Aug 1 2014

Fabulous Friday!!!

Posted on August 1, 2014 by Laura's Stamp Pad

Happy Friday!!! This week has been super busy and tonight I have a fabulous stamp event with 16 ladies! I am so pumped for an evening of fun and stamping!!! There is no better way to start the weekend!!!! Also, today starts my BIRTHDAY MONTH! I like to celebrate all month long. 😉 There is also a fabulous special going on this month too!!!!

I love love love my Big Shot and always think about buying a second one….not sure why because one is enough but I just LOVE IT! You can emboss and die cut! You can give texture to your project, pop out an image (rather than fussy cut) and make boxes and other 3D items! It is so quick and simple! With this special, you get a FREE Bundle (Stamp Set and matching Framelits) which means you can get started as soon as it arrives! I love that! Check out this video for the basics on the Big Shot! Click here to buy yours today! If you already have the Big Shot, click here to save on the Bundles!

Another fabulous Special……if you have thought about becoming a demonstrator for the fabulous discount, the fun and friends, the extra income for you and/or your family, or for the opportunity to have a creative outlet? To join, you will pay $99 and you get to pick out $125 worth of amazing product! If you pick the Big Shot, you will have $25 left to pick out other fabulous goodies and you will still get the Bundle for FREE! That’s over $200 in product for just $99 (and FREE shipping)! How amazing is that? Click here to learn more or feel free to ask me any questions you might have!

Here are this week’s Weekly Deals!

Also, don’t forget about the fabulous Paper Pumpkin Special too! If you want your August and September Kits 1/2 off, you need to sign up before August 10th! If you want September and October, sign up after August 10th! Click here to get started!!!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura

Jul 31 2014

Watercoloring with your Markers!!!!

Posted on July 31, 2014 by Laura's Stamp Pad

I love my big box of markers! I take them with me to every event I do because if I forget a stamp pad, I still have my markers. They are great for a multi-colored look on your stamps, coloring in and now watercoloring!!!!

The colors in the card are like that of a sunset (sunrise, neither?)!!! The various shades of yellow, coral, red, and orange and the messiness of the colors that you just can’t achieve if you tried. That’s what watercoloring is all about – you can never do the same look twice and you never know how it will come out!

To create this card, I started with a 4″ x 5-1/4″ piece of Watercolor Paper and took my markers (Daffodil Delight, Calypso Coral, Tangerine Tango, and Pumpkin Pie) and colors swatches. I did the colors in lightest to darkest and colored them either matching up or with a small gap. Once you have your swatches colored, you will spritz it with water or alcohol (70 Proof or less so the alcohol doesn’t eat the plastic in the spritzer). Spritz the heck out of it and you can either let it do it’s thing, pick it up and tilt it around to allow it to bleed, or use your finger to move the ink around. Set it aside and allow it to dry completely before assembling it to your card. When using watercolor paper, I like to use Fast Fuse or Sticky Strip to adhere it to my card because it holds nice and strong even when the paper is curling! To complete my card, I layered my Watercolor Paper onto a piece of Basic Black (4-1/8″ x 5-3/8″) and then onto a Tangerine Tango card base (4-1/4″ x 11″). For the stamping, I used my Bloom with Hope Hostess Stamp Set which has amazing flowers (perfect for watercoloring or blendabilities) and great sayings! Of course, you will want to stamp on your watercolor paper with Stazon Ink so it won’t bleed!

Here is another Sample that I created using shades of Purple – Blackberry Bliss, Elegant Eggplant, Rich Razzleberry, and Perfect Plum! Remember how I said you never know how it might turn out…..how this happened I do not know!

I thought about cutting it off but I didn’t want an awkward size of paper for my card. When I was showing my stampers, some loved it and some did not. They gave me the idea to cover it with ribbon so…..

See even the ones you think didn’t turn out, still look amazing!!!! Here I added some Satin Stitched Ribbon in Blackberry Bliss & the greeting from Million & One!!!

