Stampin' Mama: A mama that stamps

Blog Hop - Holiday Hospitality and Warm Winter Wishes

It's Day 4 of the GinaK blog hop and there are still 2 more sets to show! Every month, I think the team of illustrators have outdone themselves and then they do it all over again the next month!

Today's first sneak peek is of Carolyn King's new set, Warm Winter Wishes. I've already told you how much of a sucker I am for both snowflakes and snowmen....well, look what Carolyn designed!! An adorable snowman and a whimsical snowflake image.

I took out my Janome Sew Mini sewing machine to create this card. I stared off with a piece of Almost Amethyst cardstock for the card base and stamped it with the snowflake image in Lavender Lace ink. I added a piece of patterned paper along the bottom and stitched it onto the card with a zig-zag stitch. The greeting came from the set and that was stamped in black.

I added some buttons (which come in the new StampTV "Holiday Cheer" Kit) to the patterned paper strip and instead of just putting thread through them or adhering them with glue-dots, I actually stitched them onto the card with the zig-zag setting and the foot of the sewing machine in the up position. I used a little bit of double-sided adhesive to hold the buttons in place until I got the first stitches in.

I stamped the snowman in black on white cardstock and colored him in with Copic markers. I did a little bit of paper piecing with the heart, by stamping it on red patterned paper, cutting it out and adhering it on top of the main image. I extended the line of ground with a fine point black marker. The snowflakes were stamped with Bashful Blue ink and I made them sparkle with a little bit of glitter, as well as the ground under the snowman. 

I stitched the white cardstock onto a piece of Bashful Blue cardstock and then mounted it on the card with pop-dots.

There's just something about zig zag stitching and buttons that makes me feel warm and cozy....and there's nothing like a snowman hugging a big ol' heart, with a warm and comfy scarf around his neck to make me feel like snuggling up in a big blanket in front of my fire place for a cup of hot cocoa.

The next sneak peek is from the "One Free with Three" set. This is the set that you can get FREE this month when you order 3 sets from GinaK. It's called Holiday Hospitality and comes with an ornament image, as well as all kinds of sentiments and an invitation image. Great for making holiday cards, customizing your ornament and also for making holiday invitations. There's even a greeting to put on a gift or card for the hostess at holiday parties.

For my card, I started with a base of Rocket Red textured cardstock (from GinaK). I created a second set of layers using some patterned red paper on top of Bashful Blue cardstock.

I stamped the ornament image on a piece of blue patterned paper and again on a piece of green patterned paper. I cut the middle section out of the green paper, making sure not to cut into the lines. I then adhered that to the center of the blue ornament. I cut around it carefully and cut inside the hanger. I then added some Glitter Dots to the middle of the ornament and some Self-adhesive rhinestones to the top and bottom of the ornament.

I threaded a piece of green stitched grosgrain ribbon (from the new Holiday Cheer StampTV kit) through the opening on top of the ornament and wrapped it around the back of my cardstock layer. I mounted the ornament on the card with pop-dots.

I'm totally digging those flag tags and can't get enough of them. They add just a little bit more to a card than just a straight cut greeting. I stamped the greeting on white cardstock and trimmed it by hand, then layered it on Bashful Blue cardstock and trimmed again. I put a few pop-dots in the middle of the tag so that it would stand up on the card. I added a button (from the StampTV kit) topped with a red glitter dot on the end of the flag tag.

Head over to GinaK's blog to add your comment to her blog entry for a chance to win the stamp sets being previewed tonight our blogs! Then, check in on Carolyn King's blog - the Illustrator of Warm Winter Wishes. Here are the rest of the links to the Design Team Members participating in the hop tonight:

Cathy Tidwell Cindy Lawrence Donna Baker Emily Giovanni Erika Martin Jessica Fick Kurtis Amundson Lee Murphy Lynn Mercurio Melanie Muenchinger Tami Mayberry Theresa Momber Nina Brackett

CenterStage Spotlight Designers:

Joy Hadden Lori McAree

We'd love to have you join us at our Release party tomorrow night over on SCS starting at 7pm CST. There will be lots of chatter, samples, contest questions, and challenges - you won't want to miss it! Check out Theresa's discussion if you're new to our Release parties for some helpful information to get you started.

