South for the Winter - NC SU Demos Blog Hop

It's time for another NC Stampin' Up! Demos Blog Hop. This month the theme is South for the Winter - something that makes us think of warmer times as we're starting to get tired of winter. Of course, when this theme was picked, I'll be no one expected it to 70 degrees.

When I think of warm weather, I think of lemonade. And lemonade makes me think of my mom and sister because it's a staple on our mother daughter weekends. And that makes me happy!

So, I created a card using Lemon Zest. It's fitting, because this sentiment is something my mom instilled in my sister and me. Maybe not in these exact words, but certainly the intent.

Supplies:

Stamps: Lemon Zest

Ink: Crushed Curry, Garden Green

Cardstock: Garden Green, Whisper White

Punch: Lemon Builder Punch

Here's how I finished off the inside:

We'll be making this card in my upcoming Birthday Stamp-a-Stack next Saturday and the following Monday. If you're local to the Raleigh/Garner area and would like to come, let me know. Details are on the Classes/Events page.

Thanks for joining us on this month's blog hop. Click the picture below to be taken to the next blog.  I'm sure Kathy Svedberg will have something great for you.

In case you get lost along the way, here's the entire list. Enjoy!

Toni Campana -
http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/toni/blog?directBlogUrl=/blog/10706/entry/nc_demo_s_february_blog

Tamra Davis -
http://www.theCardLadies.com/nc-demos-blog-hop-coloring-for-spring/

Jo Anne Hewins -
http://luv2create.typepad.com/my_blog/2018/02/nc-demo-blog-hop-south-for-the-winter.html

Tracie Evans Langley -
http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/traciesallaboutstamping/blog?directBlogUrl=/blog/86481/entry/nc_demos_february_blog_hop2

Sharon Maranich -
https://inkiefinger.blogspot.com/2018/02/nc-blog-hop-brusho.html

Laurie Meier -
https://stampedgreetings.com/nc-demos-blog-hop-amazing-one-layer-cards/

Sue Root - You are here.
https://stampin-with-sue.blogspot.com/2018/02/south-for-winter-nc-su-demos-blog-hop.html

Kathy Svedberg -
http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/craftykathy/blog?directBlogUrl=/blog/2159341/entry/hold_on_to_hope

Frances Wagner -
https://wagstamps.blogspot.com/2018/02/nc-demos-february-blog-hop-south-for.html

Christina Walker - http://papergears.com/nc-demo-feb-18-hop/

Eastern Medallions - Take 2

As promised in my last post, here's another card featuring the Eastern Medallions thinlits and Eastern Beauty stamp set. I love the little enjoy today stamp. I use it a lot! If I make this card again, I think I'll emboss the sentiment. It shows up nicely using the Whisper White Craft ink, but it would really pop if it was embossed. Either way, you can't go wrong.

Eastern Medallions thinlits and Eastern Beauty stamp set are available as a bundle (click here to see it and order). During Sale-a-Bration (SAB), add another small item to your order (to get over $50), and you can get a free SAB item, too. Current Hostess Code: QNZAPX4V.

This Mixed Medallions Card Kit might be a good SAB choice since it's a similar style. This card set is FREE but it's only available during Sale-a-Bration and only with a $50 order. Don't miss out!

Berry Burst Eastern Medallions

Today I'm sharing a clean and simple card featuring the Eastern Beauty stamp set and Eastern Medallions Thinlits. I like how the stamp is curved to fit around the die cut. Colors are Berry Burst and Whisper White.

I love how when this thinlit is cut with the Big Shot, the design stays attached in the cardstock and lets the background show through. Here's a close up so you can see how cool it looks. Most of the thinlits in this set cut out normally and they look great, too, but at least one other thinlit stays attached like this one. I'll post a card using that die soon so you can see it, too.

If you want a stand alone medallion/flower, it's easy to snip the little connecting pieces between the petals like I did in the sunflower card seen here. Two uses from one great die!

These items are available as a bundle (click here to see it and order). During Sale-a-Bration (SAB), add another small item to your order (to get over $50), and you can get a free SAB item, too. Current Hostess Code: QNZAPX4V.

This Mixed Medallions Card Kit might be a good SAB choice since it's a similar style. This card set is FREE but it's only available during Sale-a-Bration and only with a $50 order. Don't miss out!

Valentine Treat Bag

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Yesterday I posted the Valentine Eclipse card that we made in last month's club. Today I have another project from that club class. It's a treat bag made with the Gift Bag Punch Board.

I have to confess - this isn't my bag. There was a little mishap with my bag, so the band is mine but the bag shown is actually one that one of my club members made.

The sentiment is from Happy Birthday Gorgeous and the hearts are from Tabs For Everything, The DSP is retired, but since I found 5 packs of it in my stash, I decided to use it.

