To My Friend

Today's card is a sneak peek from my Stamp-a-Stack classes this month.  I love the simplicity of this card - cardstock, stamps, ink and dimensionals.  Sometimes it's nice to remember that you don't necessarily need a bunch of accessories to make a super cute card :-)


Thanks for stopping by!


~~Marilyn~~

Stamps:  Season of Friendship, Friendly Phrases
Cardstock:  Whisper White, Marina Mist, Certainly Celery
Ink:  Marina Mist, Certainly Celery, Crumb Cake
Accessories:  stampin' dimensionals

Smooches Sneak Peek Ending Soon!

Monday, April 30 is your last chance to grab the fun Summer Smooches product sneak peek until the new Idea Book & Catalog debuts in June.  Today's card features a stamp set and designer series paper from the sneak peek.  The colors on the Summer Smooches designer series paper are so bright and cheerful - I love 'em!!
 
Thanks for stopping by!


~~Marilyn~~

Stamps:  Bright Blossoms, Wow Flowers
Cardstock:  Lucky Limeade, Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight, Whisper White
Ink:  Lucky Limeade, Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight
Accessories:  Summer Smooches designer series paper, postage stamp punch, rhinestone, stampin' dimensionals

More Summer Smooches

Has the Summer Smooches sneak peek piqued your interest?? Here's another card that features the fun floral images from this stamp set that will debut in the new Idea Book & Catalog on June 1st. But everyone can get their hands on it - and other products from the Summer Smooches product line - this month.

Thanks for stopping by!

~~Marilyn~~

Stamps: Summer Smooches
Cardstock: Island Indigo, Certainly Celery, Pretty in Pink, Very Vanilla
Ink: Island Indigo, Certainly Celery, Pretty in Pink
Accessories: Big Shot, Polka Dots embossing folder, Stripes embossing folder, 1-3/4" circle punch, Framelits, stampin' dimensionals

Pool Party Custom Envelope

With Stampin' Up!'s new Simply Scored tool, making custom envelopes for all your cards is easy! This 3x3 card looks even cuter with a perfectly matched envelope, don't you think?

Thanks for stopping by!

~~Marilyn~~

Stamps: Party This Way
Cardstock: Whisper White
Ink: Pool Party
Accessories: Simply Scored tool, Pool Party Patterns designer series paper, Butterfly punch, rhinestones, stampin' dimensionals

Scored for Texture

I had a class over the weekend to showcase Stampin' Up!'s Simply Scored scoring tool (item #122334, $29.95). This card features just a little bit of texture around the image panel. Scoring 1/4" and 1/2" in from each side creates a simple border - perfect for masculine cards.


This second card uses the Simply Scored Diagonal Plate (item #125586, $11.95). Scoring every inch from the top and bottom creates a nice crosshatch pattern that reminded me a baby quilt.

Thanks for stopping by!

~~Marilyn~~

{{Father's Day}}
Stamps: Best Dad Ever, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Cardstock: Not Quite Navy, Garden Green, Crumb Cake
Ink: Not Quite Navy, Garden Green, Chocolate Chip
Accessories: word window punch, Simply Scored, Simply Scored Diagonal Plate, stampin' dimensionals

{{For Baby}}
Stamps: Easy Events
Cardstock: So Saffron, Very Vanilla
Ink: Black Stazon, So Saffron, Peach Parfait, Soft Suede, Baja Breeze
Accessories: Simply Scored, Simply Scored Diagonal Plate, stampin' dimensionals

Summer Smooches is Here!

Stampin' Up! has a special customer promotion this month. One of the perks of being a demonstrator is having the opportunity to get our hands on new products before they hit the market. Well, through April 30th, customers can get a taste of this perk and pre-order select Summer Smooches products that will debut in the new Idea Book & Catalog on June 1! Today's card features the fabulously fresh Summer Smooches designer series paper - a kaleidoscope of bright summer colors.

If you'd like to take advantage of pre-order opportunities all year long, consider becoming a demonstrator. I'd love to share all the wonderful perks available as a demonstrator, so let's chat!

Thanks for stopping by!

~~Marilyn~~

Stamps: Mixed Bunch, Perfect Words
Cardstock: Rich Razzleberry, Tempting Turquoise, Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight, Whisper White
Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Daffodil Delight, Tangerine Tango
Accessories: Blossom punch, Summer Smooches designer series paper, rhinestone, 1" circle punch, 1-1/4" circle punch, Boho Blossoms punch, stampin' dimensionals

Boys Birthday Invitation

Today's card would make a perfect birthday invitation for the young man in your life. The color combination was inspired by a boys shirt I saw while shopping one day.

