On Sunday, I shared this card with you as a part of the Paper Players theme challenge:

At the time, I promised you a quick and easy tutorial on how to make these groovy sunbursts – these pointy kites that extend from the center of this card. The week almost got away, but I remembered my promise to you, so here it is. I’ve added a couple of assembly tips, as well. Why?  Because I really, really like you.  I hope you find this helpful:

Making a Groovy Sunburst

The basis for the shapes that stick out from the center of the circle is a square.  Let’s make a burst with a 2-1/2″ square. 

• Cut a 2-1/2″ x 2-1/2″ square.
• At the halway mark on two related sides, make a little mark.  In this case, I marked the 1-1/4″ mark on one side:

and again at 1-1/4″ on a corresponding side:

The next (very simple) step is to cut the square from the corner opposite each mark to each mark.  I’ve drawn the cut lines in the image below so you can see what I’m talking about:

Flip the image over to mount it on your card so you won’t see the dots you made as markers (or the dotted lines if you chose to include those ).

Once you’ve made one starburst, make more – same concept but different sized squares.  A sunburst made with a 2″ square or 1-1/2″ square would fit nicely inside this one.  Also, save the pieces that you trimmed off.  I’m sure you can create a great project with those triangles – or wedge them in and around your sunburst.  Yippee!

A Couple of Assembly Suggestions

It’s difficult to line up patterns and center them perfectly on the center of the card.  The square pattern in the center of this card is one of those “eeek” items that’s difficult to line up.  Because I knew I’d be additng this large circle (with the sentiment) on the center of my card, I punched a circle, added glue and glued down the pieces, careful to line them up just like I wanted.

Much easier than trying to line it all up on the center of the card stock, don’t you think?  I then added the starbursts the the blue card stock.  Here’s a shot from the backside of the assembled items:

If you look closely, you can see the white dots on the orange bursts – these were my guides for the sunburst.  You won’t see them when I glue this down, though, because I flipped them over.  The side you see above will be slalthered with glue and stuck to the front of a card.

I hope this is helpful.  I know there are all levels of cardmakers who read my blog – I hope I’ve shared something that each of you can either learn from or something that refreshes your memory about a fun trick.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Brian

Swatch Books and Product Shares.  189 pounds of Stampin’ Up! goodness arrived at my doorstep on Wednesday.  I’ve worked tirelessly to sort through paper, ribbon and embellishments.  I’m making swatch books and getting these items all ready to send out this weekend.  Yippee!  If you didn’t sign up for product shares or a set of my swatch books, check them out!  There’s still time for me to order up another round.    Check them out here.

I just love a card challenge that’s based on colors. When you limit the selection to just two colors, the challenge is ramped up a bit.  BUT, when those two colors are Primrose Petals and Gumball Green, the stress is relieved a bit.  You just can’t go wrong with these cool and preppy, yet soft and complementary colors.  At first glance, you will say, “Geez, Brian, that’s a simple card!,” but look further because there are six layers of cardstock here .  Can you find them? 

Before we chat further about the card, here’s the Pals Paper Arts challenge:

Tips, Tricks and Reminders:

• Shapes that fit.  Since the moment I laid eyes on Everything Eleanor and Apothecary Accents Framelits, I knew I was in love with this image.  If you’ve been paying attention to my blog, you know I love to snip out this image.  Over and over and over.  The moment I saw Morning Meadow, a hostess set in the 2013-2014 Annual Catalog, I knew I’d center it inside the Everything Eleanor shape.  These two were made for each other.  I love to play around with the images and punches to find great combinations – I love this combination.
• Too clean and simple?  I wrestled with ways to add depth or texture to the background of this card.  Nothing worked for me.  A floret would be too curly against the intricate shapes of the Morning Meadow emblem.   An embossing folder would take away from the image, as well.  In the end, I like the white space and don’t think it’s possible to be too clean and simple.
• Did you find the sixth layer?  Let me give you a hint – it’d be almost impossible to get the outside of this image to be so perfectly deep Primrose Petals without stamping it.  Here’s what I did – I stamped off the Everything Eleanor image four times on scratch paper and then once on Whisper White.  This gave me the palest of background for my Morning Meadow emblem and fully inked sentiment.  This image has a border line around it.  I snipped the pale pink image, careful to stay just inside the outside border.  I then stamped the image in a fully inked Primrose Petals and snipped it out along the outside of the image – I warned you that I love to snip this image.    Carefully put them together, and you’ve got a cool, outlined image:

