A Sad, but Happy Day....

Good morning, my stamping friends! I just wanted to stop in and share a couple of cards using a few of the products that will be saying bye-bye forever tonight!

Yes, they will disappear at midnight, just like Cinderella's coach! So that makes is a sad day, BUT, it's also a happy day because we all know that tomorrow brings a new catalog chock full of gorgeous new stamps and accesssories! I can't wait to show you my first project with the new In Colors tomorrow, but you'll just have to check back.........

The first card today is using the always fabulous Fresh Cuts Note cards - which are NOT retiring, thank goodness! I stamped the main collage image from the Fresh Cuts stamp set with Kiwi Kiss ink - bye bye my friend - the added a piece of the Walk in the Park Designer Series Paper behind the cut out flower so the pretty Cameo Coral color shows through.

The center is embellished with the Flower Fusion II Felt Flowers, also saying bye bye tonight! I used the Chocolate Chip color but the tin has Pink Pirouette and Baja Breeze as well. It's attached with my always favorite Rhinestone Brads in Ice Square. You can't tell by this photo, but it's the green one.

Lastly, I added a piece of that luscious, Kiwi Kiss Satin Ribbon, which sadly, is alreay SOLD OUT! What I really love about this card is how quick and easy it came together. Makes life so simple when I need something beautiful in about 10 seconds! LOL!

This next card also uses the Walk in the Park Designer Series Paper - I've sure gotten a lot of use from that paper - it has some great varied designs in it so you never get the same look twice. It is also going bye bye tonight, but it can still be ordered up through midnight!

Here, I've made my card from Kiwi Kiss cardstock and layered it with Chocolate Chip and Baja Breeze. The next layer is the Designer Paper. I've tied all the layers together with a piece of Chocolate Chip Taffeta Ribbon across the bottom third.

Now for the fun part! I used two more pieces of the Designer Paper and cut two butterflies with my Big Shot and the Beautiful Butterflies Die. Both butterflies were sponged on the edges with Kiwi Kiss ink then I curled them with my Bone folder. I attached them with Stampin' Dimensionals to the card front.

To create the antennae, took a small piece of Hemp Twine and knotted the ends, then folded it in the middle. It is attached to the back of the butterfly with some Sticky Strip to keep it in place.

Thanks for stopping by today to say Hi! In case you were wondering, I'm still working on my year end goal, so if there is anything I can order for you today or this evening, let me know, ok? I know I can get there!

It's been a fabulous year with Stampin' Up! and I've been truly blessed yet again. You, my stamping friends, make it all worthwhile!

Happy Tuesday!

~~Robin

Shop 24/7 from my website at http://www.robinstamps4u.stampinup.net/

Just click the SHOP NOW button at the top right of the page!

Soft and Pretty Monday Card

Monday is always one of those days that you just don't know how it's gonna go. I always hope for a good one because it kind of sets the tone for the rest of my week, kwim?

So, today, to help things along, I decided to show you all a card I did for a class earlier this month. Just very simple, soft and pretty!

I took a piece of 6 x 12 Pretty in Pink cardstock and laid it on top of my Movers and Shapers Die, rolling it through my Big Shot to create the entire card front. Isn't that cool? The little window was created by the moveable piece that comes with the die so you can put the opening anywhere on the card that you want it to be! I love that feature! The other cool thing about this die is that not only does it cut in the stitched line around the opening, it scores the card in half for you as well so you don't have to score it yourself! Love those step savers!

The rest of the card is pretty simple, I stamped the little flowers at the top with the Boho Background stamp set, using Pretty in Pink ink for the tone on tone effect. Then, I cut a piece of Walk in the Park Designer Series Paper at 1" x 4 1/4" and adhered it to a piece of Chocolate Chip cardstock cut at 2 1/2". The Chocolate Chip piece was given it's pretty edge with the Scalloped Edge Punch. These layers were adhered to the card front with SNAIL adhesive. I then took a piece of the So Saffron Twill Ribbon and tied it around the card, just above the DSP, trimming the ends with my Paper and Craft Scissors (ribbon scissors!)

For the greeting, I turned to the Curly Label stamp set (it comes with the Curly Label Punch and is retiring tomorrow!) The striped window was stamped with Kiwi Kiss ink on Whisper White cardstock and then I added the greeting with the Short and Sweet stamp set. It's stamped with Chocolate Chip ink. It's punched out with the Curly Label Punch and popped up on Stampin' Dimensionals to make it stand out a bit. That's it - so super easy and I just love how pretty it is!

Important! If you are wanting to purchase the Movers and Shapers Die - it will still be in the new Idea Book and Catalog, BUT it is increasing in price! You can still order it from me now for just $39.95! Here is a list of the supplies I used for this card with Item Numbers. I've indicated which are retiring tomorrow so you don't miss out!

Pretty in Pink 12 x 12 cardstock #106546

Chocolate Chip 8 1/2 x 11 cardstock # 102128

Walk in the Park DSP (RETIRING!) # 115123

Boho Backgrounds Stamp set # 114940

Short and Sweet Stamp set # 115060

Curly Label Punch Bundle Punch and Stamp set (stamps are RETIRING!) #112966

So Saffron Twill Ribbon (RETIRING!) #111364

Pretty in Pink Classic Ink Pad # 101301

Chocolate Chip Classic Ink Pad # 100908

Movers and Shapers Curly Label Die (PRICE INCREASE!) #114506

Big Shot Die-Cut Machine (Starter Kit is going away!) #113439

Big Shot Extended Cutting Pads #113478

Remember, you can order from my website 24/7 at http://www.robinstamps4u.stampinup.net/

Just click the SHOP NOW button at the top right corner!

