NC SU Demos Blog Hop - In Colors

Welcome to the NC Demos Blog Hop! We are so glad you are here! You may have just came from Tracie Evans Langley's blog. Wasn't it clever how she used the tissue paper? We used the Challenge Dice to determine this month's theme. This is what we came up with: Theme: Friendship, Style: Clean & Simple - no more than 2 layers, Color Scheme: In Colors, Techniques: Sponging, and Accent/Embellishment: Ribbon or Twine. As I'm typing this, I realize I failed the challenge. I tried to do the challenge from memory and forgot the sponging. Unfortunately, it's too late for me to change now, so I've got to go with what I've got. The funny thing is, I do a lot of sponging, so I can't believe that's what I forgot.

I have always loved grid paper for some reason so when I first saw the 2020–2022 In Color Grid Paper, I knew right away that I wanted to make cards with it. These are the first 2 cards but there will be many more since there's 25 sheets of 11" x 17" paper in the pack. This paper is on the retirement list and is currently 25% off, but remember, retiring items are only available while supplies last.

In case you are unfamiliar with the grid paper, it looks like this. Each sheet has all 5 in colors on it. I added the copyright, per Stampin' Up! policy. It is not on the grid paper itself. I love using grid paper when I stamp to protect my work surface. It's so handy to have the measurements right there and I use the lines to help align my stamps. These sheets are so colorful, they add a little fun to my workspace. Plus, I can use them as a surface for crafting and then as long as I didn't mess them up too much, I can flip them over and have pretty paper to use for making cards. Talk about getting your money's worth!

For my first card I used the Celebrate Sunflowers bundle, which is currently 20% off as part of the Savings are in Bloom promotion. If you need an embossing machine, the Mini Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine is also 20% off as part of this promotion, as are several other bundles.

I selected an area of grid paper that included Just Jade and Misty Moonlight and cut it to size. In my head, I think of it as representing the grass and sky. I stamped the large sunflower image on Bumblebee cardstock with Early Espresso ink and then cut it out with the coordinating die. Because the theme is Friendship, I used the sentiment that says, "Know that you are loved," because friends are so important and I want my friends to know I love them. This was stamped on Bumblebee cardstock with Soft Suede ink. I left the Bumblebee cardstock a little longer than needed so I could wrap the Linen Thread around it. I wrapped it 3 times and tied a bow.

Here's how I finished off the inside of the card. This is the small sunflower from the same bundle. I colored directly on the stamp with my Bumblebee and Just Jade Stampin' Write Markers. The 2020-2022 In Color Stampin' Write Markers are also retiring and also discounted.

Here's another card I made with this pretty grid paper. You may have noticed the flowers in the bottom corner of the grid paper sheet. I fancy cut them and then lined the image up with two other colors layered behind it. The bow is from black twine out of the Baker's Twine Essentials Pack. I layered all of it on a Basic Black card base.

For the inside of the card, I layered a piece of Basic White with a strip of Bumblebee grid paper. I used the same sentiment as the other card but another sentiment from the same stamp set, Let's Celebrate You, would also be good because friends deserve to be celebrated.

Thank you for stopping by my blog and letting me share my project with you. Please stop by and see Tina Lesson’s post. I know it will be great!

After you finish the blog hop and you start shopping for supplies to make all the wonderful projects that you've just seen, remember to use hostess code HTKGYMKV when you order if you are my customer. If you don't have a demonstrator yet, please consider selecting me. I love helping people express their creativity through stamping.

Happy Stampin', Sue Root

THIS MONTH’S BLOG HOP LIST

Tina Lesson

Toni Campana

Jo Anne Hewins
FrancesWagner
Tracie Evans Langley

Sue Root - you are here

NC SU Demos Blog Hop - Don't Limit Your Stamps

Hi Stampers! Welcome to the November 2021 NC Stampin' Up! Demos blog hop where we will be showing you other uses for your stamp sets. You may have just come from Frances Wagner's blog. Wasn't her card cute?

Here's a Christmas card I made using the Christmas Season Bundle. It's a beautiful bundle, but what about when you have all of your Christmas cards, 3-d items, and decor pieces done? Well, keep reading for some ideas to use this bundle for other occasions during the Christmas/Winter season and throughout the year.