Blog Hop - The new StampTV Kit!

It's Day 3 of the GinaK September Release Blog Hop!

GinaK is bringing out a brand new StampTV Kit centered around the upcoming holidays.  The kit contains two sets: Holiday Cheer and Holiday Greetings. Once again, Gina has outdone herself with combining images and sentiments that contain endless possibilities. I used both sets on my card but there is so much more I plan to do with these sets, especially on my scrapbook pages.

It's been a long time since I've done the Joseph's Coat technique, but as soon as I looked at the snowflake images, I knew that it would be perfect for this card. Not only am I a snowman lover, but also a lover of snowflake images. I can never have enough. 

I started with a card base of "In the Navy. My brayering was done with a spectrum pad over glossy white cardstock and then stamped with the snowflakes (from the Holiday Cheer set) with Versamark ink. I embossed them with clear embossing powder and then brayered over the cardstock again with black ink. I wiped off the excess ink with a tissue. I then layered the glossy cardstock on top of a piece of white cardstock.

I wrapped a length of the new Holiday Assortment ribbon around the cardstocks and tied a small piece around the middle into a double knot. I glued one of th buttons from the new Holiday assortment of buttons on the knot with some glue-dots.

The greeting is from the new Holiday Greetings set and was stamped with black ink on white cardstock. I hand trimmed it into a flag strip (one of my favorite things to do right now) and layered it onto a piece of Bashful Blue cardstock which I then trimmed into a border around the white flag. I curled the tag a bit by hand and then added 3 layers of pop-dots underneath the middle bump to give it some height and definition.

I really enjoy going with non-traditional colors for holidays!

Head over to GinaK's blog to add your comment to her blog entry for a chance to win the new StampTV kit being previewed tonight our blogs! Then, check into StampTV for a new video technique showing "shimmering background paper" with an image from the new StampTV kit!

Here's the links to the Design Team Members participating in the hop tonight:

Carolyn King

Cathy Tidwell

Cindy Lawrence

Donna Baker

Emily Giovanni 

Jessica Fick

Kurtis Amundson

Lee Murphy

Lynn Mercurio

Melanie Muenchinger

Tami Mayberry

Theresa Momber

Blog Hop - "Hip to be Square" and "Lord of the Season" sets

Time for another sneak peek and blog hop!

Today, the Design Team is showing you another two sets. The first one that I'm showing is Melanie Muenchinger's new set, "Hip to be Square." I'm a sucker for snowmen so I got really excited about this set when I saw it. And when I saw the grid image in the stamp set, I immediately thought of looking out a window from a cozy house and seeing the snowmen that my kids make in my backyard in the wintertime. 

I used a piece of Brocade Blue cardstock for my base and turned it into a square card. I swiped around the edges of the card with White craft ink. I stamped the snowflake (from Tami Mayberry's new set - Special Delivery, which I previewed yesterday) around the cardbase with white ink.

I stamped the grid image on white cardstock with black ink and then trimmed aroun it and mounted it on a piece of Bashful Blue cardstock. I stamped the circle outline image onto the white cardstock, using a separate circle that I stamped and cut out as a mask so that I could stamp the circles on top of each other to create the look of the snowman. I used a Bashful Blue brush tip marker to add a little bit of a dimension to the body of the snowman. The the stick arms were added freehand using a brown marker. I stamped some Bashful Blue snowflakes around the snowman and stamped the greeting in black, which is also from Melanie's new set.

I cut a couple of curtains out of Certainly Celery cardstock and used a Garden Green marker to add the fold lines and then mounted them on top of the card base with pop-dots.
One of the many cool things about this set is that it comes with all sorts of options to create different looks with the round image. You can make the snowman's face, a pumpkin and a jack-o-lantern. The coal eyes and smile are separate from the snowman's nose to make it easy to stamp them in different colors. 

The second set that the Design Team is showcasing is Nina Brackett's set, "Lord of the Season." These images have such a country charm to them and I wanted to carry that theme with the ribbons and buttons.