Stamp Sets: Everything Eleanor, Morning Meadow  Inks: Primrose Petals, Jet Black StazOn  Papers: Primrose Petals, Gumball Green, Whisper White  Accessories:  Stampin’ Dimensionals, 3/8″ Stitched Satin Ribbon 

Check out the other Color Challenge cards at The Paper Players.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Brian

A Few of My Favorite Things

Strike up the band!  It’s time for me to present my Five Favorite Things in the 2013-2014 Annual Catalog.  That’s right, I’ve spent many nights narrowing down this list to just five items – some are individual items, some are product classes.  These are five things I can’t live without, and I’m convinced you will love them, too.  In any case, this is a list of five things I like – tomorrow I will share my 5 favorite stamp sets.  Yipee! 

So, I kinda’ ruined the anticipation on Saturday by revealing my #1 Favorite Thing in the Catalog – the Big Shot Magnetic Platform.  See my excitement here. You could have guessed that, right?  It’s pretty amazing.  Because I already revealed my #1, I am sharing five more items here today.  So, this is sort of my Top 6 List, but I won’t tell if you won’t tell.  

This is the part where I should say, the list is in “no particular order” – but I don’t do well with disorder.  I’ve listed them in order, starting with the ones I am MOST excited about.  Here goes nothing:

1.  Bundles.  You’ve showed us you like bundles, and this catalog is chock full of them!  Whether you are bundling a stamp set with a hand-held punch or a framelit or an embossing folder, it’s always great to save some money.  These bundles are hidden all over the catalog – it can feel like a game of hide-and-seek to find them all.  If you enjoy hide-and-seek, then please skip this next list:

• Chalk Talk Bundle, page 12
• Label Love Bundle, page 32
• Backyard Basics Bundle, page 79
• Wildflower Meadow Bundle, page 83
• Flower Shop Bundle, page 95
• Beautifully Baroque Bundle, page 113
• Mosaic Madness Bundle, page 123
• Six-Sided Sampler Bundle, page 125
• Tag a Bag Bundle, page 159

2.  Framelit Collections.  By now, you know I love my framelits.  I’m sure I’ll love them more with my Big Shot Magnetic Platform, and I know I’ll love the collections now that Circles (130911) and Squares (130921) have joined the party.  And don’t forget about the gorgeous Deco Labels (130102).  My first thought about the squares?  I can just cut squares with my trimmer – but it’s much easier to position the square over the image – or create a fame by cropping with two squares.

3.  Designer Series Papers.  Stampin’ Up! always delivers when it comes to rich and beautiful papers. This year’s collection of Designer Series Paper is no exception.  The papers I’ve seen are amazing, and I can’t wait to get my hands on the others.  The Designer Series Paper Stacks have been redesigned to reflect the new color families and to update the patterns themselves.  All of these papers are featured between pages 150 and 154.  Designer Series Paper Swatch Books are a wonderful way to reference these papers.

4.  Candy Dots.  When I first saw candy dots in the Annual Catalog, I was hesitant to jump on the candy dots band wagon.  Would they really work?  How easy would they be to use?  Mine are still en route to me, but I know several people who have used them.  Word is they are amazing!  They stick like the pearls and rhinestones.  I can’t wait to embellish my projects with these little, colorful beauties.  5.  Wood Mount Cases.  When I first saw these cases, I thought my head would explode.  For the past year, I’ve given my customers the pros and cons of wood mount vs. clear mount.  Clear mount sets have always been easier to store – and that’s a plus!  Now that the wood mount sets are offered in handy, upright containers, I can’t solve the conundrum in my mind:

What are your favorite things about the new Annual Catalog?  What have you already ordered – or what is on your “must have” list?  Did I miss something here?  Tomorrow, I’m going to share my Five Favorite Stamp Sets from the new catalog.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Brian

Grab Your Greetings

Almost every card requires a sentiment, right?  I don’t have Sassy Salutations, but you can find Sweet Essentials and Petite Pairs on lots of my cards.  They are practically necessary.  What better time for Stampin’ Up! to offer these sets at 25% off?  Here’s the information you need to add these sets to your order:

More Amazing Greetings

While we are talking about greetings, Stampin’ Up! has been rolling out some great compilation stamp sets each month in honor of its 25th year – and this month’s is Best of Greetings.  Yippee!  Click on the image below for more information – you can bet I won’t pass on this set:

Want to check out the other “Best of” Compilation set?  Click here.

