On Saturday I reminded you about how two of Stampin’ Up!’s bundles are ending at the end of April (just a week away).  Check out that post HERE.  While the This and That products will be available in the 2013-2014 Idea Book & Catalog, the bundle is going away.  At the same time, the products in the Sent with Love bundle are totally going away.  Like, totally.

I have really enjoyed my time with the Sent with Love kit, but my favorite is the Designer Series Paper.  This paper has introduced me to the combinations of Pool Party and Calypso Coral and has convinced me that Pool Party and Real Red belong together.  The combination is so crisp and so beautiful!  Here’s a card I made with the paper from the kit:

Tips, Tricks and Reminders:

• Finding Color Inspiration.  Sometimes the color inspiration for a card is as easy as stealing the colors from a favorite Designer Series Paper.  Plagiarizing the color choices, if you will.I love this striped paper from Sent with Love Designer Series Paper – probably my most used from the set.  With two simple colors (Pool Party and Real Red), I can add layers and layers of card stock to accompany the Designer Series Paper.
• Layering.  This card might seem clean and simple on the surface, but there are actually 12 luscious layers of card stock.  You know I never glue anything down until I am completely happy with the entire look of the card.  After I had all the layers piled up on top of the Real Red strip across the middle of the card, I knew the card needed something else.  That’s when I added the Pool Party 3″ Circle behind the strip.  I love how it adds to the layering but doesn’t interfere with the strip.  Here’s a close-up of the layering in the center of the card:
• Finding other colors.  Real Red.  Pool Party.  Real Red.  Pool Party.  Designer Series Paper, ink, card stock.  What else do I have that I can add to this color combination without making it too busy?  A ha!  The Pop-up Posies flower!  A couple of circle, a sentiment and some smoochy lips (I’ve tried for 12 months to include the term “smoochy lips” in my blog posts – today I have triumphed).

Stamp sets:  Petite Pairs, Itty Bitties  Inks:  Real Red  Papers:  Real Red, Whisper White, Pool Party, Sent with Love Designer Series Paper  Accessories:  3″ Circle Originals, 2-1/2″ Circle punch, 1-1/4″ Circle punch, 1-3/8″ Circle punch, Pop-up Posies Designer Kit, Stampin’ Dimensionals

The Sent with Love Bundle includes all the Designer Series Paper, Stamp Set and Calypso Coral Baker’s Twine for a 20% discount.  CLICK HERE to purchase the bundle before it’s gone.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today.

Brian

Retired List.  The new catalog is just around the corner.  That means some stamps and accessories will be retiring.  The list will be made public (our first glimpse of it, as well) tomorrow.  Be on the lookout.  I’m sure there are some goodies you’d like to snatch up before they are gone. 

Sometimes the simplest concepts can be the most difficult to execute.  When I saw “single layer card” as the sketch for this week’s challenge from The Paper Players, I just about fell out of my chair.  OK, so maybe I didn’t really lose my balance or plummet to the ground, but I was a little dizzy.  Don’t get me wrong -  I LOVE clean and simple – but my version of clean and simple almost always have several layers. 

I almost instantly knew this would be my chance to use my Two by Two stamp.  Here’s my single layer card:

And here’s Jaydee’s incredible challenge:

Defend myself corner:  Before I move on, I want to clarify that this image is perfectly centered on the note card front.  It wasn’t until I started writing this post that I realized the angle of the picture makes it look off-center.  Please know it is not.   

Tips, Tricks and Reminders:

• Coloring with Blender Pens.  Blender Pens are PERFECT for adding color to an image stamped with permanent ink.  With your stamp pad closed, gently press the bottom of the case into the ink.  Open the pad and pull the ink from the inside cover.  How easy is that?
• Shading with Blender Pens.  You can make a simple image look like a work of art.  Start with lighter colors and then add darker shades.  In the image below, I colored the entire boat with a thin layer of Crumb Cake and then highlighted with Soft Suede.  Beware: do not add too many layers of color – handle with a light hand – or the paper will start to “pill up”.  That’s not the texture you are looking for.   

• Adding shape.  If your card has one layer, you can add color or texture or depth.  I opted to not sponge the edges so the image would speak for itself.  Instead, I simply rounded the corners of the card base (just the outside edges) to add interest.  It was just that “little thing” this card needed.

