Raspberry Delight! Pretty Postage

This sure is a busy time of year. There are so many wonderful family holidays in the fall and early winter: Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Hannakah. Lots of opportunity to create and send cards to family and friends. Did you know you can buy postage online? check the link to the US Post Office to the left under the catalog images. Shopping at home can help make this season a little less hectic.

Adding to the busy feeling is the need to deal with the fall harvest and getting the farm ready for winter. The photo to the left is of our raspberry row. We were delighted this year to have an abundant crop, but of course that means extra time getting them harvested and preserved for the winter.

To preserve the berries I just spread them out on a cookie sheet and freeze them. You do have to check carefully for bugs. Once they're frozen I put them in Ziploc freezer bags. The frozen berries keep their shape when packaged. If you use them in baked items the shape doesn't matter so much. But its nice to have them keep their shape if you use them in frozen treats, they look so pretty and fresh, even in the middle of winter.

Seeing the raspberries made me think of the stamp set: Pretty Postage. This stamp set is made to go with both our new 1" Square Punch and the Scallop Square Punch.

This card uses several new products. It may be hard to tell from the photo but the bottom half of the card is decorated with lines made using the new scoring tool, Simply Scored. I wanted something that reminded me of white wainscoating in a country kitchen. The top and bottom of the card are separated by a strip of our new Ruffled Ribbon.

I really like this color combination: White, Poppy Parade and Lucky Limeade. It seems fresh and clean and just right for a country kitchen and all the produce of the fall. I also added some Crystal Effects to the Raspberries, it really helps bring out the color.

I hope you find some time to be creative and to touch the lives of others.

And to help make your shopping easier (here is the blatant self promotion) you can buy all your stamping supplies from me on-line - 24/7!

Please contact me if you have any questions about the the supplies for this project or any stamping questions.

Happy Stamping
--Katie

Snowman Sweet Treat Cup Trade Card

Yesterday you saw one of my Sweet Treat Cup Trades - the Sunflower Card. Here is another of my trades, this one is a snowman. I had so much fun making these cards.

The background on this card uses the snowflakes from Simply Swirled. They are clear embossed on Whisper White card stock with Night of Navy sponged on top.

The Hat uses the Modern Label Punch and the Large Tag Punch. The flower is from the Boho Blossom Punch with a silver brad in the center.

His scarf and the band on the hat are both made with the new 3/8" Quilted Satin Ribbon in Cherry Cobbler (found in the new Holiday Mini Catalog). This was the first time I'd used that ribbon and I really like the texture and how well it keeps its shape. The scarf clasp is one of the Designer Filigree Brads (item #112577)

The googly eyes are adhered to the cup with Mini Glue Dots. The nose is just cut free hand from Cajun Craze.

And his face is filled with a cotton ball. Now, I know these Sweet Treat Cups are supposed to contain something "sweet" (i.e. candy!). But oh my goodness, the possibilities for filler material are endless. Think rice, popcorn, cookie sprinkles, money, tinsel,marshmallows, glitter, birdseed, cat food, dog food, peppermint patty, paper confetti . . . Email me with your suggestions and I'll compile and post a list.

Feel free to contact me with any questions. And if you are local, then plan to attend the Stamp-a-Stack this weekend. We will be making one of my trade cards as part of the class.

Contact me with any questions
Happy Stamping
--Katie

Sunflower Sweet Treat Cup Card

Yikes its the end of September and time to start thinking about Halloween treats. I participated in a Sweet Treat Cup trade with some fellow demos and boy did I get some great ideas. Here is one of my trade cards, made using the Sunflower Background Stamp.

The idea of the trade was to stock up on samples for the upcoming holidays: Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas . . . But having just made this sunflower card as a thank-you for a friend I was struck by how perfectly the Sweet Treat Cups would fit into the center of the Sunflower image. And then of course, the perfect filler was sunflower seeds.

The sentiment on this card is from a stamp set called Oval All. Its hard to see in the photo but there is one tiny Self-Stick Pearl in on the decorative swirls beneath the words. The perfect accent to draw a little attention to the sentiment piece without competing for attention with the sunflower seeds in the Sweet Treat Cup.

Over the next week or so I'll post some of the other cards from the trade so you should definitely be checking back. There were some really creative projects that you'll want to see.

The Sweet Treat Cups are available in 2 shapes: a circle shape - for use with the 1 3/4" Circle Punch, or a Heart Shape, for use with the Full Heart Punch (#119882). StampinUP! also carries a padded envelope perfect for mailing your Sweet Treat Cup projects. 
Click here to order the Treat Cups, envelopes or punches 24/7 online.

item #116802 $2.95/ pkg of 12	item #120435 $2.95/ pkg of 12	padded envelopes item #116911
item #119850 - $16.95	item #119883 - $16.95

Contact me with any questions
Happy Stamping
--Katie

Easy Masculine Card with In Wilderness

Are you looking for a good stamp set for quick and easy masculine cards?  Think about this set: In Wilderness.  It comes in your choice of wood mount or clear mount. (Check this post for the differences between wood and clear mount).

