stamp club - February

Last Friday was my "once a month" stamp club. This is a group of 12 ladies (2 groups of 6, but we all meet on the same night) who come together to learn new techniques, try out tools, and learn more about stamping! Each of the ladies purchases $25 from the catalog each month for six months and one month during that time they get the benefits of being hostess. Not only do they at least get $25 in free product, but I also offer free shipping on their hostess month, as well as they each get a fun paper and embellishment pack as a thank you. Plus, during your hostess month you are welcome to bring a friend for free! All of the projects we do each month are free just for being a part of the stamp club! This is an exclusive event for stamp club members only and usually involves projects that are a little more in depth than my typical card making nights.

For this month's club, I had decided awhile ago that we were going to use the new scented embossing powders and one of my hostesses also wanted to learn more about what Crystal Effects was, so we worked with that as well. It varies each month on whether we do a project or a card, but this month I decided to set up the meeting like my typical card making nights, so there were three cards that the ladies could rotate from table to table to complete. I started off the evening with a short demonstration of how to emboss and assemble the cards. Since my focus was on the embossing technique I tried to keep the cards fairly simple.

Each card used an image from the Mouthwatering stamp set from the 2012 Occasions Mini Catalog. This stamp set is available both in clear mount (#125677 - $16.95) or wood mount (#125675 - $20.95). Don't you just love these images? Summer here we come!! Well, I guess we have to get through Spring first...

Card #1
A quick and simple card with a "Crystal Effects" cherry.

It might be hard to tell in the picture above, but we added Crystal Effects to the cherry to make it a little bit glossy and 3D. You can also see in this picture that I used the polka dots Texturz plates on the Melon Mambo background.

Colors: Whisper White, Chocolate Chip, Melon Mambo, Pretty in Pink

Card #2

What a great surprise to see that the card I had planned for last Friday's stamp club fit perfectly with Freshly Made Sketches #24.

If only you could smell the cherries through your computer screen!

I pulled out my new Simply Scored Tool and Labels Collection Framelits Dies to create this card. You can see how I used the scoring tool to make a "border" around the edges of the red background. It added just a little bit something extra. The cherries are, of course, embossed with the Cherry Scented Embossing Powder (yum!)

Quick Tip: To adhere the embossing powder only to the red part of the cherries, I colored the image with Real Red and Old Olive markers, stamped it onto the Whisper White card stock and then used my Versamarker to go over the cherries to get it "wet" enough for the powder to stick. I then generously poured the embossing powder over the cherries and used my Heat Tool to emboss. It will turn out clear and glossy with a hint of that cherry scent. So fun!

Colors: Whisper White, Real Red, Old Olive

Card #3
This card was probably my favorite one...I just loved the color combo!

With this card we used the Melon Scented Embossing Powder and followed the same technique as described above with the cherries. The "seeds" come from the Blossom Bouquet Triple Layer Punch. After I embossed the watermelon, I used Tombow Multi-Purpose Adhesive to adhere the individual seeds. I also wanted to take a "bite" out of one of the watermelon slices, so I used the 1-3/4" Scallop Circle punch and chomped off the corner.

Quick Tip: Don't want to cut out the watermelon slice by hand? Just use the 2-1/2" Circle punch to do it for you! Here is a short video by Mary Fish to show you just how easy it is.

Colors: Whisper White, Calypso Coral, Lucky Limeade
DSP: Sweet Shop Specialty Paper
Accessories: 2011 In Color Designer Brads

paper players design team call

I was excited to see last week that The Paper Players is having a Design Team Call looking for a couple of designers to be a part of the team for the next few months (March - May). I love their sketches and color inspiration...creating the perfect opportunity to get my creative juices flowing! I have participated in The Paper Players sketch and color challenges in the past as often as time would allow (which isn't often enough!). Recently, I have found myself with a little more extra time to put into participating in challenges, so when I saw they were looking for some designers, I thought I would give it a go in "applying" to join The Paper Players team for a few months. I hesitated for a moment in fear of not making the cut, but then I remembered seeing a quote that I had pinned on Pinterest. "You are far too smart to be the only thing standing in your way." So, make it or not...I'm giving it a shot!

