Dec 28 2017

The NEW Stamparatus!!!!

Posted on December 28, 2017 by Laura's Stamp Pad

The New Stamparatus has arrived and I’m so excited to get to start playing with it! I was on the team that worked with Stampin’ Up! to create this tool and it has been a long 2 years! Together I think we have come up with an amazing tool!!!!

My first thoughts when I first opened it:

~It has some weight to it….more than I thought. I was thinking it would be light and plastic but there is a little weight to it which makes it feel strong and sturdy! When I say weight, I don’t mean it weighs 5 pounds or anything.

~While I have watched a few videos from Stampin’ Up using it, I felt that just looking at it, it seemed fairly user-friendly.

~It is clean, sleek, and I love the grid lines!

~The magnets are SUPER STRONG!!!!! Be careful that they don’t snap together. It would be hard to pull them apart and if they snap together hard enough they could chip or break.

After playing with it a little here are my thoughts:

~I LOVE IT!!!! This tool is super fabulous and solves the following problems! Rocking or having the clear block leave a mark on your project because it has ink on it. No worries because this tool doesn’t go down enough to touch your paper due to the magnets! Woot Woot! If you don’t get a portion inked up or stamped evenly, no worries because you can just ink it up again and stamp. It’s already perfectly lined up….even with the clear mount stamps that you can’t see through!

~The hinge moving ability is AMAZING! If you wanted to stamp an image all the way down you project, just stamp, move down a hinge, stamp, and so on. How fabulous is that?!?!?!

~See how those banners are perfectly lined up and with the same amount of swag for each one. That wasn’t luck….that was the Stamparatus and just moving it down 1 hinge each time. PERFECT!

~The “You make me so happy” was stamped all at once in Melon Mambo Ink even though it is 2 separate stamps. Creating lot of cards at once will be super easy with this tool. Just ink and stamp, place a new piece of paper down, ink and stamp! I am in love!!!

~A few things I have to get used to include using the magnets and positioning my paper in a memorable spot. A few of the times I was using it, I didn’t place the magnets down and just got too excited and stamped. This isn’t the end of the world but your paper could move. Also, take note as to were you position your paper so that you know how to line up the next one! Using a Post It Note on the edge of the line would make it super easy when making multiples!!!

Okay, I feel like I could go on and on about this tool. I will leave you with a little Video Tutorial and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss future projects using this tool! If you have any questions, just reach out or leave a comment below! If you would like to reserve your own Stamparatus, click here! This is just to reserve it for a shipment date of April/May! You will enter your credit card to reserve it but the card will not be charged till it’s available to ship. At that time you can add to your order, not order, or continue forward!

Enjoy the Video Tutorial below or click here! Be sure to give it a thumbs up it you liked it!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura

Dec 27 2017

Deer In the Forest!!!

Posted on December 27, 2017 by Laura's Stamp Pad

One last Christmas card that I never got a chance to share. This deer in the forest card could be used for a great man card. Just change up the greeting and you are all set!

I started with a piece of Whisper White measuring 4-1/4″ x 11″ for the card base. Next, I layered on a piece of the Tranquil Tide from the Fresh Florals Designer Series Paper to the bottom portion. The trees and deer use the Carols of Christmas Bundle (Bundle & Save 10%). Be sure to stamp the deer before die cutting it with the Card Front Builder Framelits. It is always easier to line up the framelit rather than stamp in such a small area! The deer was stamped in Chocolate Chip and the trees were cut in Tranquil Tide.

Next, I added the double trees to the card right above the designer paper. The single tree off to the right was placed up higher so it wasn’t all covered by the greeting. Next, I layered on a small strip of Gold Glimmer Paper. This is a great chance to use up some scraps. Feel free to put a piece that is thin or rather wide. It’s all up to you! Then I tied some Whisper White Baker’s Twine around to the inside of the card. I added the little deer just above the glimmer paper. For the greeting, I die cut a circle with the Stitched Shapes Framelits and stamped the greeting in Fresh Fig Ink. I added the greeting to the card front with Stampin’ Dimensionals!