See you tomorrow!

~~Robin

Stamping 411 - Week 5 Sketch Challenge

(Revised on 6/29 to include measurements and supplies!)

Happy Saturday, everyone!



Here is my completed card for this week's sketch on the Stamping 411 Blog. I will be back later today to revise this post with all the details and measurements for you.



Due to some unexpected circumstances today, I just have to post it quickly now so you can link back to the Stamping 411 Blog and see all the other design team's beautiful work too.




And, we are offering blog candy this week on the Stamping 411 Blog - be sure to check it out!



Ok, WHEW - I made it through the weekend and finally have time to get these measurements and instructions up for you!

I started with a piece of Whisper White cardstock 8 1/2 x 11 and cut it in half at 5 1/2 x 8 1/2. This was folded in half with my Bone Folder making a base of 4 1/4 x 5 1/2.
The next layer is Basic Black cardstock cut at 4 x 5 1/4.
I added a layer of Designer Series Paper from the retiring Rockabilly pack. It is cut at 3 3/4 x 5.

The decorative strip also has three layers - the bottom one is Riding Hood Red cardstock cut at 2 1/2" x 4". I then used my Scallop Border Punch on the top and bottom to create the scalloped edges.
Next is the Whisper White layer, cut at 1 3/4" x 4".
Then another piece of Rockabilly DSP cut at 1 1/2" x 4".
I wrapped these three layers with a piece of Riding Hood Red Taffeta Ribbon and tied it in a double knot. The ends were trimmed with the Craft and Paper Scissors, known in my house as the "Ribbon" scissors because they cut through the ribbon like "buttah"!

For my focal point image, I used the cherries stamp from the Tart and Tangy stamp set. Taking my Stampin' Write Markers, I colored directly on the stamp, using Old Olive for the stem and Ruby Red for the Cherries. This was stamped on Whisper White cardstock then punched out with the 1 3/8" Circle Punch. I took my Basic Black Stampin' Write Marker and lightly edged it with black.
This was layered on to a piece of Kiwi Kiss cardstock that was punched with the Scallop Circle Punch. Using my White Gel Pen, I added the little polka dots in each scallop. I added a couple of Stampin' Dimensionals to the back and adhered it to the card front.

For the greeting, I used a bit of old and new - the greeting is from the retiring Hostess set, Goody-Goody Gumdrops. It's stamped in Riding Hood Red on to Whisper White cardstock. To punch it out I used the NEW Modern Label Punch which you can order beginning on July 1st! This punched out piece was also edged with a little black marker and then adhered to the card front with more Dimensionals.

That's it - pretty basic, but so simple to complete! Have fun with your creations this week! Don't forget to enter the sketch challenge for YOUR chance to win the blog candy on Stamping 411!

Stamped Blessings!
~~Robin

Order your Stampin' Up! Supplies from my website 24/7 - http://www.robinstamps4u.stampinup.net/ Just click on the SHOP NOW button at the top right corner!

Blogger's Challenge #105 - Alter It!

Yes, I admit it, I did not make this project this week - I'm hanging my head in shame. Honestly, as much as I love to turn something plain and ordinary in to something extraordinary, my heart just wasn't in it this week. I've been stamping up a storm working on projects for Stamping 411 and for my Ink-SPA-rations Stampin' Spa tomorrow, so the mojo is there, really. But yesterday when I went into my abyss of a closet to find 'something' to alter, I just didn't hear anything calling out to me.



So, that gives me a chance to show you a really fun project that I did two summers ago with my daughter Emma. We took an ordinary white pocket folder and turned it into a cool scrapbook! As you can see, this project is using many retired products, but I just love this idea and am glad to have found it in my stash. (We do have one with pictures, but this was my sample for the Mom and Me class I did that summer.)

I'll provide the product list at the end of this post.



To make the scrapbook, just take the folder and fold it inside out so the pockets are on the outside. Then fold the front left edge over to the right, touching the center fold. Flip it over and do the same with the left side.


For this one, I actually glued the folder together so it doesn't open accordian style, but I have done them where we have Designer Paper and photos/journaling on the backside as well. The ribbon closure just doesn't get glued down on the back for that style.

As you can see, the inside was stamped with different colors and patterns and then I lined the inside pages with Designer Series Paper. The pull outs are cardstock with tabs. These are perfect for photos and journaling.

The front is actually featuring an Altered Item as well with the On Board Chipboard flower covered in Designer Series Paper. The leaves were punched out of a piece of crimped cardstock that had been folded in half to make the seam.

These are a great way to use up leftovers from a pack of Designer Series Paper and even our Simply Scrappin' Kits - I have one of those too that I can show you, maybe on Sunday! Just be prepared - it has photos, but no journaling - a scrapbookers lament! Always unfinished projects!

Be sure to check out all the other Blogger's Challenge Players this week. I know they will have fun projects to inspire your "Alter" ego! LOL!

Here is the supply list for this project. Any item in Bold type is still available for purchase!