Here is another sample that I did with shades of Green – Pear Pizzaz, Old Olive, Garden Green & Mossy Meadow!

To watch this technique in action, check out my Video Tutorial by clicking here or the video below! Don’t forget to give it a thumbs up if you like it!!!

Happy Watercolorin’

~Laura

Jul 30 2014

Amazing Work of Art!!!

Posted on July 30, 2014 by Laura's Stamp Pad

Okay so you have seen my Work of Art Note Cards which were amazing and simple! I just stamped on Note Cards so there was no adhesive or layers! You can check them out here and here! NOW, I’m going to show you more amazing cards with the Work of Art Stamp Set and these have layers and embellishments and more!!!!

This is probably one of my Top Favorites! I really love them all but I think that Blackberry Bliss is my favorite In-Color so the cards that use that color are always on top! This card uses Blackberry Bliss as well as Mossy Meadow for all of the paper and ink! I used some of the new 3/8″ Stain Stitched Ribbon on here which I love because it is like half elegant and satin and half….mmm…not elegant? I don’t know how to describe it! It can be used for both looks and work out great! (if any of that made sense) The lighter heart was actually stamped, cut out, and popped up on dimensionals for little extra texture.

This is my second top favorite!!! I love the hearts and Polka Dots from the Moonlight Designer Series Paper. I used Hello Honey and Blackberry Bliss ink and cardstock! I used that fabulous Satin Stitched Ribbon again and a few Rhinestones! I love the various shades of color you can achieve with a little stamping off or continuous stamping! So fabulous!!!

Be on the lookout for more Work Of Art cards! I just can’t put this stamp set down! If you don’t have this set yet, CLICK HERE to get yours now!!!!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura

Jul 29 2014

Technique Tuesday – Watercoloring and Embossing!!!

Posted on July 29, 2014 by Laura's Stamp Pad

Happy Tuesday!!! That means I have a fabulous technique to share with you today!!!! I will be showing you emboss resist and watercoloring! I love love love these colors together because they are so bright and cheery!!!!

SUPPLIES NEEDED: Watercolor Paper, VersaMark Ink, Stamp Set, Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, Aqua Painter and Ink Pads

You will want to start out with a piece of Watercolor Paper. The piece I have for the project above is 4″ x 2″. Stamp your image or greeting in VersaMark and then onto your watercolor paper. Be sure to press firmly so that the VersaMark gets in the texture of the paper. I used the greeting from the Big News Stamp Set. Then you will apply embossing powder and heat it with your Heat Tool. I used Gold Embossing Powder on this one and Silver on the sample in the video! 😉 Once it has cooled, you will take your Aqua Painter and your ink pad and paint on your color! Of course, the color and water will resist for the image and only appear around the image. This gives an awesome background. I used Melon Mambo, Bermuda Bay and Pumpkin Pie. If you are using similar colors and want them to bleed together you can overlap them, otherwise just swipe close to the color but not on top of it! This gives an amazing focal point to your project. You can always do this with flowers, greetings, or any other type of image! Here I did it in Silver Embossing Powder!

If you would like to watch a Video Tutorial of this technique, click here or watch below! Don’t forget to give the video a thumbs up if you like it! 🙂 Also, be sure to subscribe to my channel so you don’t miss out on any other videos that I post!

If you try this out at home, be sure to send me a picture! I would love to see what you come up with and see your ideas!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura

Jul 28 2014

Scrapbooking the Little Ones!!!