Stamp sets:  Two by Two  Papers:  Note Card  Inks:  Jet Black StazOn, Pumpkin Pie, So Saffron, Marina Mist, Basic Gray, Pink Pirouette, Crumb Cake, Soft Suede  Accessories: Blender Pen, 3/16″ Corner punch

Make sure you check out the other design inspiration cards at The Paper Players.

Thanks for stopping by today!

Brian

Boy, have I got a treat for you today!  Amidst all the Spring card swaps and the excitement over the upcoming catalog and retired list (it will be posted here as soon as it’s available on Wednesday), I wanted to remind you of two promotions that have been here for a while but that go away at the end of the month (that’s just 10 days away!).  The Sent with Love Bundle and This and That Bundle are going away, and I don’t want you to be left saying, “Oh, no!  Did I just miss it?”  OH!  And I have a little video to share my This and That Bundle with you…

Sent with Love

Stampin’ Up! has been promoting the Sent with Love kit for a couple of months, but they are sending it packing at the end of the month.  I have to admit that some of these papers are in my “all-time favorites” list.  This paper has made me a lover of Pool Party and Calypso Coral, and it has convinced me that Pool Party and Real Red belong together.  Oh!  So crisp!  So beautiful! 

Since this kit is going away at the end of the month, I want to refresh your memory about what’s included so you can grab it up now – no more waiting.

The Sent with Love Bundle includes all the Designer Series Paper, Stamp Set and Calypso Coral Baker’s Twine for a 20% discount.  CLICK HERE to purchase the bundle before it’s gone.

Here are two projects I’ve made with products from this bundle (click on the pictures to take you back to the original posts):

This and That Bundle

For the rest of this month, Stampin’ Up! is offering the This and That Bundle.  I don’t want to be pushy, but you need this.  While this line will be available in the new catalog, this bundle (15% off) ends soon.  Here’s what comes in the bundle: 

If you know you want it, CLICK HERE to order the This and That Bundle.  Still not convinced?  Then, watch my video that shows you through these products:

Now are you ready? CLICK HERE to order this bundle today.

Please don’t miss these opportunities, and please contact me if you have questions.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today.

Brian

You’ve been asking for it, so I am here to deliver.  It’s time for Day Two of my Spring One-for-One Card Swaps.  These card makers shared their beautiful artwork with me and the other participants in the swap.  I mailed them back out but snapped photos of them first so I could share with you.  Behold these beauties, and please let them know how much you love their designs and detail work:

So, what do you think?  Aren’t these wonderful?  This is the time when you say, “Brian!!!!!! I will definitely participate in the next one-for-one share because I would LOVE to receive any of these cards!!!!!!!  They are so beautiful!!!!!!”  Your excitement is wonderful, but you really don’t have to use that many exclamation marks to make your point.  I get it.

Please let these folks know how much you love their artwork!

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!  I have a special treat for you tomorrow – a card AND a video.  Yipee doodle dee!

Brian

It’s been a very active week, so I haven’t had a lot of stamping time. When Jeff asked me to make a special card for his dad’s 60th birthday, I was flattered and immediately started drafting project ideas. I also knew I needed to make a card for the Pals Paper Arts Sketch Challenge (PPA157). I thought, “Why not kill two birds with one stone?” Then I thought, that’s really not very nice - I don’t want to kill any birds, and I wouldn’t even know where to begin with picking out a stone.  **Please note that no birds were harmed in the creation of this card.  Likewise, no stones were senselessly tossed.**

Without further ado, here’s Mr. LaPlume’s 60th birthday card:

And here’s Margaret Moody’s sketch that inspired his card:

Tips, Tricks and Reminders:

• Layering.  Plan it all out and sketch it all out all you want – there’s no trick to getting the layers right before you start layering the papers and shapes.  I cropped pages and pages of ovals and window frames in every color and size before arriving at this arrangement.  I snipped layers of Crumb Cake and Midnight Muse and DSP Stack before deciding to arrange it this way.
• Making Masculine Cards.  If you are in a bind for a masculine card, you don’t have to go with ATV’s and barbecue tools.  Use masculine colors (blues and browns are always good) and don’t add too much frill, and you’ve got yourself a beautiful card that he’ll love.  I added an adorable polka-dot cake to this card, but the cuteness is muted a bit my stamping it in Crumb Cake.  I stuck with a simple color scheme for this card, and it works well.
• Don’t Underestimate the Power of Paper Piercing.  When I had all the pieces placed together, the window frames shape needed something else.  It was just a big blue shape in the background.  I had an “aha!” moment when I remembered my paper piercing packs.  Why are they so easy to forget?  It’s so easy to add a “wow” to a project with the paper piercing template.  I added that, and it brought it all together.