Thanks for stopping by!

~~Marilyn~~

Stamps: Party This Way
Cardstock: More Mustard, Baja Breeze, Basic Black
Ink: More Mustard, Baja Breeze, Black Stazon
Accessories: Big Shot, Stripes embossing folder, pennant punch, stampin' dimensionals

Stitched Blossom

Hi stampers! I'm back with another card to share. I love using the Lattice embossing folder - it makes everything look like fabric. I stamped and colored this floral image and then ran the panel through the Big Shot. The end result is something that looks a bit like cross-stitch! Fun, huh?

Thanks for stopping by!

~~Marilyn~~

Stamps: Bordering on Romance, Perfect Words
Cardstock: Blushing Bride, Certainly Celery, Regal Rose, Whisper White
Ink: Black Stazon, Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose, Certainly Celery
Accessories: Big Shot, Lattice embossing folder, Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border punch, stampin' dimensionals

April Fools!

Yes, it's April Fools Day, but this is not a April Fools joke...I'm actually posting on my blog again! It's been a long, long time but I'm hoping to make a fresh start and share lots of great Stampin' Up! projects. For those of you who have patiently waited for me to return, thanks for all the words of encouragement.

My remarks will probably be very brief, but I'll try to at least give you a list of the products used on each project.

Thanks for stopping by!

~Marilyn~


Stamps: Short & Sweet
Cardstock: Whisper White, Basic Black, Real Red
Ink: Real Red
Accessories: Blossom punch, Boho Blossoms punch, word window punch, modern label punch, rhinestone, stampin' dimensionals

Have you heard??

Stampin' Up! has really outdone themselves this month! If you've ever thought about becoming a demonstrator, October is the month to do it. When you join the Stampin' Up! family by October 31st, you'll get a FREE BIG SHOT or your choice of $100 worth of Stampin’ Up! products!!


The starter kit is already a great value - you receive more than $345 worth of products and supplies for only $175. And now it's even better!

I love what I do. How about you?

~~Marilyn~~

Glittery Goodness

I am so glad that Stampin' Up! is offering another color of glimmer paper in the new Holiday Mini Catalog! It's so incredibly sparkling, adding a lot of shimmer to your projects! The photo does not any justice to the glistening of the snowball or the shimmer highlighting Frosty's body but this card is so glittery. Dazzling Details is a new product in the mini catalog too - it's an iridescent glitter glue :-)


Tip: add a little extra dimension to your cards by layering the same color cardstock, raised with stampin' dimensionals, on your cardbase. Simple but effective!

Thanks for stopping by!

~~Marilyn~~

Stamps: Snow Much Fun
Cardstock: Poppy Parade, Watercolor Paper
Ink: Stazon Black, Poppy Parade, Basic Grey, Pumpkin Pie
Accesories: aquapainter, Basic Black striped grosgrain ribbon, Silver glimmer paper, Dazzling Details, 1/4" circle punch

Give Thanks

I have another card to share featuring the new Gently Falling stamp set from the upcoming Holiday Mini Catalog. I absolutely LOVE this set and will probably be using it alot! It coordinates so well with the new Spice Cake designer series paper, making it easy to create fabulous projects!


I softened the leaf a bit by stamping off once on scrap paper before stamping on the cardstock. This is a great way to get more bang for your buck with a single stamp pad. Sponging around all of the edges of cardstock and designer series paper also softens the look. The sentiment is from a retired stamp set, but I just love it and couldn't resist using it!

Thanks for stopping by!

~~Marilyn~~

Stamps: Gently Falling, Holiday Best (retired)
Cardstock: Pear Pizzazz, Soft Suede, Very Vanilla
Ink: Pear Pizzazz, Soft Suede
Accessories: Spice Cake designer series paper, sponges, stampin' dimensionals

Holiday Mini Sneak Peek

Stampin' Up! has really stepped it up with the new products in the Holiday Mini Catalog that debuts on September 1st. 40+ pages filled with fun new stamp sets and designer series paper, and lots of fabulous new accessories like buttons, fabrics, ribbon, mini jingle bells, glimmer paper and dazzling details (think stickles).

So let's start with a sneak peek at a Fall-themed stamp set, Gently Falling. The color combination comes from the new Spice Cake designer series paper.

I'll have more samples so be sure to check back. Thanks for stopping by!