Love Eclipse Card

Here is my first attempt at an Eclipse card. I've been thinking about trying this technique for a while but when one of my club members asked about doing one, that was all it took for me to finally give it a try. We made this card last month in club.

Supplies:

Stamps: Sheltering Tree, Tabs For Everything (the heart), and Good Greetings (retired)

Ink: Real Red, Soft Suede

Cardstock: Real Red, Whisper White

Big Shot: Large Letters Framelits

Edit 1/17/22: This card is a standard 4.25 x 5.5 card so the layers are as follows:

Base: 8.5 x 5.5 Whisper White folded in half

Real Red layer: 4 x 5.25

Whisper White layer: 3.75 x 5

Hope the dimensions help.

Sorry the sentiment is from a retired set. You could use the Be Mine or XOXO stamps from Bloomin' Love and they would look great there -- maybe even better.

This angled shot shows the letters a little better. They are popped up with Stampin' Dimensionals, but I highly recommend using the Foam Adhesive Strips. For one thing, they are skinnier so they fit under the letters better. I had to cut up a lot of dimensionals. For another, they are a little thicker than the dimensionals, so you'll get a little more contrast showing.

Letters with openings, like the O, can be left empty or the center cut out can be put back in. If you put the center cut out back in, be sure to glue it down flat. I liked the extra pop of red on this card. If your image spans onto or over the center, I think it looks better with the center back in.

I hope you'll give this technique a try. They are kind of addictive. The whole time we were making this card, people kept coming up with words and names they wanted to use for Eclipse cards. 

If you are in the Garner/Southern Wake County/Raleigh, NC area and you'd like to join us to make 3 fun projects a month, a new stamp club will be starting in April. I also allow non-club members as space permits. Contact me for more info.

Epic Celebrations Guitar

This card was made with the Epic Celebrations Sale-a-Bration (SAB) set. I think it's great for teenager cards, but doesn't have to be limited to teens and young adults. I'm pretty sure some of the members of our Praise and Worship team at church would enjoy receiving this card as would probably any guitarist.

I used the Aqua Painter and ink to color the guitar. All of the stamps are from Epic Celebrations, which you can get for free with a $50 purchase through March 31, 2018.

Here's a picture of all the stamps in this set:

 

Thanks for stopping by my blog today.

Fast Fuse - Buy 1, Get 2 Refills FREE

Update: This sale has ended. According to what I've seen, Stampin' Up! went through a huge amount of Fast Fuse in a short time. WAY MORE than the whole 5 days of the last sale. Sorry for any inconvenience.

The other deals at the end of this email are still available.

The Fast Fuse 5-Day Sale Is Back!

As promised, Stampin' Up! brought back the Fast Fuse Adhesive deal! For five days only, when you buy ONE Fast Fuse Adhesive, you’ll get TWO Fast Fuse Adhesive refills for FREE—while supplies last! This is the perfect time to stock up and save. So, hurry and get those orders placed. This deal will be gone before you know it!

There is no limit! Order as many as you want!

Remember, if your order is over $50, you get a free Sale-a-Bration item.

February 8–12, 2018 -- While supplies last!


Click HERE to BUY NOW

Hostess Code: QNZAPX4V

Fast Fuse is a great product! It comes in a handy dispenser, similar to SNAIL, but is a stronger adhesive for those projects that need a little more holding power.

I use Fast Fuse for lighter 3-d projects, such bags made with the Gift Bag Punch Board and DSP.
Its extra strength helps pieces embossed with an embossing folder adhere better and stay put.
I've even been known to use it with ribbon and embellishments.
This is definitely an adhesive you want in your stamping kit!

Check out this video by Stampin' Up! for tips and information and then look below for a few tips I've learned that will make your Fast Fuse experience even better:

1) Use a light hand. You do not want to press down hard when using your Fast Fuse.

2) When you are done running the adhesive on your project, use a flick of the wrist (kind of like making a check mark) to break the tape as you remove the dispenser from the project.

3) If adhesive globs up on the dispenser, especially around the area where the tape comes out, clean it off to keep the tape running smoothly.

Promotion Details:

To receive your free refills, add Fast Fuse Adhesive to your order (item 129026); the two Fast Fuse Adhesive Refills will be added to your order automatically. Once they’ve been added, the price listed for the two refills will show $0.00.

• This promotion will not apply when ordered as part of a Starter Kit or with Stampin’ Rewards.
• This promotion is while supplies last only.
• Based on our forecasts, we have over-purchased to try to ensure we have enough Fast Fuse Adhesive in stock to support high demand during this promotion.
• However, due to challenges sourcing this product, we have a large—but finite—amount of Fast Fuse Adhesive we are able to sell.
• • We will turn the promotion off if our Fast Fuse Adhesive supply reaches a predetermined threshold. So don't delay. Place your order now!
  
  
Want to save even more?


*What a Gem Paper Pumpkin kit is 50% off through Valentine's Day!

*While you're ordering your Fast Fuse, check out the Clearance Rack.