Do you remember when you went to take your first driver’s test?  Oh, the anxiety - “Did I remember to adjust the mirror?  Did I wait long enough at the stop sign?  What did the instructor just write down?  Is it good, is it bad?  Am I going to have to take this test again?”  Regardless of all the anxiety, passing sure is a great payoff!  It’s a rite of passage – especially in car-dependent Atlanta.

Pam’s son, Daniel, recently passed his test and now has a car.  How do you congratulate that wonderful rite of passage?  You acknowledge it with a greeting card, of course.  Here goes:

Tips, Tricks and Reminders:

• See it for what it’s not.  The image used to make the stoplight is from Label Love, a new stamp set in the 2013-2014 Annual Catalog (that, by the way, is offered in a bundle with the coordinating punch).  By now, you know that I love to find different ways to use products – to use them in ways for which they weren’t designed.  You have to see things for what they aren’t to do that. 
• Line it Up.  My last “tip” was to see things for what they are not.  This one is similar – look at things from a different angle when you want to line things up.  For example, when I wanted to line up these traffic lights, I turned the Basic Black strip sideways to give me a different perspective.  It allowed me to see them in a different way so that my judgement about how the final image SHOULD look didn’t impair my ability to get it lined up properly. I do the same with small sentiments – position them corner-to-corner on the clear block – it forces me to really see whether it’s lined up – without being fooled by the edges of the clear block.

• Watch those colors!  I have lots of layers of card stock from the design of this card.  I tried different combinations but had to abandon plans at almost every pass.  Why?  The green and red combination kept looking like Christmas – definitely not what I was going for when I made this card for Daniel. 

Stamp Sets: Label Love, Delightful Dozen  Inks: Jet Black StazOn  Papers: Gumball Green, Daffodil Delight, Basic Black, Real Red, Whisper White  Accessories:  Artisan Label punch, 3/4″ Circle punch, Stampin’ Dimensionals 

TODAY IS THE LAST DAY TO ENTER to win a $100 Shopping Spree!

You’ve already studied the catalog and made your wish list.  Why not get an extra $100 of product from the new catalog?  It’s simple and easy.  Click here to find out how you can enter to win – place your order today to be entered.  Yippee doodle dee!

Swatch Books and Product Shares

It’s not too late to order swatch books or enter my product shares.  I’m assembling swatch books this week!  Click the picture below for more information:

Last Day to Order from the 2012-2013 Annual Catalog

Here we are – the day we thought would never come.  It’s the last day to order retired items from the 2012-2013 Annual Catalog.  Have you put off purchasing that stamp set that’s retiring?  Did you want to stock up on that product that’s going away?  Today’s the last day to get it – and you can add-in some wonderful items from the 2013-2014 Annual Catalog while you’re at it.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Brian

You’ve already seen the 2013-2014 Annual Catalog, right?  If not, here it is (I’ll wait for you to take a pass through it and soak it all in):

I believe you when you say that you have carefully studied the pages and found the things you love.  How is it that I’m so trusting?  It’s because I have had the book for over a month, and I still find something new at every pass.  Next week, I’ll share a few of my Favorite Things from the 2013-2014 Annual Catalog (the list is so formal that it requires all CAPS), but today I want to share a couple of really great promotions that Stampin’ Up! recently announced – perfect timing to make some last minute additions to your order.    I’m also going to share a little bit about the item that tops my Favorite Things list.

