Top Five Tuesday: Retired Stamps

 

I thought today I would list some of my favorite retiring stamp sets on the 2012-2013 Retired Stamps and Accessories lists. There's still about three weeks left to get items from these lists (although accessories are while supplies last so be sure to order anything from that list ASAP!).

Be sure to read through to the end as well as I have a special offer for online orders this week!

1. Tiny Tags - My absolute favorite set that is retiring this year is the Tiny Tags stamp set. It's not really a set that stands on its own real well, but I am going to be absolutely lost without it! In fact, I audibly gasped when I saw it on the list this year. It will be tough. I actually used it on the card above -- now don't panic the dress forms are staying, but see the three cute little tabs to the right on the top card -- those are made using the Tiny Tags stamp set and the equally awesome jewelry tag punch. Sigh.

2. Another one I'm pretty sad about is Easy Events. This is such a great set for new card makers. It has the cutest images paired with sweet sentiments. It makes making the perfect card a cinch. It reminds me a bit of the first stamp set I ever bought, which was called greetings galore and it was the same type of thing -- images paired with sentiments. Really makes for a no-brainer when you sit down to make a stack of cards.

3. Just Believe - This is one of those sets that doesn't look like much until you start to play with it. It makes beautiful sympathy, friendship, birthday cards - you name it. But it's also great for borders or stamped accents for scrapbook pages (and the "Some things have to be believed to be seen" sentiment is a great title as well -- think Christmas!). Be sure to check this set out before it's gone for good! Here is a picture of a card I made with a quite a while back:

Isin't it pretty? Some of the colors are retiring, too (Baja Breeze) so not all of the items on this card may still be available, but I thought it was a pretty card -- and simple!

4. Next up is Aviary -- this stamp set is so stinkin' cute and I waited so long to get it that I didn't get to play with it for long! I love the mix and match nature of this set -- you get to pick what size bird cage you want, what size and type of bird you want in it -- it's super fun. Kind of like paper dolls for birds!

5. Last, but certainly not least (and certainly not the complete list of stamps I'm sad to see go!) is Word Play. This stamp set is so perfect for scrapbookers. Almost ever sentiment could be used as a title and again, they're also great for cards. In fact, because they are "heftier" images some of them can even be used as a focal point on a card where most sentiment stamps can't because they are too small and get lost. I love this set -- particularly the "happy I do day" and the "wish big."

Now... onto my offer for the next week. Each time I go to a Stampin' Up event I collect "swap" cards from other demonstrators. They are basically just the front of a card, but feature all sorts of products and ideas. Well, now I have many that highlight retiring merchandise. So for the next week, anyone who places and online order and uses this hotess code BNCHGXSV   (The hostess code goes in a box to the left BEFORE you head to the check out -- don't miss it as only orders with this code will be qualified for the specials!) will receive five free swap cards from my stash, a thank you card using some of my favorite new In Colors for 2013-14 AND be entered to win free hostess benefits (if the total amount of orders reaches $150. So head to my website now and stock up on all your favorites before they're gone for good!!

Thanks so much for visiting!!

Overwhelm & Retirement

Hello there! Sorry I've been MIA lately. Do you ever have so many things on your "to do" list that the only thing you can manage to do is hide? That's sort of how I've been feeling these days. Plus I'm still struggling with this and pretty much questioning all of my "usual" routine things.

Me: Maybe I don't want to be a night person -- maybe I want to be a morning person. Maybe I don't want to work outside the home... maybe I want to focus my creativity on a house renovation or maybe I'd rather work on planning a really fun NEW trip -- maybe I want to do both. Maybe I'll just go to bed.

Yup. That's pretty much how things are going in my head these days. Oh, and I have the attention span of a gnat. Seriously, like two minutes tops. It really makes accomplishing things like reading a book, creating a scrapbook page, writing an e-mail ... or a blog post! ... very difficult.

But, here I am. And I don't want to be a Debbie Downer so I will share some creativity with you today... albeit old creativity. A blast from the past so to say. Stampin' Up has released the retired lists for the 2012-2013 Idea Book and Catalog so I thought I'd share with you a couple of my favorite cards made with now retiring stamp sets. First there's this one:

This is a fun and bright sample for the gorgeous weather we've been having. It uses the stamp set called Easy Events. This is a great stamp set for card makers with eight images with matching sentiments. This card is pretty simple, but cute. I'd like to think it would brighten someones day should they get it in the mail. Heck, if I get anything in the mail that's not a bill that makes my day!!

Here's another oldie, but goodie:

I loved the Ronald McDonald House charity stamp this year (a portion of each set sold goes to the Ronald McDonald House), Moving Forward. That stamp retires each year and a new one if revealed that raises money year-round for another whole catalog period. This one also features the Baja Breeze seam binding, which is a ribbon on the While Supplies Last retiring accessories list -- that list changes daily so you'll really need to go to my online store to see what's still available. But act quickly on those items because with some of them up to 60% off they go quickly!!