I started off with a Rocket Red textured cardstock base and then added a piece of the new Fresh Asparagus cardstock.

I stamped the tree on white cardstock and colored it with Copic markers an then trimmed around it leaving a slight white border. Instead of coloring in the ornaments that are part of this image, I glued little buttons from the new StampTV kit that is coming out this month. I popped this on top of Sweet Corn piece of cardstock (another color coming out this month...isn't it lovely??) that I punched using a Giga scalloped punch. I swiped around the edges of the punched circle with my So Saffron ink.

All of the ribbons are new this month and some come as a holiday assortment, while others come in the new StampTV kit (which will be part of the blog hop tomorrow). I popped the scalloped punch on top of the card using pop-dots. The greeting is from Melanie's set, "Hip to be Square" which is also the greeting I used on the snowman card at the top of this post.

Head over to GinaK's blog to add your comment to her blog entry for a chance to win the new stamp sets being previewed tonight our blogs! Then, check in with the Illustrators of our two stamp sets featured tonight: Nina Brackett: Lord of the Season Melanie Muenchinger: Hip to be Square

Design Team Members participating in the hop tonight:
Carolyn King
Cathy Tidwell
Cindy Lawrence
Donna Baker
Emily Giovanni
Jessica Fick
Kurtis Amundson
Lee Murphy
Lynn Mercurio
Theresa Momber

CenterStage Spotlight Designers: Giovana Smith Janice Melton

Get a great discount on your Stampin' Up order!

I'm celebrating and so can you!

15% off your entire order!

I'm excited to tell that I just recently earned a Career Milestone Award from Stampin' Up!

I want to thank all of you for helping me to get this award, because if it weren't for all of you, it would have been impossible!

Stampin' Up even sent me a pin to celebrate! (pictured at left)

To celebrate and to thank you, I'm offering an amazing special on your Stampin' UP order!

Get 15% OFF your entire order!

For today and tomorrow (9/29 and 9/30), you can get 15% off your entire order from the Big catalog and the Holiday Mini Catalog!

PLUS.....

• Your name entered into a drawing for a fantastic prize for
  every $25 you spend in merchandise
• A FREE Online Class Tutorial CD of your choice when you
  spend $100 or more in merchandise (a $29.95 value!)
• Hostess benefits for orders over $150 in merchandise

US orders only, please (as per SU rules). Full tax and shipping apply on all orders.

Don't have a catalog? No problem!

If you need a catalog to look through, I've got you covered. Simply click on the link below to browse through the catalog online.

CLICK HERE for Big Catalog

You can also browse the new Holiday Mini catalog by clicking here: Holiday Mini Catalog

This special is only available through me (Erika Martin) and must be put in one of two ways in order to qualify for this special:

• Email me at: erikaerin2001@yahoo.com
• Call me at: 802-877-2296 (home) or 401-391-6900 (cell)

Thanks and happy shopping!!

Blog Hop - Special Delivery & A Very Merry Christmas

It seems that the month just flies by! It feel like not that long ago, I was doing the GinaK blog hop and here we are ready and rearing for another one! And this time, there's 9 new sets coming out this month! And each of them is so different from the others!

The first preview I'm showing you is from the two new sets by the newest illustrator for GinaK - Tami Mayberry. Tami brings a whole new style to Gina's team and I was very excited to see the postage type sets she's created. There are two sets, the Special Delivery set and the Special Delivery Add-ons. I've used both of those sets for this little pizza box style gift box.

I used all GinaK cardstock. The newest pack to come out this month is the Autumn assortment and has 5 different colors in it. I adore the deep purple and the mellow yellow that come in this pack.

I made the pizza box out of the purple cardstock, then layered a piece of Rocket Red textured cardstock on top. I stamped the present image on the  yellow cardstock with More Mustard ink. The To and From stamps, as well as the lines, all come from the Special Delivery Add-ons set.

The rest of the images come from the Special Delivery set. The postage stamp, the solid postage stamp that fits inside the frame, the numbers are all separate, as well as the postal circle and wavy line stamp. I love the fact that all the elements are separate from each other so that you can customize your project.