Stamp sets:  Make a Cake, Petite Pairs  Papers:  Midnight Muse, Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla, Print Poetry Designer Series Paper Stack  Inks:  Crumb Cake, Midnight Muse  Accessories:  Window Frame Framelits, Oval Collection Framelits, 1/2″ Seam Binding Ribbon, Stampin’ Dimensionals 

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!  Check out the other Pals Paper Arts cards here.

Brian

It’s Sunday.  Let’s all say it together – “it’s time for another Paper Players Design Challenge!”

This week, Anne Marie Hile selected four amazing colors for this color challenge:  Island Indigo, Baja Breeze, Crumb Cake and Rich Razzleberry.  Wowzers!  That’s quite a combination of colors: one subtle, one neutral, one bold and one in-color.  I love all of these colors on their own, but it was a certainly a challenge to put them all together in a card.  I love the end result, though.  Here’s what I made:

And here’s the banner for the challenge (you can click on the image to see the other design team inspiration cards:

Tips, Tricks and Reminders:

• A Muted Background.  I kept the background colors as muted as possible.  While Island Indigo and Rich Razzleberry are beautiful, I didn’t want them to steal the show from the soft combination of Crumb Cake and Baja Breeze.  I stamped the light Clockworks image in Crumb Cake and Baja Breeze.  Most of the images shown are second generation stamped (stamped off on a scrap sheet of paper and then stamped on the Very Vanilla cardstock).  I added a little “flair” with a second generation stamp of Rich Razzleberry with the water spot stamp from French Foliage.
• Building the sentiment background.  I was excited to use the Basic Label single stamp I recently purchased, and I was happy how wonderfully the sentiment fits inside.  But the cropped image needed some layers behind it.  I trimmed some rectangles with my trimmer and added two punched circles (I used the 1″ and 1-1/4″ Circle punches).  They really add a lovely element to this sentiment.
• Front and center.  I mentioned that I tried to mute the brightness of Island Indigo and Rich Razzleberry - and I think I succeeded at that.  Here’s the funny thing – these two colors are front and center on the card.  I stamped the sentiment with Island Indigo and stamped it again with Rich Razzleberry.  I snipped the word “happy” in Rich Razzleberry and added it to the Island Indigo sentiment.  Funny that these colors are kinda missing in the card – yet they are both front and center.

Stamp sets:  Clockworks, Pursuit of Happiness, Basic Label, French Foliage  Inks:  Rich Razzleberry, Crumb Cake, Baja Breeze, Island Indigo  Papers:  Baja Breeze, Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla  Accessories:  Apothecary Accents Framelits, 1″ Circle punch, 1-1/4″ Circle punch, 1/2″ Baja Breeze Seam Binding Ribbon, 3/16″ Neutral Brads, Stampin’ Dimensionals 

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Brian

We love to make cards – the designing, the cropping, the inking, the stamping.  We love to make little pieces of artwork.  But let’s be honest – our passion is not all about the creating.  The sharing and communicating is just as important to us.  I get to share my creations with you every day, but I also get excited when I drop a beautiful card in the mail or hand a one-of-a-kind creation to a family member or friend.  What better way to say “I care about you” or “I am thinking about you”?

While I love to hand out handmade cards, I really love to receive beautiful, handmade cards.  Today, I am featuring a gorgeous card from my customer and friend Lisa Poe in Van Wert, Ohio.  Rather than my typical “Three Things I Like…” format (so there might be some of that), I’m going to share the how of this card (thank goodness Lisa included a page of directions with the card).  Here’s her card:

Before you move on to the recipe and instructions for this card, study the card and see if you can pick out the stamps, papers and framelits.  OK, so you are going to ignore my request and will just continue reading.  That’s fine.  I won’t tell anyone.

