Map It Monday - I'M NOT LION

Look at this cute little........ lion map?! I learned how to make him from my friend Teri H. So cute yet so easy! I hope you can read the directions here - I just snapped a pic of the instructions she had on hand. I haven't even tried it out yet! The words may not be perfectly legible, but the shapes are shown. I look forward to trying him out on a card design!

Now, how about if you make a cute card with him & bring it to show me or send me a digital picture of it!?! Your turn.

Happy stamping!

Linda

Think About Thursday

Have you been looking for me? I have taken a few more days off to get some things done & have gotten out of the blogging habit.......but, have no fear.......I'LL BE BACK! You could say that in honor of Think About Thursday, I thought about my blog. hee hee I may even try to find time to post today! I think I have missed not being able to stamp.

Smile!

Linda

STAMPIN' UP ANNUAL CONVENTION BUZZ

Stampin' Up!’s annual convention was several weeks ago. People are buzzing about the new Holiday Mini Catalog, which becomes available September 1st! The only thing I don't like about these outstanding new products is that I cannot possibly purchase them all! ...

My Digital Studio!

My Digital Studio is a brand new digital scrapbooking system being introduced! This hybrid scrapbooking system blends digital scrapbooking with Stampin’ Up’s exclusive designs and hands-on (regular) stamping. Apparently it is easy to use & is well-liked by those who have tried it. Feeling brave? Maybe it's time to try something new and outside your comfort zone?!

Build-a-Bear!!

Stampin’ Up and Build-a-Bear have partnered and you can see what it’s all about in the new Holiday Mini Catalog!!! If you have young children, especially girls, if you are a grandma, or if you have some special young children in your life, you will LOVE this line of products!

Simply Adorned Charms

This new breathtaking product line of quality charms & chains will be available in the Holiday Mini Catalog! Jewelry becomes art that can be updated with the change of seasons!

GREAT SPECIALS GOING ON NOW!!!

Decor Elements growth chart - just rub it onto a wall - like rubons for cards, but much bigger! It’s too cute! You won’t find it in the Decor Elements brochure since it is being offered in August/September only at $24.95. With your purchase you’ll also receive an applicator tool to make it a little easier to put up on your wall. The colors used on the chart are Taken with Teal, Old Olive and Chocolate Chip.

GET DESIGNER BUTTONS FOR FREE! - you just need to spend $35 on stamp sets from the “Growing Up” section (begins on page 73) of the Idea Book & Catalog! Choose Playground, Sherbet, or Button Latte designs on page 181. If you want $70 in stamps, get two packs free! This offer is only good until August 31, 2009.

Fast Friday - Bayou Medallion

I am in love.....with this new Medallion stamp ! It is like a little black dress - you can dress it up or dress it down!

This card was so easy - I paired two shades of soft blue - last year's In Colors of Soft Sky and Blue Bayou. You could choose any two muted shades of the same color.

Stamp the medallion image on the card so it is partially off the fold of the card. The easiest way to ink up a large stamp such as this one, or even a background stamp, is to lay the rubber stamp rubber-side-up on the table. Press the inkpad over and over again onto the rubber until it is thoroughly inked.

I used punches for half of the message - word window and the new modern label punch (don't you love its shape?!).

The last thing to do on this card to bling it up is add glitter stickles glue on the little decorative doohickies on the medallion! BLING! Hard to see here in the photo, but it does bling!

Pretty, isn't it?

Linda

Think About Color Thursday - Friendly Red Flowers

Color Combination for this week:

So Saffron
Real Red
Pumpkin Pie

To make this card, begin with a So Saffron card. Sponge the edges & even some of the blank areas of the card with Real Red ink for a softer look.

Stamp "You Are My Friend" message label from the Only Ovals stamp set with a Real Red inkpad. Sponge the top striped portion of the "You Are My Friend" image if desired.

Paper pierce the flowers, layer them & adhere them to the card. Lastly, adhere message label with dimensionals.

The flowers are diecuts from the catalog. In each catty the colors of diecut flowers vary.

Linda

Whatever Wednesday - Flap Open Cottage Wall

This week's "Whatever" card uses the Cottage Wall designer paper on this card - oh, how I love combining patterns from the same paper package! I also punched some of the designer paper with the Boho Blossoms punch & adhered it to the card front next to the message, instead of stamping an image.

To find out how to cut & score this card, see my prior post of Wednesday, January 21, 2009. On this card, however, I omitted the closure & slot.
The interior message is from the Fifth Avenue Floral stamp set. I am really getting to like this message - it is so appropriate for a variety of occasions & a little bit different that the standard "happy birthday" or "happy anniversary".