Those of you who are familiar with the Christmas Season bundle may recognize that the bottom layer under the sentiment is shorter than the die in the bundle. See below how to re-size the die cut. Colors: Mossy Meadow, Merry Merlot, Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Basic Vanilla. I also used Holiday Rhinestone Basic Jewels and Linen Thread.

The layout in this second card is similar, but I got rid of the pinecones and added some more plants so it would look less Christmas-y. Now it's perfect for a Winter birthday. This is a one-layer card. The background was done with the Birch background stamp. I think the sentiment is from a retired set as the name is not coming to me right now. Colors: Mossy Meadow, Merry Merlot, Cherry Cobbler, Early Espresso, Basic White. 

Here's one more card in Winter colors. This is also a one-layer card. I covered the middle area of the card and stamped several plants. Once I was done stamping I removed the strip of cardstock from the middle of the card so that part remained white. It looked a little plain so I took a ruler and Stampin' Write marker to line the edges of the white area. The sentiment is from Celebrate Sunflowers and is great for a Congratulations or Birthday card. Colors: Garden Green, Old Olive, Merry Merlot, Cherry Cobbler, Basic White. I added a few Basic Rhinestones to bling it up a bit.

This bundle isn't limited to Winter colors. Check out this birthday card done in Spring colors. It's a similar layout to the first card, but I used a whole lot more dots and doubled the Highland Heather plant. Other colors: Balmy Blue, Petal Pink, Basic White. The sentiment is from Timeless Tulips.

As promised, here are instructions on how shorten your die cut so it gives an even border around your sentiment. I started with a 1" x 3" piece of cardstock. Run it through the Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine with just enough cardstock sticking out the end so you know you won't cut off the end. Notice how the piece does not go the whole way to the end. It will fit on a 1" wide piece but you have to position it just right. If you are nervous about this, just cut your piece a little wider.

Now line it up the other way, so the die shows a little bit of the straight end sticking out. You can see the cut end in the middle of the die. If you position it right, you can feel the edges of the cut piece sort of click into place. This die and the cardstock really are straight. I think my camera must not have been straight, which is why it looks like it gets wider at the one end.

The bottom piece of cardstock shows that the die really fit on that 1" piece and shows you how little extra space there is.

And one last card using the original layout, this time a thank you card in Fall colors. The sentiment comes from Best Birds. The labels are rectangles cut with my Paper Trimmer. Colors: Cajun Craze, Crushed Curry, Old Olive, Sahara Sand, Basic White.

As you can see, there is no need to limit your stamps and dies - even ones with Christmas right in the name. I've shown you birthday, thank you, and let's celebrate you cards in not only Christmas/Winter colors, but Spring and Fall.

I hope you've enjoyed all of these ideas for using your Christmas stamps in non-traditional ways. Continue on the next blog in the hop, which belongs to Tracie Evans Langley, to see even more inspiring ideas.

November 2021 Blog Hoppers
Toni Campana
Amanda Howard
Frances Wagner
Sue Root
Tracie Evans Langley

NC SU Demos Blog Hop - Shake, Rattle & Roll

 

 Hi Stampers! Welcome to the February NC SU Demos blog hop where the theme is Shake, Rattle & Roll. We will all be sharing projects that have some sort of movement. I'm sure you'll enjoy seeing the variety of projects in this month's blog hop. If you are following through the hop, you probably just came from Joanne's blog. Wasn't her project fantastic? After you finish reading my post, please leave a comment, and then hit the next blog button to go the next blog in the hop which will be Tina.


Today I have a shaker card to share with you, but it's not the usual type you might be used to. This one uses one of our clear envelopes to create the area for the sequins. I also used the Whale Done bundle, Whale of a Time DSP, and some ribbon.