Grab Your Greetings

This promotion couldn’t be nearer to my heart.  Almost every card requires a sentiment, right?  I don’t have Sassy Salutations, but you can find Sweet Essentials and Petite Pairs on lots of my cards.  They are necessary.  What better time for Stampin’ Up! to offer these sets at 25% off?  Here’s the information you need to add these sets to your order:

More Amazing Greetings

While we are talking about greetings, Stampin’ Up! has been rolling out some great compilation stamp sets each month in honor of its 25th year – and this month’s is Best of Greetings.  Yippee!  Click on the image below for more information – you can bet I won’t pass on this set:

Want to check out the other “Best of” Compilation set?  Click here.

New Photopolymer Stamp Set

Stampin’ Up! has been introducing lots of great, new photopolymer stamp sets.  This one is perfectly suited for this time of year, a travel-themed set with lots of great images.  Check it out by clicking the image below – and then be sure to add it to your order: 

My Favorite Things

I’ve spent many nights narrowing down my list of Favorite Things and will be sharing it with you next week.  In the meantime, I’m giving you a sneak peek at my #1 thing.  This product is a game changer - mine has already been ordered, and I might wait on the front porch until it arrives.  Headed there now…

1.  Big Shot Magnetic Platform (130658) - Did you spot this gem hidden on page 184 of the Annual Catalog?  If not, take a look now.  This is going to change our Fraemlit and Edgelit experience FOOORRREEEVEEERR!

And here’s a Stampin’ Up! video that shows how absolutely amazing this product is:

One thing to note:  The magnetism from the Megnetic Platform is strongest when the cutting pads are straight.  If your cutting plates are well-used and bent, you may want to throw in a new set of cutting pads.  You’re welcome.

Does it kind of take away the excitement of a “countdown list” to reveal the #1 item first?  If so, then I’m sorry I’ve ruined the whole countdown for you.  I promise you the rest of the list will be just as exciting.  What are your favorite things about the new Annual Catalog?  What have you already ordered – or what is on your “must have” list?

Win a $100 Shopping Spree! – THIS WEEKEND ONLY!

On Tuesday, I shared the details about how you can enter to win a $100 shopping spree by placing an order with me this coming weekend.  You’ve already studied the catalog and made your wish list.  Why not get an extra $100 of product from the new catalog?  It’s simple and easy.  Click here to find out how you can enter to win.

Swatch Books and Product Shares

It’s not too late to order swatchbooks or enter my product shares.  Click the picture below for more information:

Do you feel like you’re “in the know” now?  With the exception of my list of Favorite Things, next week is dedicated to new projects with new products.  Yippee!  I can’t wait to get busy!

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Brian

Going…Going…Gonna place an order today! 

Wowzers!  Today’s a HUGE DAY!  Today is the last day of the 2013 Spring Catalog and the first day of the 2013-2014 Annual Catalog.  For today only - all three books (Spring Catalog and two Annual Catalogs) are open for business.  Woo hoo!  The order entry system will be down until noon MDT, so don’t worry yourself with trying to enter your order beforehand.  I’m SO excited!  First of all, here’s a link to the 2013-2014 Annual Catalog (just click on the picture):

Many of you have been flipping through this gem for a while.  Some are just seeing it live for the first time.  Soak it in.  There are lots of great treasures hidden inside the covers of this book.  Don’t flip too fast or you’ll miss them.  AND don’t forget that the online ordering doesn’t start until noon MDT.

As we get ready for the release of the 2013-2014 Annual Catalog on Friday and prepare to say goodbye to several stamp sets in the 2012-2013 Annual Catalog and 2013 Spring Catalog, I think it’s appropriate to take a step back and share some projects from the past year that feature products that are soon to be retired. I’ll be sharing those with you intermittently throughout the rest of this week.  If you are new to my blog, then these will all be a treat for you.  If you have been following my blog for the past year, these will hopefully be fond memories of projects gone by – but I hope you, too, find something new.

Each project will link back to the original post, so feel free to click on them to take you back to the original post.

Day of GratitudeI had my eye on Day of Gratitude from the very start.  That medallion.  And the cool, retro look of the other shapes in this set just scream out for the browns and yellows of the 1970′s.  I love this set and hate to see it go, but guess what…it’s going.  Here are a couple of projects I made with this set – just to remind you why you need it:

You are Loved

There are some stamp sets that seem pigeon-holed for the holiday or occasion they are designed to celebrate.  You are Loved is one of those sets.  Hearts and flowers just seem destined for February 14.  I absolutely love the stamp with the Happy Valentine’s Day sentiment, but the other stamps are really more versatile – still about love, but flexible to be used in different ways.

