Its Finally Here!!! Stampin Up Spring/Summer 2009 Catalogue

I've been craving some new designer paper from Stampin Up, but I'd been holding out till the new catalogue release TODAY!  

To get my fix, I used a color palette picked directly from the Urban Garden patterned paper and then worked to put something similar with what I already owned.

I was able to very quickly put together a set of note cards for my cousin using Very Vanilla, Baja Breeze and Kiwi Kiss, put together with my friend Karen's "Pocket Silhouettes" stamp set.  Thanks K for once again coming to the rescue.

And today the new Spring-Summer 2009 Catalogue is available!! What are some of your favorites?  Personally, I can't wait to get my hands on the following:

Parisian Breeze Specialty Designer Series Paper

Valet Ribbon Originals

Trendy Trees

Thoughts and Prayers - a beautiful get well and sympathy set

For the Bride

Button Latte

Rockability Specialty Paper

Lots of Tags Big Shot Dies

What are YOUR favorite new things?  

If you don't already have an Stampin Up Demonstrator - you can place an order using my Online Business Demonstrator Website -- see my sidebar for a link. Or, simply email me at basilefamily (at) comcast (dot) net and I'll be happy to work with you!

Quick and Cute

I had a whole bunch of thank you notes to make up for my little guy's birthday. I needed something I could mass produce pretty quickly, but of course, I didn't want to sacrifice the cute factor either! Here's what I came up with:

I used my Big Bold Birthday set from Stampin Up for the present with the bow on top, and then a little scrap of striped designer paper.

The paper I used here is from Stampin Up's Summer Days Simply Scrappin Kit - that I received at a recent demonstrator meeting and fell totally in love with. What a fantastic color combination (Wild Wasabi, Pumpkin Pie, Real Red and Bashful Blue)

I'm using this card as the model for one of my upcoming designs for my May Project Club girls, I'm just going to switch the paper to East Coast Prep and switch the sentiment to a Happy Birthday card.

Have a wonderful day everyone!!

Spring Fling Fun Continues

While I had that green polka dotted spring fling paper and the cute wheelbarrow stamp out the other day, I couldn't help but put together another card.

I went into mass production mode and made several of these for a client order then added one extra for a friend's birthday adding "Make A Wish" with a rub on.

I'm going to use this card for my Stampin Up stamp a stack class as well. On this particular card, I used my copic markers, but I'll have my SU class work with the Many Marvelous Markers because many of "my girls" already have them. However, before the class, I'll have to find another sentiment to substitute in so that it isn't using a rub on!


Don't forget that I'm challenging you to Use What You'e Got. You can find all the details on this post and I'm drawing a winner out of the participants, so drag out that Bali Breeze and get stampin!

With the weather so beautiful we're trying to maximize the amount of time outside the house and then at night, I'm draggin! Hope you're having a little spring fun of your own!

Have a wonderful day!

Couldn't Miss It

I had such fun being Jen's Guest Designer for her Sketch for You To Try last month, that I couldn't miss playing along this weekend.

To up the ante for myself, I committed that I'd use only SU for this challenge, and in particular that I'd use the Summer Picnic paper (you know, that paper that I HAD to have, but I've been hoarding, afraid to cut into it because its so super cute.) Well, what good is paper if you don't USE it! Right? So cut away....

This card is going postal today to the leader of our local SU group. I've got to send in my RSVP and my registration for our upcoming Quarterly Meeting. Oh man, I've got to come up with something for a swap. Better get crackin!!

Hope you all have a wonderful day

Really I do....

I do truly still love my SU stamps, although I've been so busy lately that the poor were a bit neglected. I'm going to make it a priority to get at least one post a week fully dedicated to where it all began for me, Stampin Up.

I've been meaning to hold a stamp a stack class, but just hadn't the time to get the samples done. Hooray! I'm finally going to hold that class after all and its a great incentive for me to spend some time designing with Stampin Up Only supplies.

Here are the first two designs I've come up with for the class. I hope to have a few more next week....

The first one is "She's all That" which I've stamped with Chocolate Chip onto Very Vanilla cardstock. The mats here are Close to Cocoa and Blush Blossom. The designer paper is a Groovy Guava pattern from Ginger Blossom. I know "my girls" really like this silhouette chick - it sure does make for a quick card production. Since we're going to have a lot of cards to make that night, I need to make at least a few of them pretty straightforward!

