Stampin Addicts Summer Mini Blog Hop!

Welcome to the Stampin Addicts Summer Mini Blog Hop! There are 23 stops on this hop, each one featuring a different stamp set or product from the Summer Mini which starts on May 1st! If you joined at the beginning of the hop, or somewhere in between, you will have arrived here from Deb Burgin's blog where she featured All a Flutter. Didn't she do a beautiful job?!

I will be showing you several things I have done with Motorcycle. Now, you may ask how I could come up with a variety of projects using a single stamp. I have to tell you that it was not as hard as you may think because this stamp coordinates so well with so many of our sets! This stamp can represent so many things like: Freedom, Strength, Journeys, Achievement, Moving Forward, Dreams, Rebel, Leadership, Individualism .... I could go on and on! And I live in a house full of testosterone, lol! Even my daughter and I are tomboys...
So here is my first group of projects:

I found I couldn't stop with just one card! I had to restrain myself from doing more for the blog hop, but alas, I am only allowed 3 photos in this post, lol!
Ok, so starting at the top, I made a 4-1/4 x 5-1/2 card for Father's Day focusing on Making a Difference. All the good dad's do!

• Stamps: Motorcycle, Rough Type, Happy Grad, Sentimental Journey, Sanded BG
• Paper: Ruby Red, Kraft, Summer Sun
• Ink: Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa, Summer Sun, Real Red
• Other: Distressing tool from Cutter Kit, Signo white gel pen, Corner Rounder punch, Paper Piercer with Mat Pack, Real Red brads, Chocolate Chip Corduroy Button, Stampin Dimensionals

Then clockwise around next is a 4x4 square card that could be used for anything. I have been thinking birthday, but I left the inside blank for now.

• Stamps: Motorcycle, Sentimental Journey, Sanded BG
• Paper: Brilliant Blue, Dusty Durango, Kraft
• Ink: Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa, Brilliant Blue, Dusty Durango
• Other: Corner Rounder punch, Signo white gel pen, Silver brads, Paper Piercer with Mat Pack, Stampin Dimensionals

And the last card is a 3x6 money holder card for graduation. There is a folded up flap with corners rounded, the solid Chocolate Chip outline with white gel pen faux stitching inside that line, and Happy Graduation stamped in Choc Chip on the flap. I used the faux suede technique on the little banners on the card front.

•  Stamps: Motorcycle, Pedaling Past, Happy Grad
• Paper: Creamy Caramel, Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive, Naturals Ivory
• Ink: Chocolate Chip 
• Other: Corner Rounder punch, Paper Snips, Paper Piercer with Mat Pack, Gold Brads, Mini Glue Dots, scoring blade on paper cutter, Distressing tool from the Cutter Kit

This is a 12x12 page I did that was a nebulous idea in my head ever since I saw the Motorcycle and Pedaling Past sets in the Mini! Kind of representing a coming of age, or progressing through the stages of life represented by the kind of bike you would ride. This page only touches on that theme, but I am sure I will get more use out of that thought, lol! The full sheet of card stock used for the background has the Motorcycle image stamped all over it, then it is spritzed with the new Log Cabin Smooch Spritz. It gives a really intense bronze like coverage so you really need to hold it a ways away from your page. I almost started over because it was so heavy, but I decided to just go with it. I also spritzed the title blocks only a little lighter this time!

• Stamps: Motorcycle, Pedaling Past, Rough Type
• Paper: Creamy Caramel, Real Red, Bermuda Bay
• Ink: Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa, Bermuda Bay
• Other: Distressing tool from the Cutter Kit, Paper Piercer with Mat Pack, Signo white gel pen, Circle Designer Brads, Real Red Brads, Real Red Corduroy Buttons, Log Cabin Smooch Spritz, crochet thread, Stampin Dimensionals, Bermuda Bay polka dot ribbon

And did you notice the COOL brads! You can get them free in the month of MAY by purchasing a qualifying scrapbooking stamp set! How awesome is that?! I love to use these Designer brad in scrapbooking, they really add a punch of fun.

And my last 2 projects! See, I told you I had to stop myself from doing more stuff for the blog hop! I'll save the rest for later, lol...
On the right I have a little gift box using the Box #2 die and the round Sweet Treat Cups! How darn cute is that I ask you?! I made a pocket inside the box with a matching 1-3/4" circle to hold the tag, which in turn holds the M&M's in but gives easy access to them! I got the idea for the pocket with a tag from Kim, who is #16 on this Blog Hop. Putting it on a box was all me ;) I also used the new Square Lattice embossing folder, rubbed some Old Olive ink on it , then rubbed some Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint over that to give it a bit of a metallic feel.

