321 Stamp: Launching Creativity

Stocking Becomes a Hobby Horse & How to get a FREE Big Shot Machine

Be sure to read on for another great Stocking Punch idea but first I had to share the amazing deal that Stampin' Up is offering in October. A FREE Big Shot Die Cutting machine for everyone who signs up as a demonstrator! Already have one? Then you can choose $100 in free product of your choice instead! Wow!

I've loved being a demonstrator for 14 years and I love supporting the 3-2-1 Stamp team of demonstrators. The benefits of signing up are incredible:

- 20% off of every order (and 30% off your first order over $150 in the first 45 days)

- The chance to get off to a fast start and earn more free stamp sets.

- A Starter Kit worth $345 that costs just $175 and the shipping is free (even for that free added Big Shot machine or $100 in bonus stamping goodies.)

- A low $300 minimum per quarter -- with no requirement to meet that until your first full quarter as a demonstrator. So for people who sign up in October, that means you only have to sell $300 total by end of March 2012.

- You can be your own best customer and it counts toward your minimum. Of course you can also hold workshops and classes and make this a part time or full time business -- it's your choice.

Click here to learn more and you can sign up right from that information page that you'll link to on my website. If you sign up online, you're going to then choose your free Big Shot or $100 in free product after you've signed up through a special link that Stampin' Up will email you. And of course email me if you have any questions.

Now onto the card....

Last post I shared a pretty girl baby card using the great Stitched Stocking stamp set and matching punch (which of course makes great, easy Christmas cards). Today it's time for a boy version. I first saw the stocking turned upside down to become a hobby horse in a version made by the amazing Jackie Topa.

My version rests on a card that measures 3 & 1/4" by 6 & 1/2" when folded -- a nice vertical size that fits inside our Open End Envelopes. The stick for my little hobby horse is a decorative toothpick that I bought at Cracker Barrell restaurants. Colors are Marina Mist, Pear Pizzazz and Early Espresso.

A few details to note: The mane on this little horse is some dotted ribbon that's ruffled along some Sticky Strip on the back side. 1/8" Marina Mist ribbon becomes a bridle. The cute ear is the stamped and punched out heel tidbit turned on end to be an ear! I drew on the dot for the eye with an Espresso marker. The doily was cut with the Perfect Pennants die and a white 1 & 3/4" circle provides some contrast. When I was done -- it still needed a little something and that's when I added the little Early Espresso Baker's Twine bow to the stick.I also love the little greeting from Perfect Pairs (again!) that was stamped in then punched out with the Pennant punch and mounted onto the coordinating scallop punched pennant in Espresso. Then look inside and the inside greeting gets the same treatment for a nice little surprise.

Next up is some creative inspiration from Stampcation (is that not a great name for a stamping retreat?!)

 

Blossom Bouquet Punch Card

I made this card a couple of months back as a Stamp Club project to showcase the new Triple Layer punches. See those cute flowers? Everything but the center of each flower is made using one punch that has a three-position lever that you can move so it punches three different flowers! The stamp set for the stems and the cute flower stamped center -- and the greeting -- is Bold Blossom from the Summer Mini Catalog -- so it's only available through August 31 and is the perfect match in size and style for these punched flowers. It's only $12.95 in wood mount (item #123232) and just $9.95 in Clear Mount (item #122232) The smaller punched centers in Daffodil and Melon Mambo were made using the Itty Bitty punch pack punches -- love those for that perfect little touch to finish off a project.

Finally, to wrap up my recent tributes to the end of the space shuttle program that I've shared here on my blog, click here to see a wonderful blog post by my friend, CBS Radio Correspondent Peter King, whose post includes a video of my husband Bill sharing his throughts on the final landing during the CBS Early Show Thursday morning. The video is embedded in Peter's post about halfway down. Bill still has lots of space news to cover for CBS, such as the launches to the space station as American astronauts hitch a ride on Russian rockets and tracking the progress of NASA's new commercial space partnerships. Thanks for endulging my mentions of the space program since they inspired my blog's name.

Punch Art Bookmarks

I have a daughter who loves to read -- so when I saw the ideas for punch art bookmarks that Stampin' Up CEO Shelli Gardner shared on her blog, I knew I had to share them here so you'd be sure not to miss them. I've posted in just one idea for the shark, but there are numerous ideas perfect for kids and best of all, she shared the punch patterns. I love the little oval label where you could stamp or right each child's name.

Click here to see them all and learn the how-tos.

Still busy, busy, busy, but hope things slow down soon so I can be a better blogger!

Build a Blossom Speed Stamping Trick

I'm back -- but still busy and still juggling lots of writing deadlines and stamping classes. I wanted to pop in though and share this beautiful card (the idea came direct from Stampin' Up at our Leadership training event in Jan.) The beautifully simple card uses the Build a Blossom stamp set and coordinating Blossom Petals Punch that are available through the end of April in Stampin' Up's Occasions Mini catalog -- just look for these items in my online store if you don't already have them.

