Beauty And Joy Christmas Cards

As I shared in my last post, I was selected as a Stamper of the Month by my upline, Frances Wagner, and was given the Beauty and Joy set with which to make samples. I've been sharing more regularly on our team Facebook page, but have been a little slower getting the projects to my blog. Hopefully you'll think these were worth the wait.

The inspiration for this card came about because I had some leftover pieces from my recent Stamp-a-Stack that I wanted to use. I'll post the Stamp-a-Stack cards soon, but for now you can see this version. Since I had Real Red glimmer paper in the background, I used red rhinestones on the tree and cut the star out of gold glimmer paper using the Stitched Stars dies. I used the urn to hold the tree because it seems a little fancier than the basket.

Because I like to see what different changes make to the look of a card, I did a non-sparkly red card. Since it was more rustic, I went with the basket instead of the urn. I used a Q-tip to make the ornaments. After I had it done, I saw the little dots/berries in the Beauty and Joy set. I think I'd use those next time. The background strip on this card and the next card were embossed using the Pinewood Planks 3D embossing folder.

The 3rd card was even more rustic, with brown instead of red and no ornaments or berries. I used my scissors to rough up the edges of the mounted layer. I also used a sponge dauber to lightly sponge some ink on the embossed background strip to highlight the wood grain.

Now for some exciting news! 

On 10/23/19, Stampin' Up! is having a 24 hour sale! Save 15% on select stamps. Be aware that these 24 hours are Mountain Time. There should be plenty of stamps for all, but if an item reaches the backorder threshold Stampin' Up! will turn off ordering for the item. Bundles featuring stamp sets from the promotion will not be discounted.

If you order anything from this post, any of the sale items, or anything else, please select me, Sue Root, as your demonstrator. Current hostess code is CKMJD6AX.

Please use this code and get a free thank you gift from me. I will also place a group order on 10/23/19. Email or text me your order by 7:00pm that day.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Also, FYI - if a hostess code you have doesn't work, look in my blog header or at the top of the right sidebar for the current code. I post it both places so it's easy to find.

Thank you for reading my blog and being my customer! 

Beauty and Joy Fall Cards

Hi Stampers! I know it's been a while since I've posted on my blog. I'm sorry. I've been crazy busy and something had to give. I'm planning to have more posts at least through October and hopefully beyond. My upline, Frances Wagner, has started a Stamper of the Month program and I was selected to be a Stamper of the Month for the inaugural month of October. She gave us a stamp set and each week we are to post a project using the set on our team Facebook page. I've decided to post the same projects here on my blog so you all can enjoy them, too. Here's my first Stamper of the Month post. I was given the Beauty and Joy set to work with. Thank you Frances! For my first post, I wanted to make a #simplestamping card using only stamps, cardstock, and ink.

As you can see, I made 2 similar cards. The first card uses the leaf stamp as it is. However, I was curious what the tree would look like filled in with more leaves, so for the 2nd card after stamping the leaves, I inked it up and stamped again. I also inked and stamped a couple individual leaves because it still wasn't as full as I wanted. I applied Fall colors to the leaf stamp using sponge daubers to get a variegated look. Leaf colors: Crushed Curry, Cajun Craze, Pumpkin Pie, and Cherry Cobbler. Stem color: Soft Suede. Basket Color: Cajun Craze. Cardstock colors: Cajun Craze, Crushed Curry, and Whisper White. I made the background on the Cajun Craze cardstock by stamping the basket over and over. Since the leaves on the first card are more open, for the background I used Versamark ink which gives a lighter image, sometimes referred to as a watermark look. For the 2nd card I used Cajun Craze and as you can see, it turned out a little darker. I hope this post has sparked some interest in this set. Come back next week to see another project using Beauty and Joy. Also, for those of you who are unfamiliar with #simplestamping, this is a way to indicate cards that use basic supplies and are easily copied. Generally they use only stamps, ink, and paper, though sometimes there will be another element, such as ribbon or an embellishment. Stampin' Up! has been issuing monthly challenges for demonstrators and sometimes they suggest an added element. If you post your creations online, feel free to use this hashtag if your card uses only the basics. You can also search online with this hashtag to find cards that fit the criteria.

