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April 27th Blog Tour…Don’t Miss it!

Mark April 27th on your calendars! That’s the date when you can hop onto my blog to see more examples of projects made with the Occasions Mini Catalog stamp "Scene in a Garden."

But wait, there’s more.

After you browse my examples, you’ll find a link to my friend Tiffany Bauer’s blog. She’ll be showing you how to use the beautiful stamp set "Very Versatile" from the Occasions Mini Catalog!

But wait, there’s even more.

On Tiffany’s blog, you’ll find a link to yet another blog and examples from a different stamp set in the mini!  There will be a banquet of ideas and beautiful projects. There are 20 stops on this tour, and you won’t want to miss a single one. The links will be available only on April 27th, so please don’t miss the bus.

But wait, yes, you guessed it, there’s more.

Because Stampin’ Up!’s "Getting Connected" promotion will still be running, spend $40 on Occasions Mini Catalog products and choose any one item from the "Under $10" on page 208 in the Spring-Summer 2009 Idea Book & Catalog for Free.

It’s an event not to be missed! This tour will take you all over the place! Be sure to hop on at my stop and then travel the road laid out for you!

Pack your bags on April 27th! You’re going to love the trip, and you won’t even have to leave your chair.

Nice and BRIGHT!

It is supposed to be gloomy and rainy here the next couple days and definitely cooler (although right now it is just a little cloudy), so I thought I’d share a nice, BRIGHT card with you today!  Only a little stamping on this one, but all the materials are Stampin’ Up!  Lisa, Mary and I did a couple challenges last Friday and this one was to use the colors Tangerine Tango, Summer Sun and Chocolate Chip for a challenge over on Stamp Addicts! 

I started with a card base of Tangerine Tango.  Then I ran a layer of Summer Sun thru my Big Shot with the Texturz Kit #4 plate.  I added some depth of color by rubbing my Summer Sun ink pad over the ridges of the checked pattern.  Then I took a 4×4 square of Tangerine Tango and cut it in half diagonally.  I also ran it thru the Big Shot with the same Texturz plate and rubbed Tangerine Tango ink over the ridges of the checked pattern.  Before I adhered it down to the Summer Sun, I cut a slit about 3/4 from the top left edge and folded the edges down.  Then I cut a 3/4 inch square of Chocolate Chip and adhered it over the folded edges…securing them with white brads.  (I made the white brads by inking up Silver ones with White Craft and embossing them with White Embossing Powder). 

I used my Boho Blossoms punch for the flowers and punched two of each type and placed them together with Summer Sun mini brads in the center (again, I used gold mini brads, Summer Sun Craft Ink and Clear embossing powder to change the color of the mini brads).  I cut a couple of small slivers of Chocolate Chip for the stems and cut some 1/4 Chocolate Chip grosgrain in half lengthwise to make the "leaves".  I would have made these some shade of green, but I was limited with my color selection.  Finally I stamped Hello from Fundamental Phrases and punched it with my Curly Label punch.  It is tucked under the Tangerine Tango layer so it looks like a levi tag!  I also use my Chocolate Chip marker to add some stitch marks around the perimeter of the card.

Does it cheer you up?  Have a great day!

Set:  Fundamental Phrases
C/S:  Tangerine Tango, Summer Sun, Chocolate Chip
Inks:  Chocolate Chip Classic and marker
Other:  Boho Blossom punch, Curly Label punch, mini brads, Texturz Kit 4 plates

Cheep Talk

My Customer Appreciate post will stay at the top for a while, so remember to scroll down for the current post.

For some reason, I’ve gotten out of my routine…get up…post to my Blog…get ready for the day.  Today is one of the few days that I have had recently that I didn’t NEED to get some stamped thing DONE.  It actually feels pretty good!  But, I know you are waiting for a new creation…so I won’t disappoint you.  Actually, I’ve had this card done and it has been sitting in my files to post.  It has been SO long, but I think it was a card I did when playing some challenges with Lisa and Mary!  I held it for a while thinking I might submit it to a magazine, but don’t think I will.

I started with a base card of Chocolate Chip and added a layer of Tangerine Tango that I ran thru the Big Shot with the Texturz Swirl from Backgrounds 1.  I stamped the flower on a stripe of Old Olive and adhered it to the Tangerine Tango.  Then I used my markers to ink up the branch in Chocolate Chip and Old Olive and stamped on Whisper White.  And the bird I inked with Tangerine Tango, Summer Sun and Chocolate Chip for the legs.  I added You’ve Got A Friend in Me in Tangerine Tango under the stem.  This was layered onto Chocolate Chip.  I guess I was thinking of the Baltimore Orioles when I made an orange bird…I remember I was fascinated with them when I was a kid!

Of course, I pulled out my Big Shot again with a scrap of Urban Garden Designer Paper and used the Scalop Circles #2 die to cut the 1/2 circle I placed behind the focal images.  I stamped the flower in Tangerine Tango and small leaves with Old Olive on Whisper White and cut them out.  Finally I added a Filigree mini brad to the center and adhered it onto the base card.  Whimsical and fun, I think!