How about you do you have a favorite stamp set from the retring list that you are sad to see go? One of my "sad to see go" stamp sets is Tiny Tags. Love, love love that set and the matching Jewelry tag punch.

Anyway, all good things must end... the good news? We have a brand spanking new catalog just around the corner! If you are local (Cape Cod), be sure to mark your calendar for the evening of June 1 when I'll have my new catalog launch party. Free catalogs (with an RSVP), games, prizes and make and takes for all!

 

 

Well, hello and happy Saturday. And what a happy Saturday it is! I awoke to great news this morning, I'm at a fun scrapbooking event this weekend and I have a sneak peek virtual catalog party reveal tonight! I am very excited to see the new catalog -- but I have to admit I'm the kind of girl that likes to see the catalog for the first time as I physically flip through the pages and smell the fresh printing and can ooh and aah over each page... in person! So I'm a bit torn about that... but I know there will be some prize giveaways so I must attend. :)

 

I'm finally getting back to that post I promised you oh so long ago... I'll be sharing the two other pages I created with the Merry Moments Simply Scrappin' kit from the Holiday Mini catalog. While these pages are from a Christmas-themed scrapbooking kit, I really feel that they have a vintage vibe to them as well. They really don't scream Christmas to me, which is why I think they'd be great for a heritage album as well. Don't forget, if you are on the Cape and want to get started with scrapbooking be sure to e-mail me to sign up for my new scrapbook club starting next week! We'll make one two-page 12 X 12 layout and one single 12 X 12 page at each meeting. We're going to start with a three month run to see how it goes. It should be a lot of fun! The first session is meeting at the Osterville Historical Society Museum on Sunday, April 28.

 

 

So here is the second page for today:

 

 

 

This one is pretty simple, but I love that it highlights one photo (You could of course fill in that white space with several different photos in a photo block, too). I love to cram tons of photos on a page, too, but often there is a photo or two that is really spectacular and I want to highlight it. This is the type of page I would use to do that. I love the simple nature of this page that allows the photo to be the focus.

 

This weekend is my last vendor event until the fall so I'm excited to start digging into my photos and begin the organizing, sorting and scrapping process. I will admit I'm a bit terrified having to work my way through thousands of photos, but I know the end result will totally be worth it!

 

And while the Merry Moments Simply Scrappin' kit is no longer available, we have a great selection of other scrapbooking kits that would make pages that are just as fun! Check them out here.

 



Top Five Tuesday: Sent With Love

Hi There! How did it get to be Tuesday again? Geesh... well, I guess we'll do a Top Five Tuesday post today and then I promise the next post will be Part 2 of the scrapbook pages. So I thought today I'd show you five of the 10 cards I made using the Sent With Love bundle. Have you seen it? It is so stinkin' cute and only around for another few weeks (through April 30). Let me show you the bundle first... it includes the Sent With Love stamp set (clear only), the Sent With Love Designer Series Paper and the Calypso Coral Baker's Twine:

Cute, yes? So how did I come up with these 10 cards? I cut out all of the tags from ONE sheet of the Designer Series Paper ... here it is:

And then I turned all of those little pieces into embellishments for cards! The 10 cards came together super quick. So in addition to the one I showed you at the top of this post here are my four other favorites:

What do you think? Easy peasy, right? Well guess what... if you would like to copy these cards AND the five additional cards I made (not shown here)... simply order the bundle from my website and I'll send you photos of each of the 10 cards direct to your e-mail address (just be sure to include your e-mail address when you order online). Now keep in mind that these are just photos -- I don't have directions done up, but they are all pretty simple and easy to copy right from the picture. Of course, if you have a question about the size of a piece of paper or something you can always e-mail me and I will help with that!

So go ahead... hop on over to the shopping page and pick up this bundle before it's gone and then I will get the pictures over to you lickety split!

Thanks for stopping by today... I'll be back soon with the rest of my Merry Moments scrapbook pages.

Top Five Tuesday: Scrapbook Challenges

Hello! So I have to abort my plan to post the second half of my scrapbook pages from Sunday.... at least for today. Because I forgot about Top Five Tuesday! I'm a little late in getting here today and don't have any photos loaded on my laptop to share with you today, but I thought I'd give you some challenges for Top Five Tuesday this week. You can do one or all five... sound good? Excellent. Here we go:

Challenge #1: Scrap a photo from your childhood.
Challenge #2: Design a monochromatic page
Challenge #3: Use the title "Going Places"
Challenge #4: Think spring... make a page with flowers or that celebrates the warmer weather
Challenge #5: Make a "top five" page

How's that? Any of them sound like fun? If you participate be sure to leave me a comment with a link to a photo. I'd love to see what you come up with!