Just change up the greeting to Happy Birthday for a great man card. If the gold glimmer is too much, Foil Paper would work too! Let me know if you would use this as a man card in the comments below! If you would change it up, let me know the changes as well!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura

Product List

Fresh Florals Designer Series Paper Stack

[144131]

Carols Of Christmas Clear-Mount Bundle

[146037]

Chocolate Chip Classic Stampin’ Pad

[126979]

Fresh Fig Classic Stampin’ Pad

[144082]

Gold Glimmer Paper

[133719]

Stitched Shapes Framelits Dies

[145372]

Dec 26 2017

Even Pigs Can Fly!!!

Posted on December 26, 2017 by Laura's Stamp Pad

Happy Tuesday!!! This is a technique I have shared before but I have some more fabulous samples to share! The Stampin’ Blends are super fun to color with and easy to get lots of cool shading!! Check out these adorable little pigs….even pigs can fly!

How cute is this little piggy?!?! Adorable! And the best part is that the wings have Wink of Stella on them so the perfect little shine!!! Eeee Thank you, Janet, for this amazing idea! I love what my stampers come up with during Stamp Club!

I started with a Whisper White card base and layered on a piece of Delightful Daisy Designer Series Paper (4″ x 5-1/4″). Next, I stamped the images from the This Little Piggy Stamp Set in Memento Black Ink. Then, I colored in the piggy with the Stampin’ Blends. I used Pink Pirouette for the pig, Smoky Slate for the wings and Crumb Cake for the feet!

For the coloring, I always start with the dark Stampin’ Blends Marker and do an outline. Next, I fill in with the Light Stampin’ Blends Marker. Then I go around the overlap edge and swirl in a circular pattern till it blends together. If you stay away from the center, then you will get that light center and darker edges look. Don’t worry this takes a little practice and each one will always come our differently. Also, it’s all based on your preference too!! Just play with it and have fun!

Look at that amazing Wink of Stella on the wings!!! Isn’t it just stunning? I love it!!! After coloring, I layered this piece onto Daffodil Delight. Then I added a little loop of Night of Navy Crinkle Seam Binding to the edge under Stampin’ Dimensionals and added it to the card front!!!

Which little piggy card is your favorite – Happy Piggy or Sparkle Wings? Let me know in the comments below!!! Also, if you would like to see Stampin’ Blends in action, check out this video!

Today, I am sharing one of the new kits from the upcoming Occasions Mini Catalog on my YouTube Channel! You can check out the unboxing and reveal before or click here! Don’t forget to give it a thumbs up if you are excited about this kit as much as I am!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura

Product List

Dec 25 2017

Merry Christmas From All of Us!!!

Posted on December 25, 2017 by Laura's Stamp Pad

Happy Monday and Merry Christmas From All of Us – Brad, Me and lil Ziggy!!!!

I just wanted to send out a little message to all of you whether you celebrate Christmas or not! I hope you have an amazing day today filled with love and laughter! If you are traveling today or in the next few days, please be careful and have safe travels. May you have a good times with friends and family making memories that will last a lifetime!

We spent the weekend with Brad’s family and are spending today with mine! The reveal of Lil Ziggy’s gender is making this year even more magical! Stay tuned as I will reveal to all of you later this week! If you have any guesses, just leave them in the comments below! I have a little jar with everyone’s guess in it on either a pink or blue label. I can put your guess in there too! 🙂 Of course a little fun that will go in Ziggy’s scrapbook!!

Don’t forget that if you got some Christmas Cash this year there are lots of fabulous deals right now with the Holiday Mini Catalog ending on January 2nd. Many of the items retiring are on sale as well! Click here to start shopping! All orders in increments of $40 will earn Laura’s Loyal Stampers Stickers which don’t expire at the end of the year! Also, orders of $75 or more, will earn the Free Stamp Set of the Month from Me which is the Little One Stamp Set! The Occasions Mini Catalog and Sale-A-Bration Promotion begin on January 3rd!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura And Brad and Ziggy!

Dec 22 2017

All the Metallics!!!

Posted on December 22, 2017 by Laura's Stamp Pad

Happy Friday!!! I thought I would share one more card before Christmas! This one is rather simple and uses up little pieces you might have! I just love mixing all the metallics!!!