• Stamps: Motorcycle, Teeny Tiny Wishes, Sanded BG
• Paper: Creamy Caramel, Old Olive, Naturals White
• Ink: Close to Cocoa, Chocolate Chip, Old Olive
• Other: Signo white gel pen, Paper Snips, 1-3/4" circle and Tab punches, Sticky Strip, Mini glue dots, Square Lattice embossing folder and Box #2 die with Big Shot, Crop-A-Dile, Antique Brass eyelets

And last but not least, a 6x6 scrapbook page. I wanted to convey the feelings a road trip inspires and I really wanted a picture of someone's feet on the dashboard with a view of the open road and gorgeous fall foliage with a backdrop of the bluffs. Oh well, I got everything but the feet! I used the Motorcycle image as a background again, which you can see much better in real life. I just freehand cut the paper at the bottom to simulate the bluffs with paper from the new DSP in the Summer Mini. And the word Freedom is just my handwriting on some more faux sueded paper.

• Stamps: Motorcycle, Rough Type
• Paper: Pumpkin Pie, Bashful Blue, Travel  Journal Designer Series Papter
• Ink: Pumpkin Pie, Soft Suede, Chocolate Chip marker
• Other: Paper Snips, Paper Piercer with Mat Pack, Circle Designer Brad, Fire (orange) Circle Rhinestone Brad, Fresh Favorites II blue button, Mini Glue dots, Signo white gel pen

That is the end of my submissions for this Blog Hop and the end of our Blog Hop! I hope you found TONS of ideas and a new loooong wish list for the new Summer Mini  ;)

If you joined us part way through, I invite you to continue on with the first Blog on our Hop, Allison Orhan with her Sweet Impressions blog featuring the new Builder Wheel, Flowers!

You can also get back to the main posting for this Blog Hop here and go to whichever stop you would like.
Happy Stampin!

Teaser for Blog Hop tomorrow!

I have a little teaser, or appetizer if you will, for the Blog Hop I am participating in tomorrow (Friday April 30-Sunday May 1). I know you all can't wait to see all the amazing new goodies that will be available in the Summer Mini starting May 1st. I know I am loving the new stuff, as per usual, of course! There is a reason I became a dealer, um, I mean demo, lol! I'm as addicted to this stuff as the rest of you ;) 

So here is a little peek at one of the projects I made for the Blog Hop.

I made 6 projects for this Hop, so be sure to come back and see them all. I hope we knock your socks off with the 23 amazing stops on this Blog Hop!
Oh, and by the way, in case you missed it, there's a Blog Hop tomorrow that you are going to want to check out ;)

Hope to see you there!

My First Rag Bag Purse

This is not a card, can you tell, lol! I made this with our Scallop Square die and the Big Shot with some really fun fabrics. It was not necessarily a good idea for me to enter the fabric section of the craft store again after so many yeasr avoiding it for the stamp and scrapbooking section! I fell in love with so much fabric, we won't talk about how much money I spent while I was there. Let's just say that I should make everyone I know a cute purse like this one, lol....
This purse was really easy to make, and I am by far not the first person to make one. I have seen the idea in so many places, I can't give credit to any one person. I did make it with an outside pocket on each end for keys and a cell phone. Next time I think I will put some pockets on the inside too. The cute little grommet on the front closure is one of the Designer Hardware grommets you can still get on the clearance rack on my Demo website (see the icon for SHOP NOW on the right side bar).
Have you made a Rag Bag purse? Leave a comment and link to yours! I would love to see them!

April Club page

This is the page we made in club this month. I have been really busy with work lately so I have not had time to post anything lately. I actually worked an extra 12 hour shift on my last pay period and didn't even realize it until the timekeeper sent me a note saying "If you worked all of the shifts you were scheduled for last payperiod, please submit on OT/CT request" I actually had to go find a schedule, and sure enough, I had been scheduled 8 twelve hour shifts that schedule and I just came to work when I was scheduled and didn't even notice! My next check should be nice....
Ok, back to the page. I love how this turned out. I hope that you all put pictures of yor mothers, grandmothers, or mother figures on this page and share them with those special people. I know that Renae said she was going to use pics of one of her kids' grandmothers and frame it as a gift for Mother's Day.

