Stampin' Up!'s Stippled Blossoms....

Today's card uses the new Stippled Blossoms stamp set.  I just love this set!  The flowers turn out so beautiful no matter what color you use and even if you don't line them up perfectly, they still look wonderful!

Here's what you will need to make this card:

• Gumball Green, Midnight Muse, Baja Breeze & Very Vanilla cardstock.
• Gumball Green, Midnight Muse, Soft Suede & Baja Breeze classic ink.
• Stippled Blossoms & Thoughts & Prayers stamp sets
• Fancy Fan embossing folder
• Finishing Touches edgelits
• Apothecary Accents framelits
• 3/8" Stitched Satin ribbon - Midnight Muse
• Stamp-a-ma-jig (optional)

I cut out the frame using the Apothecary Accents framelit and then stamped the solid flower in Baja Breeze and then stamped over in Midnight Muse with the detail flower.  I did not use the Stamp-a-ma-jig but I think it looks great anyway. 
To make the leaves, I used the Gumball Green ink and stamped off on my grid paper once with the solid leaf and then used the ink at full strength for the detail stamp.  This gave the leaves a perfect lightness and darkness to them.  I then sponged around the outside edge of the framelit using the Soft Suede ink.

New Feature on My Blog...

I cannot believe that I started blogging back in January of 2010!  While trying to make a list of upcoming tips and techniques to show you, I realized that the number of techniques I have already done has become large and I wasn't exactly sure how to keep track so I didn't duplicate.  Then it hit me - create additional pages on my blog and list all of them there! 

So here's what I have done.  Just below my header, you should see "Techniques", "How To's, Tips and Tricks" and "Specialty Cards".  Just click on each one of those and you can see all of instructional posts that I have done under each of those subjects.  One stop shopping!!!  I hope you enjoy this new feature.  Let me know what you think.....

I am a bit behind on things I want to blog about.  I definitely wanted to share this video with you from last month's convention.  Every convention, Stampin' Up! releases and performs a new song to go with our theme. This year's convention theme was "I Am". This is the BEST convention song I've ever heard but what's even more cool is that it's a lip dub shot at our Riverton, Utah corporate office.

The song highlights that we're all independent and the "I Am" theme just speaks to our all being able to run our demonstratorships in the way that suits us best (as a hobby, as a business with lots of events, something in between... whatever!). They want us to be do it our own way whatever that may be to fit our life.



Jim Pitt opens the number on guitar. He helps run the Business Development Program. Opening the door on the left is our VP of Global Operations Dave Baugh. The lady in the black halter dress and white cardigan at the very beginning who starts the singing is Amy Swartz who is the VP in charge of the new annual and Holiday catalogs (my new favorite person after how awesome the catalogs now are). You'll see other Vice Presidents, warehouse staff, Shelli's family, CFO (former New York Yankee), President (he shoots the confetti), demo support agents, etc... Did you  see Shellli?  She pops up against the orange backdrop after the three gals wearing the Designer Fabric.  The video ends up at convention when we see everyone on stage for the first time.  Did you see me?  Five rows back on the left side!  Ha ha!!!
Watch it several times so you can get a feel for this company.  Look at the beautiful office, their decor, window decals in the entry way, etc.... You can even see the area where our orders are fulfilled in the warehouse.  Everywhere you look you can see an inviting place where people are happy to work.  They even have an air hockey table in one of the rooms!


On the opening day of convention, they close the entire corporate office plus the manufacturing plant which is about 4 hours south of Salt Lake and bring everyone who works for Stampin' Up! in the USA to greet us at convention. EVERYONE. Every employee lines the entryway all cheering and screaming and high-fiveing as we walk in. Can you imagine how that feels to see and feel?  Are ya getting a picture of how fun this company is and how much they care about their demonstrators?   Do you want to be a part of it and attend convention with me next year?  All you need to do is sign up!  At $99 for a fully customizable $125 worth of product, how can you refuse?  Click on Shop Now at the top and you will be directed to my online storefront.  Then click on Join Now and sign up!  It's that easy.  If you have any questions, just let me know.  See you at convention next year!

Technique Tuesday - Diamond Fold Card

Welcome back to Technique Tuesday!  Today I will show you how to make a Diamond Fold Card.  This card can be made up two different ways although the folding is the same.

 Here's the finished card so you can see what it will look like when it is done.

 Here's what you will need:

• Simply Scored & coordinating diagonal plate
• Designer Series Paper cut to 4" x 12"
• Scallop Squares Duo die
• Cardstock as shown & described below
• Inks & Stamp Set of your choice
• 21" of ribbon
• Antique Brad

 Using the straight scoring plate of the Simply Scored, take your 4" x 12" piece of DSP and score at 2", 4", 8" & 10".

 Place the diagonal plate in the Simply Scored.  Turn your DSP over and score diagonally beginning at 2".

Flip your DSP over and score diagonally beginning at 2" again.  Flip your DSP lengthwise and repeat the last two steps.  You should end up with two large "X"s with a line down the center of each plus a line at the outside of both "X".

 Fold down along the diagonal lines making a point at the top.  Open back up and flip around and fold again with the point on the opposite side.

 Open your DSP back up.  Fold along straight lines as shown.

 Open back up.  You will then be able to fold the paper as shown above.  Press inward on the straight lines and fold the paper along the diagonal lines until it is flat.

 Here's what you will end up with.

 Take your scallop square cut using the larger square from the Scallop Square Duo die.  Fold your ribbon in half and place at one side point.  Secure ribbon to FRONT of scallop.  Leave the back ribbon loose.

 Attach scallop square to the diamond-shaped portion of the card.

 Stamp chosen image (I used the lion from Zoo Review) on a 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" piece of cardstock.  Color as desired and mat with a piece of 2 5/8" x 2 5/8" coordinating cardstock.  Attach brad.

 Cut back matting pieces to 4 1/8" x 1 15/16" and 4 1/4" x 2" and attach to back of the outside flaps of the card as shown.  They will be flush along the one side.

 Attached stamped image to scallop square.  Fold and you are done!

Here's the other way that you can do this card.  If you flip the card around, you will see that the center can be matted and a sentiment placed inside.  If you make your card this way, hold off on attaching the scallop square.  Put the card entirely together, then fold it up and place adhesive on just the left half of the scallop square and attach it to the front of the card.  Then you can place your stamped image on the scallop square and you are done.

Stampin' Up!'s Up, Up & Away....

Today's card uses the Up, Up & Away stamp set.  We made this card at a workshop in mid-July.  The colors in this picture are a bit off from the actual colors of Lucky Limeade, Wisteria Wonder and Pool Party.  So cute!

Swap Card for Stampin' Up!'s Convention...

Here is my final floor swap card from Convention.  I was determined to use the Square Lattice die on a card and here's what I came up with.

Again, I used the Button Buddies stamp set (another item that I hadn't used before) and the little floral buttons from the Brights collection.  The sentiment came from Teeny Tiny Wishes - such a versatile set!

Stampin' Up! Convention Swap card....

Today's inspiration is one of my swaps from Stampin' Up!'s convention.  I am still trying to get caught up after attending Convention but seem to have more on my schedule each day!

Last week, I showed you a card using the little pig from the Button Buddies stamp set.  Today's card is also from the Button Buddies stamp set.  You cannot tell in the picture but the black card stock is embossed with the Polka Dots embossing folder.  I used Crystal Effects on the cherries to give them a glossy sheen.  Three mini brads finish off the look.  Cute, simple and an eye catcher!