I especially love the eagle. Our family spends a lot of time in northern Wisconsin so the eagle image is a great one to use for the men in my family.

There are several things that go into making a card be "masculine". One is the choice of images - the animals in this set are perfect. Another is the choice of colors - the card below was done in browns and blacks: Early Espresso and Crumb Cake. Another thing is the type of "bling" - this card has ribbon (1/8" Espresso Taffeta) but no bow and has metal (the black brads).

Also notice the vertical lines on the bottom half of the card. This was so quick and easy to do using Stampin' UP's new scoring tool: Simply Scored. 

Notice how white the eagle's head is. There was a trick to that! First: The eagle was stamped using Black Craft Ink and embossed with clear embossing powder. Then we colored his head with a blender pen (#102845) that had been dipped into a drop of watered down Craft White reinker. His beak and talons were colored with the Daffodil Delight yellow marker.

This was in fact a very easy card to make. The scoring tool  made the lines so easy to do and the coloring on his head made it more realistic - a great "man" card for someone who loves the north woods.

You can purchase the products used on this card
from my Stampin'UP! website.

Contact me with any questions
Happy Stamping
--Katie

The Frugal Bride's Wedding Place Cards

 Are you planning a DIY wedding? Do you need a way to inform the meal servers about the guests menu choices? Here's how we did it at my daughter's recent wedding. We made color-coded place cards. You can go with any image theme you want, just color the place cards differently and be sure the meal servers know what the colors mean.

We put a few of them on tables reserved for  the bridal party, parents and grand parents. The rest were placed on a long table and guests were then able reserve their own spot for where they wanted to sit for the meal.

The groom got his college degree in Urban Forestry so they wanted something with a tree or leaf theme. Stampin'UP!'s leaf die (#113459) was perfect for this job! This die has 4 different shapes on it.

It was super easy for the meal servers to glance at the place  card and know what  meal choice each guest had made.

It was also super easy to make them. We had sisters and nephews and aunts and uncles helping to do this. It became a family operation.

• First we cut out all the leaf shapes
   (Alway Artichoke, Wild Wasabi and either Tangerine Tango or Daffodil Delight)
• Then I cut and folded each place card (I used Naturals White - it had a softer more natural look to it)
• Next we used the Designer Frames Embossing Folder (#123130) to make the oval frame for the names. We used a computer to print the names on Avery clear return address labels and stuck them on the place cards.  The return address labels are smaller and the clear ones were less conspicuous. 

They were very effective. The servers had no problems and we got lots of positive feed back about the placecard "decorations". I'd love to take credit for this idea but I got this idea from a friend. She had a winter wedding and had two large Christmas trees set up with ornaments on them. These were our place cards, each one had a guest's name on it. There are lots of ways to use Stampin'UP! products to implement this idea. Call me if you'd like to talk about how you can make this idea work at your event.  

Happy Stamping
--Katie

For more wedding ideas check:

• yesterday's post about the wedding flowers
• this post about our shower favors (which we filled with chocolate!)

And be sure to check back again for more postings.

Wedding Sunflowers

Absolutely love this new Sunflower Background Stamp (#123606). Perfect for the fall, don't you think? We plant them here too. David always buys the giant ones that grow 9 feet tall and our yard is full of them right now.

This card was made as a thank-you for a friend. The sentiment is from Short and Sweet. There's just enough room for this tiny sentiment in the corner.

The card also uses the new Dotted Scallop Ribbon in Chocolate Chip (#124142). Its just the right embellishment for this card. The scallops on the ribbon edge reminded me of the scalloped edge of the petals on the flower.

Still catching up from the wedding, which by the way was lovely (says the mother of the bride). Very down home feel which is just what the bride and groom wanted. The wedding was held here at the farm and the bridal party was told to wear sandles! 

We got the flowers at the Madison Farmer's Market - in the rain - which was actually very fun. We got soaking wet, filled the wagon with flowers and laughed the whole way. That's the bride in the middle with her sister and her maid of honor.

Back at the farm we had the covered porch to sit on to prep the flowers. The brides maids each carried one big sunflower with a few other colorful flowers in a very small arrangement. We wrapped the stems with florist tape and some (retired) Stampin'UP! ribbon. The dresses were a deep sangria color (thats Razzleberry to SU folks).