• Stamps: 5th Avenue Floral, Whimsical Words 
• Paper: Whisper White, Pale Plum , Rich Razzleberry, So Saffron, Certainly Celery, Shimmer paper
• Ink: Rich Razzleberry, So Saffron, Certainly Celery
• Other: Little Leaves and Top Note die with Big Shot, Scallop Oval  and Flower Trio punches, reinkers and Aquapainters, White embossing powder, Heat gun, Embossing Buddy, White gel pen, sponges, So Saffron and Certainly Celery 5/8" ribbon.

Decorated Notepads

I found these little notepads that were not very pretty and did not have a cover at out local print shop and decided to pretty them up! This is one of them that I came up with. Don't you just love this patterned paper?! It is the Sweet Pea Designer Series Paper Pack #117161 from the Occasions Mini and is only available until the end of April. Of course, I didn't buy the paper pack. I have the wonderful papercrafting computer program My Digital Studio from Stampin Up and I was able to purchase the digital version of the Sweet Pea Paper pack and now I can print my own at home :) I think I used up all my ink playing around, lol! I also used some Sweet Pea Felt, the real version. There is a digital version of those too. But I wanted the real thing on this item. The ribbon is 5/8" Chocolate Chip Grosgrain and the base card stock in Pretty in Pink with a Close to Cocoa mat.

This one has a Melon Mambo base with an Old Olive mat and Melon Mambo ribbon, Sweet Pea felt and a large Clear Rhinestone.

And another one! Don't you just love the variety of patterned papers in this pack?!

And this is the last one. It has a base of Bermuda Bay with Pumpkin Pie mat, Bermuda Bay and a retired 1" wide Chocolate Chip satin ribbon with a Pumpkin Pie Corduroy Button and some crochet thread. 

My notepads are 3-1/2 x 5-1/4" so I cut the base of the cover at 7-3/8" x 5-3/8", scored at 3-1/2" and 3-7/8". Decorated the front, then adhered the notepad inside with Sticky Strip.
I have been using one in my go-bag for work to keep track of my Weight Watchers points ( I have lost almost 20 pounds so far, woo-hoo!). The rest I will give to my Club ladies as a little appreciation gift.

Leave a comment and link to yours if you make some too. I would love to see what others come up with!

A Summer Renovation

Spring has always felt like a preparation time for me, and I guess Stampin Up! feels the same way. There was a major announcement yesterday in preparation for a wonderful change coming July 1st. I am so excited about this change, I can hardly contain my use of exclamation marks! (See, one sneaked out!) And what, you may ask, has me wiggling in my seat as I sit typing this?


Stampin Up! is doing a Color Renovation with the new Idea Book & Catalog that will be released on July 1st!

How awesome is that! We are totally shaking things up for a fresh and fun color palette. There will be 4 color collections with 10 colors each. Each year we will get 5 new In-Colors with a lifespan of 2 years. There will then be 10 In-Colors starting in 2011-2012 IB&C. Then in 2012-2013, then new ones from this summer will retire. Love it! Here is a link to the new color families starting July 1st. You may have noticed some new colors in there. Yup, we are getting 5 new core colors, and Kraft is becoming a core color and being renamed Crumb Cake. It will now feel more like part of the in crowd, as it really is! And we will then have ink, pastels, Watercolor Wonder Crayons, and markers in Crumb Cake! Yippee!!! The other 5 colors are: Daffodil Delight, Early Espresso, Cajun Craze, Cherry Cobbler, and Marina Mist

One of my favorite parts of this Renovation is that we are bringing back some of our favorite retired In-Colors! Woo-Hoo!!!!! I can't WAIT! We get these gorgeous colors back:  
Melon Mambo, Rich Razzleberry, Soft Suede, Riding Hood Red, Tangerine Tango, Pacific Point, Baja Breeze, Pink Pirouette, Wild Wasabi, and River Rock ! I know that I miss every single one of the ones that are gone already, and the ones we get to keep from this year are definitely my favs from this year! See, Stampin Up! really does listen to their customers and demonstrators! 

Now for the possibly painful part of this amazingly fabulous change. There are 30 colors that will be retiring. Here is a link to a chart of those that we must bid farewell. By giving us all this big of a heads up, we can stock up on the ones we just can't let go of yet without breaking the bank. How sweet of Stampin Up! to consider our feelings in both directions! I just love Stampin Up!

Ok, I know this is a lot of information to process, so I will stop for now. I will let this absorb before I tell you more details :) There are LOTS more details to be shared about this Renovation, but we have time!