The Whale of a Time Designer Series Paper (DSP) is so beautiful I wanted to highlight as much of it as I could on each card I made with it. Many of the sheets include really cool looking scenes like the piece used on this card. Tip: Be sure when cutting these scenery pieces that you select the area you want before cutting. In other words, if you want a 4" piece like on this card, don't just lop off 2" from the edge. After you select the area you want, then cut. It might turn out you really do just need to take off 2", but you might need to cut 1" from each side - or some other variation. You can always use the scraps on another project. FYI: the sequins I used are some retired ones I had here when I decided to make the project. It was kind of a pain because I had to pick out colors that didn't coordinate. The Whale of a Time Sequins are the way to go. There's even mini shell shaped ones! One of these days I will learn to just order all the fun embellishments when I order the bundle.

To make the shaker part of the card, all I did was slide my 4" x 5.25" piece of DSP into a clear envelope and slide it down into the corner. I added some sequins and then folded the envelope over as far as a could and sealed it. Then I folded over the side that was wider than the DSP and adhered it on the back with Stampin' Seal+ so that the DSP and sequins were wrapped by the envelope. Tips: 1) You want your envelope tight enough so that the sequins don't end up shaking around to the back of the card but you want just a little slack for the sequins to have room to move. 2) You may have some issues with static. I gently rubbed my Embossing Buddy inside the envelope before adding the DSP and sequins. If you do this, be careful not to get creases in your envelope. I still had some static, but I found that after the card sat for a while the static dissipated and the sequins could move.

After the shaker part was done I attached it to the card base with Stampin' Seal+. I used Granny Apple Green for the card base because it's bright and cheery and really pulls out some of the colors in the DSP.

The whale was stamped with Basic Gray and then punched out. The sentiment is stamped with Calypso Coral and I sponged the edge of the square with Granny Apply Green ink. The ribbon was just folded over back and forth before putting the sentiment over it with Stampin' Dimensionals to pop it up. I like how it turned out looking like a bow. The ribbon is a former Sale-a-bration (SAB) choice but you could find a current current to substitute. But see, that's why you want to stock up on SAB items when you can get them. They are only available that short time but have uses long after SAB ends. Speaking of which, this is the last day to get in on the current SAB offerings. Free item with each $50 purchase (before shipping and tax). Other freebies for orders over $300 and joining Stampin' Up! If you don't already have a demonstrator, please select me as your demonstrator when you check out. Or if you'd like to join, I'd love to have you on my team. Check them out here. This link will open a new window so you can still come back and finish the blog hop.

Stampin' Up! - Sale-A-Bration

Here's how I finished off the inside. Happy Birthday is from the Happy Thoughts stamp set.

I hope you enjoyed my post and will be inspired to try one of these simple shaker cards. Now it's time to head to Tina's blog and see the terrific movement project she has for you.

This month's participants:

Tina Lessons
Amy Kinler
Toni Campana
Sharon Maranich
Tracie Evans Langley
Jo Anne Hewins
Sue Root - you are here

NC Stampin' Up! Demos October Blog Hop

Welcome to the October NC Stampin' Up! Demos Blog Hop where we are celebrating the holidays. We could choose any holidays we want but the challenge was to pick two different holidays. I chose Thanksgiving and Christmas. If you are following through the hop, you just came from Laurie Meier's. blog. Aren't her projects fantastic?

Edit: In looking through the other blogs, it looks like I interpreted the challenge differently than it was intended. I did not catch the line about showing how versatile our stamp sets are which meant I missed that I was supposed to use the same set for both projects. The ironic thing is, I like thinking outside the box and using our sets in ways they weren't originally intended so this was right up my alley. You've still got cards from 2 holidays, but I used different sets for them. Sorry! I hope you still enjoy them and find some inspiration.

We did/are doing this Thanksgiving card in my October Zoom class. I use both tenses because one class was yesterday and the other will be Tuesday. Those who were there yesterday really enjoyed all of the techniques we talked about while creating 3 projects using the Gather Together bundle.

To get colored rhinestones, I colored them with my dark Old Olive Blends marker. I leave them on the backing paper when I color them and don't move them to my project until they are completely dry.

I used a sponge dauber to rub gently over the leaves with Soft Suede ink. This brings out the embossed lines on the leaves and adds a little extra visual interest. When I do this technique on leaves I don't mind if I rub a little hard and some ink gets on the rest of the leaf. After all, real leaves are multi-colored when they change. However, with some embossing folders I am much more careful and light handed with this technique because I really don't want the ink on the inside parts.