More coming about the wedding in future posts so if you are planning a wedding be sure to keep checking this website. We had so much fun making invitations, save the date cards, place cards, doing the flowers and decorating.  Truly a family event.  Feel free to contact me if you are planning something similar and need any ideas.

To purchase the materials for the sunflower card shown above go to my Stampin'UP! website.

Happy Stamping

--Katie

Wood Mount or Clear Mount? Either way Stampin'UP! Products are Award Winning

Stampin'UP! stamps are available in both traditional wood mount or the new clear mount. Which do you prefer?  Either way you get the same great art work and high quality materials.

Both the wood blocks and the acrylic blocks have an easy grip ergonomic design with grooves in the sides of the block.

Both wood and clear mount stamps come unmounted (as a cost saving feature) and both are die-cut so the images are easy to detach from the carrier sheet. No need for special scissors.

Because you use the same acrylic blocks for all your clear mount stamps, the clear mount stamp sets take up less storage space. If you are as addicted to stamping as I am then you know how precious the storage space is. Just think, you can fit twice as many stamps in your current storage space!

The clear mount stamps are also slightly less expensive, but you'll also need to invest in the correct size acrylic blocks. Stampin'UP! sells 9 different sizes of acrylic blocks. Click here for a PDF with more info and giving dimensions of the 9 available acrylic blocks. You can purchase the blocks individually or buy the whole set at a discount price.

Did you know that all the images in the catalog are shown at actual size (except the alphabet sets and the background stamps). So what ever size you see in the catalog that's the size acrylic block you'd need in order to use the stamp.

Either way you can't go wrong when you choose Stampin'UP! stamps. In fact,

I'm excited to tell you that Creating Keepsakes magazine has named Stampin' Up!'s wood- and clear-mount rubber stamps as one of its Top 10 Tools for 2011!

While Stampin' Up! has long been recognized in the stamping and crafting industry for producing high-quality rubber stamps and exclusive images in a variety of artistic styles, being recognized by Creating Keepsakes is just another validation that when you choose Stampin' Up! products, you are choosing the best!

So sit back and enjoy browsing the Main Catalog and the Holiday Mini Catalog. You'll love the art work and are sure to find some "must have" items. Make your choice of wood or clear mount and order on-line.

Happy Stamping
--Katie

Halloween card with the Spider Web Embossing Folder

Want a quick way to make your Halloween cards really "pop"?  Add texture! And one easy way to add texture is with the Big Shot Embossing Folders.

This card uses the Spider Web Embossing folder and illustrates the standard way to use embossing folders. If you are signed up for the Big Shot Classes I'll show you some tricks you can do with these folders.

That little owl is so cute! Don't you just want to fill-up his bag with candy?  He was embossed in black on white cardstock and then the mask and goodie bag were colored with a Peach Parfait marker. The owl was punched out using the extra-large oval punch (and layered on a black piece that was punched with the Decorative Label Punch. The whole focal point is mounted on dimensionals so it sits flat.

Since the background already has texture and since the main focal point is already raised up I struggled with how to add a sentiment. What I did was use Craft Black ink and the words from Teeny Tiny Wishes and just stamped directly onto the ribbon. I confess I did use my Stamp-a-ma-Jig to ensure the words were straight on the ribbon.

The Peach Parfait poly-stitched ribbon (which is layered on a strip of black paper) was just  perfect for this card.
   1st: It takes the ink well so its perfect for stamping onto.
   2nd: The texture is very casual and fits the mood of the card.
   3rd: It color coordinates.
Color coordination is a hallmark of Stampin'UP! and one of the reasons I love this company. You can't go into the big box craft stores and find paper, ink and ribbon that all match.

That cute little masked owl is from the Hostess Set: Warmest of Wishes, from the new mini Holiday catalog. Contact me if you don't have this catalog yet - or download it as a PDF.

Did you know this about the catalog? Can you see that 4 of these images in this set (the owl, the wreath, the pennant and the Noel) have a solid gray line around them. That indicates that they have a matching punch.  How cool is that!? Stampin'UP! believes in coordinating everything including the shapes. Love it!

This set is available only as a Hostess Benefit. You can earn it based on sales at your workshop or by placing a qualifying order. Contact me to find out more about the benefits of hosting a stamping party for you and your friends. Its really easy to earn free product, including this stamp set.

supplies Basic Black Cardstock . . . . . . . . Whisper White Cardstock  . . . . . Peach Parfait Cardstock . . . . . . . Peach Parfait Marker . . . . . . . . .   (part of the In Color marker set) Peach Parfait Poly-Stitched Ribbon Black Craft Ink  . . . . . . . . . . . . . Clear Embossing Powder . . . . . .  Heat Gun  . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . Spider Web Embossing Folder . . Dimensionals  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Extra Large Oval Punch . . . . . . . Decorative Label Punch . . . . . . . Warmest of Wishes Stamp Set Teeny Tiny Wishes Stamp Set

#121045 #100730 #119794 #119801 #119264 #102192 #109130 #100005 #120889 #104430 #119859 #120907 stamp sets are available in either wood or clear mount

Contact me with any questions
Happy Stamping
--Katie

Learn What Materials Can be Used WithYour Big Shot

Have you ever wondered what other materials you can cut with the Big Shot besides just card stock? 