*Place a $150 order and get free Stampin' Rewards.

*If the order gets to $250, you'll get a bonus $25 in Stampin' Rewards.

And, if you still want more savings, join Stampin' Up! and become a member of my team.

*Choose $125 in Stampin' Up! products for only $99 (and no shipping!).

*Through 3/31/18, get 2 free stamp sets with your starter kit.

*New demonstrators save 20% on their orders.

*Opportunities to earn more free stuff with the Stampin' Start program.

*Contact me for details or click here to join Stampin' Up! and become a member of my team.

Heartfelt Blooms Open House Card

I had my Occasions Catalog/Sale-a-Bration (SAB) open house today. Thanks to everybody who came. We had a great time!

Here's the card we made. It uses 2 SAB products, which means you can get them for free when you spend $50 on Stampin' Up! products (one each per $50 purchase). I try to keep open house cards a little simpler for several reasons -- I'm never sure how many people will come, so simpler cards make for easier prep and less waste; sometimes I get new stampers and I don't want them to be overwhelmed; and it reduces wait time if a bunch of people show up at once.

Supplies:

Stamps: Heartfelt Blooms (SAB item) 

Ink: Bermuda Bay, Calypso Coral

Cardstock: Bermuda Bay, Very Vanilla

Ribbon: Shimmer Ribbon Pack (SAB item)

 While designing the card, I also made this variation. It's very similar but I switched the colors of the background layer and the ribbon. Because the Bermuda Bay ribbon is thinner, I made the Very Vanilla top layer a little smaller.

The Calypso Coral layer is textured cardstock. It's no longer available, but it's what I had on hand. You could use smooth cardstock. I only mention it in case you notice it looks different. I like the look of textured cardstock so I bought a lot when it retired and I use it often on my personal projects. I have enough that if you'd like to try it, I can sell you some. Just let me know.

I took a quick picture of the snacks before everyone showed up but once people where there I was so busy answering questions, helping people with their cards, and visiting that I never thought about pictures again until everyone left.

If you are local to the Raleigh/Garner area, I hope you can make it to one of my events. I love meeting new stampers and we always have a good time.

What's New With You? NC SU Demos Blog Hop

It's time for another NC Stampin' Up Demos Blog Hop. This month the theme is What's New With You? It can be anything new - from the new Ocassions or Sale-a-Bration catalogs, a new technique, a new idea - anything, as long as it's new to us. I'm sure you'll see lots of great ideas as you travel through the hop.

I decided to use the stamp set, Fortunate to Know You, from the 2018 Occasions catalog. I particularly like the assortment of messages that look like the fortune from the fortune cookie. It's a fun set that you can use for a variety of occasions.

For the first card, I stamped the take out box and fortune cookie message on Whisper White, the fortune cookie on Crushed Curry, and the chopsticks on Crumb Cake. Then I cut out each element and adhered it to a Real Red background layer on a Whisper White base. I used Stampin' Dimensionals to pop up the fortune. I colored the heart with my Real Red Stampin' Write marker and the box handle with Smoky Slate.

This card is similar, but requires more coloring and less cutting. I still have the Whisper White base and Real Red background layer. For this card I stamped directly onto a Whisper White layer, except for the top cookie which was fussy cut and popped up with Stampin' Dimensionals. The heart is again colored with Real Red and the handle with Smoky Slate. I wanted to color the fortune cookie with Crushed Curry, but could not find my marker. So, I dug into my retired stuff and pulled out my More Mustard Stampin' Write marker. I have to admit, I really miss that color. It's perfect for so many things, especially Fall cards.

This last sample is a simple, one layer card. I positioned the fortune cookies so I didn't have to cut out any of them. I like the other two cards more -- who doesn't like more layers and popped up elements? However, I make birthday cards for our Card Ministry at church and was looking for a quick card since I make so many at one time. I was on the L2L team and just got my Stamparatus, so I'm thinking I'll be able to stamp these up in no time! I colored these fortune cookies with Crumb Cake. It's not my favorite. I think I'll look a little harder for my Crushed Curry marker before I start cranking these out.

I hope you enjoyed seeing how the same stamp set and similar layout can look so different. The single layer card is fine, especially for what I need it for, but a few layers and some cutting really step it up for only a little more effort.

The 2018 Occasions catalog goes live on January 3rd. Do you have yours yet? For those of you in the Raleigh area who don't have a Stampin' Up! demonstrator, I'm having an Open House on Saturday. You can come by and find out about my upcoming classes, do a make-and-take, get an Occasions catalog, and more. 

Thanks for joining us for this month's blog hop. Next up is Sue Stapp.

Here's the entire blog hop list in case you get lost somewhere along the way:

 Toni Campana
Tamra Davis
Jo Anne Hewins
Tracie Evans Langley
Laurie Meier
Sue Root - You are here.
Sue Stapp
Frances Wagner