Christmas in July Week - Day Seven: Partial Die Cutting

Hello friends! Tomorrow is the day! The 2012 Stampin' Up! Holiday Catalog goes LIVE to the public! I'd like to thank you for joining me for the past 7 days. I hope you've enjoyed the projects I shared and that you're as excited about the Holiday Catalog as I am! :)

For the last day of Christmas in July, I wanted to share an awesome die cutting technique I learned from Jennifer McGuire during the recent Stretch Your Stamps class at Online Card Classes. It's called partial die cutting. This card was my first time trying the technique and I can't wait to experiment with it some more! Check out how it's done in the video below or on YouTube.

Thanks again for joining me for the past 7 days. Make sure you visit my website tomorrow to check out the Holiday Catalog in it's entirety! :)


2012 Holiday Catalog Supplies:
#129950 Ornament Keepsakes Bundle clear mount (includes stamp set and coordinating Framelits dies for a 15% discount!)
(#129949 wood mount)
#126908 Snow Festival DSP
#127943 Make a Mitten clear mount (snowflake stamp)
(#127940 wood mount)
#128930 Border Banter clear mount (Merry sentiment)
(#128927 wood mount)

2012-2013 Main Catalog Supplies:
#100730 Whisper White cardstock
#126841 Primrose Petals cardstock
#126960 Baja Breeze ink
#126966 Cherry Cobbler ink
#126858 Primrose Petals ink
#123125 Cherry Cobbler baker's twine
#119882 Scallop Edge Border punch
#119247 Basic Pearls
#126856 2012 In Color markers (Gumball Green)

Foodie Penpals: July

* We interrupt your regularly scheduled Christmas in July programming for this special report. *

July was actually my third month doing Foodie Penpal, but because I'm a slacker, this is only my first month posting. Foodie Penpal is an awesome program started by Lindsay over at The Lean Green Bean. It's mostly super health nut runner girls, so I'm not quite sure where I fit into the mix, but it's been so much fun! Well, I just love food and I like trying new things - that's where I fit in! :) Foodie Penpal is pretty much what it sounds like - every month you get assigned a different partner and you send them a box of food. And someone else is assigned to send you food! If you want more info - or if you want to join! - check out the info page on The Lean Green Bean blog.

This month my box came from Jaren over at Kiwi Fit. She sent me some super awesome stuff! Check it out...

I told her I was trying to lose weight, so she sent me some of her secret weapon must-haves including granola and a selection of awesome protein bars. (I loved that Think Thin brownie bar, and even though it was a little bit of a splurge at 6 points, it totally kept me full all morning!) Can you say Hello DIY Starbucks with that Passion tea? :) Oh yeah, and she threw in some of her dad's secret recipe Texas cowboy steak rub. Can't wait to get that on the grill!

Now, I have to say that this was a pretty special month for me in terms of Foodie Penpal. Last month I was paired with Sara DeLeeuw (I don't think she's a blogger). Towards the end of June, she emailed me saying the box had been returned to her totally crushed! She wanted to make sure she had my address correct so she could send it again. Well, a couple weeks went by and I didn't get anything, but I didn't mind because she'd already put a bunch of her money into it and I didn't want her to feel obligated to pay for shipping again. I figured she'd just let it go and I didn't blame her. Then the day after I received the box from Jaren, I got Sara's box! One of the conditions of Foodie Penpal is that you have to include something written. Sara's note mentioned that the first box she sent was crushed and returned, then said that she never heard anything from me about the second box, so she sent it a third time!! I am completely blown away by the generous and thoughtful spirit of this woman! Thank you Sara! :) Here's what she sent me...

Super yummy pumpkin seed granola bite thingies - the flavor totally reminds me of something but I can't figure out what. Lemonaise - This sounds totes delish! Will be trying it in tuna for sure. Possibly some sort of crabcake item. And I want to try it in macaroni salad with marinated artichokes. Mmm Mmm! A package of soba noodles that you can't really see in the pic - my hubby was uber excited about this! Garam masala... intriguing. A to-go pack of almond butter; awesome since I don't usually stray beyond peanut butter. And my favorite: Donald Duck hot cocoa mix that is actually from Disneyland! So awesome! :) Oh, and she used coordinating dishcloths and towels as padding in the box - clever!

So, a super big hug and thanks to Jaren and Sara! Can't wait for next month!

Christmas in July Week - Day Six: Core'dinations Card

Today I wanted to share a card showcasing one of my favorite new items from the Holiday Catalog. Are you familiar with Core'dinations? Well they've partnered with Stampin' Up! to make available their amazing colored core cardstock in three colors. The cardstock is one color on the inside, then it's coated with a contrasting color. So when you sand or distress it, the core color shows through! I love this stuff! :) So far it's offered in Early Espresso, Gumball Green, and Cherry Cobbler. But I, for one, hope more colors are to come!

I made a video too - it's pretty much this card start to finish! :) Check it out below, or on my YouTube channel. Tomorrow is Day Six and it's the day before the Holiday Catalog goes live!! See you then!