This card is fairly basic but there are a few tricks that I would like to share. This is the first one that I created and I did more afterwards that were even more fabulous!

TIP #1: When you are embossing a big image like this Winter Wonder Embossing Folder, it is best to lightly spritz the cardstock with water. This allows the cardstock to be soft when the embossing folder pushes and pulls the fibers into the image. When I spritzed the cardstock, I had fewer creases like the one you can see a bit at the top of the card.

TIP #2: Mixing and matching metallics is so in right now so don’t be afraid! Gold, Silver, Copper, and Champagne can be mixed together!

TIP #3: I used the Silver Ribbon for this sample but after it was smashed (it happens in envelopes and my stack of samples) it did not look as good. Since this ribbon is a little more stiff, it just smashed rather than laying nicely as loops. I used Silver Sequin Trim on the others and it was even more fabulous!

I started with a Whisper White card base measuring 4-1/4″ x 11″. Next, I embossed with the Winter Wonder Embossing Folder in the middle! Using the Year of Cheer Washi Tape, I added copper washi tape to the top and bottom. The pack comes with copper, silver and gold so you can create lots of these using the different colors!

Using some Silver Foil Paper and the Year of Cheer Designer Series Paper, I punched out circles with the 2-1/4″ Circle Punch and 2″ Circle Punch. For the greeting, I stamped it in Basic Gray Ink from the Snowflake Sentiments Stamp Set. I used the 1-3/4″ Circle Punch to cut it out! With the greeting upside down, I placed the Silver Ribbon (or Silver Sequin Trim) down and added Stampin’ Dimensionals down to secure it in the fun loops! Of course I used probably 4 or 5 of them on the little circle! 🙂 You all know I’m an over-user of those things. I finished off the card with a few Rhinestones! If you use the sequin trim, you can always pull a few off and add those all over with some Fine Tip Glue Pen.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, safe travels, good times, and hearts full of joy!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura

Product List

Winter Wonder Textured Impressions Embossing Folder

[144686]

Year Of Cheer Specialty Designer Series Paper

[144640]

Year Of Cheer Specialty Washi Tape

[144644]

Snowflake Sentiments Clear-Mount Stamp Set

[144820]

2″ Circle Punch

[133782]

1-3/4″ Circle Punch

[119850]

Silver Sequin Trim

[138399]

Dec 21 2017

My Ribbon Storage!!!

Posted on December 21, 2017 by Laura's Stamp Pad

Happy Thursday! This week is flying by it seems. Today I’m sharing with you my ribbon storage. I recently changed it up to this style and I love it!!!

I have all of my ribbons in one of these little show box plastic containers. The awesome thing about these is that they are cheap. I can typically get them from $89-$1.00. They can be found at a big box store (Wal-Mart, Target, etc.) so they are easy to find! They hold a decent amount of spools in each container and stack well. One of the things I love the most is that they are clear on the bottom!

I can flip it over and look to see if I have a specific ribbon or to see which container it is in. They are fairly tight in there so it’s not like shaking it around will make a mess. (PS: It’s already a mess. I do have pins to put in the ribbon to keep them neat but I don’t always put them on there and sometimes the hole it creates makes it not worth the neatness.)

I have a little label on each of my containers so I know what is inside each…..not that I can’t tell. The labels are just so pretty though! My other container has baggies of the threads and baker’s twines as well. These containers fit so much stuff! I LOVE THEM!!!

If you would like to see this all in action, check out the Video Tutorial below or click here! Be sure to give the video a thumbs up if you liked it and don’t forget to subscribe if you are new. If you would like a notification when I post a new video, be sure to click the bell right next to the subscribe!!! Let me know if you have any tip and tricks to share in the comments below!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura

Don’t forget Stampin’ Up! Gift Certificates make great gifts…..even last minute!!! Click here to reach out and get a gift certificate!

Dec 20 2017

The Warmth of Christmas!!!

Posted on December 20, 2017 by Laura's Stamp Pad

Happy Wednesday!!! Here in Illinois you never know what the temperature is going to be for Christmas….it could be cold or warm. Either way this card makes it cozy with the warmth of Christmas!!!

