Apr 9 2015

This & That!!!

Posted on April 9, 2015 by Laura's Stamp Pad

I love using the This & That Albums for all of the items I collect throughout the year. Every ticket stub, game score card, receipt and other little fun items cane be found in these little Albums! Of course I have to add in a few pictures here and there as well! This album is fun and all over the place because I just pick a page and put it in there. It doesn’t go in chronological order or have any theme, it’s a little bit of This & That (hehe see how I did that)!!!! My 2013 Album is the one of the bottom right with all the ribbons on the binding. I love that and it’s a great way to use up those little pieces of ribbon you have left over!!! The 2014 Album is on the bottom right. As you can see I have ticket, score cards from playing games with friends and family and a few of my favorites in pictures and in writing!!!

Here is another page with our Garth Brooks tickets and a little writing about the night. Yes, that is a Home Depot receipt from our Christmas Tree! 🙂 I know I’m silly to keep it but I love it!!!

This page is fabulous to me!!! Throughout the year, each month Brad and I wrote on little punched pieces of cardstock what made us happy that month and we kept them in a jar. On New Year’s Eve, we read through the items and really enjoyed seeing all of the amazing things in our lives. I then put all of those in my This & That Album! There is a lot of talk about nice weather and yummy foods and time spent with each other in there!!! Just a wonderful page that makes me smile!

My nieces and nephews always can make me smile so this page is all about them and how much I love them!

I love having my picture taken but it doesn’t happy often because I’m usually behind the camera! Here are some pictures of me throughout the year! I love seeing how I changed and how I cut my hair to donate it and how amazing life is!!!!

Have you ever used one of the This & That Albums? Do you have tickets and items that you would like to put in a book to remember the moment? You can check out all of the goodies here! It is super simple and lots of fun! Let me know in the comment below how you use your This & That Album or how you plan to use it!

Happy Memory Keepin’

~Laura

Apr 8 2015

Confetti Fun!!!

Posted on April 8, 2015 by Laura's Stamp Pad

I love this card….do you know why? Looking at everything but the greeting it says Illini!!! I will always bleed Orange and Blue as I graduated from the University of Illinois!!! Love it!!! I used Tangelo Twist for my card base, Night of Navy layered (4″ x 5-1/4″) and then some Birthday Bash Designer Series Paper (3-3/4″ x 5″). I love the gold flecks in the paper because it just adds the perfect flare. I added more flare but cutting out some Gold Foil with the Labels Collection Dies and Big Shot. Then I stamped the greeting in Bermuda Bay with the stamp from the Balloon Bash Stamp Set. You can check out other samples here and here! I added the greeting with Stampin’ Dimensionals for a little pop and dimension! Love it!!! This is a great gender neutral card as well! You know how I struggle with man cards!!! 🙂 What is your favorite color combination for man cards? Leave me a comment down below!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura

Apr 7 2015

Technique Tuesday – Window Sheet Wonder!!

Posted on April 7, 2015 by Laura's Stamp Pad

Happy Tuesday!!! That means I have a fabulous technique to share with you today!!! Please note that Blendabilities are no longer available with Stampin’ Up! because there was a product issue BUT I know many of you have them so I want to share these cool ideas with you!!!

How fabulous is this card? AND it is a man card!!! Love it!!!!!

For this card, I used a Whisper White card base of 4-1/4″ x 11″ and then I cut a piece of Window Sheet measuring 4″ x 5-1/4″. I took the Window Sheet and placed it over some of the diagonal design from the Birthday Bash Designer Series Paper. You could use any type of Designer Series Paper that is stripes, or polka dots or any other design! I used this as my template to dry the lines with the Night of Navy and Old Olive Blendabilities (alcohol markers)!!!! They aren’t straight and they aren’t perfect and some are thick and some are thin but it is okay! Made with love and not perfection! 🙂 I love it all messy though which is super different because I normally like clean, simple, and straight. I used Sticky Strip to adhere the Window Sheet along the top of the card and then covered it up with the Pear Pizzazz Cotton Ribbon. LOVE IT!!! The greeting is from the Remembering Your Birthday Stamp Set!!!