I colored in the dots and ribbon on the postage image with Copic markers and then applied some glitter to the dots and ribbon. I used Kiwi Kiss for the base image inside the postage frame. I mounted this up on Pop-dots on my box.

I adhered a piece of the new ribbon that is in the upcoming StampTV kit (to be seen later this week) around the pizza box and added some buttons on pop-dots (which also come in the new StampTV kit). I think it's absolutely fantastic that the ribbons, cardstocks and button colors all match! Gotta love that coordination factor!

The next set we're sneak peeking is a beautiful holiday set by Theresa Momber and it's called A Very Merry Christmas. This is such a lovely vintage style of holiday set with illustrations of Christmases gone by.

I decided to create a gift tag with Theresa's images.

I started off with a piece of gold cardstock (from the new StampTV kit), which I used my distressing tool on around the edges. I then added a layer of dark green cardstock (GinaK).

I stamped the vintage tree on a piece of Pure Luxury Ivory cardstock with black ink and colored it in with both Koh-i-noor pencils and  Copic markers. I swiped around the edges of the cardstock with Creamy Caramel ink and distressed the edges before adding it to my tag. I added some glitter to the bows on the tree to give a little bit of sparkle.

I stapled a couple lengths of holiday ribbons to the tag (both from the new StampTV kit).

I created the flag tag by stamping one of the sentiments from Theresa's set onto Ivory cardstock and layering it on a piece of dark green cardstock. I hand trimmed both layers. I added it to the tag by giving it a little bit of a bend in the tag and popping the middle up with 3 layers of pop-dots on top of each other and adhering the left and right sides flat to the tag.

I added a couple buttons layered on top of each other with pop-dots to finish it all off. The buttons come from the new StampTV kit, too. Just wait till you see the rest of the goodies that come in this kit! I think it's one of my favorites with all the embellishments that come in it!

Stop by GinaK's blog today to add your comment to her blog entry for a chance to win the new stamp sets being previewed tonight our blogs! Then, check in with the Illustrators of our two stamp sets featured tonight: Theresa Momber: A Very Merry Christmas Tami Mayberry: Special Delivery and Special Delivery Add-on

Design Team Members participating in the hop tonight: Carolyn King Cathy Tidwell Cindy Lawrence Donna Baker Emily Giovanni Erika Martin Jessica Fick Kurtis Amundson Lee Murphy Lynn Mercurio Melanie Muenchinger CenterStage Spotlight Designers: Kay Simmons Linda Payne

The Butterfly Project - wall hanging

Have you heard of the Butterfly Project?

It's a bittersweet project, in that it's focus is to foster creativity, but also to remember the 1.5 million children that perished in the Holocaust.

The Holocaust Museum of Houston is collecting 1.5 million handmade butterflies that will eventually be on display in Spring of 2012. As of Summer 2008, they had already collected over 400,000 butterflies.

Christy Nelson, over at Christy's Craft Challenge, put together one of her amazing craft packets as the September challenge and encouraged everyone to use the supplies to make a butterfly for this project.  The sky was the limit to our imaginations.

Here's a link to what was inside the packet: September Craft Challenge packet

By the time I was done creating, the only things I had left were some left over fabric and a couple of the small ovals. I had used everything else in the packet!

I went with a hanging design. I drew a butterfly on a piece of light weight cardboard and cut it out to use as my template. I traced it out on the pink craft foam, as well as the fabric. I applied some double-sided adhesive around the edges of the butterfly and then tucked some crafting stuffing under the butterfly and pressed the edges down to hold it all in.

I used my Janome Sew Mini sewing machine to do a zig-zag stitch around the edges of the fabric and foam. I LOVE how easily the needle went into the foam and had so  much fun using my machine this way that I picked up some more fabric quarters and foam yesterday so that I could make some more creations like this.

I created the flowers that are hanging from the butterfly the same way, except that I didn't add any stuffing underneath them. I cut the flowers directly from the fabric, adhered them to the foam and used the flower as a guide to cut the foam. I added some of the seed beads to the flowers to give them some dimension.