Stamps: Polka Dots and Paisley, Office Accoutrements, Best Friends Alphabet, Totally Tabs

Inks: Tempting Turquoise, Regal Rose, Old Olive, So Saffron

Cardstock: Tempting Turquoise, Regal Rose, Old Olive, So Saffron, Whisper White

Designer Series Paper: Petals and Paisley

Accessories: On Board Chipboard flower, Ticket Corner Punch, Scalloped Circle Punch, 1" Circle Punch, Round Tab Punch, Large Oval Punch, Crimper, Mini Glue Dots, Anywhere Glue Stick, Regal Rose Narrow Grosgrain Ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals, Stampin' Sponges

Remember, you can shop from my website for all these products and more 24/7! Just go to http://www.robinstamps4u.stampinup.net/ and click on the SHOP NOW button in the upper right corner.



I'll be back tomorrow with the sketch card for the Stamping 411 Blog! Be sure to check it out - there is going to be cool blog candy there this week!


~~Robin

Good Morning, Sunshine!

Isn't that the BEST name for designer paper? It just makes me WANT to create with it!

But, that DSP is being retired, so I -we - better get creating before it's gone forever! BooHoo!

This cute little card box with cards and envelopes is a version of one of the projects we'll be doing at Ink-SPA-rations Stampin' Spa on Saturday. I think it would make a wonderful little gift for a special friend or you could just use the cards for yourself - they are a great size for gift inserts or lunch box notes. The box could then hold your favorite chocolate stash and no one but YOU would know it was there!

I used Garden Green cardstock for the box and card bases and the Good Morning Sunshine DSP for the card and box fronts. The envelopes were stamped with the Good Friend stamp set and the greetings on the cards were made with the Really Retro stamp set. The Small and Large Oval punches added just the right emphasis for the greetings.

The pretty flower on my card box was done with my trusty Big Shot and the Flower Layers #3 Die. For the center I used one of the New Jumbo Brads - it was the perfect finishing touch!

Thanks for stopping by to say hi today! And for those of you who are following my goal progress, I'm getting there, but not quite yet! Thanks so much to those of you who have placed orders with me - I appreciate you so much! Say a prayer for me, ok? Because, really, it's all up to God anyway! If the goal is reached - He deserves the credit!

Stamped blessings everyone!

Robin

Shop 24/7 from my website at http://www.robinstamps4u.stampinup.net/

Just click on the SHOP NOW button at the top right!

So Close to My Goal and I NEED Your Help!

Good Monday Morning Stampers!

I’m so excited to be able to tell you a couple of wonderful things:

First, because of YOU, I have earned the Southern Caribbean Cruise for 2010! I am very excited to be able to provide this fabulous vacation for my family – yes, Emma will be going with us this time! There is an ice rink on board the ship and she can’t wait to go skating at SEA!

Secondly, because of YOU, I am only a wee bit shy of my Yearly Sales Goal! Our fiscal year ends in just 8 short days and I KNOW I can reach my goal with a little help from you, my stamping friends!

So, I have a little TREAT for each of you who helps me reach my goal by the end of the month!
For every $50 order you place between now and June 30th – you will receive from me your choice of ANY of my Retired Stamp Sets – Unmounted or Mounted AND a Designer Series Paper Sampler! (I have a LOT to choose from!)

Also, I will be doing a 50/50 Drawing board!

For each $50 purchase you make, you get a square on my 50/50 board. On July 1st, I will draw a name from the board and the winner will receive a $50 Stampin’ Up! Gift Certificate that you can use in the NEW Catalog!
There will be 20 squares on each board, so once I fill up one, I’ll do a second board. If that one fills up, I will draw for TWO Gift Certificates!

This is a great time for you to stock up on your basic consumables – cardstock in all colors, any adhesives like SNAIL refills and Stampin’ Dimensionals, basic color brads, grosgrain and taffeta ribbons –the things you use all the time in your stamping and hate to run out of!

And because there are many items in the current Catalog that are being retired forever, you can add these to your stock while you are still able to get them.
I know I have the best clients and stamping friends anywhere and you all support me so beautifully, I can’t thank you enough! With your help, I KNOW I’ll reach my goal!

To place an order, you can either e-mail me at stampwithrobin@yahoo.com OR phone me at 703-365-9197 OR visit my website at http://www.robinstamps4u.stampinup.net/ and click the SHOP NOW button at the upper right corner. I do get a copy of all orders placed on my website and will be sure to add your names to my 50/50 board.

ALSO - did you know that the Big Shot Starter Kit for customers is NOT going to be in the NEW catalog? That’s right!

The money saving option to get your Big Shot bundled with Dies and Cutting Platforms does not carry over to the next catalog. All items including the machine itself will be A La Carte.

This also means that your opportunity to receive 3 FREE Big Shots classes from me goes away as well.

If this has been on your wish list, now is the time to act and take advantage of the extra savings. Not to mention that you get FREE Hostess dollars and stamps when you make this purchase! It’s really too good a deal to miss! Click HERE to view the details of this special package.

Have a wonderful Monday and thank you in advance for all your help in reaching my end of the year goal! I KNOW it can happen thanks to YOU!

Stamped blessings,

~~Robin

Stamping 411 Saturday Sketch Challenge #104

It's Saturday again and if you're a regular reader of my blog, you now know that it's time for the next Saturday Sketch Challenge on the Stamping 411 Blog.

My card is posted here for you along with measurements and a tutorial. To see what the other 5 members of the design team have created for you, hop on over to the Stamping 411 Blog and click on their cards. It will take you right to their blogs and their tutorials! Then be sure and use the sketch to play along with us. We'd love to see your creations, so be sure to upload them using the Mr. Linky widget. If you post to Splitcoast or elsewhere, be sure to use the sketch #SSC104.