Here is another card that I created by coloring on a Window Sheet. For this one, I embossed the Window Sheet with the Polka Dot Embossing Folder! Then I colored some of the dots with the Coastal Cabana Blendabilities. I will say this only really works with certain images. I tried it with the flowers in the Lovely Lace Embossing Folder and it failed. The markers make streaks and swirls so the images need to be small and not detailed. I used the Crazy About You Stamp Set and coordinating Hello You Framelits (Bundle & Save) for the greeting. I added some Silver Glimmer Paper for a little bling on the bottom! Love it!!!

If you want to see this in action as well as other things you can color, check out my Video Tutorial here!

To see the cards with the Epoxy Stickers, click here! I hope you enjoyed these ways to use your Blendabilities and I hope Stampin’ Up comes out with a new alcohol marker because they are lots of fun!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura

Apr 6 2015

March Paper Pumpkin Fun!!!

Posted on April 6, 2015 by Laura's Stamp Pad

The March Paper Pumpkin was super fabulous because I love black and white with a pop of color! I also super love the sewn You letters. How fabulous is that?!?!?! I will admit that this kit took longer than 30 minutes due to the sewing part. If you are really good at that part, you might be done in 30 minutes. I was also super distracted as well! 🙂

Don’t you all craft while sitting on the couch with your laptop on your lap and watching Dancing With The Stars??? I love that show! Let me know if you love it too and who your favorite it in the comments!!! I got all of the sewing down while watching DWTS on Monday night and I assembled them on Tuesday morning! DONE!!!

I did lots of different styles because I wanted to have some variety! Here are my Thank You cards with a few epoxy stickers on them! I also wanted to mix it up and make some of the cards sideways! I can’t always do all of the cards exactly like the instructions. I have to add my own flare!

These cards are perfect to have on hand for those Just Because or Thinking of You Cards!! I love the little epoxy heart on the bottom corner! <3

As always I need lots of Birthday cards so I went with a few of those and the arrows are perfect for them!

Of course if you want to see the excitement of me opening this box when it arrived, you can check out this video! If you are loving this kit and don’t want to miss out on any more Paper Pumpkin kits, be sure to sign up by clicking here before April 10th! It is $19.95 (plus tax, free shipping) each month and it is a surprise! I love that part! The kit comes with everything you need except scissors including stamps, inks, instructions and all of the supplies! Join me next month, you won’t regret it!!!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura

Apr 3 2015

Fabulous Friday & FREE Shipping!!!!!!

Posted on April 3, 2015 by Laura's Stamp Pad

I am sooooo excited because Easter is my favorite Holiday and it is finally here! I am really looking forward to time spent with family and EASTER CANDY!!!! Easter candy is my favorite and I love it all – jelly beans, peeps, malted eggs, and peanut butter eggs! I am pumped about the weekend! But first……the Weekly Deals!

These deals this week are HOT! Some of the higher priced items are on the list and that always gets me excited! The Magnetic Platform is amazing when you are using Framelits because the framelits stay in place when you set it down since the magnet is so strong! I love mine!

Don’t forget that any order placed online by clicking here will earn your Laura’s Loyal Stampers Points! Woot Woot! Get FREE shipping on everything (excluding expedited orders) April 6th-10th! Get those orders ready!!!!

Have a wonderful weekend and Happy Easter!

~Laura

Apr 2 2015

Lovely, Amazing and Simple!!!