The second card uses what is probably one of my most loved stamps from the new catalogue "Always." Admittedly, I did not make this card straightforward, but if I were just making this card once, I'd probably make it even more complex, for instance, I'd versamark, emboss and heat set the bird if I were doing it just for me, I did try to simplify for class purposes. I couldn't help adding some minor paper piercing across the bottom of the main panel and the very top of the card

The top is a piece of So Saffron designer series paper. I've stamped "Tres Chic" backgrounder on the bottom. You'll see I put the full gamut of SU's circle punches to use on the little medallion. If you haven't noticed, I love my punches!

For anyone local that is interested in attending a class, I'll post the dates, times and price for the class once I've finished up my samples. Until I know how much "stuff" I've got to buy, I won't have accurate pricing. The class will be held sometime mid May.

So, while we're on the topic, where did your "stamping adventure" first start? I'd love to know what your first stamping love was.....

A little punny

I find myself reaching again and again for SU's Pun Fun set. Its really just so stinkin cute (I haven't used the skunk yet, but I really should because I say that all the time....)

These are two of the cards that the girls worked on at my most recent Project Club meeting. We worked on watercolor crayons with an aquapainter - which by the way, did I tell you I LOVE doing?

I kept the layouts quick (ie no scallops and no piercing) and all the papers were the same dimensions to make assembly a breeze.

I wanted to give the girls time to work on the watercoloring technique, and of course, lots of time to chat. We always have such a good laugh.

Still crazy with laundry to be folded and put away from the trip....getting settled back in after a trip is always so hard!

Illuminated Notes

I've been meaning to make a notecard set with Illuminations for a while now, and you know how that goes. So much on the to do list.

However, last night, after my "to do" list was cleared, I picked out some paper and pulled together these matching cards.

The colors I used here were Blue Bayou, Old Olive and Rose Red and the image is the Illuminations Stamp set from Stampin Up.

After I stamped each image, I used my versamarker to trace all the lines, then embossed with clear embossing powder for some shine. Impossible to see here....

If I haven't said so nine million times, can I just say I love the Designer Series Prints paper. I just wish there was a pink version so I could make pink "Hope" cards. I can tell you I'll be adding a pink version of this just as soon as my Berry Bliss paper arrives next Monday with my first New Catalogue Order!

Have a great day!

Do you groove on guava?

I have this friend that just doesn't like Groovy Guava, and I'm on a mission to convince her otherwise!!

I ordered "A Beautiful Thing" and the Ginger Blossom paper from Stampin Up's preview catalogue, but of course, haven't had a moment to play with it.

I finally got some time last night. At first again, wow, so creatively blocked and I just pushed paper around a while. Then, I remembered this beauty of a card from Mary Jo Albright and knew I needed one of those super floweriffic medallions she had made. I had the flowers layered and bradded already, but the scallop punch was just too big on its own.

To see how to turn your scallop into a starburst type shape, be sure to check out Beauty Lies Within- she amazes me daily!! What a clever idea! No wonder she's so frequently published in the SU publications, and was an artistan award winner, she's brilliant!

Oops! I forgot!!

I can't believe I forgot to ever post the finished product! I'm sure its been as crazy at all of your houses as its been at mine.

So, here is the final product. This is nowhere near as layered and complex as my usual cards, but come on, I made 130 of them! I had to streamline a bit. Even still 130 of these was a ton of work with the pointsetta cutting, ribbon tying and all the brads in the flower centers. But, it was worth it! I'll be doing it again next year I'm sure.

The boys are busy playing with all their new toys, and we still have so much de-cluttering to do. Its 10 and I'm still in my pj's today! I've got to get to the supermarket and we're having friends over later today... I've gotta get moving!

Have a great day everyone!

The Softness of Sky......

I'm going to be really, really sad when Soft Sky and River Rock retire this summer. I just love the look of them together, and they coordinate with just about every other color out there as well.

I had a belated wedding card and gift to deliver to my sister this week. This card was the first thing, non Christmas, that I'd made in a while. I'm embarrassed to say how long it took me to put this together, it was a while..... Just goes to prove that really, creativity is a muscle that needs regular workouts, and with all the craziness of this season, I just haven't had time.

To be honest, when I was finished, I wasn't even sure I liked it, but my husband did, and now as I look back on the photo, it came out nicely in the end. I love the effect of the Spica pen that I used all over the flourish and on all the white pieces of the flower from Baroque Motifs.

While I'm enjoying this week off, playing with all the kids new toys, and lots of family time, I'm also itchy for some stamp nights! I get so antsy when I don't have a little creative time each day! I'm so in a creative rut and finding it hard to get back into the swing of things. Once I'm back into daily stamping, I'm sure it will come easier and I'll have designs running through my brain again, I'm just not there yet.... bear with me!

Wishing you all a happy vacation and a happy and safe new years. 2007 for me was a truly amazing year, I can't wait to see what 2008 has in store!