Hope you have a great week.  I do need to stamp some 50th Anniversary favors and a gift certificate for the 50th Anniversary party dinner on Friday evening.  My son and his girlfriend are coming in Thursday night, so I have to be done with everything by then!

Set:  Cheep Talk
C/S:  Tangerine Tango, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White
Inks:  Tangerine Tango, Old Olive, various markers
Other:  Texturz Backgrounds 1, Scallop Circles #2 die, Filigree mini brad

Customer Appreciation and Get Connected Specials!

Customer Appreciation Special from me! 

As a special thank you, from NOW thru April 30, if you place a $100 order (before tax & shipping) by phone or email to me, I’ll add the Oval All stamp set in the Occasions Mini FREE to your order!  That’s a $19.90 value for FREE with your $100 phone or email order!  (Payment required by Credit Card or Paypal**.)  This cute stamp set fits the new Scallop Oval Punch perfectly!  This special is only offered by me (Connie Babbert) until April 30 @ 9:00 PM in appreciation for helping me earn my sales goal for the Stampin’ Up! fiscal year…I’m VERY close and you can HELP!  US customers only.  Please call between 9 AM and 9 PM Eastern time.

Edit to add:  Some of you have asked if a smaller order would help…of course!  I take ANY orders small or large!  So here is a little incentive for those orders, too!  For any $50 order (before tax & shipping) placed by phone or email to me by April 30, I will add your choice of a package of Designer Brads or Designer Hardware on page 175 (value up to $8.15).  Same rules as above apply!

In addition, be the order that pushes me over my sales goal (determined by email/voice mail or phone call time) and get the Level 3 Hostess Set, Hand Drawn Bundle (page 23) FREE!  And don’t forget, you can bump up to a $150 order and YOU get the hostess benefits! 

All this is in addition to the Get Connected Promotion described below!

  

Time is running out for Stampin’ Up!’s Get Connected Promotion.  "Get Connected" reminds us to stay in touch with those that matter most.  Your handmade creations can be a wonderful expression of love and gratitude, without spending a lot of money.Here’s the details on the Get Connected promotion (Now thru April 30): 

• Spend $40 on Occasions Mini Catalog products and choose any one item from the "Under $10" page (p. 208) in the Spring-Summer 2009 Idea Book & Catalog for free.
• Hostess Bonus:  Place an order of $150 or more (any current Stampin’ Up! Products) and choose any one item from the "Under $10" page (p. 208) in the Spring-Summer 2009 Idea Book & Catalog for free. For every $150 spent, you will receive another "Under $10" item.  This is in addition to everyday Hostess Benefits.
•  
• The Stampin’ Up! Occasions Mini is available for download on my left side bar. 
   

If you email your order I need the following:  Your name, shipping address, phone number, credit  card number, name as it appears on your credit card & exp. date. For your orders I need the item name, item number and don’t forget to tell me your free Get Connected item and hostess selections if your order is more than $150!  I can also send a Paypal invoice to you if you’d prefer.

Confused?  Just call (see phone number under my photo) or email me and I’ll be happy to help you out!

Bloggers Challenge 95

Yeah!  Well, after all that, it really was something simple, but not that I could fix!  Next time it happens, at least I’ll know what is going on.

Today’s Bloggers Challenge was to use the colors Sage Shadow, Always Artichoke, Sahara Sand, Chocolate Chip!  I have been using these colors a LOT since they appear in the designer specialty paper, To The Nines!  These specialty papers are especially nice…a cover weight (cardstock) designer paper that are great for boxes, but add a bit of texture to your cards, too!

I pulled out one of the Occasions Mini sets, And Many Mower.  I loved it because it has a golfer and my husband is an freak about his lawn looking nice.  Plus, my father loves to tool around in the yard.  I thought I’d get a lot of use out of it for all the men in my family (and it has some nice greetings in it, too!)

The shape is a 5 1/2 square card.  I used two different patterns to combine for the square 5×5, they are layered onto the Very Vanilla so that a little window of the Very Vanilla remains to stamp on.  Then that is layered on the Sage Shadow base.  The stripe designer paper carries all the colors and I also used my markers to color the lawn mower…maybe not your traditional lawn mower colors…but I used a little creative license!  I wrapped some 1/4 Chocolate Chip grosgrain around the top layer and added a Sage Shadow tag…from Lots of Tags Sizzlet die…to the knot.  Finally, I used a couple mini glue dots to place the Chocolate Chip Corduroy Button on the bottom right, tied in the center with some Linen Thread.

Do you like?  Have a great weekend!

Set:  And Many Mower
C/S:  Sage Shadow, Very Vanilla, To the Nines DSP
Inks:  Basic Brown ink, Sage Shadow, Sahara Sand, Chocolate Chip markers
Other:  Chocolate Chip Corduroy button, 1/4 grosgrain ribbon, Lots of Tags Sizzlet, Linen Thread

Sorry!

My picture adding feature is still DOWN.  

As soon as I see it is back up and working, I will post my Bloggers Challenge for today.  It is ready to go (and really cute!)

Whew! Project Done!

Sorry!  I’ve been trying to post a photo, but can’t get it to view!  Hopefully it will be fixed by tomorrow…

Do you know that feeling of relief that comes when something is finished and OFF your desk!  My huge project is winging its way to its new home.   Yeah! 

Now to get ready for my Stamp Camp this Sunday.  That is pretty much figured out, just need to cut the paper and package it up.

See you tomorrow for the Bloggers Challenge (I hope!)

Flower Layers die

I’ve had this die forever…even before SU came out with the Big Shot!  I won it in a Blog Candy contest, but didn’t realize it was the same one we now carried!  I was so excited to finally open it and try it out!

The design for this started with a challenge I was working on with Mary last week.  We needed to use a die cut and this layout.  I wanted to use some of my Tea Party designer paper…I love the small yellow floral print in it.  I combined it with the Flower Layers die.  Overall, I think this has too many Texturz or prints going on.  The base is So Saffron, then layered with a Texturz Lavender Lace layer, highlighted with White Craft Ink.  Then I used two strips of the Tea Party DSP and a strip of Pink Pirouette, wrapping White Taffeta Ribbon around the Pink Pirouette.  For the die, I tried a few different combinations.  The larger flower petals just didn’t look good in any solid color I tried, so I used a print in the Pink Pirouette Patterns DSP.  Then I layered So Saffron and Lavender Lace on top, placing a new pink Flower Designer Brad (page 175) in the center.  Finally, I added a trio of 1/4 circles in the upper right corner.

This is definitely not my favorite card and when I get time, I’ll probably tweak it a little bit…  I’m crazy busy trying to finish up a MAJOR project due on Thursday…Yikes!

Sets:  None
C/S:  So Saffron, Lavender Lace, Pink Pirouette, Tea Party DSP
Inks:  White Craft
Other:  Flower Layers die, Texturz Backgrounds 1, Flower Designer Brad, White Taffeta Ribbon, 1/4 circle punch

Manhattan Flower Impressions Folder

As I mentioned yesterday, my parents 50th Wedding Anniversary was yesterday, along with Easter!  They went to church wearing pretty yellow rose corsages for the occasion…they looked so nice!  Can you believe I forgot to take a picture!!!  I’m so mad at myself.  I was worrying about getting food prepared and served and didn’t even think about it.  Oh well…we are getting together for dinner in a couple weeks when my oldest is in town, I’ll have to get it then.

Here is the card that I made for their 50th anniversary.  I started with a 5 1/2 x 5 1/2 piece of Whisper White Base cardstock, and layered on Basic Black.  Then I ran the next layer, Brushed Gold, thru the Manhattan Flower Textured Embossing Folder.  Of course, the cardstock was larger than the folder, but I centered the folder so the flowers would be at towards the top left corner.  Then I used the White Taffeta ribbon to hide the crease from the edge of the folder.  Together Forever was stamped in Versamark on scrap Brushed Gold, and I used Detail Black Embossing Powder, heat set, and punched it with the new Scallop Oval punch and layered it onto Basic Black Wide Oval punch.

I needed to balance the weight from the front of the card, so I added a strip of Brushed Gold inside and used the Scallop Edge punch along one side.  Then I added a 1/4 strip of Basic Black over the scallop piece.  I stamped the large flower from Fifth Avenue Floral (I love that these coordinate together so perfectly!) in Metallic Gold ink and the smaller flower in Basic Black.  Then stamped Happy Anniversary (a retired stamp from one of the All Year Cheer sets).  I would have sworn I purchased a 50th anniversary stamp, but couldn’t find it anywhere.

I also decorated the outside of the envelope with the Fifth Avenue Floral stamps, too.  They loved the card!

TIP for today:  When using the Manhattan Impressions Folder in your Big Shot.  Use the Multipurpose platform with BOTH tabs open.  It will prevent the cardstock from warping since there is so much dry embossing on it!

Set:  Fifth Avenue Floral, Together Forever, Happy Anniversary (retired) 
C/S:  Brushed Gold, Whisper White, Basic Black
Inks:  Versamark, Basic Black, Metallic Gold
Other:  Scallop Oval Punch, Wide Oval Punch, White Taffeta Ribbon, Manhattan Impressions Folder, Scallop Edge punch

HAPPY EASTER!

Very quick post here.  I made a few of these little chicks to send out for my Easter cards this year.  I think they are SO cute!  Not my original idea…just adapted from a few different ones I saw.  EDIT:   Just found the person who inspired me…Laurie from Inspired Dreams!  Mine are held together a little differently, I creased the back scallop so the front folds up instead of holding it together with the ribbon.  And, I just noticed that I didn’t take a picture after I finished their eyes!  Oh my!  Only one of them has the highlights in their eyes…oops!

My parents 50th wedding anniversary is also today!  We are getting together for Easter dinner here and will have a mini celebration.  Then when our oldest son comes in town in a couple weeks, we will go out to dinner with the entire family.  They don’t want a "party".  I’ll post my Golden Wedding Anniversary card tomorrow!

Have a wonderful Easter!