Wonderful Mother

A simple trio of sentiments, Wonderful Mother is one of the least expensive sets in the catalog ($8.95 for clear mount and $11.95 for wood).  The sentiments are beautiful and to the point.  I’ve been able to use this set quite a bit this year and am happy with the cards I’ve made.  If you know me, then you know I’m crazy about my mom.  She has truly been an amazing support for me and has taught me to be the person I am.  This set spoke to me before I had any ideas about how to use it.  Here are some ways I used it:

Did you miss Day One of Going…Going…?  Check it out here.

How about Day Two of Going…Going…?  You can find it here.

Win a $100 Shopping Spree!

On Tuesday, I shared the details about how you can enter to win a $100 shopping spree by placing an order with me this coming weekend.  You’ve already studied the catalog and made your wish list.  Why not get an extra $100 of product from the new catalog?  It’s simple and easy.  Click here to find out how you can enter to win.

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog today!

Brian

Going…Going…Gonna’ miss it if you don’t act now! 

As we prepare for the release of the 2013-2014 Annual Catalog on Friday and prepare to say goodbye to several stamp sets in the 2012-2013 Annual Catalog and 2013 Spring Catalog, I think it’s appropriate to take a step back and share some projects from the past year that feature products that are soon to be retired. I’ll be sharing those with you intermittently throughout the rest of this week.  If you are new to my blog, then these will all be a treat for you.  If you have been following my blog for the past year, these will hopefully be fond memories of projects gone by – but I hope you, too, find something new.

Each project will link back to the original post, so feel free to click on them to take you back to the original post.

Summer Solstice, Language of Friendship

I’ve only shared one card that I’ve made with Summer Solstice and Language of Friendship, but I was really, really happy with how it turned out, so I want to share it.  I love the lines of the images in Summer Solstice – beautiful for a black and white card or a card that pops with color.  Although they are not featured here, be sure to check out the sentiments in this stamp set – incredible!  Language of Friendship says just what I wanted this card to say – love it here!

Every Little BitI couldn’t love the little images in Every Little Bit more than I do.  I always think “I need to use that set!” when I’m designing, so I was surprised to see how many times I HAVE used it.  I’ve used these cute, little in lots of different ways.  Here are three of my projects.  If you don’t have this set, do yourself a favor – get it now.  You deserve it.

Curly Cute

It took me a while to invest in Curly Cute.  Because it was so “cute-sy”, I was not convinced that it would be flexible enough for different styles of cards.  Guess what – I was wrong!  This sentiment set has it all and works well in all styles.  Here are some projects I made with this flexible set:

Established Elegance

I’m not known for my vintage style, right?  This set is far more vintage thn I normally work with, but I love it!  You can still make vintage while remaining clean-and-simple.  I was really happy with this project, so I wanted to share it with you again today: Did you miss Day One of Going…Going…?  Check it out here.

Win a $100 Shopping Spree!

On Tuesday, I shared the details about how you can enter to win a $100 shopping spree by placing an order with me this coming weekend.  You’ve already studied the catalog and made your wish list.  Why not get an extra $100 of product from the new catalog.  It’s simple and easy.  Click here to find out how you can enter to win.

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog today!

Brian

I’ve been telling you about my product shares for the past several weeks (if you want to know more, please click here). I’ve also told you about my Designer Series Paper Swatch Books, but I haven’t really shown you much. I ran the particulars by Stampin’ Up! Compliance and got approval to show you the books I’ve already made. If you like what you see, you can order them today. Of course, I can’t order a lot of the papers until May 31, but I’m all set up to pull these books together for you as soon as the paper arrives at my front door.

Before we get started, here’s a peek at 6 of the 13 books you’ll receive:

Already know you want a set? Please click the PayPal “buy now” button below to purchase a set of my Designer Series Paper Swatch Books for only $34.95 with FREE SHIPPING (offer only good for U.S. residents):

Still need some more convincing? Please keep reading.