Posted on July 28, 2014 by Laura's Stamp Pad

I have created a little 6″ x 6″ Scrapbook for my Mom and Dad that includes just a few pages of every grandchild when they were born! It includes the baby’s information and of course family photos. I love how you can see the changes in each photo as the family grows! Even though the last grandchild (my niece) was born last September, I just finished her pages now! I’m not that far behind…in the world of scrapbooking that’s practically caught up! 🙂

I used the new Lullaby Designer Series Paper which is just precious. I also noticed that you shouldn’t be fooled by the name….there really isn’t anything that says BABY in this paper. If you like yellows, corals, blues, and browns this is the paper for you! Then for the journal tags, I used a few from my Project Life Everyday Adventure Card Collection. This is another wow item! This card collection comes with 100, (that’s right) one hundred double sided cards! Some of these cards are just designs and others have patterns or words already on them but they are fabulous!!! Of course, they are the perfect size to slide into your Project Life Photo Pocket Pages but you can use them on other projects like this one or even cards! For my little decoration, I used the Itty Bitty Punch Pack flower in Crisp Cantaloupe and some pearls! Love it!

Here is the second page (double page spread). Again I used the Lullaby Paper for my backgrounds! I added in the heart from the Itty Bitty Punch Pack and added my greeting on a piece of Hello Honey punched out with the Modern Label Punch!

I was able to complete these 4 pages in a matter of minutes with my Designer Series Paper (and the list of coordinating colors in the catalog), some punches, and the Project Life Card Collection! Scrapbooking made easy let me tell you! I hope you give it a try either as a new scrapbooker or a seasoned scrapbooker!

Thank you to everyone who wished me well on my Anniversary last week. The WINNER are: Deb P, Vicki M, and Tanishae T!

Happy Scrapbookin’

~Laura

Jul 25 2014

Fabulous Friday!!!!

Posted on July 25, 2014 by Laura's Stamp Pad

Happy Friday!!! Can’t believe this is the last weekend of July! Where has July and Summer gone? Although I am super excited because August is my Birthday Month (yes, I like to celebrate all month long)!!!! We can start celebrating now with these fabulous Weekly Deals!

I am beyond excited for this week’s Weekly Deals because there are LOTS of fabulous items! The Bitty Banners Framelits are adorable and great to use with the matching Itty Bitty Banners Stamp Set. You can check out this card that I just did a few weeks ago! The Curly Label Punch and Dotted Scallop Border Punches are amazing too! You can check out samples here! I always love ribbon and don’t forget that Halloween is around the corner and that Pumpkin Pie Ribbon would be fabulous on treat bags. Stock up now! Okay and now for the Banner Kit! I have the Bermuda Bay one and LOVE IT! It is hanging in my doorway where I have a banner hanging all the time now!

I just used a small portion of the Add On Kit! I still have lots of Designer Series Paper and other items left to use for another project! LOVE IT!!!

A Few Other Items:

Buy 3, Get 1 Free Designer Series Paper Special!

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend! Happy Stampin’

~Laura

Jul 24 2014

Coloring Designer Series Paper!!!

Posted on July 24, 2014 by Laura's Stamp Pad

So a few weeks ago I showed you this fabulous card using the Back to Black Designer Series Paper!!! I love my some black and white with a pop of color! BUT check this out!!!!

Do you notice the difference? The POP of color is ON the Designer Series Paper! I used my Coastal Cabana (darkest one) Blendabilities Marker to color the Designer Series Paper! I had so much fun making these…as you can see with the 5 samples rather than just 1. 😉 I can’t wait to color in the flowers and other images in the Designer Series Paper! I LOVE IT!

Don’t forget about the Buy 3, Get 1 Free Designer Series Paper Special that ends on July 31st! While I love other Designer Series Paper Packs too, you could get 4 of the Back to Black Paper and have endless possibilities with your Blendabilities!

Also, don’t forget about my Anniversary Special!

Happy Colorin’

~Laura

Jul 23 2014

Share Your Love!!!

Posted on July 23, 2014 by Laura's Stamp Pad

Okay please tell me you have the Itty Bitty Punch Pack because if not, you need it….like yesterday…NOW!!!! I just can not put these 3 little punches down. Every time I go to make a card, I’m like it needs just a little something more. Hmmm….a heart (star or flower) and then it looks perfect!!!! Click here to get your’s NOW! Then you can make this amazing card!

