Jan 21 2015

From the Party Animals!!!

Posted on January 21, 2015 by Laura's Stamp Pad

My Mom’s Birthday was last week and this was the card that I created for her! It’s adorable, funny, and perfect for her! The first time I saw the Stamp Set – From the Herd which is in the Occasions Mini Catalog I loved it! It is just so funny and cute! I grew up on a farm and while we only had cow, chickens, and sheep I still love it! For this card to my Mom, I only wanted two animals to represent my husband and I (I’ll let you decided who is who 😉 )! Using my Basic Black Marker, I colored the goat and the bird and then stamped it on my piece of Whisper White cardstock. I’m not going to lie, I had to go over a few lines with the marker again because they didn’t come out clean and I wanted a bold line! Then I colored them in using my markers – Bermuda Bay, Basic Gray, and Smoky Slate. Adorable! Then I cut it out with the Deco Label Framelits! I wanted a nice layer so I cut a piece of Basic Gray out with the next Framelit up! For some texture, I ran the gray piece through the Big Shot with my Perfect Polka Dot Embossing Folder. I added this to my card base which was Wild Wasbi and added some Linen Thread. For the greeting, I stamped Happy Birthday on the front and then using the other greetings I stamped From the Party Animals on the inside! This stamp set also had a party hat, balloon, and noise maker so I decorated the envelope with some balloons on the front and party hats along the tab of the envelope in the back! It was just fabulous! I loved making a special card for someone who is so very special to me! 🙂

How do you plan on using the From the Herd Stamp Set? Leave me a comment down below!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura

Jan 20 2015

Technique Tuesday – Crazy About You!!!

Posted on January 20, 2015 by Laura's Stamp Pad

Happy Tuesday!!!! That means I have a fabulous technique to share with you today!!! I’m sharing the Crazy About You Stamp and coordinating Hello You Thinlit Die! I love this stamp set because it has some fabulous greetings and flowers!!!! Double Win!!!

How fabulous is that? I am loving that color combo too – Strawberry Slush, Calypso Coral, and Crisp Cantaloupe!!! Let’s get started!

SUPPLIED NEEDED: Cardstock, Crazy About You Stamp Set, Hello You Thinlit, Big Shot, 1-3/4″ Scallop Circle Punch, Wax Paper, and Embellishments

I started off with a card base of Pistachio Pudding (4-1/4″ x 11) and I stamped the leaf image from the Crazy About You Stamp Set from the Occasions Mini Catalog with Pistachio Pudding ink on the bottom! Then I stamped the flower in Strawberry Slush, Calypso Coral, and Crisp Cantaloupe Ink onto scrap paper and punched them out with my 1-3/4″ Scallop Circle Punch! I adhered one of the flowers right to the paper and popped the other two up with Stampin’ Dimensionals! Now comes the fun part – picking out a fabulous greeting! The Crazy About You Stamp Set has greetings that coordinate with the Hello You Thinlits as you can see above! There are so many mix and match options!

When you are using your Thinlits to cut out the greetings I have the following tips it goes smooth! 🙂

~Use Wax Paper on top of the cardstock when cutting out the words! This will help it pop right out of the die much easier. Your layers will go…Magnetic Plate or Multi-Purpose Platform / Clear Cutting Pad / Cardstock / Wax Paper / Thinlit / Clear Cutting Pad

~If your words don’t pop out right away, you can use the back of a straight pin or even Paper Snip tips to push it from the backside through those little holes in the Thinlit!

~If it seems that your Thinlit is not cutting through the cardstock, you may need to add a shim (I use a little piece of the cardstock that comes in the back of Designer Series Paper packs)! This adds a little bit of thickness so the die is pressed nice and tight!

Once you have your words cut out you can attach them to your card and stamp the coordinating greeting of your choice! I stamped “So Much” in Pistachio Pudding! Super fabulous! I hope you enjoyed this and if you want to see it in action, check out my Video Tutorial below! Be sure to give it a Thumbs Up if you liked it and don’t forget to subscribe to my Channel so you don’t miss any future videos!

If you want to see the other sample shown in the video, click here!!!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura

Jan 19 2015

Irresistible Polka Dots!!!

Posted on January 19, 2015 by Laura's Stamp Pad

How adorable is this card and it has polka dots!?!?!?!?! Loving it!!! I created this card with the fabulous Irresistibly Yours Designer Series Paper in the Sale-A-Bration Brochure which means you can get it for FREE with a $50 (US) purchase! Last week I showed you how to use this paper with your Sponge Daubers here and your Spritzers here! Today I’m going to show you how to create this card with your Sponge Daubers and Decorative Masks!