Happy Stampin'! :)


2012 Holiday Catalog Supplies:
#127848 Early Espresso Core'dinations cardstock
#128129 Heart of Christmas stamp
#129727 Watercolor Winter clear mount
(#129724 wood mount)
#126901 Candlelight Christmas DSP
#129367 Stampin' Sanding Block
#127819 Lacy Brocade Textured Impressions embossing folder

2012-2013 Main Catalog Supplies:
#120953 Crumb Cake cardstock
#101650 Very Vanilla cardstock
#123002 2011 In Color markers (Lucky Limeade)
#119702 Brights markers (Real Red)
#126979 Chocolate Chip ink
#127003 Apothecary Accents Framelits dies

Christmas in July Day Five *Meets* Start-to-Finish Sunday #3

I promised to keep up with Start-to-Finish Sundays, so I'm lovin' that STFS #3 overlaps with Christmas in July! :)

Today I made a fun little card and treat in one - all the same functions of a card, including plenty of space to write a personal note, and it holds a yummy packet of hot cocoa mix.

Cute, right? :) I really wanted to stray from the traditional red and green Christmas color palette too - I love that you could switch out the sentiment really easily and still have a great non-denominational treat for someone.

Check out the video below, or over at my YouTube channel.

Happy stampin'! :)


2012 Holiday Catalog Supplies: 
#127943 Make a Mitten clear mount
(#127940 wood mount)
#127824 Mitten Builder punch
#128033 Greetings of the Season clear mount
(#128030 wood mount)

2012-2013 Main Catalog Supplies:
#126856 2012 In Color markers (Gumball Green)
#123002 2011 In Color markers (Pool Party)
#119702 Brights markers (Daffodil Delight
#126840 Gumball Green cardstock 
#122924 Pool Party cardstock
#119683 Daffodil Delight cardstock
#126944 Daffodil Delight ink
#119882 Scallop Edge border punch
#122941 1/8" mini silver brads
#124262 white baker's twine
#126982 Pool Party ink
#102283 Versamark ink     
#109132 white embossing powder
#110755 Tombow Mono multi glue 

Christmas in July Week - Day Four: Flocked Window Tag

It's the weekend! Yay! And it's almost midnight and I really need to go to bed, so just a super quick post today. I decided to make a tag for today's project, but I wanted to do something fun and different so I cut a window in the middle of the tag and used the flocked window sheet from the Candlelight Christmas DSP collection to mount a "floating" Christmas tree.

And here's the video! That's all for today! :)

2012 Holiday Catalog Supplies:
#129946 Scentsational Season Bundle clear mount (includes Scentsational Season stamp set and Holiday Collection Framelits dies)
(#129945 wood mount bundle)
##126901 Candlelight Christmas DSP
#129021 Window Frames Framelits dies

2012-2013 Main Catalog Supplies:
#126840 Gumball Green cardstock
#126861 Gumball Green ink
#100730 Whisper White cardstock
#109070 Whisper White taffeta ribbon
#123125 Cherry Cobbler baker's twine
#118592  Tiny Tags clear mount
(#118592 wood mount)
#126980 Basic Black ink
#126949 Real Red ink
#117190 Jewelry Tag punch   
#127555 Vintage Faceted designer buttons 
#126944 Daffodil Delight ink 

Christmas in July Week - Day Three: Snow Angel Card

Happy Friday! Welcome to Day Three of Christmas in July! No video today, but I do have a super cute card to share with you.

I am in love with this stamp set! It has the cutest images ever! It's called Wonderful Winterland, and features super cute kids doing all sorts of wintertime activities. (The sentiment is from For the Birds.) I also used a few of the patterns from the Snow Festival DSP pack to paper piece the diagonal stripe background - I love the color combination in this paper!

I colored the stamped image with a blender pen. I took the color combination straight from the DSP. It's a totally fool-proof way to choose colors for a card project. Even if I'm not actually using the paper on the project, I'll often pull color palettes from DSP collections.

OK, super quick, one more thing to share with you. This card is based on a sketch from the submission call for Paper Crafts magazine's Jan./Feb. 2013 issue. I didn't find out about it in time to actually submit (wish I had!) but I thought the sketch was really fun and creative. As you can see, I changed up the sketch quite a bit, which is why I wanted to show you the original sketch. Sketches are a great source of inspiration, but don't forget you can switch things up!

Thanks for stopping by today. Come on back tomorrow for another Christmas in July project!

Happy Stampin'!

2012 Holiday Catalog Supplies:
#123819 Wonderful Winterland clear mount stamp set
(#123817 wood mount)
#126908 Snow Festival Designer Series Paper

2012-2013 Main Catalog Supplies:
#126407 For the Birds clear mount stamp set
(#126405 wood mount)
#100730 Whisper White cardstock
#120953 Crumb Cake cardstock
#126841 Primrose Petals cardstock
#126840 Gumball Green cardstock
#111352 Baja Breeze cardstock 
#119685 Cherry Cobbler cardstock 
#126861 Gumball Green ink
#126858 Primrose Petals ink
#126978 Soft Suede ink
#126960 Baja Breeze ink
#102845 Blender Pen    
#109070 Whisper White Taffeta ribbon
#104199 Linen Thread
#101406 Staz-On Ink
#127555 Vintage Faceted designer buttons
#100037 Blush Blossom marker

Christmas in July Week - Day Two - Manger Card with Rays Inking Technique

Welcome to Day Two of Christmas in July! For today's card project, I decided on a bit of a rustic feel, paired with one of the more religious sets from the Holiday Catalog.