This card started very simply and I kept it that way, very clean lines and soft colors. I began with a card base of Pink Pirouette cardstock. My card is a half sheet of 8 1/2 x 11 cardstock cut at 5 1/2" on the 11" side. I folded this piece in half to make a card that measures 4 1/4" x 5 1/2". I used my Bone Folder to give it a good crease.

After folding, I added a hint of a background with my Itty Bitty Backgrounds stamp set. Taking one of the stamps, I stamped all around the card edges with Pink Pirouette ink for the tone on tone look. You could also achieve this with a Versamark inkpad.

Next, I cut my Kiwi Kiss layer at 1 3/4" x 4 1/4". This piece was simply wrapped with a piece of the 1 1/4" Pink Pirouette Grosgrain Ribbon. To adhere it, I used SNAIL adhesive on the back of the Kiwi cardstock then added more SNAIL to the ribbon when I attached it to the front of the card. This keeps it securely in place.

The next layer is Baja Breeze cardstock, cut at 4 1/2" x 3 1/4". I cut my Whisper White cardstock layer at 4 1/4" x 3". To create the stamped focal point image, I used the Kindred Spirits stamp set. I laid the stamp rubber side up on my Grid Paper. Taking my Kiwi Kiss ink pad, I smooshed it all over the stamp, inking the image. I could have used a Brayer and rolled the ink on, but I would have had to get up from my chair and walk across the room to get it. This seemed easier at the time! LOL!

I wanted to dull the color a bit so before I stamped my inked image on the Whisper White cardstock, I folded my Grid Paper over it and removed some of the ink from the rubber. Then I picked up the stamp and placed it on the cardstock, transferring the image. (Sounds fancy, huh?)

Anyway, to create the pretty Butterfly, I took two pieces of Candy Lane Designer Series Paper cut at 2 1/2" x 2" and ran them through my Big Shot with the Beautiful Butterflies Die. One of the butterflies was attached to the card front with SNAIL adhesive. For the top one, I punched a hole with my 1/16" Hole Punch and added the brad from the Vanilla Hodgepodge Hardware kit. To attach it to the card, I used a Stampin' Dimensional to give it height. I then attached the Whisper White layer to the Baja Breeze cardstock.

The last piece was the greeting. I used words from the Happy Everything stamp set and stamped them in Baja Breeze ink on Whisper White cardstock. This was cut out and attached to the back of the label frame - also from the Vanilla Hodgepodge kit - with Mini Glue Dots. I then positioned it onto the stamped leaves image and punched two holes with my Paper Piercing Tool, going through both cardstock layers. The brads were added to secure the label frame in place and then I popped the whole Baja Breeze layer up on Stampin' Dimensionals - one in each corner - and secured it to the folded card front.

This was a really simple card to create, but with the addition of ribbon and hardware, looks a lot more substantial. And isn't that the idea? Create something beautiful with no muss or fuss. I love how this one turned out and I hope you do too! I'd love to hear from you so leave me a comment to let me know you've stopped by!

Happy Saturday everyone!

~~Robin

All supplies used are available through my website at http://www.robinstamps4u.stampinup.net/

You can shop there 24/7! It's easy and fun! My website has lots of creative ideas and great color combinations. Check it out today!

Blogger's Challenge #104 - Manly Theme

I have to admit, this theme took me a while to wrap my head around. Not that I can't make a masculine card, but it's just not my easiest theme area, kwim? I even asked my husband what I should do and after he got done mimicing Tim Allen of Home Improvement - he even said, "I don't know, don't you have some kind of tree stamps?" Well, yes, I do, so out came "Lovely as a Tree" once again and off we went!

I took my color pallette from the Urban Garden Designer Series Paper - in fact I was going to use one of the striped papers as a background, but it was just TOO much, trust me! The card is a 4 1/4" square of Not Quite Navy cardstock and it's layered with a piece of 4" square Kiwi Kiss. The Basic Gray layer is next and it's cut at 3 3/4" then texturized with my Big Shot and the Texture Plates #4 kit.

For my focal point, I used the stamp that looks like the Tree of Life at Disney's Animal Kingdom - not sure what kind it is, but I'd never used it, so I thought it was time to give it a whirl. Taking my sponge daubers and ink pads in Chocolate Chip, Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss and Not Quite Navy, I added color directly to the stamp in layers. Chocolate Chip for the tree trunk, then Baja Breeze, Kiwi and Not Quite Navy in that order to vary the color of the leaves. It looks a bit psychedelic, but I actually like how it turned out!
I sponged Not Quite Navy around the Whisper White cardstock then layered it on a piece of Kiwi Kiss for a mat. This piece is popped up on Stampin' Dimensionals for height.

The greeting came from the Sock Monkey stamp set of all places - I liked the font style and it fit the Word Window Punch I used to punch it out! This was sponged with a it of Kiwi Kiss and adhered to the card front. The Silver Brads were added for a bit of hardware interest and that was it!

I'm happy with the end result and I hope you like it too. If you are coming to stamp camp tomorrow, you'll be making this card along with 4 others. There is still time to rsvp if you want to attend.
Be sure to do two things this weekend - click on the Blogger's Challenge icon on my sidebar to see all the other designers "Manly" cards and be inspired. Second, check back here tomorrow for my design team project for the weekly Stamping 411 blog Sketch Challenge. I'll have detailed instructions for creating my project and you can take the sketch and play along with us this week! You never know if you'll end up being chosen as one of our top 5 picks for the Stampers Showcase!
Oh, and be sure and enjoy your weekend - hug the ones you love and do something fun for yourself!