I started with a Night of Navy card base. Then I cut to pieces of Whisper White measuring 4″ x 5-1/4″ (one for the inside and one for the outside). Next, I stamped the larger snowflake from the Snowflake Sentiments Stamp Set in Night of Navy Ink on the corners. The smaller snowflakes are from the coordinating Swirly Snowflakes Framelits (Bundle & Save 10%). I used the Fine Tip Glue Pen to adhere them to the card.

For the greeting, I stamped it from the Snowflake Sentiments Stamp Set in Night of Navy Ink. This stamp set has some amazing greetings! I love it! Next, I die cut the circle with the Layering Circles Framelits. Then I layered it onto a circle die cut from the Stitched Shapes Framelits! I added the loops of Silver Metallic Thread to the back for a little texture and bling. To do this, I wrapped it around my four fingers 8-12 times, slid the loops off my fingers and twisted them into a figure eight. Then I placed the loops on the back of the greeting and secured them with Stampin’ Dimensionals. Just place a dimension in the spot you want the thread loop to be! I added the greeting to the middle of the card and finished it off with a few Rhinestones!

This card would be perfect for winter as well, just change up the greeting!!! Do you make winter birthday cards with a winter theme or similar to cards all year long?? Let me know in the comments below!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura

Product List

Snowflake Sentiments Clear-Mount Bundle

[146053]

Fine-Tip Glue Pen

[138309]

Stitched Shapes Framelits Dies

[145372]

Silver Metallic Thread

[138402]

Rhinestone Basic Jewels

[144220]

Night Of Navy Classic Stampin’ Pad

[126970]

Dec 19 2017

Technique Tuesday – Boxes & Boughs!!!

Posted on December 19, 2017 by Laura's Stamp Pad

Happy Tuesday!!! That means I have a fabulous technique to share with you today! With Christmas less than a week away, it’s all about gift packaging and last minute gifts! These boxes and boughs are sure to make things merry and bright!

These acetate boxes are super fun to decorate and I have put lots of different items in there as gifts – cards, Stampin’ Dimensionals, and gift certificates!

I started by popping up the Acetate Box. It’s already scored and all so just fold on the score lines and pop it up! Next, I took some Real Red cardstock and created a belly band. I have found that scoring the cardstock doesn’t work very well because the lines sometimes aren’t exact so it fits weird. What I do is just wrap it around, slide it off and press on the fold lines. This just seems to work best for me. Then I layered on a piece of Merry Little Christmas Designer Series Paper (retiring). The paper is black and white but I sponged on some green very lightly for a little more color! I used Tear And Tape to secure the ends of the belly band together.

Now for the decoration, I used a hot glue gun! First, I added the little Green Sprig and pressed it into the glue. Next, I created 2 loops with the Striped Ribbon and tied the center tight using the Black Baker’s Twine. This is much easier that tying it into a knot and it allows for the stripes to show. If you do a knot, it will make the one side backwards. This ribbon does have wire in it so you can mold it as needed! The Mini Ornament is secured to the bow with the Black Baker’s Twine as well. I hot glued this to the front as well. Be sure it is all on the belly band so it can still slide off. The tag was created with the Merry Little Labels Stamp Set (retiring) and coordinating Everyday Label Punch! Cute and simple gift packaging!

What would you put in this box to give to a friend or family member? Let me know in the comments below!

Today, I’m sharing a sneak peak to the 2018 Occasions Mini Catalog. Check out the Video Tutorial below or click here! Be sure to give the video a thumbs up if you liked it and don’t forget to subscribe if you are new. If you would like a notification when I post a new video, be sure to click the bell right next to the subscribe!!! Let me know if you have any tip and tricks to share in the comments below!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura

Product List

Mini Ornaments

[144626]

Acetate Card Boxes

[144628]

Green Sprigs

[144627]

7/8″ (2.2 Cm) Striped Ribbon

[144624]

Merry Little Christmas Designer Series Paper

[144621]

Merry Little Labels Clear-Mount Bundle

[146030]

Dec 18 2017

Oh Joy!!! The Holidays are Here!!!