Are you a crafter who loves your Designer Series Paper but who doesn’t love to flip through the catalog to find the Designer Series Paper that coordinates best? Do you rifle through stacks of papers when trying to find that perfect piece? Then, these books are made for you!  Here they are, stacked neatly in a tin I keep on my workspace:

Here are some highlights:

• Each set consists of 11 DSP swatch books and 2 Specialty DSP swatch books.
• Each DSP swatch book measures 3″ x 6-1/2″.
• Each DSP swatch book contains each of 6 patterns, staggered by 1/4″ for easy flipping. The shortest piece of DSP is 5-1/4″ long. The longest piece of DSP is 6-1/2″ long.
• Each DSP swatch book is backed with a coordinating color of card stock.
• Each DSP swatch book is labeled with the name of the DSP on the front and is labeled with the name of the DSP, the product number, a list of the colors featured in the DSP and the catalog which features the DSP.
• Each DSP swatch book is assembled with silver mini-brads.

Here’s the front of the Soho Subway DSP swatch book:

And here’s the back of the Polka Dot Parade DSP swatch book:

Why do you have to have these books?

If you are a hobby stamper:

• How many times have you needed a DSP to coordinate with a card? No more flipping through stacks of DSP! These books are a perfect reference guide for the DSPs while you are creating beautiful projects.
• The staggered pages make it easy for you to flip through the colors and patterns.
• The books are small enough to sit at the edge of your desk – they won’t ever get in the way.
• I’ve listed all the coordinating colors on the back of the books. Score!

If you are a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator:

• These swatch books are perfect for showcasing the beautiful DSPs to your party guests and customers.
• The staggered pages make it very easy for your customers to flip through so they can see both front and back of the DSP.
• The swatch books are a perfect gift for your party hostesses, your best customers or your hard-working downline members.

Here’s another chance to buy my Designer Series Paper Swatch Books:

Product Shares

That’s not all!  Do you want a sample of the new papers, embellishments and ribbons in the 2013-2014 Catalog, but you don’t want to buy it all?  I’d love for you to join my product shares.  I’ll gather small groups, order the product, divide it up and send it out.  You only pay for a quarter of the product at a quarter of the price – and you get a lot of product!  Select “I Want it All” and get free shipping.  Yippee!  Click here to sign up for my product shares.

Win a $100 Shopping Spree!

Yesterday, I shared the details about how you can enter to win a $100 shopping spree by placing an order with me this coming weekend.  You’ve already studied the catalog and made your wish list.  Why not get an extra $100 of product from the new catalog.  It’s simple and easy.  Click here to find out how you can enter to win.

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog today!

Brian

We all know that Stampin’ Up!’s 2013-2014 Annual Catalog goes live at noon MDT on Friday, right?  You’ve studied the catalog.  You’ve made your wish list.  Well, with all this new product well within your reach, I want to spice things up a bit and give you a chance to win a $100 shopping spree from me!

It’s quick and easy.  It’s fun and simple.  Here’s how you can win a $100 shopping spree with me this weekend:

1. Place a qualifying order with me on Friday (May 31), Saturday (June 1), Sunday (June 2) or Monday (June 3).  Click here for a direct link to my demonstrator site. 
2. Qualifying orders include the following:
   • a hostess order (your individual order exceeds $150 in product)
   • orders applied toward the following hostess number BYMQP4EF*
   • orders applied against this month’s My Stampin’ Clubhouse hostess order
3. For every $50 you purchase on these four days, your name will be entered into a drawing to be held on Tuesday, June 4.  If your name is drawn, you will win a $100 shopping spree from Stampin’ Up!’s 2013-2014 Annual Catalog.  The winner will send me a list of items he or she wants from the new catalog, and I’ll cover the shipping.  It’s that easy.

Who’s in?  It’s as easy as that!  Please email me at stampwithbrian@gmail.com with any questions.

*  Here’s how you enter a hostess code:

After you have entered the first item in your shopping cart, you’ll see this screen (this is just the lower part of the screen):

Enter the hostess code (BYMQP4EF) in the box below the Special Offers and hit “Apply” to verify that BRIAN KING shows as the hostess (for now). 

Please email me at stampwithbrian@gmail.com with any questions.  Thanks so much!

Brian