Something To Ink About

Stampin’ Up! has come out with a new software program for digital scrapbooking and card making.  I’ve not seen the actual program yet, but I’ve seen many discussions about what it entails, and seen many fabulous projects made with it.  Sooooo what is it??  Well, I’m glad you asked!!  lol   No way can I tell you everything it does, but in a nutshell, it has everything you need to create fabulous layouts for scrapbooking and cardmaking.  There are templates that you use as is, or make changes to, or you can start with a blank slate.  It contains many different designer papers, digital stamps, many items from our accessories section like ribbon, the metal designer hardware pieces, brads, etc.  Just to give you an idea, this is a page that was done by my friend Lisa Dallas.    You can see she’s used all these elements.  She typed her journaling on the designer paper with the fonts included in the software, added her photos, matted them, (she may have used the shadow effect in the software), put some brads on the page, and put ribbon in the metal grommets.  Since the software allows you to do various sizes of SB pages, you can print them out yourself (the smaller sizes, or 12×12 if you have a 12×12 printer), or you can send it electronically to a professional print place like kinkos who will print it out and mail it to you, (Did I mention many places have adjusted their settings to exactly match SU Colors)??   You can do totally digital SB’ing, Totally Traditional, or hybrid.  Totally digital is to do your page or card in the software,  print it out and that’s it.   Totally traditional allows you to use the software to completely design your project before you cut anything.  How many times have you added a brad to a page and then thought, gee, that would have looked better over on the other side.  Or after you cut some old olive card stock, you realize that you wish you’d used chocolate chip.  No more wasted supplies.  Design it completely with the software, make any changes, and once you’re totally happy with it, use that as the template to create the page using the supplies you have at home.  Many times I make a card and send it off in the mail without getting a picture of it, then try to remember how I did it.  By designing it in the software first, I can save it, so later I know exactly how it looked if I want to do another one.  Hybrid is where you maybe start with designer paper, add your journaling on top of that, go ahead and design the rest of the page if you like, but before you print it, take off the photos and embellishments, print the background part with the DSP (designer paper) and journaling, then add your actual photos and embellishments to the background you printed.   This software also allows you to easily create your own photo Christmas cards!!   The best part is, everyone says this software is super easy to install, and to use even if you aren’t a computer whiz.  I will be doing another post in a little bit about our Hostess specials going on right now, so be sure to read that post also to find out how you can get your very own copy of the MDS software for 1/2 price!!!  Also click on the colored text to check out Lisa’s gallery at Stampin’ Addicts.  Her gallery will open up in a new window so you don’t lose your place here.  She’s an amazing stamper and I’m sure her projects will inspire you!!  Lisa, thanks for letting me post your wonderful page.  Isn’t Coco a beautiful cat?? 

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I’ve been thinking about what to say today that would be fitting to honor those who perished in the attacks on this country 8 years ago today.   I think I will keep it very simple and simply ask you to never forget them or that day.  Say a prayer for their families, and a prayer for the soldiers who fight today to help ensure our safety.   May God bless and keep us all.

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Bad Blogger, Shame on me!!  I haven’t meant to ignore my blog, but things have been crazy.  Time is coming down to the wire for my son to deploy, so there has been much going on, including emotions of course.  I haven’t gotten much stamping done, and it seems like what I have either has to have a picture taken of it because it won’t scan right, or has been for my secret sis.  Since I can’t find my camera’s storage card, taking pics is out for now.  lol   Can’t post secret sis stuff yet, cuz…..well…..it’s a secret of course!!   However, I will try to at least post more things that were made some time ago, but I already have pics of.  At least they may be new to you.  And hopefully I can get my act together soon.   Of course, I’ve never been able to do this in the last 46 years…but there’s hope right?!?!?!  It could happen.

click on image to view it larger

Today’s offering is a 6×6 recipe scrap book page.  I will include the recipe since it’s a bit fuzzy in the scan.  6×6 pages are a great way to share recipes.  For this one I printed on SU’s vellum card stock.  You get (20) 8.5×11 sheets for 6.50, and there are some amazing things you can do with this stuff.  Love it!!   I inked the cherries with our many marvelous markers (my son later told me they were upside down and he’s right).  If the cherries were dipped in chocolate, the chocolate should have been on the bottom.  Oopsie.  lol  I then stamped the cherries on very vanilla card stock, printed the recipe in vellum and attached the vellum on top of the vanilla piece with the stamped cherries, so the cherries show through the vellum.  The ingredients list was done on the tag that pulls up, and then tucks back down behind the directions part.  I really love pages that have moving parts.  I did the title on the computer.  6×6 pages are a great way to begin scrap booking since it’s not much larger than a card.