I'll be back soon with the other two pages from the Merry Moments Simply Scrappin' kit. Did you miss it? Click here to read that post and then come back soon to see the two other pages.

A Scrapbook Page!

It has been a ridiculously long time since I posted a scrapbook page. Honestly, it's been a ridiculously looong time since I've scrapbooked! That is so going to change for a couple of reasons that I'll explain in a moment.

This page is actually one I did several months back. In fact, I used the Merry Moments Simply Scrappin' kit from the Holiday Catalog last year.

How about I show you the first two pages I designed with this kit today and the other two in my next post? Sound good?

So back to why I will be scrapbooking more... first, is because I just signed up to attend a scrapbooking weekend in June for the first time in years (as a scrapbooker NOT a vendor)! To say I'm excited is an understatement. I miss scrapbooking. That was my original passion and now that I've inherited hundreds and hundreds of photos (honestly it's probably more like thousands), I can't wait to start making some pages!

The second reason why I'm going to be doing some scrapbooking in the very near future is because I'm launching a monthly Scrapbook Club! I'm so excited about this. I tried this years ago, but didn't have any consistency and got discouraged because I had low interest. I know now after launching a successful card class a few years ago that it takes time to build up an audience -- particuarly with scrapbooking. It's a committment... but it is SO worth it!

Well, I'm totally re-energized because I met up with the wonderful Jennifer Williams from the Osterville Historical Society Museum and she has invited me to host my scrapbook classes at their building! It's this adorable old building in the heart of Osterville. The grounds are beautiful and so inspiring. What's so great about it is they are launching a new exhibit about heritage photos in the museum so it ties in perfectly with all of the heritage photos I need to pull together, organize and use to create some family pages. I'm totally excited. Although, I'm not so excited about the major spring cleaning that needs to happen in order for me to begin scrapbooking! But... it will be good!

Ok. On to the second page of the four pages I made with this super cute kit.

This one has a little more of a Christmas feel, but still could be used for photos that are not from the holidays. I love using the Simply Scrappin' kits for scrapbooking because it makes coordination so simply. Each kit has eight solid pieces of cardstock, six pieces of patterned paper and three 12 X 12 sheets of self-adhesive die-cut stickers that all coordinate perfectly.

I think the pages I made with this kit will actually work well with some of my heritage photos, too -- although I'll probably have to adjust them a little bit as most of the old photos aren't 4 X 6 in size. I'll probably use the extra space for journaling on this page as I didn't really leave a whole lot of room for that on this one. Although, one of my favorite techniques is to journal around the outside edge of a page. Do you ever do that?

Want to see what we have for Simply Scrappin' kits right now? Click here to jump over to my online store and check it out. There's also this kit and coordinating products from the spring catalog. What do you have on your scrapbook "to do" list? Never scrapbooked? What questions do you have? Maybe I can do a Q & A series as we get closer to my first class!

Top Five Tuesday: Tools of the Trade

Hello there... Welcome to Top Five Tuesday!   This week I thought I'd share with you some of my favorite card making tools.

Big Shot - Right out of the gate I have to start with my beloved Big Shot. While this machine is wonderful for all of it's nifty possibilities -- one of my absolute favorites for card making is embossing with the textured impression embossing folders. Exhibit A:

This adorable little monkey card wouldn't be half as cute without that fun vine-embossed old olive cardstock, now would it? (speaking of that... this is the last week you can earn the vine embossing folder for FREE with a $50 order -- a Sale-A-Bration bonus!)

Punches - I absolutely love Stampin' Up punches. They are a must for any card, but take this sample -- all of the layering was made so, so easy and impressive thanks to all of our circle punches. Love that!

Ribbon Scissors - I know this seems silly, but these truly are THE BEST scissors for cutting ribbon and what card is finished without ribbon?? Seriously, they are a must have, but keep them away from paper -- these scissors and paper don't get along... like oil and water people. (OK so I just noticed when I went to link these little scissors that they are called Craft & Paper scissors -- it just must be my OCD that doesn't want them used for paper -- or it could be the voice of my Mom in my head -- she had a pair of scissors like these that she was always chasing me around telling me not to use them for paper! Got it, Mom. That is successfully drilled into my head :)

Color Spritzer - this is an oldie, but oh so beautiful on vintage-y style cards. Just slide your favorite Stampin' Write marker into the marker barrel, take off the marker cover and squeeze until your heart's content. Close up make a larger impact -- further away gives it just a minor speckle. So fun and oh so addictive!

Stampin' Dimensionals - if you have ever taken a class with me, then you know that I cannot... I mean can. not. make a card without a bunch of these little helpers. They just add an extra little lift (ha ha pun intended!) to everything. Seriously... run to the store and scoop up one, two or ten packages of these little beauties... you won't regret it!

There you are... there are five of my favorite card-making tools. Now, do tell. What do you have to have when you are card making? Share in the comments below -- inquiring minds want to know!