I attached the yarn all around the butterfly using a little bit of hot glue. I also used the yarn to wrap around two of the small ovals to create fuzzy antennae.

I painted the large oval with some light blue acrylic paint and then glued a bunch of seed beads all over it and then glued the ovals to my butterfly.

I wanted to use as much of the packet as I could, so I glued the little beads all around the butterfly to dress it up. The beads add so much sparkle and visual interest to the butterfly.

To finish it all up, I glued the butterfly and the flowers to a long length of yarn and then tied a loop at the top of the yarn so that it can be used as a wall hanging or to suspend from something.

Christy is going to be putting all the pictures up of the butterfly submissions that were done with her Craft Challenge packet and people will get to vote for their favorite! Make sure to check over at her blog for more details: Christy's Craft Challenge

Craft Critique sponsored this month's challenge for Christy's site and they've generously put up a huge prize with all sorts of crafting goodies. Make sure to check out their site for lots of great reviews on your favorite and soon-to-be favorite crafting items.

If you'd like to take part in the Butterfly Project, the Holocaust Museum website has the details on how big your butterfly should be, what to use and what not to use, as well as the address to use in sending your butterfly to them.

This is a great way for YOUR children to become involved in history and a great lesson in compassion. Have them craft a butterfly of their own and talk to them about what the Holocaust was about.

You can check out all the details here:

The Butterfly Project

Happy Creating!
-Erika (Stampin' Mama)

Tree Trimmings treat box - Stampin' UP

I recently had to pick out a couple new holiday sets so that I could plan my upcoming Stamp-a-Stacks and classes. I also picked out some new holiday paper to play with, as well.

I fell in love with the Tree Trimmings set from Stampin' UP, along with the Merry Moments Designer Series paper. (I got another set, but I'll leave that for another upcoming post.)

I recently went to the Stamping Around Vermont retreat and Cindy Lawrence taught an amazing class with the cutest box that are perfect for cards or even candies, a silk scarf, candles, etc. She has generously shared the directions and dimensions on her blog and also shows pictures of the project that we made at the retreat. You can check it out here: Cindy's card box instructions

I started off with Real Red for my box. I then stamped my ornaments with Real Red and Garden Green on a piece of Whisper White cardstock. I added the strings with Basic Black ink.

I applied some 2-way glue to the ornaments and then dusted them with  Dazzling Diamonds glitter.

On the bottom half of the Whisper White cardstock, I adhered a piece of paper from the Merry Moments Designer Series pack. I have to admit that I don't often use Garden Green, so it was nice to use something in that color with this patterned paper. I think I really need to branch out of my color comfort zone and use colors that I haven't touched in a very long time.

I stamped a greeting from the Sincere Salutations set on Whisper White cardstock with Basic Black ink and then mounted it on top of a piece of Real Red cardstock. I mounted this on the box with some Stampin' Dimensionals.

I added a length of Black grosgrain ribbon around the box and finished it off with a bow and the ends trimmed on an angle. 

These make great teacher's gifts for the upcoming holidays, or make a few to bring to work for your co-workers. You can even tuck some cash inside for college kids or as a stocking stuffer. There are so many things that you could add to these boxes!

Happy Creating!

- Erika (Stampin' Mama)

"Fruitful Harvest" Blog Hop - scrapbook page

Are you all up for another blog hop? This time, the GinaK Design Team is using the new Fruitful Harvest stamp set by  Asela Hopkins. Of course I gravitate toward the sunflowers, since they're one of my favorite flowers (daisies being the second) and since I love scrapbooking, That's the direction I took.

I started out with a piece of the new Moonlit Fog cardstock and cut it for an 8x8" page. I stamped the sunflower over the cardstock to create a subtle background with Sahara Sand ink. I also swiped the ink pad around the edges of the cardstock. I mounted my photo on Moonlit Fog and then on Mellow Moss. 

I stamped my sunflowers with black ink on Pure Luxury Ivory cardstock and colored in with my Copic markers. I admit that it was a lot of cutting, but SO worth it! I used some of the green ribbon from a past StampTV kit for my leaves. I applied some adhesive to the middle of my litle ribbon lengths and then folded them in half to create a V shape. I popped a couple of the flowers up with pop-dots.