Aren’t these little hearts adorable? I punched them out with the Moonlight Designer Series Paper Stack. The solid Hello Honey one on the bottom left is actually punched on the Whisper White Cardstock and so the yellow is popping through. Isn’t that clever? I know. 😉 The greeting is from the Petite Pairs Stamp Set! I just thought this card needed a little greeting like that. The card base is Blackberry Bliss and the center band is Lost Lagoon embossed with the Decorative Dots Embossing Folder! This card would make a great Anniversary Card, Valentine’s Day Card and even a random card sent to someone you love. I send cards to my husband’s grandma on his mom’s side and grandparents on his dad’s side randomly just to brighten their day and let them know how we are doing and that we love and think about them (my grandparents are angels watching over us and I don’t have their address)! I hope you enjoyed this card and try it out! If you need more reasons to get the Itty Bitty Punch Pack, check out this sample and this sample! Click here to get your’s today!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura

Jul 23 2014

Happy 1 Year Blog Anniversary!!!

Posted on July 23, 2014 by Laura's Stamp Pad

Today is my One Year Anniversary with my blog!!!! I can’t believe I have been sharing all my fabulous projects with your for a year now! You all have been amazing and I want to send out a BIG Thank You to all of my subscribers!!! You ROCK! So of course I have some fabulous goodies for you! 😉 All you have to do is Subscribe to my Blog AND comment below with your favorite product….could be a stamp set, tool, embellishment, etc to be entered into the drawing!!!! I will do the drawing on Friday!

Also, if you would like to comment below with anything that you would like to see me do on my blog – projects, product information, tips and tricks, or any other ideas! I have blogged 270 times and am looking forward to this next year!!!

Happy Anniversary!

~Laura

Jul 22 2014

Technique Tuesday – Sponge Daubers!!!

Posted on July 22, 2014 by Laura's Stamp Pad

Happy Tuesday!!! You know what that means…..I have a fabulous technique to share with you today!!! My Favorite Stampin’ Tool – SPONGE DAUBERS!!!! I’m sure you all knew that already! Well I’m here to show you why I love them so much and get you all to fall in love with them as well!!!

Isn’t this card just fabulous? That amazing ombre background is perfect for any type of card! You can create the look in many different colors or in a rainbow pattern….the possibilities are endless! Of course, I created this look with my SPONGE DAUBERS!

SUPPLIES NEEDED: Sponger Daubers, Ink, Cardstock (that’s it) 🙂

You always want to start with your lightest color first. I used Pear Pizzazz, Old Olive, Garden Green, and Mossy Meadow! Tap Tap Tap with your sponge dauber into your ink pad and then you will go back and forth over your cardstock. Be sure to go off the piece of paper so that your color goes all the way to the edge. Also, by going off the paper, you will have your darkest spots off the project and not have this darker edge, lighter center look (unless that’s what you are going for). Once you have achieved the look you want, move to the next color. You will want to overlap a little bit so that your colors blend well and you don’t have a distinct line between each color. Repeat until you have used all of your colors. How simple is that? Now you can embellish or stamp on it. I used the new Epic Alphabet Stamp Set for the name Luke! This card is for my nephew’s birthday…..no worries he is only going to be 8 and isn’t a blog follower….yet! I then wanted to add in a few birthday greetings so I used the Happy Birthday from my Teeny Tiny Wishes Stamp Set and the Wish Big from the A Dozen Thoughts Stamp Set! LOVE IT!

If you would like to see this in action, check out my Video Tutorial that I created using shades of purple!!! Be sure to Like and Subscribe to my channel so you don’t miss out on more fabulous video tutorials!

For more ways to use your sponge daubers, check out this Northern Lights post, this post and this one! You can also put Sponge Daubers into the Search bar and see the many posts I have done using these amazing things!

Happy Spongin’

~Laura