Stampingly,
~~Robin

Shop 24/7 on my website at www.robinstamps4u.stampinup.net

Stamping 411 - Saturday Sketch Challenge Week #3!

Hello and happy Saturday stampers!

It's time for another sketch challenge for the Stamping 411 blog. I hope you've taken time to view the work of the other design team members and maybe even played along with us! The whole idea is to get YOU stamping!



This week's sketch is shown here and as you can see from my card, I've simply turned the sketch on it's side.



I began with a piece of Pacific Point cardstock, cut at 4 1/4" x 11". I scored it at 5 1/2" so it would fold nicely in the middle. Next, I wanted to create a background, but nothing that would detract from the focal point, so I turned to my

Big Shot and Texture Plates Kit #4.



To do the background on the card front, first take the Multi-Purpose platform and open it up to Tab 1, sliding it into the Big Shot. Next, lay the texture plate of choice face up on the platform. Then, open up the folded card and lay half onto the texture plate. This is covered with the Silicone Rubber and then with the Impressions Pad. That is all you need for your "sandwich", no Cutting Pads for this.

Simply roll it through your Big Shot and you have a beautiful textured background on your card front.

(note - I do spritz my cardstock with a bit of rubbing alcohol before rolling it as it gives a bit more depth when the cardstock is damp. Alcohol also evaporates quicker than water.)



Once my card base was prepared, I cut all my other elements. Utilizing the Good Morning Sunshine Designer Series Paper, I cut two strips: the Chocolate Chip pattern is cut at 1 1/4" x 4" and the Birdy pattern is cut at 1 1/4" x 5". These were then layered onto the card base with SNAIL adhesive.



For my focal point, I took out an old favorite stamp set, Enjoy Every Moment - so glad this is NOT retiring! Using my "cut the paper the size of the block" technique, I cut my Whisper White piece at 3 3/4" x 2". The Kiwi Kiss mat layer is cut at 4" x 2 1/4". I stamped the word "enjoy" with Pacific Point ink in the center of the white cardstock and then added the accent from another stamp set, Good Friend. I simply inked up the flower image with Summer Sun ink and overstamped the "o" in enjoy.

After layering the white and Kiwi layers together, I punched a hole with my Paper Piercing Tool in the center of the "o" and added the Summer Sun Corduroy brad. It's always better to add a brad through multi layers so the prongs don't show through the focal point piece.

These layered pieces were added to the card front with Stampin' Dimensionals, one in each corner.



For my corner element, I simply stamped "life" in Pacific Point ink onto a scrap of Whisper White cardstock and overstamped it with another flower from the Good Friend stamp set. I inked it in Summer Sun as well, but dimmed the color a bit by stamping off one time on Grid Paper first. This was then punched out with my 1" Circle Punch. It is edged with Pacific Point ink for a bit of color impact then layered onto a piece of Kiwi Kiss cardstock punched with my 1 1/4" Circle Punch. To add it to the card, I stacked two Stampin' Dimensionals for height and adhered it in place.



I wanted to finish the inside of this card as well, so I cut a piece of Whisper White cardstock at 4" x 5 1/4". I then stamped the first flower several times with Summer Sun ink in the corners. Taking out my Smarty Pants stamp set, I added the greeting in Pacific Point ink.



So, as you can see, this is a very easy sketch to work with, even turned on it's side. We on the Stamping 411 design team love to not only hear from you through your comments here, but we love to see your take on our sketches. Be sure to play along with us this week and upload your projects to the Stamping 411 blog by using the Mr. Linky widget provided. YOU may just find yourself as one of our top 5 picks for the week!



And don't forget to ask yourself - "What if the Hokey Pokey really IS what it's all about?"

Have a great weekend!

~~Robin



Shop 24/7 from my website at http://www.robinstamps4u.stampinup.net/ !

Last Chance Accessories are selling out - don't miss out on these gems - some at 50% off!

Blogger's Challenge #103 - Sketch Challenge

Happy Friday everyone! I feel like I'm finally back in the swing of things in the studio and I actually got my challenge card completed last night before my Big Shots Class started! I've had an up and down and very busy 2 weeks around here with just lots of family and personal stuff, so it's been "stamp when I can", kwim? I'm hoping that once school is out next Wednesday, things will relax a bit and for a nice while. A girl can dream, right? LOL!



Today's challenge was to interpret the sketch shown here that our challenge Mom, Lisa sent us. I have to say, when I first looked at it, I thought I was going to have a tough time with it, because it just didn't speak to me. But, the best way to finish anything is just to start it, so I did and pulled out one of my favorite stamp sets - Seaside - as my jumping off point. Seaside is actually retiring at the end of June too, so if you don't already own this beautiful collection of shells, I highly recommend it.



To find my color scheme, I turned once again to some Designer Series Paper, this time using "To the Nines" which has been extremely popular. If you love it, you will be happy to know that it IS in the NEW catalog!



My card base is Creamy Caramel cardstock which I've spritzed with my Close to Cocoa Stampin' Write Marker and my Color Spritzing tool. I then layered on two pieces of the DSP in the paisley and houndstooth prints.