Linda

Tuesday Tips - Heat Embossed Background

Tuesday Tip of the week:

Try heat embossing the background on a card!

This background uses a plaid background stamp inked up with VM. I sprinkled clear EP & heat embossed. The cs has a shiny plaid pattern!

Just about anything looks good on top of the glossy background. I added some flowers, made stems with a black marker & drew "hi" freehand.

This card opens from the front. It's easy to create this shape of card......make sure the height is standard 5 1/2". Score twice to create the flaps on the right & left - just make sure the center portion is 4 1/4" to it in a standard A2 envelope!

Linda

Map It Monday - Polka Dot Cupcake

When I ran across this retired Stampin' Up designer paper (Jersey Shore), I couldn't help but create lots o dots on this card! All these polka dots sure are fun!

The cupcake stamp from the Darling Dots (retired) hostess stamp set is colored directly onto the rubber with Stampin' Write markers in Brilliant Blue, Pumpkin Pie, Really Red, & the stem with Basic Brown. After punching the cupcake out with a circle punch, I layered it onto a bigger green circle to match the dsp!

Then I punched another patterned paper from this dsp package with a circle punch to add a few more dots! I so love how there are many papers in each package of designer paper that all work together without a second thought!

Linda

August Stamping News

Hello Stampers!

UPCOMING CAMPS

Create original greeting cards, & have fun with other stampers!

All Camps at 7pm in my Home Studio

All camp fees are $15 unless otherwise noted

Email advance registration

Invite a friend!

REGISTER NOW FOR THESE CAMPS!….

Wednesday, Sept. 9 – September Stamp Camp -

Reserve your spot now & save the date on your calendar! Among the six cards we will make are a birthday card with a sweet little doggy on it, a cupcake birthday card, thinking of you & others!

Thursday, October 1 – Fall Festival Stamp Camp - Make autumn themed cards for Halloween/fall, Thanksgiving, and all occasion earthy cards.

Wednesday, October 14 –Special Project Stamp Camp- details soon!

Thurs Nov 12 – Christmas Card Stamp-a-Stack of 25 - Send handmade holiday cards this year! Stamp 5 each of 5 beautiful designs for a total of 25 holiday cards. Envelopes included. I will prepare extra bundles of 10 at a reduced price of $7 if you want to stamp more than 25 cards. Camp fee for 25 cards is $25. Your holiday card recipients will be oh so amazed & honored!!!!

Thurs Dec 10 – Christmas Express Camp - Make holiday items….gift tags, sweet hostess gift items, simple holiday Thank You cards & more!

FOR SCRAPBOOKERS!….

– Scrapbook Nights this Fall are:

Wednesday, August 12 at 7pm

Wednesday, September 16 at 7pm

Wednesday, October 21 at 7pm

Wednesday, November 18 at 7pm

Wednesday, December 2 at 7pm.

If you would like to attend scrapbooking nights, please email me & we can discuss the details. Scrapbook Club members are committed to attending each month because I purchase supplies and papers in advance & have every person’s kit ready to go on Scrapbooking Night each month.

AUGUST NEWS

CURRENT SPECIALS & PROMOTIONS

HAVE YOU SEEN IT!….

Let me know if you want to see a new Big Idea Book & Catalog. The new one (shown here) has sooooooo many great stamping toys that are available for one year and tons of creative ideas that you can copy!!! You can view it online at www.stampinup.com. In this catty:

· Over 1,000 items under $25!!!!

· Kids’ birthday collection: Affordable & stylish party kits to use right out of the box or that can be embellished using coordinating stamp sets & personalized name stamp sets. The Pirate and Princess Party Kits ($15.95 each) include enough invitations, favors, and craft projects for a party of eight and include 24 food toppers and 20 pennants for making a special birthday banner (see pgs. 74-75, 174 in catalog).

• Wedding collection: Planning a wedding can be stressful and expensive. However, this fall we suggest handcrafting several wedding items like invitations, favors, or décor so that brides can get the look they want for a price they can afford (see pgs.48-49 in catalog).

• Christmas collection: Ornaments, festive packaging, and decorations encompass the spirit of Christmas. But do not let all of the hustle and bustle of the season take a toll on your sanity—or pocketbook! Embrace the season with handcrafted ornaments, gifts, and decorations that will not only look good, but also become a holiday tradition to last throughout the year (see pgs. 28-43 in catalog). Besides Christmas, wedding & birthday “collections”, you will find other “collections” in this catty!