To create the background I set my Woodland embossing folder on a flat surface and rubbed my Soft Suede ink pad all over the inside of the front panel. A few tips: 1) Hold the ink pad horizontal to the embossing folder as you rub so that none of the ink gets in the depressed parts - in this case the trees. 2) When I say ink goes on the inside of the front panel - the front is the piece that has the logo on it; inside I think is clear, but just in case, it's the part the will be inside when you fold it in half with the cardstock in it. 3) Once you lay the cardstock on the embossing folder be very careful that it does not move. If it does, you'll have smudges where you don't want them. The same goes when removing it after you've run it through your embossing machine. I usually open the folder and turn it upside down so the embossed piece gently drops onto my work surface.

In this next card, you can see what happens if you ink the other side of the embossing folder.

When dry embossing, the part that is depressed on the folder is what pushes up and will be the embossed image. Therefore, the directions I gave you will leave the trees uninked and the background colored with ink. If you want the trees colored with ink and the background to remain uninked bare cardstock, as in the above picture, then you would rub ink on the back inside part - the trees will feel raised and the background will be depressed. If you do it this way, your trees will be colored but they will be debossed (pushed into the cardstock) instead of embossed (raised).

This Christmas card is one of the three cards we will make at my upcoming Stamp-a-Stack featuring Winter Woods. The background was done with the Buffalo Check background stamp.

It's hard to see in this picture, but I added Wink of Stella all over the tree, especially on the snowy areas. The tree layer is flat on the Mossy Meadow cardstock and then I popped up the Mossy Meadow layer with Stampin' Dimensionals. The pennant sentiment is similar. The Very Vanilla piece is flat on the Mossy Meadow, but this time I only put Stampin' Dimensionals on one side so the part over the tree layer is flat against it and the other end is popped up from the Buffalo Check.

Thank you for stopping by my blog and for hopping through this month's NC SU Demos Blog Hop. Next up is Dawn Colby. Hurry on over to see the great projects she has for you.

Jo Anne Hewins

Tina Lesson

Laurie Meier

Sue Root

Dawn Colby

Tracie Evans Langley

NC Stampin' Up! Demos July Blog Hop

Welcome to the July NC Stampin' Up! Demos Blog Hop where we are celebrating all things summer. If you are following through the hop, you just saw the fantastic summery project by Laurie Meier. 

For today's post I made a shaker card featuring the Whale Done bundle which includes the Whale Done stamp set and Whale Builder punch.

I couldn't seem to get a good picture without any glare. I'm sorry about that. Here's a close up that might help you get a better idea what inside the circle looks like. There are lots more sequins, but they are pooled at the bottom and hidden by the whale and seaweed. You also can see the details of the Seabed embossing folder better in this picture.

I had a few issues with the shaker part and I'm going to share because maybe my experience will help you. I was out of Foam Adhesive sheets and tried to make due with what I have. Sequins have already fallen out despite the fact it seemed like I had a good seal. I am definitely waiting until I order new Foam Adhesive sheets before making another shaker card. It is so much easier and effective to just cut use my Layering Circles dies to cut a ring from the Foam Adhesive Sheet. Also be sure to use the Window Sheets. They are much easier to work with and give a better seal than other things you might think about substituting.

Here's how I finished the inside of the card.

Supplies:

Stamps: Whale Done

Punch: Whale Builder

Embossing Folder: Seabed

Dies: Layering Circles

Cardstock: Bermuda Bay, Calypso Coral, Coastal Cabana, Whisper White

Ink: Bermuda Bay, Calypso Coral, Pretty Peacock, Sahara Sand, Smoky Slate, Soft Suede

Embellishments: Sequins

Thank you for checking out this month's blog hop. Next up is Nedine DuPree who I am sure will have a wonderful project for you. Enjoy the rest of the blog hop and the rest of your summer!