The horizontal layer is Close to Cocoa cardstock which I've distressed top and bottom with my Bone Folder then wrapped with a piece of Twill Tape. I liked the texture better than the Kraft Taffeta ribbon that I started out with. For a bit of emphasis, I've added a Pewter slide from the now retired Hodgepodge Hardware set. I've been hoarding these!


The nautilus shell image was stamped with Basic Brown ink onto Naturals White Cardstock and I added some Sage Shadow ink with my Aqua Painter. The edges of this piece were also distressed with my Bone Folder and I then colored the edges with the Close to Cocoa Marker before spritzing it as well. This piece is popped up on Stampin' Dimensionals to add depth.



Lastly, I stamped the "for you" greeting from the All Holidays stamp set on a scrap of Naturals White. It's punched out with my 1" Circle Punch, then edged it with Basic Brown ink. It's layered onto a piece of Sage Shadow cardstock punched out with the 1 1/4" Circle Punch. It's also edged with Basic Brown ink then layered under the greeting. I've popped the whole thing up on two stacked dimensionals to raise it above the shell image.



All in all, I'm pretty happy with this card, in fact, I think it will make a great Father's Day card, don't you? I hope my Father-in-Law thinks so anyway!



Thanks for stopping by today to visit - I hope you'll leave a comment to let me know you've been here! Be sure to check out all the other Blogger's Challenge Players by clicking on the link in my sidebar. They will have tons of ideas with this sketch to inspire you!



And if you like sketches, come back tomorrow for week #3 of www.stamping411.blogspot.com Sketchy Saturday! My creation will be posted here with measurements and instructions, then you can go to the Stamping 411 blog and view the other Design Operators creations as well. If you play along and upload your creation to the Stamping 411 blog, you might just be picked as one of our Fab Five next week for Stampers Showcase on the blog!



Have a great weekend everyone!

~~Robin



Shop 24/7 on my website: http://www.robinstamps4u.stampinup.net/

Father's Day is on it's Way!

And for once, I have a head start on my cards! LOL!

Hi everyone, I know it's been since Saturday since I posted, but we had an extremely busy weekend and then my hubby was off yesterday, so we were working around the house. Had to take advantage of him being home, kwim?

This card actually started as my piece for the Stamping 411 sketch on Saturday, but when I couldn't get my words to fit the way I wanted it too, I just went with it and made this instead. I started with a card base of Baja Breeze that is cut at 4 1/4" x 11" long. It's scored in half at 5 1/2" then I ran it through my Big Shot with one of the Texturz Plates #4 to create the rugged background.

Across the top is a piece of Riding Hood Red cardstock overlaid with a piece of Twill Tape. I frayed the ends a bit then attached it to the card with the Jumbo Pewter Eyelets and my Crop-a-Dile.

For my focal point, I used two of my favorite alphabet stamp sets - both are RETIRING! - Short Order Alphabet and Big Deal Alphabet. You have to know that these two sets were among my all time favorites! When you see how "colorful" the wood blocks are from ink stains, you know they were well loved and much used! I will miss them a LOT! Anyway, thanks for letting me rant a bit about that!

On Very Vanilla cardstock, I stamped the "hey" with Close to Cocoa ink using Short Order Alpha and I stamped the "Dad!" with Riding Hood Red ink using Big Deal Alpha. The trick I use to determine what size cardstock to cut for making titles is to first stamp the greeting or title onto my Grid Paper. I then measure how much space it takes up and cut my cardstock accordingly. Then when I stamp on the cardstock, I place it beneath the stamped image on the Grid Paper to help me line it up again. Pretty simple technique that works like a charm!

Once I layered the focal image onto Close to Cocoa cardstock, I stamped the rest of the greeting with Close to Cocoa ink onto Very Vanilla cardstock, punching it out with my Large Oval Punch. I used the Really Retro stamp set for the greeting. This is a fairly new stamp set that is quickly becoming one of my favorites so I'm really glad that it is NOT retiring! I edged this stamped oval with a bit of Close to Cocoa ink and then adhered it to the card front with two Stampin' Dimensionals. The little Library Clip was added for emphasis and I think it finished the card off nicely!

Thanks for stopping by today! Leave me a comment so I know you were here, ok?

Oh, did I mention that I have the new catalog in my hot little hands?! Yes, I even have the new In Colors - with Markers! WooHoo! If you are registered for stamp camps/classes this month, you just might be able to get a little sneaky peeky! Maybe even a project to whet your appetite! But you have to be registered now, don't you! Go to my website at www.robinstamps4u.stampinup.net to check out my Events calendar and call or e-mail me to RSVP! There are lots of opportunities for you to come stamp with me this month!

All the Best!

~~Robin

Stamping 411 Saturday Sketch Challenge #2

Wow! What a wonderful opening week for the new teaching blog, http://www.stamping411.blogspot.com/ As a member of the design team, I am so thankful for all of you who not only stopped by to visit, but actually played along last week with the sketch. I hope you'll be inspired again and join us this week too!

Here is my interpretation of this week's sketch. I turned to several items that are soon to be retired from Stampin' Up! - two of my favorites like the stamp set "Just B" and the Rockabilly Designer Series Paper.

As you can see this sketch is in the 'portrait' orientation and I went with it as is. Sometimes I will turn a sketch depending on the stamps and embellishments used, but this week I kept it simple.

