Unfrogettable Stamping!

In the spotlight: Medallion

  This time of year is always bittersweet... saying good-bye to stamps and accessories that I have loved and anticipating a brand new catalog with lots of new stamping goodies to explore!  I want to continue to share with you some of my favorite past projects and swaps I've received featuring these retiring items as the current catalog comes to an end on May 31st.  If you see something that is a must-have, please be sure and place your online order through my Stampin' Up! store so that you know if it is still available or not.  As a thank you, I will send you a hand-stamped card and if you spend $50 or more you will get to choose a tutorial from my Get Creative with Rachel & Debbie series for FREE!!

  All of the cards I'm sharing with you today feature the Medallion stamp (#115223, $17.95) - isn't it beautiful?!  When I attended Founder's Circle back in 2009 we were told that it was the #1 selling stamp set that year... I would not be surprised if that didn't hold true for several years.  The top card was one I used to teach the emboss resist technique - I had stamped the image on some Designer Series Paper with Versamark and heat embossed it with clear powder.  To achieve that look I then used a brayer and elegant eggplant ink to cover the entire piece - the image that was embossed resisted the ink so that the patterned paper showed through, neat huh?!  The Christmas card was a swap I received that year at Founder's Circle from Jill Olsen - it is so glittery in real life, absolutely gorgeous!  

 

   And did you know that this same image can be purchased in our Decor Elements vinyl line in three different sizes?  These are retiring also, so be sure and get them before they're gone!

This card was designed by my friend and downline Sherri Gough for one of our Mega stamp-a-stack events.  I love the partial image of the Medallion!

Here is another sample - I CASE'd this one and used sponge daubers to apply the two different colors to the image.

  This is another stunning Christmas sample that I CASE'd from Kari Metzger.

One last card - this was a CASE of one designed by Sherri Gough (clearly a favorite set of hers, too!!)

Thanks for stopping by - I hope you can see what a fantastic stamp set this Medallion is and that you think about adding it to your collection!

 

In the spotlight: I {heart} Hearts

I wanted to share some of my favorite projects featuring the I {heart} Hearts stamp set that is retiring next month... even though this set features a bunch of hearts, it isn't just for Valentine's Day as you will see!  Enjoy! 

If you would like to purchase this set (available in both clear mount and woodmount), please contact me or place your online order here.

   

 

I'll miss you, Medallion!

I *LOVE* big background stamps and Medallion (#115223, $17.95) is one of my all-time favorites!  I wanted to share some cards created using this awesome stamp... if you want this one, be sure and get it before May 31st!

Card by Jill Olson

CASE of card by Kari Metzger

Card by Gwen Goulder

Card by Sherri Gough

Bookmark card

So wouldn't you agree... this stamp is awesome and I will certainly miss it!!!

 

Sale-a-Bration Sneak Peek... it's Fabulous!

This week our Fabulous Friday projects on the Sisters in Stamping blog are sneak peeks of Sale-a-Bration products that you'll be able to earn for FREE with a qualifying $50 order beginning January 24th.  Are you excited?!  I know I am!!  These stamp sets, designer paper and ribbon/button packs are great... but you wouldn't expect anything less of Stampin' Up! would you?!  If you didn't receive a gorgeous Sale-a-Bration brochure in the mail contact me - I have plenty!  And be sure if you're local to Lynchburg that you join me at my Open House and Kick-Off the weekend of January 27th.

My card above was created using pool party, poppy parade and naturals white card stock - don't the colors just P-O-P?  I love this color combination!!  The main flower image is from the Fresh Vintage SAB stamp set and I colored it with various stampin' write markers - poppy parade, pool party, peach parfait and lucky limeade.  The medallion stamped on the background is also from this beautiful stamp set and was stamped in poppy parade.  Wondering how I got the large heart?  I first stamped the floral image on my card stock and then cut it out using the new framelits for the Big Shot available in the Occasions Mini catalog.  The beauty of the framelits is that you can stamp first and then see what you're cutting out - much like you can with our punches. 

Not sure if you can see it, but I used one of the new border embossing folders across the bottom... these tiny hearts were a bit much for this card, so I flipped it over and used the debossed side.  The fun bow is made out of the pool party seam binding ribbon that I tied in a fork bow and then just scrunched up the ends to give it the textured crinkle.  I made my card an Anniversary card so I could leave it up on my display board a bit longer (good thinking, right?!).

For more sneak peeks, be sure and visit the Sisters in Stamping blog today after Noon EST.  Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend!!!

Medallion class projects

I held a class earlier this month that featured the beautiful Medallion stamp set.  Everyone that attended the class received this stamp set and a brayer as part of their class supplies.  While at the class they created four different cards utilizing this stamp - you'll find them below. 

Here is the first card - it is a CASE of a swap I received at Founder's Circle from Jill Olson last fall.  I know that Christmas is a long time from now, but it's never too early to get started on your Christmas cards!  Plus, this card got more attention on my tri-fold display board than any other last winter- probably due to the glitter/shine factor of the card!  In real life it sparkles like no other!!  This look was achieved by inking the Medallion stamp with real red craft ink and using heat-n-stick powder, which when heated becomes very tacky.  It is the perfect surface for attaching red glitter from the Galaxy glitter set... heat set it for a few seconds and you are good to go!

Here is card #2 - I saw this posted by user LYP here and loved the monochromatic look.  The Medallion stamp was inked with a brayer and soft suede ink, then stamped onto naturals ivory cardstock.  To add interest, the color spritzer and soft suede stampin' write marker were used to apply the splatter background.  The card was finished off with several punches - the scallop border, modern label and word window.

This next card was one I saw on Stampin' Connection - this is a social networking site created for Stampin' Up! demonstrators to share ideas and projects.  What an awesome perk to being a demonstrator!!  I love that I can CASE projects shared by others and always try to give proper credit.  This card was designed by Shannon Mifflin - I only changed it slightly.  The two-tone color was achieved by brayering crushed curry ink onto the Medallion stamp and then using a sponge dauber with dusty durango to add color to the stamp.  I pre-stamped the center of the Medallion onto scrap strips of whisper white with dusty durango and it was punched out with the 1-3/4" circle punch and adhered to the card with a fire circle rhinestone brad.

This last card is actually an original of mine!  It may look familiar because I shared it with you when I showed my Techniques Club projects for January here.  Details about the card and how to do this Emerging Color technique can be found in that post.  If you like this color combination, be sure and pick up pale plum and mellow moss before they retire in June!!

Products used in this class are below...

Thanks for stopping by - I hope you found some inspiration and find the time to create something this weekend!

Happy Anniversary, Mom & Dad

Happy Anniversary, Mom & Dad!!  Today is their 46th wedding anniversary and this is the card I created for them.

I just love how quickly this card came together using mostly items from the Occasions mini catalog.  The Extra Large 2-step bird punch makes it so easy to create a beautiful card.  I used brocade blue for the birds' bodies and punched their wings out of a scrap from the Bella Bleu DSP pack.  The heart is from the small heart punch, also in the Occasions mini catalog, and the So Saffron Top Note gets its texture from the Perfect Polka Dots texture folder.  I also added a piece of pretty in pink satin ribbon and stamped the brocade blue mat with the Bella Toile stamp.  The Happy Anniversary sentiment is from the ever-versatile Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set and is punched out with the word window punch and matted with the modern label punch in pretty in pink.  The final touch to the card is the sticky-backed rhinestones that I added for the eyes of the birds.  Don't they look cute facing each other, so much in love?!

Here's to another 46 years of happiness!!!