Getting Anxious?

Last night, after stamp club, I decided to take 45 minutes to work on Christmas cards. I got such a laugh yesterday, one of you is apparently very anxious to see the final product.....because this was the comment I received yesterday:

Anonymous said...
WHAT DOES THIS LOOK LIKE FINISHED??

However, I can't show the full card here till my family and friends get them, or it sorta ruins the surprise! Hope you all understand. wink!

I've been posting the progress to show you all that it isn't really all that hard to make the cards on your own, and if you just carve out a little time each day, you'll be amazed with the progress you can make.

Last night, I assembled the shimmery white flourishes onto their bashful blue mats. Then I worked on attaching brads through the pointsettas. I still have MANY more pointsettas to cut, clearly the most time consuming portion of this product, but you know me, I think the little touches make all the difference.

I also figured out where, and how, I'll insert the photograph of my boys. I'll be using the SU slot punch on the bottom and right hand side of the inside of the card to hold the photo in place. That way, anyone that wants to remove the photo from the card can do so easily, with no sticky adhesive mess to deal with.

Tonight, I'll start stamping the greeting on each of the base cards, stamping my "stamped by Joanne" onto the back, and I'll double slot punch everything to make room for the photo. That's going to be a lot of stamping for 130 cards, but at least I can watch a movie while I do that!! Time consuming, but at least pretty mindless......

Have a great weekend, and see you Monday!

Want to Color?

I'm loving this Fast & Fun Notes set. What darling cards, so many occasions, and everything comes together quickly with watercoloring.

A few months ago, a demo in my group showed us all some watercoloring tips she learned at convention. I was in love with what she showed us, couldn't get over how easy it looked, and how great the results were. So of course, I went home and placed an order for the brushes, stamps and watercolor paper. I'm so bad!

This card design is very similar to the colors Jen used in her demonstration, I just added designer paper and some ribbon. I wanted to the designer paper to merely accent the coloring, I wanted all the watercoloring to be the real focus of the card.

This yellow version is watercolored with So Saffron and River Rock ink and then lots of dazzling diamonds on top. In real life its so sparkly and pretty!

I'm going to offer this set as a class to my monthly project club attendees. We'll make two of that birdie Thank You card I shared the other day (minus the machine stitching) and then this Get Well and Congratulations card.

supplies used: Fast and Fun Notes, So Saffron Cardstock and Designer Prints paper, Cutie Pie designer paper, River Rock cardstock (for matting) and double stitched ribbon, slot punch, Very Vanilla Cardstock, Watercolor Paper, Small Watercolor Brush. All supplies Stampin Up

Try Something That Scares You!

After seeing so many stunning cards made with the Baroque paper from Stampin Up, I succumbed and purchased it. But, I must admit, its been sitting in my storage since then. And Um... yes, that was in July. That's bad.

When I opened up the package, I decided it was just too far out of my normal "style" and wasn't sure if I'd ever use it. The other day, as I prepared for my Design Team challenge with The Prettie Girls, I said to myself "Come on. It's only paper." I leafed through the package and found two that I liked. I've been meaning to use my new Illuminations stamp set from Stampin Up. (I bought it specifically to make a wedding card for my sister.)

All supplies on this card are from Stampin Up. The colors here are River Rock for the card base, Old Olive Matting and Very Vanilla. The card is finished off with Very Vanilla taffeta ribbon. Which I love. **I'm sure you've seen this comment before, but River Rock is tough to capture in a photograph. The color is gorgeous, it just for whatever reason, photographs sorta bland.**

Edited to add... as I had mentioned, I went back and added another "C" popped up on Dimensionals today. I like that extra layer in there for a little "pop." I changed the top picture, but here's a closeup of the "C" itself, I just think its so pretty!

So, here's my Design Team challenge to the Pretties this week. Find something in your collection that is out of your traditional style, either stamps that you have but don't use, or paper you haven't yet been brave enough to use, or a color ink pad that you own, but don't use. (I have one of those --- Taken with Teal.)

I'll be playing again and will have a new card to send along to the Prettie Girls. Each Wednesday, we'll each post our previous challenges (whoops, I posted mine too early in the week, please follow down to see my challenge cards below) and one of us will issue a new challenge for the week. The Prettie Girls are Alli, Christie, Jillian, Charmaine, Julie C., Julie M., and Kristine . And, we hope you'll follow (and possibly even PLAY!) along.

I'd love to see what you've come up with. Post here with a link to your blog or SCS gallery (or wherever you post for that matter!)

Come on, what's really to be scared of...its only paper, stamps and ink. Be sure to check back next Wednesday to see what we all completed last week!! Most of all, Have fun!!