My card base is made with Baja Breeze cardstock. I cut an entire 8 1/2" x 11" sheet in half lengthwise to obtain a piece that is 4 1/4" x 11" long. I then scored the piece in the middle at 5 1/2" with the scoring blade on my paper cutter. Sometimes when cardstock is cut against the grain, it can be hard to obtain a nice fold without scoring it first. The way to tell if cardstock is "with the grain" is to bend the whole sheet gently one way, then the other. The side that bends easiest is the one that is optimum for an unscored fold.

Next, I cut two pieces of the Rockabilly Designer Series Paper. The top piece is cut at 4" x 1" and the bottom piece is 4" x 4 1/4". I used SNAIL adhesive to attach them to the folded card base.

The seam of the two papers is covered with a piece of Sticky Strip Adhesive. I then took my Chunky Black Glitter and poured it out on top of the exposed Sticky Strip. Using my finger, I mashed the glitter into the adhesive, making sure to cover the entire piece well. I then brushed off any excess with the brush that came with my Powder Pals trays.

I then went to work on my focal point image. Using Whisper White cardstock, I cut the top piece at 2 1/2" x 3". The layers are measured as follows: Basic Black - 2 5/8" x 3 1/8"; Baja Breeze - 2 3/4" x 3 1/4"; Riding Hood Red - 3" x 3 1/2". Most of the time, I just cut larger pieces at 1/4" intervals allowing for a 1/8" mat under each, but for this design it looked nicer with just the 1/16" mat for the middle two pieces.

To stamp the focal point, I inked up the large "B" stamp with Riding Hood Red ink. It is stamped a bit to the right of the cardstock, allowing the "way to" stamp to be placed nicely to the left of the "B". I stamped that in Baja Breeze ink. After adhering all my layers together with SNAIL adhesive, I used my 1/8" hole punch and placed the hole for the Rhinestone Fire Circle Brad. I punched through all the layers because when the brad prongs are folded down, they wouldn't mar the front of the top layer.

Lastly, I took my Scalloped Oval Punch and punched out a scrap piece of Baja Breeze cardstock. Then I inked up the "fabulous" stamp with Riding Hood Red ink and stamped it onto a scrap of Whisper White cardstock. Then, I punched it out with my Large Oval Punch. (Here is the trick to getting evenly stamped punches - stamp the image first onto scrap cardstock then, holding your punch upside down so the "window" is facing up, insert your stamped scrap piece into the punch, line it up and punch! It really is that easy and saves you lots of frustration - ask me how I know!)

Once I had the piece punched out, I took my Basic Black Stampin' Write Marker and gently edged the oval with the brush tip, creating a subtle border. This piece was then adhered to the punched scallop with more SNAIL. To attach it to the card, I placed Stampin' Dimensionals on the back and mounted it in place.

I hope you like my creation today and if you do, leave me some love with a comment, ok? I love hearing from my readers! Be sure to go over to the Stamping 411 blog and view the other design team members cards as well. Detailed instructions for their projects will be found on their individual blogs. And, YOU can play along with us too! Take the sketch challenge and run with it. We'd love to see how YOU interpret this fun design with YOUR creativity!

You can post a link to your card to http://www.stamping411.blogspot.com/ by using the Mr. Linky Widget provided. Be sure to use the sketch # in your link - it's SSC102.

Happy Stamping everyone!

~~Robin

Blogger's Challenge #102 - Summer Theme!

Happy Friday stampers!

For today's post, I created something, fun, fresh and simple! And isn't that what Summer is really all about? Now, I have to say that the Dr. Pepper Jelly Beans came from the store like that - I didn't alter them in any way, but I created this little gift ensemble for friend who recently did something very special for me and she reads my blog all the time. She happens to love Dr. Pepper and I had to include this little treat in her gift!

To create my gift ensemble, I started with some of my favorite Designer Series Paper, Rockabilly (retiring this month!). It is so cool with shiny accents and designs built into the paper. The cherries on these pieces are the shiny parts, so fun! The large candy bar in the front right was simply wrapped with a piece of the DSP and tied up with a piece of the So Saffron Twill Ribbon (also retiring this month!) I added a little tag by stamping the greeting from the A Little Somethin' hostess Stamp set in Basic Black onto Whisper White cardstock. I then used the cherries stamp from the Tart and Tangy stamp set to make the background. Using my Stampin' Write markers, I colored directly on the stamp with Real Red and Old Olive, then stamped off on scrap paper to lighten the intensity of the color. Then I stamped it over the greeting, creating a muted cherry background. I used my Small Tag Punch to punch it out and the punched a piece of the cherry paper which is black with white polka dots on the reverse, with my Large Tag Punch and layered them. I used my Crop-A-Dile to set a Real Red Eyelet in the top and tied the tag to the candy with a piece of Linen Thread.

The little Matchbox to the left was also created with the same paper. I used my super cool new Matchbox Die and my Big Shot to make this adorable box, added a sweet treat to the inside and tied it up with some of that luscious Kiwi Kiss Satin Ribbon! (Yep, it's retiring this month too, sigh!) The tag for this one was made with my Scallop Circle #2 Die and the Big Shot using Basic Black cardstock. I then stamped the cherries again on Whisper White cardstock and added the "friend" from the Really Retro Stamp Set. My White Gel Pen created the little polka dots in the scallops and a piece of Linen Thread was used to tie it on to the ribbon. I really love how easy my Big Shot makes creating fun and cute little gifts like this!