Recipe:  18 oz. of chocolate chips.  I like Ghirardelli milk chocolate chips.  1 can sweetened condensed milk.  Splash of vanilla, Maraschino cherries, and cherry juice.

This is all done in the microwave, and the recipe might be on some cans of sweetened condensed milk.  In a microwave safe bowl, combine chocolate chips, and sweetened condensed milk.  Add a little cherry juice.  Zap it for 1 minute on high, give it a stir.  Keep zapping in one minute intervals, stirring between each one until it reaches a fairly smooth consistency.  This is usually 3-4 minutes.  You can keep the cherries whole, or chop them.  I usually smash em between my fingers, it’s easier and quicker than chopping.  Add as many cherries as you like now, and more juice if you like.  The more juice you add, the less it will set up, but I have no issues eating fudge with a spoon so I add a lot of juice!!  lol  Put some wax paper in an 8×8 square pan, pour in the fudge and let it set up in the fridge for a couple hours.  Or, if you’re like me….forget the pan, forget the fridge, let it cool til the temp is somewhat below molten lava stage, grab a spoon and dig in!!   Once you’re happily sprawled out on the couch with your eyes glazed over in your chocolate coma…..someone who really needs Pieces when it comes to fudge can put it in the pan and refrigerate it.  lol

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Don’t forget about the blog hop beginning tomorrow Saturday, August 29th at noon EST.  The hop features all products in the Holiday Mini which begins Sept. 1st, and is sponsored by Stampin’ Addicts.   You can visit the home page of this great site by clicking on the Blog Hop button.  To open in a new window, just right click and then click on open in a new tab or window.    The hop will run through Midnight pacific time on Monday, August 31st.   The hop has been ordered by the way the products are listed in the mini and starts at Tracy’s Stamp Therapy.   Hope you can visit all the sites and have tons of fun.   Be sure to leave comments for the artists letting them know if you like their designs, and be on the lookout for the chance to win blog candy.

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These aren’t new, and if you’ve come to my classes, you’ve probably done at least one of these, and perhaps both of them.  But I know many of you haven’t seen them, and even if you’ve done the onesie card, I’m including the link for the template here.

The first one is a onesie card following this template done by Lauren Meader.   The only thing I do different is to make my sleeves a bit smaller than hers.  I think I measure down 1-1/4″ instead of 1-3/4″ but I’m not certain, and don’t have one handy to measure it.  Just measure down an amount that looks good to you.    Here is the link to Lauren’s template.

For my card, I used the now retired prints dsp in lovely lilac with celery ribbon.  I used the Crop a dile (CAD) to do the dry embossed dots on the barely banana scallops for the neck and legs.  These make great baby cards, and they can be done a lot of ways.  The new animal stories stamp set would be great to use to put an image on the front instead of using designer paper.  The new BAB (build a bear) stuff coming out in the new mini Sept 1st would be loads of fun for these too.

This next one is a card that was designed by upline Joni Kelly.  She used the scallop circle punch to do the top and folded down some of the scallops.  The legs for the bottom were done using the large oval punch.

These are both really cute and fun cards to make and to give.   Click on each photo to see a larger image, then just click on the back button to return to this page.

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Mark your calendars!!

www.stampinaddicts.com Is having another blog hop Aug 29-31, 2009.  This time to feature products from the Holiday Mini which begins on September 1st, 2009.  If you are one of my customers, you should be getting your mini in the mail within the next week.  If you don’t, let me know.   There are tons of fabulous new items in this mini.  The Blog Hop is your chance to see what some incredibly talented demos have done with these products.

What is a blog hop?  You follow a link from to a blog, and there you will see the project(s) that have been created.  That person will have a link to another blog, where you will see more projects, they’ll link you to the next and so on.  Pretty soon you’ve completed a circle and now you have fabulous ideas for things you can do with the projects from the new mini catalog.  You have the opportunity to leave comments on the particpants blogs letting them know what you like about their projects, and some of those comments might win you some Blog Candy!!   Usually some of the participants will offer some blog candy.  These are fun prizes and stamping goodies that you can win, and they will have instructions on how to win.  Usually just leaving a comment.   Mark your calendar so you don’t forget, and I’ll post a reminder just before the hop with a link that will take you to a starting place on the hop.

