Christmas Card Holder

If you're anything like me, you LOVE getting Christmas cards each year.  So many times they include great photos & fun letters outlining what that family has been up to for the last 12 months.  I end up keeping them on display most of the year.  But when the year is up, I just hate to throw them away.  I mean - those are peoples' kids and pets and vacation memories - it seems wrong to throw them away. But as you can see, I'm running out of place to store them.  So, I've been saving them in a shoe box.  But then, Stampin' Up! came out with this new little 6"x8" Project Life Album and these awesome 6"x8" envelope pages, and it hit me that I could use these products to store my beloved photo cards & letters.  So, I ordered one 6"x8" Project Life album and 6 packs of envelope pages (there are two in each pack):

They arrived today!  So, I decided to dedicate one pocket page to each family that I regularly get cards from.  I put all of their past cards inside the envelope, then created a little note card for the front of the envelope (there's a pocket to slide it into).  The note card says the family name and explains how I know them.  See the photo below for my completed project & below the photo for some tips.

TIPS:
--Have FUN! with this project -- you can decorate the little card more than I did, using different stamps from your stash or different holiday papers.
--roughly 8-10 envelopes with photos will fit in the album comfortably - you'll want a little room to add photos and letters in the coming years.
--I decided I'm going to need a second album right away - so if you get more than 8-10 cards each year that you want to keep, you might just want to order a second album right away.

You can order these, and any other current Stampin' Up! products here.

Happy stamping!!!
~Michelle

Congrats and Petal Parade Anniversary Card

I was really inspired by this Freshly Made Sketch to create this bright and happy card for a friends' wedding anniversary.  The colors on the screen aren't quite accurate, but in case you are curious, I used Coastal Cabana, Island Indigo, and Calypso Coral.  The stamp sets (Congrats and Petal Parade) are all now retired, unfortunately, but there are several current sets that would work wonderfully for this card as well...specifically, I can't wait to try it with the sentiments from "Bravo" and the flowers from "Flower Patch", both of which are new photopolymer sets being offered by Stampin' Up!

Old In Color Birthday Cake

Recently, I needed to make some birthday cards, so I grabbed this single (now retired) stamp called "Birthday Cake" and made several cards.  I love how this one turned out with the different textures from the embossing and ribbon and the unexpected color combination (retired In Colors: midnight muse, summer starfruit, raspberry ripple, and primrose petals).  To stamp a solid image like this in multiple colors, like I did, color your image with markers rather than using ink pads.  That way you can get the colors exactly where you want them!

Mossy Honey Stippled Blossoms

I was itching to try the new In Colors when they arrived in my recent UPS package the other night, but it was getting late and I knew I wouldn't want to stay up real long, so I decided to keep it simple - though it doesn't look too simple.

Lately, when I'm making cards, I make them in multiples of two because you can get two cards out of one sheet of cardstock, and that has been giving me extra cards to use, donate, or share with friends.

I stamped the "Stippled Blossoms" set in yellow and green ink onto Very Vanilla Cardstock. The yellows I used are the brand-new "Hello Honey" and the classic favorite "So Saffron".  The greens I used are the lush new "Mossy Meadow" and the somewhat lighter "Old Olive".  The sentiments both came from the "Feel Goods" stamp set.

I will say I had better luck using my Stamp-a-ma-jig with this set, even though I did have the cling mount stamps, but the beauty of this set is that even if you are slightly off, you can't tell!

Can't wait to try more of the new In Colors, but until then, Happy Stamping!!!

Stampin' Up! Retired Lists 

 The Stampin' Up! retired lists are here:

• Retired Stamp List -  PDF
• Retired Stamp List - Excel
• Retired Accessory List - PDF
• Retired Accessory List - Excel

Click to Shop the Stampin' Up! Retired List

All items are available only while supplies last, even stamps (which is different than in years past). In fact, some of the items have already sold out! Combine that with the fact that right now you can get free shipping, and it makes it even easier to justify doing some shopping today! 

Happy Shower Day!!!

 

Today, my mom and I are attended a couples' shower for my cousin and her fiancé.  So, I decided to make them a card using their wedding colors (Pear Pizzazz and Perfect Plum) and this card as inspiration. I didn't have the cloud embossing folder, so I cut some out with a die cut from my stash.  I paper-pierced the white rectangle layer and the heart shape using Stampin' Up!'s piercing tools (paper-piercing tool: #126189; pierce mat: #126199, essentials pack: #126187, and occasions pack: #129387). I stamped the umbrella (retired Rain or Shine set) on the white rectangle and then again on a scrap of white.  I cut the umbrella out of the scrap and adhered it onto the rectangle using a Dimensional to give it some depth.  I topped it with a flower punched with Boho Blossoms  (#119858) and a Large Rhinestone (#129324).

Stampin' Up! Catalog Year Coming to a Close

With the renewal of spring, we find ourselves coming to the end of another catalog year for Stampin' Up!  If you're anything like me, you're probably chomping at the bit to find out what new goodies are headed our way, and which goodies we are going to need to hoard because they are retiring.  To help you plot your purchases, here is the schedule for transitioning this spring:

Monday, April 21 - Retired List (all products available while supplies last - this year, this also means stamp sets will be in limited quantities as well!!! - this is different than in years past - so don't delay in ordering your favorites!)

 

 

 

Thursday, May 1st - NEW Project Life products (check out Project Life Details )

Monday, June 2 - New 2014/2015 Annual Catalog goes live!  (ordering begins at 12pm MT)

Wednesday, June 4 - Last day to order from the "old" 2013/2014 Annual Catalog

How to get your new Stampin' Up! 2014/2015 Catalog?  It's easy - contact me through my website and I will be happy to ensure you get a free copy!

Also, thank you for taking the time to follow my blog, leave comments, and of course, for choosing me as your demonstrator.  I hope all this good news leaves you as excited as it leave me! :)