Lastly, the notebook actually came from the store with the cute cherry print on the plastic cover. So, I just added a piece of So Saffron Twill Ribbon wrapped around the cover and secured it with Sticky Strip under the stamped medallion. To create that piece, I again went to my Scallop Circle #2 Die and my Big Shot, rolling out the larger scallop circle in Basic Black Cardstock. More Gel Pen dots in the scallops and then I used my Circles #2 Die to cut out the White cardstock circle. It's stamped as well with the Cherries from Tart and Tangy and I again added the greeting from the Really Retro stamp set.

I had so much fun creating this gift ensemble and I hope my special friend will love it! The cherries just felt so fresh and summery and I thought it would be the perfect idea to share with you all for today's challenge. Be sure to pop by the other Blogger's Challenge players and let their Summer ideas inspire you as well. The links to their blogs are found by clicking on the button in my sidebar.

Tomorrow, be sure to stop back by here and see my 2nd Design Team creation for the new teaching blog, www.stamping411.blogspot.com . I'll have the measurements and instructions posted here for my creation along with the sketch so you can play along too! The be sure to go over to Stamping 411 and see all the other design team members creations as well!

Enjoy your day, everyone!

~~Robin

Jackets Can be Inspiring!

A few weeks ago, I received an e-mail from one of my favorite stores, Coldwater Creek. (Hi Patty!) There was a jacket advertised which had a pattern that just screamed "make me into a card". You can see the original jacket here.

So, I finally got around to making my card last night and this is the result. I'm most excited about the gathered ribbon around the greeting, because I figured it out all by myself. It was very easy once I put enough adhesive on the back to hold it! LOL!

I started with a card base of Creamy Caramel cut at 4 1/4" x 11", folded in half lengthwise. It's layered with a piece of Basic Black, 4" x 5 1/4" and the stamping was done on a piece of Whisper White cardstock cut at 3 3/4" x 5".

I first ran the White cardstock through my Big Shot with the Texturz plates as it mimics the texture in the jackets' fabric. Then I took out on of my favorite stamp sets, Stitched Exotics (which is RETIRING this month!) to attempt to mimic the jackets' pattern. I stamped my images in Basic Black, Tempting Turquoise and Creamy Caramel. I love how the texture shows though the stamping especially in the large flower.

To create the medallion, I stamped the Thank You individual stamp using my Stampin' Write Markers in Tempting Turquoise and Basic Black. It is punched out with the Scalloped Square Punch. Then I covered the back in SNAIL adhesive and taking my Kraft Taffeta Ribbon, began to gather it in small increments all around the perimeter of the square, sticking it down as I moved around.

Then, to finish it, I ran the Swirls Scribbles Sizzlits Die through my Big Shot with Basic Black Cardstock and added two of the swirls to the edges of the medallion with more SNAIL. Lastly, I punched out a 1 1/4" Square of white cardstock and adhered it to the back to secure everything. It is mounted on two Stampin' Dimensionals to give it height.

To be honest, I'm not completely in love with this card, but my husband and daughter both had the right answer when I asked their opinion! Hahaha! They said it was beautiful and a great interpretation of the photo.

So, what do YOU think? Let me know by leaving a comment, I'd love to hear your feedback or if you have another way to interpret the photo, please take a picture and link it back to this post. Everyone sees things with a different set of eyes. That's one of the things I love about stamping!

Back tomorrow with my Blogger's Challenge project for this week and again on Saturday with my card and tutorial post for the new teaching blog, http://www.stamping411.blogspot.com/

If you haven't checked it out yet, you should! We on the design team have a different sketch challenge each week and would love for you to play along with us!

Stamp happy!

~~Robin

Hand-Stamped Birthday Cards are the Best!

Yes, they certainly are and I got some real beauties for my birthday last month. I just had to share them with you!

These first pretty in pink beauties were made by my upline and friend, Christina Crawford and by my downline and friend, Nancy Clark. So, so beautiful - I love them and you!




This stunner was created by none other than my dear daughter Emma! Yes, the doors actually are cut and hinged! She hand drew the floor, too. I was amazed - I mean hey, she's only 11!



These next two came from two of my UDI sisters, Tammy Fite and Janice Rosenthal Rock.

Gorgeous ladies and thank you so much!












These two fun cards are by my newest team member, Stacy Stec and the other is from my dear
friend Lissa. Super cute!


Another of my downline, Jen Brown made this adorable birdy card - she even sewed on it! The


cute chef with my birthday cake came from Lori Watson, another of my UDI sisters.






These next two lovely cards are from my downline, Paula Rabkin another UDI sister, Jennifer

Guy Eby. So stinkin' cute, guys!

Last, but not least are these two cuties from my friend and downline, Lauren McCray and my client and friend, Andrea Mutterer. You guys are

the best!

Thanks so much everyone for making my birthday a very special day indeed!

Sending lots of hugs and kisses your way! MWAH!

~~Robin

I Got Happy Mail!

Wow! Lookie at what came in the mail for me today! This gorgeous card from a very dear friend - if you are reading this, you KNOW you are! MWAH!

It was so pretty, I just had to share - I hope you like it too!

I've been stamping quite a few things since Saturday, but they won't be ready until Thursday, so tomorrow, check back and I'll show you some of the wonderful Birthday Cards I got from friends all across the country!

Happy Tuesday everyone!

~~Robin

Card details: All SU! products (of course!) Stamps - Sincere Salutations; Inks - Chocolate Chip; Paper - Baja Breeze, Parisian Breeze DSP; Accessories - Manhattan Flower Textured Impressions for the Big Shot, Baja Breeze Double Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon, Paper Snips