Sunday, January 27, 2013

Start-to-Finish Sunday #13 - Masculine (ish) Birthday Card


Welcome to this week's Start-to-Finish Sunday card! I wanted to try to make a masculine card this week. I love the way the card came out, and while I wouldn't necessarily call it masculine, it's at least not girly! :)

I went with a super simple layout and mostly neutral colors with a pop of blue. I love the cake stamp from the Make a Wish set in the Spring catalog. And the designer paper is a Sale-a-Bration option - from now through March 22, you can choose one of the exclusive Sale-a-Bration items for free for every $50 you spend! (Check out all the options here!) This DSP collection is called Sycamore Street (#127540) and I absolutely adore it! It's got an awesome color combination. This is one of the simpler patterns, but I love the Island Indigo with the Pool Party and gray.

You can watch the video below, or check it out over on my YouTube channel.


Thanks for stopping by! Have a great week and Happy Stampin'! :)



Masculine (ish) Birthday Card Supplies

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Start-to-Finish Sunday #12 - Mini Love Note


Valentine's Day is coming! Can you believe it? :) This week's video is a fun little "love note" perfect for tucking into a lunchbox, school bag, briefcase, etc. It's a fun new use for the Scallop Envelope die, inspired by a project in the Sale-a-Bration brochure. (Do you need one? Sale-a-Bration starts Tuesday! Free, exclusive products!!)

It's a pretty simple project, but I added a lot of detail to make it special, using the new Hearts-a-Flutter stamp set and Framelits. I think it might be my favorite set in the Spring Catalog! :) You can watch the video below, or over on my YouTube channel.


Have a good week!



Mini Love Note Supplies
 

Monday, January 14, 2013

NEW Single Stamps - 10 Never Before Seen Images!

THIS JUST IN! Stampin' Up's Single Stamps trial was so popular that they've released a new set. This time, every single image is brand spankin' new, never seen before! And there are some good ones! :-D




Um, hello! I am in love with those His & Hers towels! These stamps are all so now and so cute!

These stamps come in clear-mount only, and don't come with a clear block or a case. If you don't have those already, you can purchase them separately. They are available through March 31, 2013. They're all available in my online store, which you can find by visiting my website. Just click on Shop Now in the upper right corner, then choose Stamps in the menu on the left side of the page. I'll be placing an order on Friday so keep an eye out for some of these images in upcoming projects! :)

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Start-to-Finish Sunday #11: Tips for Breaking Creative Block

Start-to-Finish Sunday is back! I'm sorry it's been so long since I posted a video - or posted anything, really, for that matter! We were so looking forward to the quiet season, which seems finally to have started, and then as soon as everything started to slow down, I found myself with no inspiration whatsoever! Isn't that just the way?! Here I am, surrounded by all the amazing new Spring Catalog and Sale-a-Bration (starting 1/22!) product, and I can't figure out anything to do with it!


Enter today's card. I needed a couple customer thank you cards, so I had no choice but to create something. I was inspired by a card I saw online, and in taking inspiration from that other card, I was able to cull some tips for breaking through creative/inspiration block. So I decided today was the day to bring back Start-to-Finish Sunday! :) The first part of the video is an overview of the tips, as well as some information about Sale-a-Bration, Stampin' Up's biggest and best deal of the year, which starts on January 22. Can you say free exclusive product?! :-D In the second part of the video, I put my money where my mouth is, so to speak, and use those tips to create a card.

So here's the video, or you can check it out over on my YouTube channel.


Tips for Breaking Creative Block

#1: Try a different size. A2 (4.25 x 5.5") isn't the only card size out there. I find this especially helpful when I have a small stamp. I really struggle with small stamps, mostly because I feel like they tend to look awkward and "lost" on a standard size card. Try 3.5 x 5, 3 x 3, or 4.25 x 4.25.

#2: Play with white space. I love the look of layering, and I always feel like my card needs more. If you're easily spooked by CAS cards like me, try adding a subtle detail like tone-on-tone background stamping or dry embossing so that the white space doesn't feel empty.

#3: Take your color cues from your DSP. There are basically three elements to a card, right? Images, colors, layout. So let's say you find yourself lacking inspiration. Grab a stamp set, grab some DSP, and you've got two out of three covered!

Hope you like the card and that some of these ideas are helpful! See you next time!

Happy Stampin'! :)



Square Butterfly Card Supplies
Sale-a-Bration Supplies (available January 22, each one can be earned free with every $50 spent)
#127540 Sycamore Street DSP
#130492 Vine Street Embossing Folder
#129651 (wood) #129654 (clear) Bloomin' Marvelous Stamp Set

Other (Current) Supplies
#129381 Ovals Collection Framelits
#122923 Island Indigo CS
#122924 Pool Party CS
#100730 Whisper White CS
#126856 2012-2014 In Color Markers
#126946 Tangerine Tango Ink
#119246 Basic Rhinestones