Stamp sets:  By the Seashore, Fabulous Phrases  Inks:  Chocolate Chip  Papers:  Crumb Cake, Chocolate Chip, Baja Breeze, Naturals White  Accessories:  Woodgrain Embossing Folder, Hearts a Flutter Framelits, Color Spritzer Tool, 3/16″ Corner Punch, Hemp Twine (retired), Stampin’ Dimensionals

• The strip of sand dollars.  To create the texture and color on the woodgrain embossed piece, Lisa inked up the Woodgrain Embossing Folder with Chocolate Chip ink (directly applied ink to the inside of the folder with the writing on it).  This adds color to the indention of the woodgrain, giving the final product a beautiful depth.
• The sentiment banners.  Lisa cropped these banners with her Hearts a Flutter framelits and naturals white paper.  She added two layers of color to the edges of the banners – she first sponged Baja Breeze and then Crumb Cake.  She used her Stamp-a-majig to line up these wonderful sentiments on the banners.
• Threes.  I have talked about the power of threes before.  I think there’s such balance in threes.  Lisa creates several goupings of threes on this card:  three sand dollars, three banners, three sentiments on each banner.  Can you say “after my own heart”?

Lisa mentioned that she was being swept away for the weekend, so she might not be able to see this post today.  Regardless, please let her know how much you love her card - and wish her a happy birthday while you are at it. 

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Brian

Today is a two-post day.  I can’t help myself – when I stumble across exciting news, I can’t always wait to share. 

I just saw this video on Stampin’ Up!’s Youtube channel and had to share it with you.  It’s a sneak peek at the new packaging for wood mount sets – starting May 31.  Being the nerd that I am, I am beside myself with excitement over this storage solution.  It is perfect, and I can’t wait to get my hands on these cases!

While I still collect many wood mount sets, I’ve started buying a lot of clear mounts because they are easier to store and take up less space.  This new packaging will definitely make my clear mount / wood mount decision much more difficult when I am selecting sets.

I’m in love.  What do you think? 

Thanks for stopping by!

Brian

Janet joined my team at work about eight years ago.  Every once in a while, she brought Lauren, her adorable 5-year-old daughter, to work with her.  Lauren would sit quietly in Janet’s office watching Disney movies on a portable DVD player and headphones.  She was very, very shy and always very, very polite – I still can’t get used to being called “Mr. Brian” or (even worse) “Mr. King”.

Last week, Janet mentioned that Lauren was celebrating her 13th birthday.  Yikes!  How did time go by so fast?  Janet also told me they were switching out Lauren’s Disney Princess bedroom for a swanky French theme, featuring the Eiffel Tower.  I immediately started running through the Eiffel Towers we have in our Stampin’ Up! collection.  I decided to make these magnets for Lauren’s magnetic board in her new Eiffel Tower room:

I ran three soda pop tops through the Big Shot, which rolls down the sides of the tops.  The Big Shot sandwich looks like this: 

Multipurpose Platform > Cutting Pad > Soda Pop Tops > Cutting Pad

I added magnets to the back of the tops.

Stamp sets:  Curious Curios, Teeny Tiny Wishes  Papers:  Basic Black, Summer Starfruit, Very Vanilla   Inks:  Summer Starfruit, Black Stazon  Accessories:  Soda Pop Tops, 1″ Circle punch, 7/8″ Scallop punch, 3/4″ Circle punch, Stampin’ Dimensionals

I wrapped this flat piece in a 4″ x 6″ cellophane bag and delivered to Janet – to which I promptly received a “Thank you, Mr. King.”

Thank you for stopping by my blog today.  I hope you enjoyed this fun project.

Brian

FREE Shipping Reminder

Wow!  What a weekend!  Stampin’ Up!’s FREE SHIPPING ON EVERYTHING promotion has caused quite a frenzy.  Did you miss out?  Good news – you still have today to get FREE SHIPPING on every purchase (whether you need a couple of small things or want to place a hostess party order, shipping is free!).  Did you place an order over the weekend but just remembered you forgot something – order it today.  Please click on the image below to place your order now – or send me an email at stampwithbrian@gmail.com.

Faux Wood Video Tutorial

This week The Paper Players challenge us to make project with recycled or repurposed elements.  I made this card using the cover paper from my Print Poetry Paper Stack:

Today, I want to share a video tutorial that walk you step-by-step through the process of making your cardstock look like wood.  I was amazed at how easy this is and how lifelike it looks.  When I found a tutorial on Splitcoast Stampers, I questioned whether it would work like I wanted.  Boy, did it ever!  Here’s my take on this faux wood technique:

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today.  Let me know what you think! I hope you will give it a try!

Brian

Brian