NC SU Demos June Blog Hop - New Favorites

Welcome to the June NC Stampin' Up! Demos Blog Hop. This month we are featuring some of our favorite items from the new catalog. You probably just came from Frances Wagner's blog. I hope you enjoyed her post as much as I did.

There are TONS of things I love in the new catalog, so it was hard to narrow down which one to share. I went with the Free As A Bird bundle. It comes with the Free As A Bird stamp set and the Stitched Nested Labels Dies.

Here's a card we made in our recent club. The colors are Pool Party, Flirty Flamingo, Granny Apple Green, Crumb Cake, Whisper White, and a tiny bit of Pineapple Punch on the beaks. I used Tuxedo Black Memento ink to stamp the bird stamp (this is all one stamp) onto Whisper White cardstock and then cut it out with one of the larger dies in the set.

The Stitched Nested Labels dies cut out a label with a stitched border, but it also leaves an outer stitched border. The Flirty Flamingo is cut with the same size die as I used on the Pool Party. To get the Pool Party stitched border, I centered the die on my 4" x 5.25" layer and cut out the label. It left the stitched border after I removed the die cut label. I then put the Flirty Flamingo label in the spot where I had removed the Pool Party label and then used Stampin' Dimensionals to layer the white label. Can you see the texture on the Pool Party base layer? You can get a similar look using the Subtle embossing folder.

On of my regular stampers, Carolyn Clary, decided the birds would look cute with pink bellies. She made the card above. Another regular stamper, Vicki Yountz, liked that idea, too. Below is her rendition. I think both are cute and I especially love that the stampers in my classes feel free to share their creative ideas. Sometimes, one idea leads to another and we really get on a roll. That way we all learn more and it helps everyone get their creative juices flowing for future projects.

Below is the card I made with the Pool Party label I removed from the other card. I experimented with some other colors on this one. I have to admit I have half a dozen or more of these white, stamped labels ready for cards. I was having a great time experimenting with different colored birds, flowers, leaves, and branches. I used Garden Green on the leaves and Soft Suede on the branch. The birds and flowers are the same as the above, Pool Party and Flirty Flamingo. The "sending prayers" stamp is from Itty Bitty Greeting. One thing I love about that set is that the greetings are similarly sized, so once you have a card designed, you can swap out whatever message you want.

Thanks for stopping by my blog and following through the Blog Hop. Next up on the list is Erin Cook. I'm sure you'll love what she has to share.

This Month's Blog Hoppers:
Erin Cook
Tina Lesson
Tracie Evans Langley  
Jo Anne Hewins
Toni Campana
Frances Wagner
Sue Root - You are here.

Everything Is Rosy Product Medley by Stampin' Up!

Have you seen this lovely bundle of products by Stampin' Up!? It's only available until May 31, 2019, while supplies last. Current hostess code is JJZFUBG3.

Here are some projects made with the Everything Is Rosy product medley. They all came from the Stampin' Up! site. The first one is a decorated pizza box.

The Gift Bag Punch Board is on the last chance list (only available until June 3, 2019, while supplies last) so you might want to add it when you place your order.

The Envelope Punch Board is also on the last chance list so be sure to get it before it's gone.

The following samples are all cards.

Thanks for reading my blog. Be sure to get these items while they are available. Only a few days left for the Everything Is Rosy product medley and only a few more after that for the last chance items.

If you don't have a demonstrator, please select me when you order. Use hostess code JJZFUBG3 and I'll send you a thank you gift (if you allow contact).

NC SU Demos February Blog Hop - Keeping it in the Lines

Welcome to the February NC Stampin' Up! Demos Blog Hop. This month we are featuring our favorite line art stamps and coloring method. You probably just came from Sharon Maranich's blog. Didn't you love the way she used the blender pens?