I also added a length of striped brown ribbon from the Signs of Autumn kit and secured it with a double knot.

The journaling was done with a black journaling marker and hand written. I chose to use some of the lyrics from one of my favorite Sara Groves songs called, "You are the Sun." I thought it fit well with not only the sunflowers but also with the picture that I took last month (I'd gotten quite a bit of sun from sitting in the field with a book while my son caught crickets).

For even more inspiration with the Fruitful Harvest stamp set, head over to Asela Hopkin's blog, the illustrator of this beautiful stamp set. She has also asked her friend Deb Felts to share a card with us tonight too! Then, take the time to check out all the other GinaK Design Team Member's sharing projects tonight on their blogs:

Carolyn King 

Emily Giovanni

Erika Martin

Gina Krupksy

Jessica Fick

Kurtis Amundson

Lee Murphy

Lynn Mercurio

Melanie Muenchinger

Theresa Momber

and our CenterStage spotlight designers:

Geri Utterback

Shelly Wilson

Retired Stampin' Up sets for sale!

Retired Stampin' Up sets for sale!

Check out my updated Retired Stamp List!

First-come, first-served basis....shipped right to your door for actual shipping!

Try phrases like: dramatic savings, clearance, overstocked, reduced rates, buy 1 get 1 free, treat yourself, you deserve it, and don't miss out.

Every now and then, I clean out my stamp bins to make room for new supplies. Now that my Open House has come and gone, I've just updated my Retired Stamp list on my blog so that those of you that couldn't make it to the event can still purchase!

My sister and I both cleaned out our retired sets and there's a huge pile...almost 40 stamp sets need good homes! There are some brand new sets added to the list that haven't even been mounted or used, but are STILL marked down. Many other prices have been reduced, as well.

Pictures included on the List!

I've included pictures of all the stamp images on the list.

CLICK HERE to view the list and simply click on any picture to bring up a window with a larger view of the stamp images.

I'll be updating the list as stamps are sold.

Please contact me at erikaerin2001@yahoo.com if you have any questions.

New Online Course - "Flip, Flap, Pop & Slide Cards"

Class starts Monday - sign up today!

If you've ever bought interactive cards in a cards store before and been intrigues with how they work,
now you can make your own "action" cards with this new online class!

The "Flip, Flap, Pop & Slide Cards" Online Class will walk you through techniques to create cards that, well....Flip, Flap, Pop & Slide, as well as shake and move. Your card making will never be the same after this course and you'll get a WOW every time you give a card to the special people in your life.

The "Flip, Flap, Pop & Slide Cards Class" is the next of MANY online courses offered
at the Paper Craft Planet.

From September 21-25, a new "Flip, Flap, Pop & Slide Cards" PDF file will be loaded to the site. You'll use these over and over again!

The Class includes:

* 5 days of techniques and instruction encompassing a total of 7 projects
* Full color, step-by-step photos
* Detailed instructional tutorials
* Supply lists for all techniques
* Extra sample photos of multiple projects
* PDF files so you can print out the tutorial to keep in a binder to go back to every time
you'd like to create pages and albums again!
* Video tutorials showcasing techniques you can use on your cards.

This course was created to use things that you most likely already have in your crafting stash
so you're probably all ready to get creating!

(This course will be archived for 3 months so you'll have access to it during and after the course so you can create at your own pace)

Class starts Monday - sign up today!

Course registration: $25.95

NEW CLASS OPTION: You now have the option to purchase this course as a Tutorial CD!
By choosing this option, you can have the convenience of having this entire class, plus the PDF files,
all loaded onto one CD!

Flip, Flap, Pop & Slide Cards Class Tutorial CD: $29.95

Price includes shipping.
Tutorial CDs will be ready to ship starting September 28th.

The "Flip, Flap, Pop & Slide Cards Class" Course will take your paper crafting to a whole new level and I look forward to having you in class!

If you have any questions, please email me at erikaerin2001@yahoo.com