Have you seen cute boxes and containers that can be made with this die cut machine?

Do you want to use this machine to its fullest? Let me show you how.

Announcing the Big Shot Basics Classes. This series of 4 classes is intended for people who either already own a Big Shot (or any die/cut machine) or people who WANT to own a Big Shot - and who want to learn more about what these machines can do. We'll use a variety of dies and embossing folders to create gift containers, home decorations and fabric projects. There are so many more uses than just adding interest to cards - trust me, you will be amazed! And, each project you make will come with an instruction sheet to remind you how we used the machine.

In addition to using different dies and embossing folders we will also be using a wide variety of different materials (wood sheets, magnet sheets, fabric, shrinky dinks and more . . .) Click here to see a list of over 50 different materials that can be used with your Big Shot (or other die cut machine)

The projects for these classes are independent of each other. It is not necessary to attend all the sessions. You can pick and choose what ever fits your schedule. For an additional $5 fee I will make the projects for you and you still get the instruction sheets.

Attend these events and make 5 totally awesome projects at each session.
These classes will be held on the first Saturday of the Month beginning on October 1st. Classes start at 9am. You must RSVP to ensure enough materials are prepared for all attendees. The cost for my time and materials is $20 per session.

Note: There will be a variable fee structure for this class. I appreciate so much your support in being my customers. So in an effort to turn that around so I can support you, the class is only $7.50 if you bought your Big Shot from me! And if you are part of my Big Shot Buying Program the classes are FREE! ask me for details.

Check out the favor boxes I made with the Big Shot for my daughter's shower this summer. These boxes were made with a Die to cut the shape and and embossing folder to add texture to the paper.

You can sign-up for these classes on my Stampin'UP! website, click the RSVP by the class description.

Hope to see you in the class.
--Katie

The New Holiday Mini is Here

The new Holiday Mini catalog is here. You can also see it on-line right now.

• click here to view the catalog as a PDF file
  you can save it to your computer to look at when you're offline
• click here to view the catalog as an interactive FLASH object
  you can turn the pages and browse while on-line

If you have purchased from me, either at an event or on-line, then you should have already received your copy in the mail. Let me know if it has not arrived so we can get you your copy. This is one mini catalog you will NOT want to miss.  I think this is my all time favorite so far. I love everything in the catalog - seriously!

This catalog introduces some really wonderful new product (in addition to all the cute new stamp sets). Check out the partial list below:

Our new Simply Scored Scoring Tool: (item #122334).     *score tracks every 1/8"    *snap in markers to help you keep your place    *a stylus with cushioned, comfortable grip      and 2 different sized balls for precise control    *roomy storage compartment      for additional scoring tools or snap-in markers  Quickly create decorative score lines or fold lines for 3D projects. This is the tool you've been waiting for!
New 2-Step Stamp Set: Gently Falling I love the concept of 2-step stamping and this set is so gorgeous - and I love how "real" these leaves look. . . and it has acorns and maple seeds. AND its part of a "Suite", which means there are other products that coordinate with the images. Check out the whole Spice Cake Product Suite on pages 16-18 of the new mini catalog.
Hand Penned Holidays Stamp Set This is so beautiful. Don't you just love the elegance of this font.?Can't you just imagine this embossed in gold or black? I can't wait to start playing with this set. And the sentiments cover Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Valentine's Day. The With Love also works with wedding and anniversary projects.

Stockings and Stocking Accessories! We have a new builder punch (item # 124095)  that does a stocking and the toe, heel and cuff of the stocking. Then of course, a matching stamp set called Stitched Stockings. Stampin'UP! does such a great job coordinating accessories. We also have a new Big Shot Stocking Die (#124098) and an accessories Die (#124099).

This catalog has so much more: Pewter embossing powder, mini-jingle bells, new Halloween Stamps, Shaker Windows, a new Peek-a-Boo Die. Leave a comment below to tell me what your favorite is from new mini.

Do you enjoy the social aspect of stamping? Be sure to check the Events Calendar for opportunities that fit your schedule. Classes geared for instruction and socializing and mass production.

Email me if you need a copy of either the new Holiday Mini-Catalog or the New 2011-2012 Catalog.

Happy Stamping

--Katie