Posted on April 2, 2015 by Laura's Stamp Pad

I love love love this card and the other sample posted below! They are simple cards and just stunning! You all know I love flowers and pinks and purples!!!! The Lovely Amazing You Stamp Set has THE best greetings ever!!!! This card was super simple to create. I started with a Whisper White card base (4-1/4″ x 11″) and added some Painted Blooms Designer Series Paper from the Occasions Mini Catalog (4″ x 5-1/4″). For the greeting, I used the 2-3/8″ Scallop Circle Punch to punch out some Crushed Curry. Then after stamping my greeting from the Lovely Amazing You Stamp Set in Blackberry Bliss, I punched it out with my 2″ Circle Punch! I adhered the circle to the scallop and then attached it to my card with Stampin’ Dimensionals. For the final touch, I got out my Itty Bitty Accents Epoxy Stickers and colored the little circle with my Rich Razzleberry Blendabilities (these are no longer available). You can also color them with a Sharpie Marker!!! Here is another sample!

I added a little Bermuda Bay to this card with my greeting! I love that color so much right now as well! Simple and fabulous cards that you can create in no time at all!!! Which one is your favorite? Leave me a comment below!

Want to see this in action? Check out my video here!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura

Apr 1 2015

Love is Kindness!!!

Posted on April 1, 2015 by Laura's Stamp Pad

I have been having sooooo much fun with the Love is Kindness Stamp Set! At first I thought the tulips were pretty but I didn’t think I needed the stamp, then I started to see more and more samples and I just had to have it. Come on you know that happens to you too, right? So I got the Love is Kindness Stamp Set which is a single stamp and so fabulous! I have played with it A LOT! I used my Blendabilities to color it. You can no longer purchase Blendabilities through Stampin’ Up due to a product issue they were having and they want to give the best product ever. I do know that many of you do have Blendabilities and these samples are fabulous so I just had to share with you!!! You could use your markers to color these fabulous tulips as well!

I colored my tulips in a few different ways to get a different look. Some of them I colored with the darkest marker on the outside edge of the tulip and some of them I colored with the darkest color in the middle. Then for the third option, I colored bottom up with the darkest on the bottom. Each one comes out different but each look amazing!!!! The card above uses the Calypso Coral and Old Olive Blendabilities as well as the Skin Tone Set.

See how much fun I have had!!!! I used the Rich Razzleberry, Pink Pirouette, Daffodil Delight and Cherry Cobbler for all of the tulips above. You can see the far left was done with the dark in the middle and lighter on the outside. The purple and pink tulips were done with the darkest on the bottom. You can really see this in action in my Video Tutorial! Be sure to give it a thumbs up if you liked it!!!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura

Mar 31 2015

Technique Tuesday – Center Step Card!!!

Posted on March 31, 2015 by Laura's Stamp Pad

Happy Tuesday!!! That means I have a fabulous technique to share with you today and that is this fabulous Center Step Card!!! I got this idea from fellow stamper Julie Davison! I added a little of my own flare to it and had some fun!!!

Start with a piece of cardstock measuring 5-1/2″ x 8-1/2″. With your piece in your Stampin’ Trimmer at the 1″ mark, you will cut from 1″ to 5-1/4″. Then slide your paper to the other side and 1″ from the edge you will cut from the 1″ to the 5-1/4″ mark. Now using a Stampin’ Trimmer or Simply Score, along the 8-1/2″ side, you will score at the 1″, 2″ and 5-1/4″ mark and only score in 1″ deep. Flip your paper around to the other side and do the same. When you are done, you should have two little squares and one long rectangle on both sides of your card. Again along the 8-1/2″ side, you will score at 4-1/4″ but rather than going all the way across your card, you will score just in the center leaving 1″ on both sides un-scored. Now you can fold creating a mountain/valley fold on the bottom portion and then all of the top score lines down. Now you have your card base and you can decorate as you wish!