Posted on December 18, 2017 by Laura's Stamp Pad

Happy Monday!!! It’s the week before Christmas and some may be saying Oh Joy!!! That might be an exclamation or a sarcastic remark, either way, this card is super fabulous and the Holidays are here! Whether you are ready or not, it’s here!!

I love the bling on this card the most and that greeting is so simple and yet powerful!

I started with a Whisper White card base. Then I added a piece of the Year of Cheer Designer Series Paper (retiring) measuring 4-1/4″ x 5″! After, placing the designer paper down, I added some gold washi tape on either end from the Year of Cheer Washi Tape pack. There is silver and gold in the pack so you could pick either one! Next, I added some Whisper White Baker’s Twine around the top of the card and tied it into a bow. Before the final bow, I slide on one of the Year of Cheer Embellishments!

Now for that fabulous greeting! I took a piece of Whisper White 1-1/2″ wide and punched the end with the Banner Triple Punch. I stamped the greeting in Basic Gray Ink from the Watercolor Christmas Stamp Set. The little snowflakes are from the Snowflake Sentiments Stamp Set and I stamped off once before stamping on my project for a lighter look! Then I took a piece of Gold Foil Paper 2″ wide and punched it with the Banner Triple Punch too! Before, layering these together I added 3 little bumps from the Foil Snowflake (retiring) to the bottom! Then I added this all to the card front. I love the little bits of bling and how that washi tape looks just as fabulous as foil paper but much cheaper and thinner! Perfect!!!

Don’t forget that many of these items are retiring on January 2nd. Some of these are on sale which is super fabulous! Get them before they are gone. Start shopping here!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura

Product List

Dec 15 2017

He or She?? What Will Ziggy Be??

Posted on December 15, 2017 by Laura's Stamp Pad

Happy Friday everyone! I thought I would do a little update and show off this cute little jar I made for everyone to guess the gender of our little one (Ziggy). Isn’t it adorable?!?!?! He or She? What will Ziggy be?

Isn’t this jar just the cutest?? I took a regular mason jar and decorated it all up. First, I added some Year of Cheer Designer Series Paper (retiring) around the jar. My piece didn’t go all the way around but like just about perfectly lined up with itself. So I took Tear & Tape and added it to both ends of the paper. Then I stuck it on the jar. This worked perfectly! The little gold stickers are from the Eastern Gold Vinyl Stickers Set.

Now for the focal point!! I added a Gold Foil Snowflake (retiring) to the center, right over the spot where the designer paper meets together. I used Tear & Tape for all of these to make sure it had a nice strong hold! Then I printed the wording onto Whisper White cardstock and die cut it out with the Stitched Shapes Framelits. I layered the greeting onto Soft Sky and Powder Pink scallop circles. These were cut out with the Layering Circles Framelits. Some of the layers have Stampin’ Dimensionals while the others are flat with Tear & Tape!

Now for the ribbons, I took a piece of the Whisper White Metallic Edge Ribbon long enough to go around the jar and tie. Then using Powder Pink Shimmer Ribbon and Soft Sky Classic Weave Ribbon, I tied knots around it. I actually did this part before I did the greeting and at that time I was thinking I would use gold, silver, and different shades of pink and blue. Then I changed my mind and decided to stick to these colors. Well then I needed to cover up the silver on the edge of the ribbon on the jar so I added enough knots around to do so! There was no way I was re-stringing those knots! 🙂 I added it to the lip of the jar!

Using the Pretty Label Punch, I punched out Soft Sky, Powder Pink and So Saffron. I will have everyone guess what they think Ziggy will be and write there name on the coordinating color. If someone just can’t decide but wants to wish us well, they can do a yellow one! 🙂 I’m thinking these will go in the baby album and be super cute! If you would like to make a guess or send well wishes, leave it in the comments below and I will write out the coordinating label for you to put in the jar!!!

Here are my weekly belly shots for Week 14-17!!! I’m 17.5 today!!! Can’t wait to see little Ziggy, hear little Ziggy, and find out whether Ziggy is a boy or girl!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! See you back here on Monday!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura

Product List