This month's blog hop participants:

Jo Anne Hewins 
Tina Lesson
Tracie Evans Langley 
Toni Campana  
Amy Kinler
Ariel Matera
Laurie Meier 
Sue Root - you are here
Nedine DuPree

NC Stampin' Up Demos June Blog Hop

Welcome to the June NC SU Demos Blog Hop! You probably just came from the blog of Tracy Lewis.  Wasn't her card great? And what a coincidence that she used the same set that I did.

Since June is a month for weddings, our theme is something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. I made a center step card with the Forever Fern stamp set and Forever Flourishing Dies which are available individually or as a bundle. The colors, the Basic Pearls, my Stampin' Blends marker, and the sentiment from Good Morning Magnolia are old. The Forever Fern bundle is new. I borrowed the bundle my friend Corothy. Thanks Corothy! And I used Pretty Peacock for my blue.

I used sponge daubers on the stamps to get the multi-colored look. All of the other pieces are die cut out of solid colored cardstock. The Basic Pearls were colored with a Stampin' Blends marker. This is a great way to get pearls in different colors.

Colors: Calypso Coral, Crushed Curry, Merry Merlot, Old Olive, Pretty Peacock, and Whisper White

Here's another shot from before the Basic Pearls were added. It gives you a better idea how the folds go.

Here is the inspiration for my card. I have several packs of these Gift Of Fall Add On Bundles and I don't have the stamps from the original Paper Pumpkin. I did have the kit but one of my customers didn't order it and really wanted it so I let her have mine with the agreement I could borrow the stamps to complete my Add On pack. I did at the time, but then the packs went on the Clearance List and I bought more. When I saw Forever Fern, I knew it would go great with these cards. This card inspired me to make today's center fold card. By the way, these are still available on the Clearance List.

Thanks for stopping by this month's blog hop. You can continue on through the hop by visiting Tracie Evans Langley's blog next. I know she'll have a fantastic project for you.

This month's blog participants:

Tina Lesson
Toni Campana
Jo Anne Hewins
Ariel Matera
Laurie Meier
Amy Kinler
Tracy Lewis
Sue Root
Tracie Evans Langley

Libby Foreman
MartinetteHorner

NC SU Demos May Blog Hop - Farewell Retiring Products

Welcome to the May NC Demos Blog Hop. This month we are celebrating our favorite retiring items. I started out featuring the Wish For It All bundle and ended up using several other retiring items including the Gallery Grunge stamp set, Swirls and Curls embossing folder, Come Sail Away Designer Series Paper (DSP), and some of the 2018-20 In Colors. If you want these or any other retiring items, remember to get them ASAP since retiring items are only available until June 2nd or while supplies last, whichever comes first. Current hostess code for my customers is WQNA3SZM.

The first card uses the retiring In Colors Lovely Lipstick, Blueberry Bushel, and Pineapple Punch. The embossing folder is Swirls and Curls. The label and sentiment are from the Wish For It All stamp set and the candles are from the Doily Wishes dies. Those last 2 products make up the Wish For It All bundle. Except for the Whisper White cardstock, everything on this card is retiring.

For this next card I actually used the negative from cutting out candles. I positioned the candle dies where I wanted them on the Lovely Lipstick layer before I ran it through my die cut machine. There are 2 candle dies in the die set, so I used both the first time and then ran it through the die cut machine another time with just 1 candle die to get the 3rd candle cut out. Two of the die cut candles were removed and used on the 1st card; the other is waiting to be used on another project. Then I put Daffodil Delight cardstock and retiring Come Sail Away DSP behind the candle cut outs and mounted the Lovely Lipstick layer on the card base.

This card also used the negative from cutting a candle for the first card. I used a stamp from Gallery Grunge on a piece of Pineapple Punch cardstock which was layered behind the cut out to make the candle striped. The sentiment is stamped on an oval from the Stitched Shapes dies and layered on a Pineapple Punch oval. I added some rhinestones for bling.

 I die cut the candle on this card from Whisper White cardstock and then sponged it with Daffodil Delight ink for the flame and Gorgeous Grape, Highland Heather, and Lovely Lipstick for the candle. The candle is layered on a Coastal Cabana die cut from the Stitched Nested Labels dies. I stamped the background with a stamp from Gallery Grunge. I stamped several times with each color used on the card.