I started off with a Hello Honey card base and then cut my star piece from the Irresistibly Yours DSP (4″ x 5-1/4″). Using my Sponge Daubers and Stripes and Dots Decorative Mask (or Simply Created Build A Banner Template), you will add ink (Bermuda Bay) in the dots over your paper! It is so fun because it reveals these adorable little stars! I love it. NOTE: You will want to take a paper towel and wipe each little dot to get the excess ink off the embossed stars before removing the template. If you remove the template and start rubbing all over to get the excess off, you will get streaks in between your dots!!! That’s what I’m here for….to make the mistakes for you and let you know the tips and trick! hehe! Once that is complete, you can adhere that to your card and start on your greeting. I stamped the greeting from the Big News Stamp Set in Memento Ink so I could color in the words with my darkest marker in the Coastal Cabana Blendibilities Set! Precious! I added a little knot of Hello Honey Satin Stitched Ribbon on the left to finish it off! Of course the greeting is popped up on Stampin’ Dimensionals as well! What is a card without those?

Of course you can check out the Video Tutorial on this as well and don’t forget to give it a thumbs up if you liked it!!!

What is your favorite way to add color to the Irresistibly Yours Designer Series Paper – Mask, Sponge Daubers, Spritzing, Stamping, or something else? Leave me a comment down below!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura

Jan 16 2015

Fabulous Friday!!!!

Posted on January 16, 2015 by Laura's Stamp Pad

Happy Friday!!!! I hope you had a great week and are ready to kick off the weekend with some fabulous Stampin’ Up goodies!!! I’m so excited to share the Weekly Deals with you this week because there are not ONE but TWO of my favorite on there!!!!

If you have followed my blog for even a week, you know that I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Itty Bitty Punch Pack! You can see it used here, here, here, and here! I could have tagged more but I thought I better stop! 🙂 My 2nd favorite item is the Blackberry Bliss Satin Stitched Ribbon. Of course the Hello Honey and Tangelo Twist are fabulous too but I have been loving the Blackberry Bliss lately. I have been thinking it might be time to give that color a little break since it is so dark and I’m ready for Spring!!!! I just might need to pick up only 2 of the Blackberry Bliss and get some Hello Honey and Tangelo Twist for my Spring cards. 😉

How cute is this NEW Stamp Set – Better Than Email??? This is perfect for stamping on the back of your hand-stamped cards, adding a tag to your home-made jam or treat, and putting on the back of that hand-sewn or stitched item that you created! I think my favorite one is the Better Than E-mail stamp because I LOVE getting mail and it is so much better than getting an email! I love it!!!

Don’t forget about Sale-A-Bration when you are ordering! You can get a FREE item from the Sale-A-Bration Brochure for every $50 (US) you order!!! Also, be sure to check out the Occasions Mini Catalog for the latest product!!! So much amazing new stuff in there!

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura

Jan 15 2015

I Just Can’t Resist!!!

Posted on January 15, 2015 by Laura's Stamp Pad

I am loving the Irresistibly Yours Designer Series Paper from the Sale-A-Bration Brochure! It is so much fun and simple to get an emboss resist look without pulling out all of your embossing tools. You only need to pull out this paper and a coloring tool of your choice! Today, I’m using Sponge Daubers – my favorites!

I started off with a card base of Pool Party and then I cut a piece of Irresistibly Yours Designer Series Paper into 4″ x 5-1/4″! Using my Sponge Daubers and Ink Pads (Pool Party & Calypso Coral) I added color to the paper! I went from the corner to the middle with each color applying ink by going side to side (diagonally). Then I took the flower from the Crazy About You Stamp Set in the Occasions Mini Catalog and stamped it in Calypso Coral. I love how it gave that darker look! I used the coordinating Hello You Thinlits to cut out the Hello and stamped the Sunshine from the Crazy About You Stamp Set. You can get this stamp set in Wood, Clear, and Photopolymer! Bundle with the Thinlits and Save! I layered the greeting on top of a strip of Pool Party and a strip of Beach House Washi Tape! Of course a little bling of Rhinestones finished it off! LOVE IT!

Check out this post and this Video Tutorial on more ways to use the Irresistibly Yours Designer Series Paper!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura

Jan 14 2015

Valentine Treats!!!!!