So here's the "speed stamping" trick -- and it's SUCH a time saver when you are stamping and punching multiple petals that you want to stamp in the same color ink. The trick is to use the CLEAR MOUNT version of the Build a Blossom set. The trick starts with a punched out template using the Blossom Petals Punch --- just punch one complete set of petals from a scrap of card stock.

You'll save this punched template in the box with your stamps and then here's why you need the clear mount set, you can position the stamps right through the punched template, pressing them onto your larger clear block in the perfect position so that as you stamp your punch will then line up with every petal perfectly. (You can see that I marked my card stock template so I always know which side is up when I'm positioning petals. On the other side I wrote, "This side against clear block." No need to re-think it each time.

Once I stamp the three petals that I need — in this case in Cherry Cobbler ink on Cherry Cobbler card stock — punched five times. It's then easy to use the punch upside down, lining up my punch and punching out all three petals at once!

Here are my assembly tricks — after much experimenting with what will hold the flower together well. I first use a bone folder to get a nice curve in my petals. I punch out a base circle -- in this case I used a 1 & 3/8" circle base since the bottom petals are large. I covered that circle with SNAIL sticky adhesive. And then I found that a Mini Glue dot on the point of each petal was the best way to go. Yes, a Mini Glue dot on each petal, all five petals, for all three layers so I used 15 mini glue dots but my flowers then stay together.

And I have a trick for holding the flower to your project. I use Mini Glue dots on the base circle to attach it to the card — and also added a foam Dimensional "dot" under just the five larger bottom petals. I found the added Dimensionals keep the curve "puffed up" and they make sure your flower is locked down and does not spin or move too much. This is a "wow" card that you went to a lot of trouble to make so why not take a little extra care to make sure everything is is place?

The center of my flower is an embossed card stock button die cut with the Sweet Buttons embosslit from the Occasions Mini Catalog. To that I added the stamped and punched center from the flower stamp set -— it punches out easily with a 1/2 inch circle punch and gives the center the same tone-on-tone feel as the rest of the flower.

The last addition to this card was three simple scored lines to frame the pretty blossom. They were easily made by using the scoring tool on my Fiskars 12 inch cutter to score three lines just 1/8 inch apart. Score the lines on the inside front of your card and then the pretty "bumps" are on the outside. Plus I went over each scoreline using the tip of my bone folder in the groove of the Fiskars — that way the bone folder could easily travel in my "starter groove" and make the embossed line more pronounced.

It's so fun to make flowers with this set and matching punch — and if your petals are all one color, then this speed tip will make it much faster! Enjoy.

An Easter card: Guest stamper

It's been too long since I've posted -- but I've been swaped. I'm a writer as well as a stamper and this has been a month packed full of writing deadlines. I do have some project ideas to share as soon as I get some photos taken. In the meantime I had to share this cute card from 3-2-1 Stamp team member Diane Simpers (who got the punch idea from Jackie Topa).

Click here to go to Diane's wonderful blog and get all the details! Enjoy and I'll be back soon.

Sala-a-bration is here - celebrate with with cupcakes!

First of all, Sale-a-bration starts today — our biggest Stampin' Up! sale of the year and the most exciting time because you get free stuff -- as a customer, as a hostess and even as a new SU demonstrator! I've posted a new link in the right column so you can download the little SAB booklet if you need one. Online orders earn SAB benefits as well so don't miss out.

If you've always wanted to be a Stampin' Up demonstrator, it's a great time as the starter kit is 15% off during SAB — that's more than $300 worth of goodies for just $148.75 (and we have a traditional stamp kit and a Digital kit for those who like to craft on the computer.) Whether you sign up just for the discount you get on your own purchases or to earn extra money, it's a great time to become a demonstrator. Click here to learn more or to sign up.

Now on to the tastiest news of the day — cupcakes! I love the new Create a Cupcake stamp set and coordinating Build a Cupcake punch from the Occasions mini catalog! It's so easy to stamp and punch and you can use the stamps and the punch separately as well of course. Check out this card — it's got a secret way to open.

The red top lifts off and it opens from the bottom — just like a present!

I'll pass along measurements and how-tos for making the little lift off top — but first a shout out to my demo friend Katy Zamer of Cookeville, Tenn. who inspired this card with her birthday box version. Click here to see another view of Katy's card.

So here are some tips for making this very cute card:

- Score the 4¼” by 11” card at 5½”. Emboss the front with Polka Dot embossing folder.

- Be sure the fold is at the BOTTOM of the card, and that you punch ONLY THE FRONT with a 1¾” Circle Punch. Slide in from the right edge all the way and punch.

Box Top: Red Card Stock is 5¼” by 3”. Score it 1½” from one long edge AND ½” from BOTH SHORT ends. Fold on all scores and cut away the side sections on the back side. Close with Sticky Strip so it makes a pocket.

This is such a fun card design — thanks Katy for sharing it! The Sweet Valentine greeting on my cupcake version is from the Occasions Mini Catalog level 2 hostess set, but I also made some using the birthday sayings that come with the Cupcake set and they are just as cute!