Sometimes I find coloring very relaxing and those times I pick an intricate design and just color away. Other times I like to quickly add a splash of color. Today's cards feature the latter. Both of today's cards use the same supplies, except for the ink color on the front of each card. I added color using my watercolor pencils. In the first card I colored the birthday cake and chose the leave the word "CAKE" uncolored.

On this second card I colored the word "HAPPY" with my Bermuda Bay watercolor pencil. Once the cards were colored with the watercolor pencils, I used my Aqua Painter to give it the watercolor look.

Here's how I finished of the inside of the 2nd card. The inside of the birthday cake card is similar.

Supplies:

Stamps: Amazing Life

Ink: Bermuda Bay (inside only), Calypso Coral (front of the 2nd card and inside), Memento (top card only)

Cardstock:  Bermuda Bay, Calypso Coral, Whisper White

Big Shot: Dot to Dot embossing folder

Watercolor Pencils: Bermuda Bay, Calypso Coral, Daffodil Delight

For those of you new to coloring, my advice is don't let it intimidate you. You can start easy with just a little light coloring like on these cards. But don't shy away from more intricate line art stamps. There are so many fun ways to color, as you'll see on this blog hop.

Thanks for stopping by this month's blog hop. 

Head on over to Robbie Rubala's blog to see the great project and coloring technique she's sharing today.

List of this month's blog hop participants:

Toni Campana
Jo Anne Hewins
Tracie Evans Langley
Sharon Maranich
Sue Root - You are here.
Robbie Rubala
Sue Stapp
Anita Trippi
Frances Wagner 

NC SU Demos January Blog Hop - A Perfect Pair

Welcome to the January NC Stampin' Up! Demos Blog Hop. This month we are pairing items from the new Occasions or Sale-a-Bration Catalog with items from the Annual Catalog. I have to make a confession. Since my last post in November, I did very little stamping (only what I had to in order to finish off Christmas cards or presents). With all the hectic-ness of the holidays, it felt kind of good to take a break. But that's the nice thing about stamping. For the most part, I can fit it into my schedule. Since I'm a demonstrator, I had to kick back in to develop cards for my January club. I also had to make some cards for my Card Ministry at church.

So, where do you start after a month and a half break? Well, I spent some time checking out blogs and Pinterest for inspiration. Then, I just had to put ink to paper. This is one of the first cards I made after my break. It's very simple, but I think it's cute. Sorry about the picture quality. The color is a little off. The base is Whisper White. Other colors are Call Me Clover and Rich Razleberry.

The frog is from the Sale-a-Bration (SAB) set So Hoppy Together. You can get it free during SAB with a $50 purchase. The cake is from the Annual Catalog set Tabs for Everything and Happy Birthday is from the Annual Catalog Hostess set Hand Delivered. I used my Big Shot to cut the circles with the Stitched Shapes Framelits from the In Color 2018-20 6x6 Designer Series Paper (DSP).

I didn't use this card for stamp club, but I may use it, or a variation, for my church's Birthday Card Ministry. It feels good to be stamping again. I enjoyed my little hiatus and now that I'm refreshed I'm excited about stamping up a storm.

Thanks for stopping by this month's blog hop. And remember, if you ever find yourself with a stamping block, just start putting ink to paper. Before you know it, you'll be back into it. You can also sign up for a class with your demonstrator or check out Pinterest and blogs (like you're doing now). Those are all good ways to get ideas and keep the mojo flowing.

Head on over to Robbie Rubala's blog for some more great inspiration.

This month's blog hop participants:

Toni Campana -
http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/tonimariscreations/blog?directBlogUrl=/blog/10706/entry/january_nc_demos_blog_a
Jacalyn Claes -
http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/jacalynclaes/blog?directBlogUrl=/blog/2182113/entry/ncc_demos_january_2019_blog
Jo Anne Hewins -
https://luv2create.typepad.com/my_blog/2019/01/nc-demo-blog-hop-for-january-pairing-the-new-with-the-old.html
Tracie Evans Langley -
http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/traciesallaboutstamping/blog?directBlogUrl=/blog/86481/entry/nc_demos_january_2019_blog
Sue Root -
https://stampin-with-sue.blogspot.com/2019/01/nc-su-demos-january-blog-hop-perfect.html
Robbie Rubala -
https://creationsinpaper.com/stampin-up-scalloped-tag-topper-punch-idea/
Sue Stapp -
http://suestapp.com/2019/01/27/january-blog-hop-for-north-carolina-demonstrators
Cheryl Svendsen -
http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/cascards/blog?directBlogUrl=/blog/2078340/entry/january_nc_demos_blog_hop1
Anita Trippi -
https://www.stampinwithanita.com/2019/01/nc-demo-january-2019-blog-hop-perfect.html
Frances Wagner -
https://wagstamps.blogspot.com/2019/01/nc-demos-january-2019-blog-hop.html

NC Demos Blog Hop - Holiday Edition

Welcome to the November NC Demos Blog Hop. It doesn't matter which holiday you are celebrating, Hanukkah to Christmas to New Year's Eve and everything in between, December is ALL about celebrating with parties, card and gift giving, and holiday traditions old and new. So, the theme for our November Blog Hop, just days away from the start of Hanukkah and exactly one month before Christmas, is Holiday Happenings.

This is a gift card holder that we made in stamp club recently. It's decorated to look like a gift and can be given to the recipient as is, but I did size it so that it would fit in a standard size envelope. That way you can easily mail it if needed. You could easily modify the Designer Series Paper (DSP) and sentiment to match any gift giving occasion. Be sure to also change the cardstock colors to match your DSP.

Here's the inside card, which just slides out at the top.

You can see how the gift card slips in the pocket.

This is the back. We used the Gift Bag Punch Board, which left nice finished edges along the bottom. You can use the Subtle embossing folder to get the textured look.

Here's a picture of it scored and cut out but not folded, which might be helpful if you make one yourself.

Base piece: 7.5” x 6”  Score along the long side at 2.25” and 5.75”  At each score line, punch with the Gift Bag Punch Board. Use the horizontal score line on the punch board to score along the length of the bottom. Cut off the outside flaps, leaving only the center one as shown. Use the 1.25” circle punch to make the half circle at the top.

Supplies:

Stamps: Dashing Deer

Ink: Shaded Spruce

Cardstock:  Real Red, Shaded Spruce, Whisper White

Designer Series Paper (DSP): Under The Mistletoe

Ribbon:  Real Red 1/8" Solid Ribbon

Online Extravaganza is going on now! Save 10% on select items. November 25–26 STAMPS & KITS and November 27–28 TOOLS & INK.  See the Online Extravaganza page for full details. See all sale items here. Use Hostess code: BN4N7BHZ and get a free thank you gift from me. Please contact me with any questions.

Thanks for visiting our blog hop. Next up is Anita Trippi with more holiday ideas.

https://www.stampinwithanita.com/2018/11/nc-demos-nov-2018-blog-hop.html

November Blog Hoppers

Toni Campana
Jo Anne Hewins

 Tracie Evans Langley

Sue Root - You are here.
Anita Trippi 

Online Extravaganza Sale!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

I have so many things to be grateful for and I'm sure you do, too. Thanksgiving is such a wonderful holiday to help us focus on those things. I'm looking forward to hosting a big meal for my family. We'll have 8 of us, which isn't as large as the 23 my co-worker is having, but it's plenty big for us. Enjoy your turkey and when you're ready to start thinking about shopping, check out the Online Extravaganza sale.

Online Extravaganza - November 23-28, 2018
Six days. Three sales. One spectacular promotion!

Three separate 48-hour sales featuring a selection of products from the 2018–2019 annual catalog—all at 10% off! Each 48-hour sale will feature two product categories (e.g., paper, stamps, ink, etc.). When one sale ends, the next sale begins; this cycle will continue until Online Extravaganza is over.

Follow my facebook page for updates and prize give-aways: 

 https://www.facebook.com/StampinWithSueRoot

See my separate Online Extravaganza page for more details, including exclusions, limits, ordering, and more.

There are so many items to choose from you can really get some good savings!

Let me know if I can be of help, Sue