Just a brief bio of me: I'm Heidi and I have been a Stampin' Up! demonstrator for almost 3 years (in March). It has been such a great experience as my joy for papercrafting has become a true passion of mine! My card making style is fairly clean and simple, but I try to branch out every now and then and try things outside the box. Participating in sketch challenges gives me that chance! I am married to a supportive (and patient) man who puts up with this crazy little hobby of mine! I have two littles at home...one who is in 1/2 day Kindergarten, and a 4 year old pre-schooler. These two cutie pies take most of my attention, and trying to find a balance between mommy and crafter is always a challenge! However, with both of them in school part of the time, I have found those little chunks of time to do something just for me a couple mornings a week...most of the time I'm in my craft room...unless I'm forced to "manage the house"!

Joining The Paper Players team would give me the perfect excuse and joy to be able to get into my craft room a little bit more and work with many different sketches to think outside the box and create something with a little sketch and color inspiration.

Here are a few of my recent favorites...

card for a friend

I wanted to make a card for a friend who needed a little encouragement and I needed a little inspiration to make just the right one, so I headed over to A La Card Monkey to play along with their sketch, and for some color inspiration I used the colors at Create with Connie & Mary.



I kept it fairly simple because I wanted it to be a card I could easily mail...

Stamp Set: Pocket Silhouettes, Pursuit of Happiness(available in clear or wood mount)
Paper: Melon Mambo, Lucky Limeade, Chocolate Chip, Lucky Limeade DSP (polka dots)
Ink: Chocolate Chip, markers - Chocolate Chip, Lucky Limeade
Accessories: Pearl Accents, Stampin' Dimensionals
Tools: Adorning Accents Edgelits, Beautiful Wings Embosslits Die, Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine

february 2012 card making night!

Last night I held my monthly 3 for $6 card making night ("Third Thursday" of each month, January - June). It came so fast...I feel like we just wrapped up January card night! It was a much smaller group than last month, but fun nonetheless! I enjoyed having a few more personal conversations since I was also able to stamp with the ladies. I really like both sides of the spectrum...lots of stampers or a small group. They both have their advantages. We were kind of chuckling last night because this time around we could hear my kids running around and playing upstairs, whereas last month, there were so many of us downstairs having conversations and such, it drowned out the chaos upstairs! ;)

Card #1
I had originally made this card over a crafting weekend (just for fun!) at the beginning of February and later on decided it would be a great one for a card making night. I originally had buttons in place of the flowers, but to make my supplies stretch a little further I changed it up by using a small flower punch and adding a rhinestone.

I love the Petite Pairs stamp set...I put the other half of the greeting on the inside of the card.

Stamp Set: Best of Everything, Petite Pairs (both sets available in clear or wood mount)
Paper: Whisper White, Melon Mambo, Wild Wasabi, Pretty in Pink
Ink: Wild Wasabi, Chocolate Chip, markers - Melon Mambo, Chocolate Chip, Pumpkin Pie (coloring in the bird)
Accessories: 1/2" Melon Mambo Polka-Dotted Ribbon (retired), Rhinestones Jewel Accents, Stampin' Dimensionals
Tools: 2-1/2" Circle punch, Itty Bitty Shapes punch pack (small flower), Eyelet Border punch, Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine, Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder

Card #2
This one might look familiar since I shared it last week. The only thing I changed was the size of the ribbon. This was a quick, but fun card!

Stamp Set: Friendly Phrases, Sweets for the Sweet (available in clear or wood mount)
Paper: Real Red, Whisper White, Big Top DSP
Ink: Real Red, Daffodil Delight, Old Olive
Accessories: 1/4" Real Red Grosgrain ribbon, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, Stampin' Dimensionals
Tools: 1" Circle punch

Card #3
For the last card of the night, I used the Freshly Made Sketch #22.


I have been wanting to ink up my new Mouthwatering stamp set from the Occasions Mini Catalog, so I decided to go with the popsicle image and created a "sweet" card.

Stamp Set: Mouthwatering, Fabulous Phrases, (both sets available in clear or wood mount)
Paper: Whisper White, Lucky Limeade, Elegant Eggplant, Sweet Shop Specialty DSP
Ink: Lucky Limeade, markers - Wisteria Wonder, Soft Suede
Accessories: Rhinestones Jewel Accents, Stampin' Dimensionals, Lucky Limeade Baker's Twine
Tools: Small Heart punch,

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Hope you can join me next time!! For any of you who live in the Portland-Metro, Oregon area, mark your calendars for "Third Thursday" Card Making Nights...3 cards for only $6!
March 15
April 19
May 17
June 21

Contact me for more information if you're interested...