Out with the old Part II

Do not miss the fabulous end of the year clearance sale!  Click below to see fabulous deals on stamps, paper, ink, dies - all your favorites at crazy low prices!


 


And after you've had your fill of the end of the year bargains, take note of the first class of the New Year that I'll be hosting in my home on January 11 at 10:00 a.m.

It's FREE & fun!  If you've never been to a Stampin' Up! Party, come see what it's all about.  You'll be surprised and you'll be amazed at what you can make (yes - YOU can make cute stuff!)

RSVP or ask a question by clicking the button below:

Out with the Old...

January 3 is the date for the new Spring catalog and it is full of beautiful new products that you will absolutely drool over!  But along with the arrival of new things comes the end of the availability of current products from the Holiday Catalog, which there are many I will be sad to see go.  Among my favorites of the soon to go products is the Orchard Harvest Designer Series Paper.  Fortunately, though, the Cannery Framelits and Perfectly Preserved Stamp set will still be available after January 3, 2013!

Here's the first of a set of cards I made to go in a card gift box.  The theme is one of thanks and friendship.

To make this card:

• I cut a strip of core-dinations cardstock and embossed it with the Woodgrain Embossing Folder (still available in 2013!)
• I cut a rectangle of the Orchard Harvest Designer Series Paper (get it while you still can!)
• I stamped the cherry image from the Perfectly Preserved Stamp Set (still available in 2013!) on the Orchard Harvest Paper in Early Espresso and then stamped it in Real Red on Very Vanilla CS.  I used Crystal Effects on the cherries after carefully snipping them out.  

Product Highlights:

Orchard Harvest Designer Series Paper





Perfectly Preserved Stamp Set & Cannery Framelits

Holiday Packaging Bundles

Holiday Packaging Bundles are such a great deal!  They make it so easy to have darling gifts to give with hardly any effort.

These are bags of curried cashews that I made as part of my Homemade Christmas Bonanza this year :)

I used the cellophane bags and Snow Festival Tags - both of which are available at discounted prices when you purchase the Trimmings & Tags Bundle.

The stamped sentiment is from the Happy Hour stamp set - a very fun a versatile set for many occasions.  I loved the font and thought it was the perfect compliment for this cute tag.

Product Highlights:

Trimmings & Tags Bundle

 

Happy Hour Stamp Set

 

Homemade Christmas Goodies

I love to make treats to give away to good friends, teachers, and co-workers.  This year I made Hot Chocolate Mix with a side of Peppermint Marshmallows.  Yum!

I did some "hybrid" work - using My Digital Studio and my traditional hands-on stamping supplies.

Tips & Tricks:

My Digital Studio Labels:  I used My Digital Studio to create the lid label and the label for the Peppermint Marshmallows.  Using the rulers and grid lines in MDS, you can easily create the exact size label you need.  For the lid I made my circle 2 1/2 inches so I could punch it out perfectly with the 2 1/2" circle punch.  For the Peppermint Marshmallow label, the smallest label shape from the digital download corresponds exactly with the Framelits dies.


Downloads used:  Home for the Holidays, Winter Wonders, Made from Scratch

Glassine Bags:  Part of the Petite Treats Bundle, so cute for gift giving!  I embossed mine with the Striped Embossing Folder.


Scentsational Season:  This stamp set and coordinating Framelit Die set are so perfect for decorating packages filled with homemade treats!



Hot Glue Gun:  I used a hot glue gun to adhere the doilies (purchased in the supermarket baking aisle) and other paper layers so they would not come off after being handled or shipped.

Made with Love

Have a friend in need?  Make them a meal or two (using your kitchen :)) and a quick label with instructions for heating (using My Digital Studio).  You could even include a recipe card.  Tie it up with some baker's twine and you've made life a little easier and a little prettier for someone!

• I made these tags using elements from the "Made From Scratch" designer template.  
• Using the "Labels Collection 1" punch will coordinate perfectly with the largest framelit in the "Labels Framelits" collection - so you can cut it out perfectly with your Big Shot
• This kit has an adorable retro style and a great recipe book template.  Here's the official list of all the great elements included in this very versatile kit:

Download includes:
* 26-page 5-1/2" x 6-1/2" recipe template
* 25-piece stamp brush set
* 5 Designer Series Paper patterns
* 57 embellishments
* One-page 8-1/2" x 11" designer template

Features:
* Digital-exclusive
* Just add photos and recipes for a quick giftable easel recipe book.
* Create in software as an easel calendar project.
* Use our traditional Spiral Border Punch to add additional recipes.
* Contents work well to create recipe books, cards, or any cooking-themed projects.
* Bonus 8-1/2" x 11" designer template includes category tabs to print and adhere to recipe book. Also includes extra pieces to create a cute tag to gift the recipe book, or design additional pieces.