Posted on January 14, 2015 by Laura's Stamp Pad

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner….okay so still a month away but still! I thought I would share some fabulous treats with you that are quick and simple for you to make up for kid’s classrooms, neighbors, nieces and nephews, friends, or random people you see the week of Valentine’s Day! 🙂

This is your traditional treat bag using a 4″ x 6″ Cellophane Bag! I used some of the Stacked with Love Washi Tape to decorate the bag. I overlapped the ends on the back of the bag in the same spot as the seam of the bag. For the Topper, I used a piece of Real Red Cardstock measuring 4-1/4″ x 4″ and punched the bottom of the front with my Scallop Border Punch! Then I stamped the front with a To/From stamp in Real Red Ink. The one I used was from the Wondrous Wreath Stamp Set which is still available from the Holiday Mini Catalog!! Then I folded the piece of cardstock over the top of the bag and stapled it closed. Then I decided I didn’t like the staples showing so I added the Gold Ribbon which looks amazing so I’m glad I added it! If you like the staple took, you can leave the ribbon off or just place it lower. In one of my classes, I had a stamper staple on top of her ribbon so that is an option as well! I finished it off with a few hearts punched out with the Itty Bitty Punch Pack and some Gold Glitter Paper!

This little treat box is perfect for oddly shaped candy or other treats or if you wish to keep it a surprise! I started with the Tiny Treat Boxes which have also been held over from the Holiday Mini Catalog! Before assembling the box, I stamped the So Sweet greeting from the Hello Life Stamp Set in the Occasions Mini Catalog! I stamped it to wrap around to left. When we did this box in a stamp class, many of the stampers stamped either the entire greeting again on the back 2 sides or stamped just the curvy end on the other 2 sides! Then I added a little strip of Stacked with Love Washi Tape. After handling the box and showing it off at classes I realized that it started to curl on the corner so I would suggest wrapping the Washi Tape all the way around or at least around the corner to the side and not on the corner! I finished it off with some Real Red Cotton Ribbon! I love how that bow looks! Adorable!

Let me know what you think about these treats and what you plan on creating for your Valentine’s Day Treats in the comments below! I would love to hear your plans!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura

Jan 13 2015

Technique Tuesday – Irresistibly Yours!!!

Posted on January 13, 2015 by Laura's Stamp Pad

Happy Tuesday!!!! I hope you are having a fabulous week and this technique makes it even better!!! 🙂 Today, I’m going to show you how to use the Irresistibly Yours Designer Series Paper that you can get for FREE through Sale-A-Bration when you place a $50 (US) order! The catalogs shows the paper like this!

When you first see this, you may be confused and think it is tan and white paper. Really, it is white paper with the images you see in tan clear embossed onto the paper. You can’t really photograph clear on white (as you can see in my video) so Stampin’ Up! is showing it like this! Since this paper is clear embossed, you can add color to the paper and it will only pick up the color on the white areas and not on the clear embossed images. You can add your color with Spritzers, Sponge Daubers, Sponges, Brayer, Markers, Blendabilities, and stamping! It is sooooo much fun to add color and see the image show up. It is like being a child again and painting in one of those books that you add water and the image appears. (Just me?)

SUPPLIES NEEDED: Irresistibly Your Designer Series Paper, Spritzers, Stamps, Embellishments

Yeah it’s that simple! You can get this emboss resist look with just this paper. If you created this yourself, you would need Cardstock, VersaMark, Heat Tool, and Embossing Powder. I cut my Irresistibly Yours paper into 4″ x 5-1/4″ and placed it into a box for spritzing. I look the look of Spritzing but it scares me every time because I tend to get messy! 😉 I spritzed the right with Melon Mambo and the left with Elegant Eggplant. (Mix re-inker and alcohol (70 Proof or less) in a Spritzer). Underneath the greeting is the overlap or dots and spritz. I wasn’t sure if I liked that look or not so I covered it with my greeting. You could always show that off and move your greeting down. My greeting is from the Big Day Stamp Set which is also a Sale-A-Bration item! I am loving this stamp set. I colored in the letters with my Rich Razzleberry & Melon Mambo Blendabilities! You can earn those for FREE with Sale-A-Bration as well! I finished off the card with some Melon Mambo Cotton Ribbon! Here is another photo of this card!

If you would like to see this in action, check out my Video Tutorial below! Don’t forget to give it a thumbs up if you liked it and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on any other videos I create!

Be sure to check back later this week to see more samples using the Irresistibly Your Designer Series Paper!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura

Jan 12 2015

Chalkboard Fun!!!

Posted on January 12, 2015 by Laura's Stamp Pad

While I am not a huge fan of real chalkboards……chalk gives me the chills just to touch it or think about it, let along writing with it on a chalkboard….I so love this look! I know you are probably thinking but Laura doesn’t like rustic or dirty. It’s true, I’m more of a clean, bold stamper but I do love this chalkboard look! It mostly reminds me of a bakery like Panera (YUM!) or a little bistro restaurant and I love that! Stampin’ Up! has made getting this look easy and fun with no chills crawling up your spine!