In the sample above, I used some of the Birthday Bash Designer Series Paper for the side pieces. Those measure 7/8″ x 1″ and 7/8″ x 3-1/8″. Those were leftover scrap pieces that I had after doing another project. I love being able to use up my scraps! For the center decoration, the Bermuda Bay cardstock measures 3-3/8″ x 4-1/8″ and then the Whisper White is 3″ x 4-1/8″. I stamped the greeting from the Big Day Stamp Set which is one of the Sale-A-Bration items you can get for free!!! I brushed the edges with my Sponge Daubers and colored in the cake!!!! Love it!!!

I’m sure I lost you all in the directions above and so a Video Tutorial is a must! Julie did an amazing job showing this off and providing a template so you can check that out here!!!

I hope you try this out and add your own flare. I would love to see what you create. Also, today is the last day of Sale-A-Bration which means this stamp set used for this card will no longer be available after today! Earn your Sale-A-Bration items today when you place a $50 (US) order!!!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura

Mar 30 2015

Sheer Perfection!!!

Posted on March 30, 2015 by Laura's Stamp Pad

The NEW Sale-A-Bration item – Sheer Perfection Vellum is lots of fun! It is 6″ x 6″ and there are 2 sheets each of 12 different designs. That is a lot of FUN in one pack!!! Here are some creations I made with this stuff! The sample above has a base of Calypso Coral and then a layer of Whisper White (4″ x5-1/4″). I took a piece of the flower vellum and colored it with my markers and since vellum shows the adhesive I only added it along the top under the Paper Doily! For the greeting I used the 2-3/8 Scallop Circle Punch and 2″ Circle Punch. The greeting is from the Lovely Amazing You Stamp Set! I love that set for the perfect greetings!!!

The perfect Man Card is what I made here, don’t you think? I used Basic Gray and Tempting Turquoise!!! I used some of the dotted line vellum for the banners and attached them to the card with staples! I’m not a huge fan of staples but use them every once in awhile. If you don’t like that look, you can always add adhesive to the banner half that is overlapped. The greeting is from the Big News Stamp Set!!!

This one is my favorite! I love butterflies!!!! I used my markers (Pear Pizzazz, Lost Lagoon, and Pool Party) to color the Butterflies and then I adhered it to a piece of Whisper White. For the greeting, I used the Lovely Amazing You Stamp Set and the stamped butterfly comes from another fabulous Sale-A-Bration Stamp Set – Nature’s Perfection! You can earn this for FREE with a $50 (US) purchase! Sale-A-Bration ends tomorrow, March 31st so be sure to stock up on everything now so you can earn Sale-A-Bration items! Also, don’t forget that when you order online here, you will earn Laura’s Loyal Stampers Points! WOOT WOOT!!!!

Happy Shoppin’

~Laura

Mar 27 2015

Fabulous Friday!!!!

Posted on March 27, 2015 by Laura's Stamp Pad

Happy Friday!!! I am so excited for the weekend….and hopefully some more Spring weather! Brrr, this doesn’t feel like Spring!

Don’t forget that this is the last weekend of Sale-A-Bration!!!

With every $50 (US) you spend, you will get a Sale-A-Bration item for FREE! You can see samples using the Sale-A-Bration items by clicking here! Also, Stampin’ Up has added in more items on top of those that are in the brochure like these:

And these:

And even these items which are items from the Big Catalog!

Also, ending on March 31st is the fabulous special when you join Stampin’ Up! Right now you can join the fun for just $99 and you can pick out $125 in product PLUS you can pick 2 Sale-A-Bration items OR one of the kits from the Occasions Mini Catalog! How fabulous is that? You can check out more about joining by clicking here!

Of course it just wouldn’t be Friday without the Weekly Deals!!! I am in love with the items this week….do you know why? One of my favorite Stamp Sets and Punches…..I use the Label Love Stamp Set and coordinating Artisan Label Punch A LOT! You can check out samples by clicking here! It is so versatile and fun!!!!

Why not Sale-A-Brate some more this weekend??? I am offering DOUBLE Laura’s Loyal Stampers Points this weekend for all orders placed online from Friday to Sunday!!!! Woot Woot!!!!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura