The Stamper

Creative Ladies

Even a couple weeks after this photo was taken it tugs at my heart strings.  The week I moved away we had our every other month Georgia downline meeting, the last one I can attend for a while and these wonderful ladies provided a house (since we were already moved out of ours), great ice cream sundaes, the best projects ever and most important to me friendships that will last a lifetime.  I am going to miss these meetings and getting together with these creative ladies so much. 

Here are some of the projects we made:  

Joyce found these striped composition notebooks at a large box store for 25 cents, we added the home images and a layered box for a quote and then tied a polka dot ribbon around the cover. 

Michelle taught us how to create these rose buds using the bird punch.  We also used the impression folder.  We were excited for Michelle who turned in a project for Stampin' Up!'s contest this past month and won honorable mention.  Congrats to her. 

LaRee showed us how to use the corner punch on all four corners of our card without punching the back of the card at the same time.  You insert the punch with the card open and line up the markings on the punch with the fold and punch.  We added a color accent to the back of the card front so you can see the punched image better.  She also showed us how to create these ribbon flowers for a great 3-d look. 

Thanks to all these creative women and their willingness to help.  I will miss you all.  I will post more projects this week from our meeting.

Notes from Saudi Arabia

As promised I am going to write some more personal information on this blog. As a lot of you know over these past few weeks we have packed some of our stuff and put it into storage and threw a bunch away and finally crated the rest to be moved to Saudi Arabia. Our stuff goes slow boat and will arrive in three months.  We climbed on a airplane and 22 hours later we landed in the desert.  Over two hours after that we made it through immigration and an hour later we saw our new home for the first time.  Our home was different than we expected, the rooms are large but funky, the first thing you see when we come in the front door is the washer and dryer, I don't know about you but my laundry room is not the best representation of my home.  I think we will adjust to it but it might take a little time. 

We have been blessed with new friends that are letting us use their internet and have helped us get around since we can't get a car for several more weeks. 

On Monday they took us to the large grocery store in town.. what an experience. Imagine walking into a Walmart type store and not recognizing most brands, imagine looking at prices and having to divide by 4 and add 10% to know what things cost... imagine a box of cereal costing the same here as taking a family of 6 to the movies... Imagine having to buy vanilla in powder form... imagine not be able to purchase anything electric because the plugs don't work on camp and the voltage is wrong for an adapter... Imagine not being able to purchase ice cream because it would melt before you can drive the 20 minutes home... Imagine barrels of spices and nuts you purchase by kilo... imagine purchasing fresh fruits and vegies and having to take them to a separate counter for pricing instead of the cashier pricing them when you check out... imagine new friends walking up and down every isle helping you understand all the things you don't understand. 

We are doing well and have tons of experiences to share so more is to come.

Stampin' Up! Artistic Etchings and bleach

One of the new stamp sets available in our new Idea book and catalog is Artistic Etchings.  This set has 6  images that are very fun to play with.  I created this card for my classes this past week using bleach. Yes your read that right you can stamp with Clorox bleach this kind you most likely have in your laundry room.  A few hints to having success with bleach:
1.  use new bleach, bleach starts to age in about 6 months so if you are not getting quick results then purchase new bleach
2.  Use a glass dish.  Bleach will eat through plastic dishes and you will have a mess on your work surface.
3.  I use glass dish with white felt to hold the bleach.  White felt becomes your ink pad surface.  Felt will not break apart like paper towels and can be used over and over again for years. 

To create this card: use the new Crumb Cake cardstock (formerly Kraft) cut in half and folded in half.  I stamped the border stamp over and over again along the side in Early Espresso ink and then torn the edge and sponge the torn edge with Early Espresso ink. The other stamp images are stamping on the new Cherry Cobbler cardstock, first the medallion stamp is inked with bleach and stamped, I used a heat tool to speed up the bleaching process.  Then I stamping the tower with Early Espresso ink and the crown with Versamark and embossed it with gold embossing powder.  Tear the edge and layer that onto Early Espresso cardstock and then the main card.  I stamped the key image with Versamark and embossed it with gold embossing powder and cut it out.  I punched a greeting with the small oval punch and layered that image and the key onto the card with dimensionals and linen thread.  The only piece I did use from the set is the greeting Amour and it could have been used in place of the greeting stamp I used here.  Enjoy

Bouquet Bunch Gift Card

Gift cards are a great gift idea but sometimes you want to make them just a little bit more special and this little gift card holder is just the way. 

To create this holder cut your cardstock in half at 4 /14 x 11 then score both ends at 3" and then in the middle at 5 1/2".  Don't glue until you have used the new builder wheels to create the background images.  ..........

To roller the front tuck the center piece into the inside to the card and roller the front and back at the same time.  To roller the inside tuck the center piece to the outside and roller the inside sides at the same time.  Once you have decorated the background you can glue along the 3" score lines to hold the card together.  You then punch two word window punches along the folded edge and one 3/4" circle punch which creates the opening for your gift card.

I decorated the front of the gift card holder by stamping the tree and bird from the Bouquet Bunch stamp set available in the Summer Mini catalog (this set is not in the main catalog so get it today and don't miss out of the fun things you can create with this stamp set) on watercolor paper with black stazon ink and watercoloring the images with: Certainly Celery, the New Marina Mist and Chocolate chip inks.  Layer that image with the new Marina Mist cardstock. 

I created the background piece by impressing the image into cream confetti cardstock with the new impressing folder Square Lattice (I love this folder because the image changes it look depending on if you use it right side up or up side down)

Add 16" of ribbon tied around your card holder.  I used the new 1/8" Taffeta ribbon in Very Vanilla then add your texture piece of cardstock to the front of the gift card holder and add your stamp images as well. 

I used a silver brad accent to not only add a little touch to the card but it also helps keep everything in place as your gift card holder is opened and closed a lot.  The silver brad is stuck through the ribbon as well as the other elements on the card. 

Add the greeting you want to the front and inside of the card and you have a great gift card holder that add that special look to a great gift. 

New Catalog and move update

It is the first of July and I am wondering what happened to June.  Oh yeah, I moved... kind of. We got our home on the market, sold it in a week and then had two weeks to pack and get everything ready to sell the house and be on our way to Saudi Arabia.  It was a crazy month but the house closed early this week and our stuff is loaded into their crates and I am just taking a breath before we get on the plane in 15 days. 

As a do that I thought I would write a line or two about how excited I am about this new year.  Not only in my personal life but in my stamping life.  I love Stampin' Up!'s new colors and have had the opportunity to design a little with them.  I hope to have pictures here soon.  I love the new stamp sets and style and of course the Designer Series Papers and new accessories.  If you want to check out the new stuff go to my website: wendythestamper.stampinup.net and select place an order and you can look around and if you decide to order you can or just don't complete the order to just look.  

You can order starting today and I hope you love as many things as I do.  If you have any questions please drop me a email at wendy@thestamper.com. I would love to hear from you. 

This card uses the new impressions folder and the Watercolor trio stamp set found in the summer mini catalog.  This card layout is a great one to use with any stamp set.  Enjoy