How fabulous is this card? I love the polka dots and ribbon and chalkboard and ALL OF IT! I started off with a Whisper White card base. Then I took a piece of Birthday Bash Specialty Designer Series Paper (4″ x 5-1/4″) and wrapped some Calypso Coral Seam Binding around it and tied a knot. Now you can adhere that to your card front. For the greeting, I used some of the NEW Chalkboard Paper in the Occasions Mini Catalog! I found that this image is small enough that you can stamp first or after cutting it out. I stamped the greeting from the Big Day Stamp Set which is one of the Sale-A-Bration items you can earn for FREE! I stamped it with the Aquamarine Colorbox Chalk Ink Pad and then cut it out with the Labels Collection Framelits and my Big Shot. Then I used my Chalk Marker to create the border!!! Love it!!! NOTE: The Aquamarine color comes out really light but it slowly gets darker as it dries and it is just a light look. Also, a few tips for using the Colorbox Chalkboard Ink:

~Be sure to stamp straight down and right up again because it could slide and smear if you wiggle it.

~Be sure you are stamping on the slick/sort of rubbery/textured (not sure how to describe it) side of the Chalkboard Paper. The back side feels and looks like regular paper.

~Be sure to allow it to dry for a bit as it takes longer than traditional ink. If you would like to speed up the process, you can set the ink with your Heat Tool.

~For a more bold look, you can stamp the greeting once and then using your Stamp-A-Ma-Jig to stamp again right on top.

I hope you try out this new Chalkboard Paper and Ink! It is super fun! Don’t forget that every $50.00 (US) order placed between now and March 31st earns you a FREE Sale-A-Bration item!

Happy Chalkin’

~Laura

Jan 9 2015

Fabulous & Cold Friday!!!

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

Happy Friday everyone! Brrr is it cold out there. This is perfect weather for staying in, cuddling, and STAMPING! The sun beams into my stamp room so it looks fabulous and warms it even more! 🙂 There are so many fabulous things to share this week!

The Occasions Mini Catalog is now available!!! Woot Woot! I love the beautiful flower bouquet and thoughts of Spring!!!

It is time to SALE-A-BRATE!!!!! For every $50 you spend, you will earn 1 item from the Sale-A-Bration Brochure!!! As a Hostess you earn an additional $25.00 in FREE Product once your party/order reaches $250!!!!! You can join Stampin’ Up for $99 and get $125 in product as well as a FREE Kit from the Occasions Mini Catalog! There is so much to Sale-A-Brate right now! I love it! Let me know if you would like to have a party – email me here! If you have ever thought about joining Stampin’ Up for the fun, the discount, the creativity, or just to spend more time with ME (hehe), feel free to reach out with any questions you might have or click here for more information!

Of course the fabulous Weekly Deals are here too! Be sure to get the Note Tag Punch while it is on sale so you can use it with the One Tag Fits All Stamp Set!!!! I am loving this set and have lots of samples to share with you soon!

Well I hope you have an amazing weekend keeping warm and hopefully stamping! 🙂

Happy Stampin’

~Laura

Jan 8 2015

For Someone You Love!!!

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

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and it’s time to show how much you love someone! While that shouldn’t be the only time of the year you show your love, it is a very special day! Some may not like the holiday because they think it is too much or maybe you think you don’t have someone to share your love with BUT YOU DO! I love Valentine’s Day because it is my excuse to show EVERYONE how much I love them! If I gave a card like this to my Brother on a July 18th, he would think I have lost it but on Valentine’s Day (he still might roll his eyes) it is perfect! I think you should show your to everyone around you – Family, Friends, and even Strangers! Share your love!!!!

This card was created with some of the new items in the Occasions Mini Catalog! I started with a Real Red card base and then cut out a piece of Whisper White measuring 4″ x 5-1/4″. I brushed the edges with my Real Red Sponge Dauber for a little softness and color! Then I stamped the greeting from the Hello Life Stamp Set! I love this set because it has amazing greetings and I love that long beautiful font. This stamp set is great for Memory Keeping as well because you can stamp that fabulous greeting right onto the bottom of your photo! Adorable! Also, I stamped the little hearts and added in a Rhinestone near both! I love my bling! For the banners, I used the NEW Stacked with Love Designer Series Paper! Okay, listen up! This paper is AMAZING! One side is hearts and pinks and corals, and goodies for Valentine’s Day or lovely items BUT the other side is Black and White!!!!! You know how I love my Black and White. I love this because you can purchase this paper and make a few Valentine’s Day cards and use some in your scrapbook for someone you love. Then usually you think what will I do with the rest of this paper pack. You will turn it over is what you will do! 🙂 Oh I love it! (Can you tell?) I cut a few pieces into strips and added the banner tips at the bottom. Add those to your Whisper White cardstock and then add this to your card front! All done! Perfect card for someone you love!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura