Suite blog post is coming soon!

 

July's Sunday Sketch

Today's Sunday sketch is a little more literal than ones from the past. If you guessed the theme was Christmas in July and it uses the new Santa's Express Suite--you're right! This great suite offers a lot of potential whether you like to layer or colour. Stay tuned towards the end of the month, as usual!

July-December Mini Catalogue from Stampin' Up! Now Available

I didn't forget to announce that the new mini catalogue started July 1st--I was just hoping to make a video with all my favourites ready. Contact me for a printed catalogue or shop with me online.

For those keeping track, this catalogue used to come out in August, and this is the second year of second Sale-A-Bration! There are all sorts of fun, free products you can earn with a qualifying order.

FREE Shipping June 21st Only!

Dust off those wish lists! Stampin' Up! offers free shipping now and then--it's just hard to know when.

Today's the day for free shipping on qualifyin orders. Spend $100 before taxes and you'll be rewarded with free shipping. Who doesn't like free?

Contact me or shop online with me to place an order.

 

June Projects--Exploring the New In-Colors Part 1

I admit I’m not sure what to do with the new In-Colours! Most demos had samples made up back at the beginning of May, but not me—I just didn’t know where to start. The past few years of In-Colours have been somewhat muted, so I suppose this year SU had to crank up the volume.

So far, however, I have two samples featuring Sweet Sorbet and Parakeet Party. Combining the Sweet Sorbet DSPs—with a touch of Evening Evergreen on the middle stripe—contrasted nicely with the solid Parakeet Party cardstock.

And a nice big piece of Parakeet Party DSP added some cheer to a Very Vanilla base and die-cut layer.

Stay tuned--I’m sure by next post I’ll have tackled the three blue hues!

 

Tuesday Tip--Recycle That Wrap!

I started posting Tuesday Tips last year on Facebook, but in case you don't , you can still enjoy them every third Tuesday of the month.

Today's tip reads: Check your municipality's recycling guide for info on recycling bubble wrap that comes with SU orders or reuse it. In Calgary, bubble wrap can be bundled in a transparent stretchy plastic bag and tie handles closed. Bubble wrap must be bundled because loose sheets can fly off the conveyor line.

Until next time...

🚨🚨🚨 Woo Woo Deal Alert! 🚨🚨🚨

Deep breath--best pitchgal voice--"Hi! Christine here for Stampin' Up!!, your crafting specialist!"

I indulged in making a video channelling my inner Billy Mays because pictures just wouldn't work! If you're like me and you love saving money, check out the Craft and Carry Stamparatus bag in the Canadian Stampin' Up! Clearance Rack is on sale for 60% off! the original price of $39.

The catalogue picture doesn't do it justice because I use it for more than protecting my Stamparatus--it's perfect for on-the-go crafting or anytime you need the right-sized bag.

But wait--there's more! The catalogue doesn't show off all the fantastic pockets this little bag has. Check it out!


Until next time...

It's Here--The 2022-2023 Stampin' Up! Annual Catalogue!

Today's the big day--the new 2022-2023 Stampin' Up! Annual Catalogue has dropped. Contact me for a printed catalogue or shop with me online.

Tuesday Tip--Thrifty Crafting with Sponges

I started posting Tuesday Tips last year on Facebook, but quickly got behind once I started school. I got smart and made a year's worth in advance. But, in case you don't , you can still enjoy them every third Tuesday of the month.

Today's tip reads: Stampin' Sponges (not in the current annual catalogue) can be cut up into pieces for thrifty crafting. Remember to label them!

Bonus tip: You can rinse out the sponges as well if water-based ink has been used on them.

Until next time...

April 2022 Stampin' Up! News

Spring is just around the corner and so is the excitement of savings and new Stampin' Up! stuff. It's always an exciting time for me, personally, as I decide what to stock up on and what to wait patiently for. With that in mind, click to shop online and see the disconintued products and maybe save some bucks!

And of course as we say good-bye to the old catalogue, we welcome in new In-Colours, including three blue hues! The new colours are:

• Orchid Oasis
• Parakeet Part
• Starry Sky
• Sweet Sorbet
• Tahitian Tide

The new catalogue drops May 3, so stay tuned!

Tuesday Tip--Keep an Eye on DSP

I started posting Tuesday Tips last year on Facebook, but quickly got behind once I started school. I got smart and made a year's worth in advance. But, in case you don't , you can still enjoy them every third Tuesday of the month.

Today's tip reads: Did you know that the patterns on 6x6" colour family DSP changes annually? Look closely in each new annual catalogue to spot the differences.

Until next time...

February Crafting Project--Make Your Own Paper!

I thought I would have a February project for all y'all, but class is just keeping me so busy. The great thing about art classes is at least I can share a new techinique--papermaking!

If you're like me, you hate anything going to waste and you love being thrifty. Papermaking is the ultimate combo of recycling and thrift, plus it's easy to do if you don't mind a little mess. It doesn't require any special equipment to get started, and you can even buy starter kits from a company like Arnold Grummer with everything you need. There are whole books and lots of videos on papermaking--the possibilities are truly endless--so I'll just give a high-level overview here.

Here are some of the items you'll need:

• A mold
• Scrap paper, newspaper or cardstock
• An old blender specifically designated for papermaking
• Small cup or measuring cup
• Sponges
• Two tubs with a flat bottom
• Absorbent paper for couching
• Screens
• Wastewater bucket
• An old shirt or apron
• Nitrile or rubber gloves
• Plastic tarp or old tablecloth to cover your workspace

Cautions and Warnings Pulping paper in a blender may release dyes that may stain. Wear an old shirt or apron and cover your workspace. If you use a purchased dye, be sure to read all instructions before opening the package. Don't throw wastewater down your sink. Paper fibres can settle in your pipes and create a clog. Collect wastewater in a pail and dump outside. Some types of specialty paper won't pulp--foils and any plastic-coated paper--for example.

Here are some of the steps I take to make paper:

1. Gather your scraps! I used Night of Navy, but you can try mixing colours too, although black and grey scraps tend to turn everything black or grey. If you experiment doesn't work out, you can always save it as a sample or re-pulp it.

2. Rip it up! This part is kinda fun--and you can do it while watching TV! You don't have to go this small however.

3. Blend and pour into your mold. This is where things can get a little wet--but you'll have the makings of a piece of paper after swirling the pulp and water around. As you become familiar with the proces, you'll discover how much water to add to the blender.

4. Screen and dry. In the photo below, I've screened out the water and am ready to couch the new paper between two absorbant sheets to speed up the drying process. When the sheet is dry, it will appear lighter than the original cardstock--but you can still stamp, sponge and cut it like it was a factory-made piece.

I hope you enjoyed this brief insight into papermaking. If you try it, you'll soon fall in love with the world of possibilities, such as layering sheets, adding embellishments like glitter or flowers to the pulp and maybe even sculpting with it. Whatever you do, it will be unique because you made it!

Tuesday Tip--It's Okay for Embossing Plates to Crack and Scratch!

I started posting Tuesday Tips last year on Facebook, but quickly got behind once I started school. I got smart and made a year's worth in advance. But, in case you don't , you can still enjoy them every third Tuesday of the month.

Today's tip reads: Cracked, warped and marked die cutting pads are totally normal! Remember to use the whole surface (not just the middle) and flip them to prolong their life.

Until next time...

Tuesday Tip--Retiring 2020-2022 In-Colors

I started posting Tuesday Tips last year on Facebook, but quickly got behind once I started school. I got smart and made a year's worth in advance. But, in case you don't , you can still enjoy them every third Tuesday of the month.

Today's tip reads: Tuesday Tip! A new year is a great time to stock up on retiring In-Color paper, ink and ribbon (and earn Sale-A-Bration rewards too!).

This year we're saying good-bye to 2020-2022 In-Colors Bumblebee, Cinnamon Cider, Just Jade, Magenta Madness, and Misty Moonlight. Aw! I really liked this set with the exception of Magenta Madness.

Until next time...

It's 2022--Time to Sale-A-Brate!

Here to brighten winter blues is the Stampin' Up! January-July Mini Catalogue along with Sale-A-Bration! It's that time again receive free bonus products with a qualifying order. As a demonstrator, it's often hard for me to sit on all this fun stuff until the release date. So, don't hesitate and hop on over to Stampin' Up's website to check it out or contact me for a catalogue.