• Definitely Decorative: With decorating budgets shrinking, many are on the lookout for simple, inexpensive ways to freshen up their living space without breaking the bank. Stampin’ Up! has several new products that are perfect for decorating including Décor Elements™, self-adhesive vinyl wall art, and Décor Stencils™, a new take on the stenciling our mothers did years ago. Both products offer a variety of styles and colors so that it is easy to find the perfect match for any living space.

”IN COLOR” MARKERS AVAILABLE –

and POLKA DOT MATCHING RIBBON too!!!

Available NOW!!!! And, available until June 2010 (one year)!!! Email me if you would like to get your hands on these! :)

MINI STARTER KIT PROMOTION –

July 15-August 31, 2009

Stampin' Up! Is offering an extremely low-cost, low-risk business start-up kit offer. This kit can get your new business off to a great start or can simply be an addition to useable products in your personal crafting hobby & then a springboard to discounted products after that! The Starter Kit's price can't be beat - the kit is almost 45 percent off the retail price of the individual items in the kit.

Become a Stampin' Up! demonstrator with the limited-time $85 Mini Starter Kit. The Mini Starter Kit contains the following products:

For All You Do Stamp Set $28.95

Rich Razzleberry Classic Stampin' Pad $5.95

Melon Mambo Classic Stampin' Pad $5.95

Crushed Curry Classic Stampin' Pad $5.95

Dusty Durango Classic Stampin' Pad $5.95

Bermuda Bay Classic Stampin' Pad $5.95

Soft Suede Classic Stampin' Pad $5.95

Whisper White card stock 8 1/2" x 11" $7.50

In Color assorted card stock 8 1/2" x 11" $7.95

**All page numbers refer to the 2009-2010 Idea Book & Catalog

**All products may be substituted for like items; see Mini Starter Kit order form for details.

• During the promotional period there will also be a standard Starter Kit incentive for new recruits who choose the standard Starter Kit instead of the Mini Starter Kit; new recruits who choose the standard Starter Kit will receive the following, along with the standard Starter Kit supplies:
  
  
  
  • All six of the new In Color Classic Stampin' Pads
    
  • One pack of In Color assorted card stock (8-1/2" x 11")

Q: Can new recruits substitute products in the Mini Starter Kit with like items?
A: Yes. The catalog products (stamp, inks, card stock) may be substituted with like items.

Q: Can a recruit who purchases the Mini Starter Kit also purchase the Stampin' Memories Add-on?
A: Yes. She will have the option to add the Add-on to her kit for an additional $50.

OTHER STUFF

REMEMBER TO VIEW MY STAMPING BLOG OFTEN! I update it almost every day! www.lahinks.blogspot.com

FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME via email – you can register for my home studio events or place a Stampin’ Up order. Pass my newsletter on to a friend or register a friend for an event & go together.

Be sure to make some time for yourself & stamp away!!!

Linda Halladay
Independent Demonstrator
Stampin' Up!

Strongsville, Ohio
lahinks@gmail.com

my blog: http://www.lahinks.blogspot.com

Stampin' Up website: www.stampinup.com

Fast Friday - Krafty Wishes

Start out with a kraft brown card. Stamp a message in the lower right corner.

For the image.....

punch a hole into a large square of cs with the curly label punch. Lay the negative part of the punched cs (cs with a hole in it) onto the card directly. Hold the cs in place while you stamp any small image within the punched area directly onto the card. I have used the Trendy Trees stamp set here to make a small tree. Still holding the "punched template" in place, sponge the entire negative area with a sponge & inkpad. Remove the template to view your image within a curly label shape!

Have a nice weekend!

Linda

Think About Color Thursday - Summer Sun, Rose Red, Whisper White

Here the color combo of the day is:

Summer Sun

Whisper White

Rose Red

Great combination! The card is folded into 3 panels. I heat embossed a plaid pattern onto Summer Sun cs with VM and clear EP.

I added some flower stickers & drew on "hi" with a black marker.

Now go try this color combo yourself!

Linda

Whatever Wednesday - Turn That Smile (or Bird) Upside Down

Missed me? I took some time off with the family for a little vacation, but now I'm back. Scrapbook Club is tonight & Stamp Camp is Thursday evening! If you want to stamp with me, email me or call - there's still openings!

Remember the Good Friend stamp set? If you turn the bird's stamped image upside down, look what happens! It looks like a little whale! Add the dandelion stamp & you have a blow-hole splash! Isn't it cute?!?

I tucked the whale under a "wave". I ran Tempting Turquoise cs through my Cuttlebug with a wave design embossing plate. I cut the embossed cs to 5 1/8" x 2" & then cut across the strip with a wave-design scissors.

For the message, I stamped "under the weather" from the Little Birdie Told Me stamp set. I figured that the whale REALLY is "under the weather", so the stamp is perfect. I punched the message with the small oval punch & layered it onto a Tempting Turquoise large oval cs.

It's good to be back!

Linda

Scrapbook Saturday - Background Stamped Border

This Whisper White scrapbook page layout's bottom border is created with a background stamp and a Real Red inkpad. I have used the retired Polka Dots & Paisley polka dot stamp repeatedly across the page. You could use any background stamp - just stamp across the page, but make sure the tops of the images are at the same height. Alternatively, a Stampin' Around wheel works extremely well to create a page border.

The new Modern Label punch is more than just a tool for punching out messages into an attractive shape. Here I punched out a modern label to use as a page embellishment decoration. I also heat embossed a small round image to make it shiny & then adhered it like a buckle onto the modern label.

Have a great day!

Linda

Think About Color Thursday - Yoyo Yellow, Ballet Blue, Basic Black, Whisper White

With several snowboarders in the family, I'm having some fun with this stamp from the Extreme Collection in the new Stampin' Up catalog!

Color combo for this week:

Yoyo Yellow, Ballet Blue, Basic Black, Whisper White

I am trying to see how many different looks I can give this stamp. Here I have heat embossed in black. I stamped him with a black Craft Stampin' Pad, sprinkled on some clear embossing powder, and then heat embossed him.

I also stamped white swirls from the Trendy Trees stamp set on the Ballet Blue cs to give the background an action feel. The snow hills are created by tearing Whisper White cs.

Any teen will love this card! Just add a birthday message inside if there's a birthday coming up!

Linda

Whatever Wednesday - CLEAR ENVELOPES!

No pictures today - just some cool info.....

You can mail a card in a Stampin' Up! Medium Clear Envelope! It fits! You can purchase these envelopes in packs of 50 for $4.95 from the Big Idea Book & Catalog. This means that you can show off your card creations during the entire mailing process - from the time it leaves your hands to the time your recipient is opening the envelope!

How are these clear envelopes used? Here's two ways:

1. Print or write out mailing label stickers & adhere to the clear envelope. The card could be inserted into the envelope with the front showing through the front of the envelope (for all to see!) or peeking thru the flap side.

2. Cut any cs or paper to the standard A2 envelope size (5-1/2" x 4-1/4"). Address it like you would address the front of a regular paper envelope. Then put it inside the clear envelope along with your card – the address should be visible from the front of the envelope, yet the card can be turned so the card front is visible from the other side of the envelope!

If you send your envelope through the mail, write the address across the long side of the envelope to satisfy postal regulations.

This is an especially great way to send an extra special card, such as a get well card or holiday card!

Linda

Tuesday Tips - Christmas Punch Stamp Set Tip!

The Boho Blossom Punch coordinates with the three snowflake image from the Christmas Punch stamp set!

This is one of those cool tips that make me happy I have the Boho Blossom Punch!

I stamped with the 3-snowflake stamp from the new Christmas Punch stamp set onto a Top Note diecut that I had left over. Now, check this out.....

The snowflakes fit exactly into the flower punch holes!

Then, I had exactly 3 minutes to make a card, so here is what I came up with under pressure.

Have a great day!

Linda

Map It Monday - Mellow Dazzle

Here I have combined the Razzle Dazzle Stamp set with Mellow Moss and Soft Suede. Very Vanilla keeps the look softer than using Whisper White. I've added a photo corner punch with dimensionals & stamped the background with one of the small flower stamps in this stamp set. Some paper piercing adds interest. Remember to order some of this awesome polka dotted ribbon to match your new in color ink pads!

Linda

Scrapbook Saturday & A Blooper

Did anybody notice my blogging blooper? Either nobody noticed, or you just were trying to be considerate & prevent me embarrassment.....I posted the same blog twice on the July 17 & May 30 Scrapbook Saturday posts. If you didn't see this blooper, you lost your chance because I fixed it! I replaced the May 30 post with a different one! Too funny. Sometimes when I only have a limited amount of time for blogging, I post a pic of something I had made in the past that I hadn't posted before (or so I thought).

Here is today's layout -



I went for the corners on this scrapbook page layout. I also stamped a bird with Black Stazon ink onto watercolor paper, colored it with Stampin' Up markers & cut out the birdie. Then, I adhered the birdie to a contrasting dsp circle, and layered again onto a larger punched Whisper White circle.

Three Whisper White circles are added along the right side. Scraps of Brilliant Blue cs become tiny tabs for the circles.

C ya!

Linda