~~Marilyn~~

Stamps: Gently Falling, Word Play
Cardstock: Soft Suede, Pool Party, Whisper White
Ink: Soft Suede, Pool Party, More Mustard
Accessories: Crumb Cake taffeta ribbon, dotted scallop ribbon punch, color spritzer, stampin' dimensionals

Shoebox Swap Shares

I have some more projects to share from the shoebox swap this past weekend with my fellow Stampin' Up! demonstrators. This first card was designed by Kelly Skidmore and the color combination is fabulous - Lucky Limeade (new in-color) and Chocolate Chip.


The new Holiday Mini Catalog that debuts on September 1st has so many fabulous new products. You are going to LOVE the new Stocking Builder punch! Not only does it coordinate with the Stitched Stockings stamp set, it's works wonderfully with the silver glimmer paper! This Christmas card was designed by my upline, Sherrie Thomas.

To show you how fabulously sparkly the glimmer paper is, here's a close-up of the stocking:


You can now see why I love getting together with my stampin' sisters! We all love to share our ideas and I always come away from the meetings re-energized. If you want to be a part of a supportive network of talented paper crafters, consider becoming a demonstrator. I just celebrated my 6th anniversary and still love it as much as I did when I started.

Thanks for stopping by!

~~Marilyn~~

{{thank you}}
Stamps: Creative Elements, Perfectly Penned
Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Lucky Limeade, Whisper White
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Lucky Limeade
Accessories: Lucky Limeade ruffled ribbon, Big Shot, Houndstooth embossing folder, stampin' dimensionals

{{merry christmas}}
Stamps: Stitched Stockings, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Cardstock: Garden Green, Early Espresso, Real Red
Ink: Early Espresso
Accessories: stocking builder punch, 2-3/8" scallop circle punch, modern label punch, Holly Beery Bouquet designer series paper, stampin' dimensionals

Stamp-a-Thon

What a fun afternoon! My upline held her annual Stamp-a-Thon for her downline complete with a potluck and a shoebox swap. We were blessed to have some "distant relatives" come from 2 hours away to participate - a shout out to Betty's Kentucky Contingency! :-)

Here is my contribution to the swap featuring new stamp sets, Best Friends Forever (got it free for attending convention!) and Friendly Phrases. I also used the beautiful new designer series paper from the upcoming Holiday Mini Catalog called Spice Cake.


For some reason, my camera doesn't want to be truthful with the cardstock colors. The strip of cardstock above the DSP is Early Espresso even though it looks black and the bright blue at the bottom is actually the soft Pool Party in-color.

I'll have some more projects to share from our get together so be sure to check back.

Thanks for stopping by!

~~Marilyn~~

Stamps: Best Friends Forever, Friendly Phrases
Cardstock: Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, Pool Party, Very Vanilla
Ink: Crumb Cake, Early Espresso
Accessories: scallop border punch, large oval punch, scallop oval punch, Spice Cake designer series paper, stampin' dimensionals

Free DSP!

Have you heard?? Stampin' Up! is offering a special promotion on designer series paper this month: buy 3 packages of basic DSP and get 1 free - a $10.95 value! Choose from any of the following patterns on pages 184-186 of the Idea Book & Catalog:

122343 Nautical Expedition
122367 Paisley Petals
122357 Beau Château
122354 Pocketful of Posies
122355 Domestic Goddess
124339 Just Add Cake
122351 Frightful Sight
122352 Timeless Portrait
122350 Berry Blossoms
122342 Beyond the Garden
122359 Well Worn
122347 Nursery Nest
122349 Letters to Santa
122348 Big Top Birthday

Stampin' Up! offers a Designer Series Paper for every crafting occasion, every crafting project, and every creative mood so stock up today!

~~Marilyn~~

Punch It Up - Part 2

More unsanctioned punch usage from my $5 or Free classes this past weekend! Let's start with the fun new Blossom Bouquet triple layer punch (#122464). It's made to make - of course - flowers like this:

But with a few snips, the flower becomes an adorable bow to dress up any present!

Cute huh??

Now what about the extra large tag punch (#119866)?


Think it can only be used for layering tags? No way! Try flipping it upside down, adding a punched handle and you get a stinkin' cute coffee mug!

So have I convinced you to get out your punches and use your creativity? I sure hope so!

Thanks for stopping by!