Here's one last card I made with the Wish For It All bundle. I used the dies to create an ice cream cone. The cone is die cut from Soft Suede, then I layered it on top of a piece of Crumb Cake that had been sponged with Soft Suede. The ice cream is cut from Very Vanilla cardstock. I lightly sponged Soft Suede around the edge of the Pool Party background layer and then used a stamp from Gallery Grunge several times to add to the background. It's the same stamp I used to put stripes on the candle on the Blueberry Bushel card.

This is the first time I've inked up my Wish For It All bundle and already can tell I will miss it. I will still use it for personal projects and the Birthday Card Ministry at my church, but am sad I won't be able to use this with my stamp club. There are so many other ideas that I haven't even gotten to yet. I was having so much fun with the candles I never even got to the cake, cupcakes, doily backgrounds, and several other ideas.

Follow along the blog hop to see the next great project by Martinette Horner.

May Blog Hoppers
Amy Kinler 
Toni Campana 
Tina Lesson
Ariel Matera - 
Tracy Marie Lewis 
JoAnne Hewins - 
Jenn Hutt - 
Laurie Meier - 
Libby Foreman 
Tracie Evans Langley 
Sue Stapp
Sue Root - you are here
Martinette Horner
Nedine Dupree
Erin TCook 

NC SU Demos April Blog Hop - It's a Spring Thing

Welcome to the April NC SU Demos Blog Hop. Our theme this month is "It's a Spring Thing." I chose to share with you the One Sheet Wonder (OSW) cards that I created using two sheets of Designer Series Paper (DSP) from the Magnolia Lane DSP pack. Although I've done plenty of OSWs with templates I found online, this is the first time I've designed my own OSW template. My stamp clubs and I are creating these cards virtually this month. Anyone who placed, or places, a $35 or more order in April using the current hostess code (YDWNMQBA) will be sent the template and basic instructions via email.

Here are all 12 of the cards made with one sheet of DSP. I also made all of these cards with another DSP from the Magnolia Lane pack. While I don't have a group picture, they are all shown below.

I tried to keep the cards pretty basic with minimal supplies so that my stamp club members would have most of the supplies already. Since demonstrators are unable to provide stamped images to customers, I used a variety of sentiments from a variety of sets to give some ideas. Any sentiment that fits will work.

Many of these cards feature circles and ovals from the Stitched Shapes framelits. This card also has a strip of 3/4" Petal Pink cardstock.

 As you can see, I used the back side of one of the papers for a different look.

 I added some pearls to this card for some extra interest since there are fewer layers. It's a little hard to see on the background I used behind the cards, but the card base is Mellow Moss.

This card also has a Mellow Moss base.

 The template gives 2 triangle shaped pieces, so stampers can make 2 of the same card or rotate the triangle for a different look.

This card also has a Mellow Moss base that's kind of hard to see.

 Just cut a V shape out of the end of a rectangle to make the pennants. I usually use my ruler to mark the center of the cardstock piece so both sides end up even. This is particularly helpful when layering pennants.

 I added an extra layer to the card on the left, otherwise these cards are the same.

Magnolia Lane DSP is on the Last Chance List, and it's discounted, so be sure to get your pack before it's gone. There's also a 20 pack of Magnolia Lane DSP that just has the 2 sheets used on my cards on the Last Chance List.

Sentiments on these cards came from Beautiful Bouquet, Butterfly Gala, Dandelion Wishes, Good Morning Magnolia, Itty Bitty Greetings, Rooted In Nature, and Varied Vases. Don't feel limited in your sentiment selection. You don't always have to use a sentiment with the stamps it came with.

Some of these cards fit the criteria for #simplestamping - just ink, stamps, and paper (in this case cardstock and Designer Series Paper).

Thanks for visiting my blog and joining our blog hop. Next up is 

Amy Kinler with another Spring themed project.

April Blog Hoppers
Amy Kinler
Nedine DuPree
Tracie Evans Langley
JoAnne Hewins
Tina Lesson
Toni Campana
Sue Stapp
Ariel Matera
Laurie Meier
Sue Root - You are here