Flowerbug's Inkspot

Fantastic Swaps

On the last evening of Convention, my friend Marguerite & I did a Shoe Box Swap with my friend Susie Wood, her daughter Amanda & two down-line Dawn & Lisa. There were 6 of us altogether.  We grabbed a few tables in the Marriott lobby to stamp.  It was the perfect spot because lots of Demo's & even Shelli Gardener & family stopped by to see what we were doing & stayed to chat with us (This is one of the best parts of Convention.  I was torn between visiting & stamping - a tough choice!). 

I loved all of the cards & thought you'd like to see them too.  Most of us used color combos from the new Color Coach as our starting point.

Dawn Klein's card - a fun combo of Not Quite Navy, Celery & Peach Parfait.  She used the new single stamp 'For You Flower' along with the leaves from the 'Sweetheart.'  They work perfectly together don't they?  The Scallop circles are from the Scallop Circle die #2 using our new In Color Patterns paper stack. 

Amanda Seeley used the Celebrations designer series paper as her starting point.  This color combo of Real Red, Pear Pizzazz & Pacific Point is so striking!  The birthday candles & greeting are from the new stamp set called 'Party This Way'.  It's a great layout too, isn't it?

Susie Wood's adorable card has so many neat features.  The colors don't show up well in this photo, but they are Pear Pizzazz, Peach Parfait, Concord Crush with a bit of Daffodil Delight. The stamp sets are Butterfly Prints & Simply Said. The punched butterfly is perched on the tag from the Two Tags die that slips into a Word Window pocket & pulls out with a greeting on it.  Love this!

Lisa Irving's amazing card has a few awesome techniques on it.  She used the Wax Paper resist technique on the Espresso colored top, smaller layer of the Two Tags die. We cut this piece smaller by trimming where the stitches were on the die cut.  The stamp set is 'Perfect Punches.' 

Then we made a ribbon flower using the wide striped Pumpkin ribbon.  So easy & absolutely adorable.  Fold the wide ribbon in half lengthwise & hand-sew long running stitches with a needle & thread (not hard!) along the non-fold side & then pull the ends together & tie them to form the ribbon flower.  We used the new Vintage brads for the flower center.  I'll be using both of these ideas in the near future! 

It was love at first site for my friend & down-line Marguerite N. when she saw this new stamp set called 'Kimono Kids'.  So sweet!  She also used the color combo Susie did - Concord Crush, Peach Parfait & Pear Pizzazz.  Notice the saying included in this set?   We can all appreciate this sentiment I think! 

*Aren't they all just fantastic?!!  I was absolutely thrilled to join these gals to swap. 

You've seen the card I did in a previous post, but I'll show it again here.

This card isn't quite the same one I did.  Here it is Rich Razzleberry, Melon Mambo, Pumpkin Pie & Daffodil Delight.  Since the Pumpkin & Daffodil were not on the Color Coach together I substituted Regal Rose for the Pumpkin since they were; as are Melon Mambo & Rich Razzleberry.  I do not have a photo of that card though - sorry! 

If you missed the details on this card before, I used the new & fabulous stamp sets 'Growing Green' & 'A Word for You'.  I placed the colored strips together when stamping the flower image.  Then adhered them to the Whisper White card stock with a slight space between them. 

We painted the Smooch Accent Moonlight ink to the flower petals using the applicator it comes with.  This gives a beautiful pearly sheen to the flower.  The ribbon bow is the new Black 3/8" taffeta ribbon adhered with a mini glue dot.  

It was so much fun to do this shoe box swap with these talented girls - we're already planning another one next year! 

Punched Owl Dahlia

I wanted to try a new fold with this fun Owl punch so I made a dahlia fold with it.

Isn't it pretty? 

I LOVE this color combo!  I punched owls from the Elegant Soiree designer series paper & used those colors as a starting point substituting Early Espresso for the Soft Suede. Early Espresso, Marina Mist, Very Vanilla & Sahara Sand are gorgeous together. 

There are 7 punched owl bodies here (I used another ds paper in these photos).

Here's an owl body with the feet cut off & the top inside curve cut out into a point.  I drew lines where the folds are for you to see better.

First fold it in half, then cut off the owls feet (sad!). 

Then turn it to the other side & fold in the bottom curves like this:

Easy!  I punched & trimmed 7 owl bodies & curved the ends up with a bone folder.  Then I attached them to a 1 3/4" circle underneath.  The Vintage brad & pearls finishes it off.  I love to use our double sided designer series paper on these types of projects.  You don't have to choose one side or the other & can show off both coordinating sides.

Supplies:

• Stamps - Tiny Tags
• Card stock - Sahara Sand, Early Espresso, Marina Mist, Very Vanilla & Elegant Soiree dsp
• Ink - Sahara Sand, Early Espresso
• Accessories - 2-step Owl Punch, Jewelry Tag punch, Marina satin ribbon, Espresso 1/8" taffeta ribbon, SU Pearls!, Vintage brads, Chantilly crochet trim, Dotted scallop ribbon punch (bottom of card in Marina Mist), Smooch Spritz in Vanilla
  
• Sizzix - Scallop Circle #2, Elegant Lines textured embossing folder, Big Shot
  

Watch this!