~~Marilyn~~

{{new baby}}
Stamps: Button Buddies, Friendly Phrases
Cardstock: Whisper White, Pretty in Pink, Bashful Blue
Ink: Pretty in Pink, Bashful Blue
Accessories: Big Shot, Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder, 2-way glue pen, dazzling diamonds, stampin' dimensionals

{{just because}}
Stamps: It's Your Day
Cardstock: Peach Parfait, Blushing Bride, Early Espresso, Whisper White
Ink: Early Espresso
Accessories: Just Add Cake designer series paper, extra large tag punch, 1" circle punch, 1-1/4" circle punch, stampin' dimensionals

{{magnificent}}
Stamps: Bold Blossom, Perfect Words
Cardstock: Tangerine Tango, Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight, Whisper White
Ink: Tangerine Tango, Wild Wasabi
Accessories: Blossom Bouquet triple layer punch, rhinestones, Daffodil Delight satin ribbon, stampin' dimensionals

{{happy day}}
Stamps: Perfect Words
Cardstock: Island Indigo, Daffodil Delight, Whisper White
Ink: Island Indigo
Accessories: Blossom Bouquet triple layer punch, Flirtatious designer series paper, Island Indigo ruffled ribbon, stampin' dimensionals

Punch It Up - Part 1

Hello! Is anyone still out there visiting my blog? Sorry for the long dry spell, but July was a crazy busy month. Summer camp for Evan, Stampin' Up! convention (my first!) for me, a nasty upper respiratory infection (still not 100% back yet). I also had 2 classes, my Big Shot club meeting and a group Stampin' Up! garage sale. But now I have some great projects to share!

My class this month was all about punches and using them in "unsanctioned" ways. I started with the ornament punch which is used for, you guessed it, ornaments. Like this:

A nice, simple, easy-t0-mass-produce Christmas card. But if you're like me, you want several ways to use a product. So how about turning the ornament into a fish?


Cute, isn't he?? The ornament punch becomes his body. The five petal flower punch becomes his fins, and his eyes are made with layered circles. I don't know if you can really see the bubbles well in the photo, so here's a close up of layered circles for another purpose.How's that for some "thinking outside the box"? So if you didn't buy the ornament punch (#119847) because you thought it was only for Christmas, think again!

Be sure to check back tomorrow for two more "unsanctioned" uses for punches! Thanks for stopping by!

~~Marilyn~~

{{merry christmas}}
Stamps: Lovely as a Tree, Four the Holidays
Cardstock: Wild Wasabi, Real Red, Whisper White
Ink: Wild Wasabi, Real Red
Accessories: ornament punch, stampin' dimensionals

{{thinking of you}}
Stamps: Trendy Trees
Cardstock: Daffodil Delight, Bashful Blue, Pacific Point, Tangerine Tango, Whisper White
Ink: Pacific Point
Accessories: ornament punch, five petal flower punch, 1/4" circle punch, 1/2" circle punch, 2-1/2" circle punch, stampin' dimensionals

More class samples

I have the last two cards from my Stamp-a-Stack classes to share. Enjoy!



Thanks for stopping by!

~~Marilyn~~

{{thinking of you}}
Stamps: Tart & Tangy, Best Dad Ever
Cardstock: Daffodil Delight, Tangerine Tango, Lucky Limeade, Whisper White
Ink: Versamark, Tangerine Tango
Accessories: clear embossing powder, heat tool, stampin' dimensionals

{{happy birthday}}
Stamps: Vintage Vogue, Bring on the Cake
Cardstock: Baja Breeze, Soft Suede, Very Vanilla
Ink: Baja Breeze, Soft Suede
Accessories: Elegant Soiree designer series paper, 1-3/4" circle punch, extra large scallop circle punch, stampin' dimensionals

More last chances

I'm back with some more cards from my All Occasion Stamp-a-Stacks this month. They showcase some of the soon-to-be retired stamps when the new Idea Book & Catalog debuts later this week.

This first card was inspired by a one I received in a local swap. I switched things up by changing the colors - inspired by the fabulous color coach and done!


And this card is perfect for so many occasions - birthday, good luck, congratulations...
I tried to keep it gender neutral so it's very versatile.


I think this rocker is one stamp that I won't be parting with when it retires on July 1st. It's definitely a keeper so get yours before it's gone!

Thanks for stopping by!

~~Marilyn~~

{{rock}}
Stamps: Extreme Guitar, Extreme Elements
Cardstock: Rich Razzleberry, Basic Gray, Sahara Sand
Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Basic Gray, Sahara Sand
Accessories: postage stamp punch, rhinestones, stampin' dimensionals

{{thanks}}
Stamps: Pick a Petal, Thanks Kindly
Cardstock: Peach Parfait, Early Espresso, Real Red, Whisper White
Ink: Peach Parfait, Early Espresso
Accessories: Real Red satin ribbon, stampin' dimensionals