Coordinating colors:
Blushing Bride, Early Espresso, Garden Green, Going Gray, Lucky Limeade, Peach Parfait, Marina Mist, Night of Navy, Poppy Parade, Rich Razzleberry, Tangerine Tango

DID YOU KNOW?  MDS IS 50% OFF UNTIL TOMORROW ONLY!  And you can get this cute download FREE today!  Click the tag to get MDS today!

Gift Giving Made Easy with My Digital Studio

My Digital Studio is on sale now through November 28th for 50% OFF!  There is no better time to delve into the wonderful (and mess-free) world of digital designing.

It can help you with all your Christmas and Holiday gift giving and gatherings using pre-made templates for bows and tags and myriad Holiday designer paper patterns and embellishments to add your own design to all your projects.

To get a copy of MDS at this amazing price, click the MDS ornament below:

This project is a hybrid project:  meaning I used MDS to create the bows and the tag, printed them out and the used my stamps in ink, ribbon, and a kraft box to complete my project.

Favorite Downloads:

Winter Wonders Digital Kit:   I love the bright colors and Scandinavian feel of this kit.  The beautiful blues and reds make it versatile for all your wintry themed projects.

 

That's a Wrap Digital Kit:  So many cute bows, so little time.  This kit comes with "punch" templates so you can fill these darling bows with any designer paper you have in your MDS arsenal.



 Favorite Products:  

Kraft Boxes:  These are perfect for gifting all kinds of holiday treats and can be decorated in so many ways for all occassions.  BONUS they are on sale too!  Only $2.07 for a pack of 4.  Buy lots!

Online Extravaganza!

 The Online Extravaganza promotion is our biggest online sale of the year! From November 19-28 you  can get incredible discounts-up to 50 percent-on some of your favorite products!
In addition, there will be three products 20 percent off for 24-hours only on both the first (November 19) and last (November 28) days of Online Extravaganza-our very own doorbusters!

• Discounts range between 20 and 50 percent--awesome!
• There's no minimum purchase required to participate in this promotion. Sale on!
• For product bundles, you need to use the bundle item numbers provided. If you use individual item numbers, you won't get the discount--bummer.
• You can buy additional products from any of our current catalogs on the same order.  

DOORBUSTERS!!
 
Monday, November 19, midnight - 11:50 PM (MT)

Page	Item	Description	Retail Price	24-Hour Sale Price
181	125586	Simply Scored Diagonal Plate	$11.95	$9.56
186	113439	Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine	$99.95	$79.96
186	113474	Big Shot Doctor's Bag	$69.95	$55.96

Wednesday, November 28, midnight - 11:50 PM (MT)

Page	Item	Description	Retail Price	24-Hour Sale Price
7	118941	Clear Block Bundle (Blocks A-I)	$66.95	$53.56
7	120279	Clear Block Storage Caddy	$16.95	$13.56
175	109127	Stack & Store Caddy	$34.95	$27.96

PRODUCTS NOT TO MISS:

My Digital Studio!! It's 50% OFF!!  That means you can get started with digital designing for as little as $19.98  or $39.98 for the "Plus" edition.  Click the MDS button below to start downloading your copy today!

Christmas Crafting Supplies Galore!!
Snow Much Fun, 25 & Counting, & Come to Bethlehem stamp sets are 50% off!  Plus you'll find Christmas paper (Be of Good Cheer DSP), and supplies like Anywhere Glue Sticks, Kraft Boxes, a Ribbon Bundle, and my FAVORITE punch the Decorative Label Punch - all at reduced prices.   

 CLICK THE "SHOP"  BUTTON BELOW TO GO RIGHT TO MY STORE AND SEE THESE INCREDIBLE DEALS!

CLICK HERE TO SEE A PDF FILE OF ALL THE SALE ITEMS!

Neon Notes

Neon is such a fun trend and you can create to your heart's delight with the fabulous My Digital Studio Kit, "Neon Notes."

Here's a fun card I designed using elements and colors from this kit:

Tips & Tricks:

Neon Notes is a trendy and versatile kit that gives you an amazing amount of content to play with for an itty bitty price.  Check it out by clicking the image below.





MDS is the easiest, most creative and mess-free fun you can have designing cards and scrapbook pages!  TAKE NOTE!  It will be 50% OFF starting Monday, November 19th through Wednesday, November 28 as part of Stampin' Up's Holiday Online Extravaganza!  That means you can grab the basic MDS software for under $20!  AND the "plus" addition (with loads of extra content you know you want) for under $40!  That's amazing!

Check back on Monday November 19th for all the details!

Online Extravaganzaa Coming Soon!!