I thought you might want to see what the staff at Stampin' Up! is really like and how much fun they have working at SU.

This is the theme song that was performed live at Convention.  Watch this!

Extra, Extra........

There's an awesome new Hostess special starting today through August 31st.

All workshop orders over $350 get an extra $25 in FREE merchandise! 

So you gals who are Club hostesses are lucky, lucky, lucky!  And the rest of you may want to book a workshop during August!  I have a few spots left on my calendar.

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Bunco is back!  We're playing again on August 20th & 21st at 6:30 pm. 

Cost is $15 & everyone wins something!  But best of all is the fun we all have. There's no need to know how to play - there are always new players & it only takes 2 minutes to catch on.  Join us - everyone who has loves it. 

Friday is full but I have spots available for players on Saturday the 21st.  Get back to me ASAP to get & hold a seat in the game.    

Convention Day 4

Well it's over now.  But the thrill of being with thousands of excited Demonstrators will not be fading from my memories anytime soon.

Here are a few more photos to give you a little 'taste' of Convention 2010:

The really yummy Chocolate fountain we had for dessert (some had it for lunch!) on Friday.

The amazing stage!  See the larger than life sized punches, wood blocks, curved sheets of card stock, tags, Sizzix dies & even ribbon!  It was just incredible!

Shelli drew names among those who recruited during July & gave away 10 free cruises for two to Alaska next year!  They had to be present to win - what an awesome surprise gift for those gals. 

And here are the Control Freaks after our lunch meet & swap.

Front row: Dannie Graves, Wendy Weixler, Lorri Heiling, LeeAnn Greff, Cindee Wilkinson
Back row: Dawn Olchefske, Robin Spinner, Jan Tinklenberg, Connie Babbert, Steph Leider, Gretchen Barron, Patty Bennett

I know you'll want to see more photos of the breathtaking Sweet Shoppe.

Beautiful isn't it?  Many of the products you see are Sneak Peaks of the Holiday mini catalog.  Notice the little blue house?  It's a pre-cut kit.  The papers, fabric, Decor Elements & more are all coming in about a month.   

The Ice Cream Shoppe card

Fellow Control Freak Lori Heiling made the most awesome Ice Cream Shoppe card with the Sweet Scoops stamp set for our Summer Mini swap.  It is so adorable I knew my Card Clubs would love to make one.

I met Lori at Convention & she is a sweetheart!  And very talented too.

Isn't it just cute?  And so very easy too. 

Just to clarify things, the inside of the card is on the left.  I love how the saying from the new stamp set 'A Word for You' fits with the Sweet Scoops set.

The main card is cut at 4 1/4" X 11", scored in half at 5 1/2".

The 'awning' is whisper white & measures 2" X 4 1/4".  Score along the long side at 3/8" & 1 1/4".  You'll use the scallop edge punch on the larger scored side. *** Be sure to punch this piece so you get full scallops on each of the edges.  Punch out 5 Pretty in Pink word window pieces to place over every other scallop on the white piece.

The Pretty in Pink shelf is a piece measuring 4 1/4" X 3 1/4".  Score on the long side at 2 1/4".  Use the scallop edge punch on the small scored end.  Again, be sure to make the scallops even when punching.  You can do this by lining up the edge of your card stock with the marks on the punch itself.

The ice cream balls are stamped in Versamark onto Vanilla, Pretty in Pink & Chocolate card stock.  Then cut them out & pop them up over the cones which have been stamped in Crumb Cake directly onto the main card.  2-way glue & glitter add the finishing touch. 

Isn't Lori clever to come up with this amazing & perfect card?  She's in my Control Freaks swap group & I even got one of these in our last swap.  Lucky me! 

Convention Day 3

Another fantstic fun-filled day. 

We started out with more amazing presentations on new products from the Holiday mini catalog.  Wait until you see this mini!  Most people are saying it's the best one out yet!  The Halloween & Christmas projects were jaw-dropping. 

Here's a sneak peak of some Halloween projects.

Here is the theme of this year's Convention, which I am doing right now!

And here are a few of the displays set up using new products:

Notice the fabrics .......... 

Yes, we have coordinating fabric in the Holiday mini!  This will be fantastic to use on Big Shot projects!  And notice the checkerboard wall border?  That was done with our Decor Elements vinyl in Real Red.  Shelli's mother-in-law was demonstrating how easy this was to do, which I missed seeing. 

Here's another vignette they created using a new stencil from the Holiday mini catalog I believe.

And here you can see the type of displays they set up for us.  Amazing colors, creative packaging  that was absolutely stunning to see. 

These are only half of them.  I'll try to get time to get photos of the rest tomorrow.