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Two in one day!!  Does this kind of make for neglecting my blog??   This is an ATC that I did for a swap for convention.  This really is much prettier in real life, but the scanner just doesn’t do it justice.  This is called Glitter Stained Glass.   This is kind of a tricky technique but so beautiful IRL.  The glitter colors I used were green and pink, from Stampin’ Up’s Super Nova glitter pack, and the stamp set is Circle Circus.   The scan just doesn’t pick the colors up well, but I  hope you like it anyhow. Also, I know how to make the pics clickable now so you can click on the photo to make it bigger and make it pull up in it’s own window, thanks to a real sweet lady on Stampin’ Addicts.  Thanks Debbi!!

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Sorry it’s been so long since I’ve posted.  Life kinda got in the way.  Y’all know how that can happen right??   My back went out on me, then my son got an unexpected 2 day pass to come home so that was great, but had to go get him one day then take him back the next.  Luckily it was only a couple hours of driving each day.  Got home and the car died.  Ok enough about that….how about a card!!

Stampin’ Up! had their annual convention in SLC Utah.  I didn’t get to go, but I had a wonderful convention buddy who is a dear friend.  She swapped some cards for me, so I got to particpate in some of the organized swaps.  She got me some momento mall goodies, and kept me up to date.   One of the biggest thrills for most who went was seeing the new digital scrapping software in action.  MDS or My Digital Studio is featured in the new mini catalog, but not available for sale yet, and they’re still testing it to make sure it’s good before they release it.  I like the hands on layered approach to card making and scrap booking, so didn’t think I’d be interested in a digital thing, but from I’ve heard this sounds amazing.  Even if you like doing things yourself, there are so many applications for this program.  But more on that later.

Here is a card that I did for a Thanksgiving swap.  This combines 3 techniques.  Faux Silk, Rock and Roll, and Marker Thumping.  I used Lovely as a Tree, and two new sets called Autumn Days, and Teeny Tiny Wishes.  On the ones I sent in for the swap I did find a way to make the hemp twine lay down better, so pretend that it does on this card.  lol  The faux silk is done with crumpled tisssue paper.  Hope you enjoy it.

I’ll be posting some others over the next few days, so come back and check em out.  If I can find the disc thingy for my camera, I’ll introduce you to the newest member of our family, the Stampin’ Up! Build a Bear that Janice got me at convention.  He’s adorable!!   Can’t scan him though.  lol   He hasn’t told me his name yet, but if I can get a good pic of him, maybe we can have a “Name Deb’s Bear” contest.  lol  Let me think on that one.   Ta-Ta for now.

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Wow, Stampin’ Up! has been having so great specials lately.  The only down side is that most of my posts have been about specials instead of artwork.  I promise to have more art work soon.  My back went out on me about a week ago, so I haven’t been stamping much, and the stamping I have been doing has been for some organized convention swaps, so I can’t post those yet.  Convention starts August 5th, so I can post them then.  Don’t want to spoil the surprise for those I’m swapping with if they’d happen to see my post.  Ok, now for the last deal of the week.

Another great punch on sale!!  Only 10.99 instead of 15.95  A math guru told me this was 31% off.    This sale ends July 31st, so be sure to contact me to get yours today!!   These little hearts are so versatile and can be used on nearly anything.  They aren’t just for Valentine’s day.  You can stamp a sentiment and punch it out with one of the hearts.  The smallest heart makes a great bunny nose at Easter when you turn it upside down and the larger ones make great bunny faces!!  Heart punches are also great for making butterflies and shamrocks.

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Starting your own Stampin’ Up! business means free and discounted products, plus a little extra cash–and who couldn’t use that? Plus, from July 15 – August 31, you can become a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator for only $85.00 + tax

The special, limited-time Mini Starter Kit contains many of the items you need to get started in your new business, including

• For All You Do stamp set(PG 118 in IBC)
• In Color Classic Stampin’ Pads (6)
• Whisper White card stock (8-1/2″ x 11″)
• In Color assorted card stock (8-1/2″ x 11″)
• Business forms and tools

If you decide to get the 199.00 starter kit during this promo, you’ll also receive all 6 in colors for this year, and a pack of assorted in color cardstock.  This is an additional value of 43.00, making this option an even better deal.  Contact me to get more information about becoming a demo.

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