And I have another video tutorial for you today, where I show you how I achieved the rays of light emanating from the manger. Check it out below, or on my YouTube channel.

One brief note that I didn't mention in the video: After I finished the stamping, I sprayed the focal image with shimmer mist. Be sure to use Shimmer Paint mixed with water if you stamp your image with Staz-On ink! Shimmer Paint mixed with rubbing alcohol will smudge Staz-On! If you use SU! Classic Ink, go ahead and use the mist you made with alcohol.

Thanks for stopping by. Hope you'll join me again tomorrow for Day Three! :)

Happy Stampin'!

2012 Holiday Catalog Supplies:
#127991 First Christmas clear-mount stamp set
#126904 Festival of Prints DSP Paper Stack
#126901 Candlelight Christmas DSP

2012-2013 Main Catalog Supplies:
#101650 Very Vanilla cardstock
#126975 Crumb Cake ink
# 101406 Staz-On ink
#127554 Naturals Designer Buttons
#104199 Linen Thread
#102892 Sponge Daubers
#116806 Champagne Mist Shimmer Mist
#126185 Stampin' Spritzer

Christmas in July Week - Day One: Watercolor Rock & Roll Poinsettias

Ho Ho Ho! Welcome to Christmas in July! :) Today is officially 5 months until Christmas! For the next 7 days I will be counting down to the release of the Stampin' Up! 2012 Holiday Catalog by sharing a Christmas card or project every day.

Welcome to Day One! Today I have a classic and elegant card project featuring an inking technique I call Watercolor Rock & Roll. Y'all know how much I love mixing ink and water! :) Aaaannnnddd... I also made a video tutorial on this technique. Check it out below, or over on my YouTube channel.

Thanks for stopping by today. Come on back tomorrow for another Christmas in July project!

Happy Stampin'!

2012 Holiday Catalog Supplies:

#126901 Candlelight Christmas DSP

#128033 Greetings of the Season clear mount stamp set

#129727 Watercolor Winter clear mount stamp set

#127835 Flourish Designer Frames

2012-2013 Main Catalog Supplies:

#101650 Very Vanilla Cardstock

#122959 Watercolor Paper

#102128 Chocolate Chip Cardstock

#126861 Gumball Green Ink

#126983 Calypso Coral Ink

#126949 Real Red Ink

#126978 Soft Suede Ink

#126185 Stampin' Spritzer   

#126848 Gumball Green Stitched Satin Ribbon

#104199 Linen Thread

Start-to-Finish Sunday #2: Faux Watercolor

Well, my friends, here it is less than half an hour before it's technically Monday, but I managed to get a video posted for you! :)

I wanted to share another idea using the Reason to Smile limited edition stamp set. Don't forget - you can get it for only $5 (!) with a $50 order, but only through July 31! This really is a great set!

I used one of my favorite techniques on this card: "Faux Watercolor." If you've been reading my blog for a while, this technique probably isn't new to you, but what can I say? - I love it! :)

Anyway, here's the video (or watch it on my YouTube channel) - Enjoy, and I hope you had a great weekend!

P.S. Christmas in July starts right here on Wednesday 7/25! I'll be sharing a whole week of project ideas, tips, and tutorials featuring the amazing new products from the 2012 Stampin' Up! Holiday Catalog. See you there!


Faux Watercolor Reason to Smile Card

InLinkz.com

Start-to-Finish Sunday #1: Reason to Smile

Looking to give your summer stamping a sweet and simple boost? Stampin' Up! is running an amazing promotion through July 31st with the adorable stamp set featured in the picture above. The set is called Reason to Smile and it can be yours for just $5 with any $50 order (before tax and shipping)! Cheap and cheerful is my crafting MO, and this set totoally fits the bill! So check out the project I made with the set, and if you like what you see, head on over to my website to place an order! Use Item # 131274 for wood mount, and # 131275 for clear mount (after reaching $50 on your order).

So I'm almost done with the blah blah here, I swear ;) I'm starting a new feature on my blog that I'm calling Start-to-Finish Sunday. Every Sunday I'll post a video featuring making a card from start to finish. So, without further ado...

Thanks for stopping by! Happy stampin'! :)

Put A Bird On

I would say that watercoloring is probably one of my top 3 favorite stamping techniques of all time. When I first started learning about Copics, I was really into them, but now I think watercolor is more my style. Plus, Copics are sort of stressful, and watercoloring is so zen and enjoyably relaxing... especially since I discovered the Aqua Painter! I am consistently drawn to images that beg to be watercolored, and this For the Birds stamp set from the 2012-2013 Stampin' Up! Catalog certainly fits the bill!

OK, so really. How cute are those little birds?!

Thanks for stopping by! Happy stampin'! :)



Favorite Place Bird Card 

InLinkz.com

Miss You Bird Card 

InLinkz.com