Only one more day left.  We'll be sad to see it end.  It's been so great to see & reconnect with my Demo friends from across the US & Canada.

Double Slider card with Tutorial!

Remember those double slider cards?  The ones where you pull a ribbon & a message or image slides out with the ribbon, but another one slides out from the other end of the card?  We made those at my Card Clubs this month.

We used the Vintage Vogue stamp set on page 126 of the New Catalog (US). 

Here's a view of what you see when you pull the ribbon on the right side.

 

Here's how you make one:

Cut a piece of card stock at 5 1/2 X 8 1/2".  Score it at 1/2", 3 1/4" & 6" on the long end.

To get the notches on the left side, use a square punch.  Insert it just 1/4" in from the edge & punch. 

To center it, place a dot with your white gel pen on your scored card - in the center; from the edge to the fold.  I marked the center of my 1 1/4" punch too. 

This notch is for the plastic bag strip.  Cut a strip about 11" long by 1" wide.  Grocery bags or sandwich baggies work well.  Wrap it around the card stock inside the notches like this. 

Be sure to adhere the strip of plastic bag just to the bag itself & not to the card stock at all.  It should slide back & forth. 

See the messy green part on the plastic about 1 inch from the left notch?  That is where I taped my bags together.  It is also where I adhered the first inside Pear Pizzazz card stock piece. 

These two pieces measure 2 1/2" X 4" each.  I rounded the corners on the end of each one.  Add a ribbon to the right side piece.  I used the jumbo eyelets & a Crop-o-Dile.

Note how this Pear Pizzazz piece is positioned on the Espresso piece.  It actually hangs over the bottom edge of the card & you can see the scored 3" line just above it.  Where the baggie strip was adhered together is exactly where I added more adhesive directly to adhere this Pear Pizzazz piece.  It is only adhered by the 1" vertical strip of adhesive (tape runner is fine).  The rest of this piece is loose so it can slide out of the card when pulled.  

 (Yes, this card is a different color - you'll see it soon.)

I flipped the card over & added adhesive to the other side in the same manner.  This adhesive is place exactly opposite of the first one - 1" from the left side.

Once your inside card stock is adhered, you can pull on your ribbon & see if everything works.  If not, adjust your inside card stock pieces until you're satisfied.  How it works all depends on where you've placed your 1" strip of adhesive.   Fold over the 1/2" fold & adhere the card together. 

Here we used the stamp set called Friends Never Fade for the main image.  We inked it in Baja Breeze ink & colored a few dots with an Espresso marker before stamping onto our Whisper White card stock. 

I used a few new products on these cards....  See the unique scallop rectangle?  That is our new Clearlit Scallop Rectangle.  It's on page 211 of the new catalog.  And it's only $7.50!  You can stamp your image first, then position the Clearlit over it so you cut it out perfectly centered.  So neat!

And the little dotted scalloped Espresso strip is the new Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border punch.  A very nice accent to your projects. 

I hope you'll try one of these cards.  It's actually pretty easy!

• Stamps - Friends Never Fade, Vintage Vogue, Sincere Salutations, A Word for You, It's Your Birthday
• Ink - Early Espresso, Baja Breeze, Pear Pizzazz
• Card stock - Early Espresso, Baja Breeze, Pear Pizzazz, White, Vanilla, Greenhouse Gala designer series paper
  
• Accessories - Clearlit Scallop Rectangle, 1 1/4" square punch, corner rounder, taffeta ribbon, jumbo eyelets, crop-o-dile, Big Shot, plastic bag, white gel pen, Adhesive pearls, Dotted Scallop ribbon border punch
  

Convention Day 2

I am in shock!  We just finished Awards Night & I found out my ranking in the Top 100 US Demonstrators.

Last year I was #64.  This year I am.......... are you ready???

 

#38!  Holy cow - I am amazed!  Thirty eight!  Woo hoo!!!!!  It's incredible & I still cannot believe it!  I was up on stage with the well known 'big shots'!  

I am living proof that anything is possible!

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NEWS

You will be interested in the Hostess Special they announced at Convention today.  Those people who have workshops totaling over $350 in sales from this Monday until August 31st will receive an extra $25 in FREE merchandise! 

So contact me to schedule your workshop ASAP!

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Anyway, would you like to see the neat stuff I bought at Memento Mall yesterday?

The neatest craft tote that matches our Greenhouse Gala designer series paper.  It's full of pockets for every type of stamping supplies or tools.

Stampin' Up! 'Taffy' in Melon Mambo, Peach Parfait & Pear Pizzazz, Logo pens, neat SU rulers, and these really cool collapsible garbage waste baskets for our tables.

These cute, eye catching totes match our Play Date designer series paper.  Mmmm, I wonder who would like one of these......

And then we made these super color charts with all of the new & current SU colors.

Card stock, marker & ink pad samples of all of the beautiful colors we now carry.  Love them!  I hope to find these sheets for you all to download after I get home so you can make them yourself.

Stay tuned - more tomorrow I hope.