Mark your calendar for Monday, November 19th!  Stampin' Up! is having a huge online sale with special doorbuster deals plus up to 50% off some of your favorite products!  The sale runs from November 19 through November 28 only.

Here's a sneak peek at the doorbuster deals:

Monday, November 19, midnight - 11:50 PM (MT)

Page	Item	Description	Retail Price	24-Hour Sale Price
181	125586	Simply Scored Diagonal Plate	$11.95	$9.56
186	113439	Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine	$99.95	$79.96
186	113474	Big Shot Doctor's Bag	$69.95	$55.96

Wednesday, November 28, midnight - 11:50 PM (MT)

Page	Item	Description	Retail Price	24-Hour Sale Price
7	118941	Clear Block Bundle (Blocks A-I)	$66.95	$53.56
7	120279	Clear Block Storage Caddy	$16.95	$13.56
175	109127	Stack & Store Caddy	$34.95	$27.96

DON'T MISS OUT!!! CHECK BACK EARLY ON NOVEMBER 19TH!  Full details will be posted here on my blog!

Thanksgiving

"Thank You" cards are really one of the most special kind of cards to receive.  It's so important to be filled with gratitude for the people in our lives and their gifts of time and attention.

Here's an autumn-themed "thank-you" card I designed using the Perfectly Preserved Bundle which includes the Perfectly Preserved stamp set and Cannery Framelits. It takes a little time to put this one together, but the extra effort will show your recipient how much their kindness meant to you.

Tips for creating this card:

• Use Core-dinations Cardstock in Early Espresso to make a standard size card (4.25 x 5.5 folded)
• Emboss Very Vanilla Card Stock using the Woodgrain Embossing Folder
• Use Versamark and Pewter Embossing Powder to create the silvery jar, cut it out using the coordinating framelit
• Mix Sugar & Spice Scented Embossing Powder with Early Espresso Embossing Powder to create the "Thank You" banner with the Itty Bitty Banners stamp set and Framelits.
• Stamp a layer of Very Vanilla CS in the corner to create a cute interior

Favorite Stampin' Up! Products:

Perfectly Preserved Bundle:  There are so many ways to use this trendy and cute canning jar themed set!


 

Cute Gift Giving Ideas

My last post showed how to use My Digital Studio to applique a T-shirt.   Here's a quick way to "gift-wrap" those same T-shirts, using some Stampin' Up! ribbon and a tag created using My Digital Studio.  (The recipients' names have been blurred out on purpose).

• Fold the T-shirt sleeves and sides in to make a rectangle
• Roll it up starting with the neck
• Tie some pretty ribbon and tag around it
• Gift wrapping done!

I also made file folders to store the T-shirt patterns using the "File it Fun" Digital Kit:

• Pick your favorite tab embellishment from the "File it Fun" Digital Kit
• Add a piece of digital "Washi" tape
• Add some text 
• Add a digital button and a baker's twine bow to embellish it
• Print it, cut it, glue it to your file.

My Digital Studio really opens up the door to endless creativity!

Favorite Downloads:

File It Fun:  How can I use thee?  Let me count the ways!  Files, tags, scrapbook pages, labels, recipe cards - and the colors are so fresh and cheerful with just a hint of retro.

 
 Wonderfall:  This is a simply beautiful kit with gorgeous fall colors and paper designs that can be used  for cheerful table decorations, menus, cards, etc.  Plus you get all the leaf shapes in digital punches too.

MDS & Applique

Here's a fun use for My Digital Studio that you may not have thought about:  Applique.  You can easily transform a plain T-shirt into a super-cute, trendy, and unique piece of clothing.

• I simply used a punch shape, chose a "mat" to outline it, re-sized it to be large enough, and printed it out. 
• Then I traced the image onto "Steam-a-Seam" which is sticky on both sides when you peel off the paper and can be ironed on first to your applique fabric and then to your T-shirt to make sewing it on a breeze.

The punch shapes I used for these T-shirts are from the Wonderfall Digital Kit.  I also used the oh-so-pretty Stitched Satin Ribbon in Summer Starfruit to add a sweet bow to the leaf on each shirt.

• I used a vintage Stretch & Sew pattern for children's T-shirts (it's the best pattern for T-shirts IMO - a really cute close fit and easy instructions).  You can most likely find a copy at E-bay, Etsy, etc. by searching for "Stretch & Sew 950."

 

• I made these T-shirts by taking some of my husband's plain white undershirts that had out-lived their usefulness (at least to him).
• First, I dyed them using various combinations of Rit Fabric dye to create the fall colors
• I appliqued the front pieces using some scraps I had of ivory cotton velveteen (I stitched the grid lines in before I cut the shapes out to give it a quilted look) before stitching the shirt together.

So next time you open up MDS - think outside the box!  There are myriad ways to use this program in all your creative projects!