Rising to the Challenge...

This months Gold Star Ink team meeting card swap is to 'limit ourselves' to one color, one natural color, one stamp set and one embellishment ... limiting myself is never easy when it comes to designing a card I tend to go for the bling and the bang however I am pleased with how this challenge turned out ... one color was Coral and I opened for two tones of it Calypso and Crisp Cantaloupe, Whisper White for my neutral, one stamp set Six Sided Sampler and one embellishment is my ribbon ... I did sneak in the Hexagon Emboss folder in there ;)

Hope the ladies at the shoebox swap tonight love it as much as I do ~ cannot wait to see what they have to offer!

Happy Stampin'

Margaret

Bling Challenge

This months Gold Star Ink team challenge was BLING so imagine my delight to carve out some time this morning to get busy creating something to share with the team that features bling, glitter, smooch and well just WOW to anyone who gets this handmade card in their mailbox this upcoming season!

I was inspired to use the tag punches to create a snowflake I have seen making its rounds on the Internet to create an ornament.

 So to start I cut some brush silver cardstock and punched out 16 small tags leaving space on the strip as shown. Than using the lag tag punch I carefully re-punched the strip of tags ... creating the 'window' at the bottom shown here ... 

Than you use a 4 x 4 piece of velum and using glue attach 4 tag windows snuggle together at the corner edges to the vellum as shown below.

Please note my first one I used the two way glue as this is what someone online had said they used - however I noted that it did not stick as well to the vellum once I started cutting later so on my second one I chose to use the Multi Purpose Tombo which worked better IMO however is messier - so to each her own on glue choices ;)

Repeat the pattern with a second layer slightly rotated to the right ... as shown here ...

Once you have your two pieces of vellum with the tag pattern glued on and dry - than you need to take your paper snips and carefully snip away the flat edges to  reveal the snowflake as shown here ....

 Snip both pieces as shown here ...

Than I used the Northern Frost snowflake die to cut out a snowflake focal point  - however you could use any alternative 'focal' piece in the middle here. I used the paper pierce to pierce the focal point and ONE snowflake and attached a silver glimmer brad through and using fishing wire I tied a loop around the brad before 'closing' the prongs to secure it in place for use as an ornament hanger. Than attach the top snowflake to the second layer at a slight angle as shown here - I chose to use a 'dimensional' to give it a little more depth.

Now you could just use this as an ornament on your tree or hang them from a window as a sun catcher throughout the winter season - it really is striking and I am very please with my first effort ... however when I was done I decided I wanted more BLING for this particular challenge ;)

 So I repeated the entire process using the new Stampin' Up Silver Glimmer paper ... and well can you say BLING - photos do not do this justice but  you might need some sunglasses to view this baby in person!

 And well I wanted to create a card to go with it ... so that it could serve as both a Christmas card and a small token of thanks for someone special this season - so here is the card i created to hold the ornament

 There was so much bling going on here I was afraid a sentiment would take away from the glimmer - so thank goodness for the Tiny Tags sentiments and Jewelery punch ... cause a little Merry sends the message of Holiday tidings while not taking away too much from the snowflake ornament!

 Side view to show the dimension on the card ... the Framed Tulips and Snow burst embossing folders both smooched with some Vanilla smooch  really add some additional glimmer to the card in person

Happy Stampin'

Margaret

A Wicked Halloween indeed!

Not only will the trick or treaters be happy with these little cellophane goodie bags I made up wishing them a Wicked Halloween - but Stampin Up has a treat for us grown ups as well!!

The FREE BIG SHOT incentive deal has been extended until Friday November 11th - so if you were on the fence and worried you missed out - it is not too late!

This is such a remarkable opportunity Stampin Up did not want people busy with Halloween preparations to miss out on an amazing deal so they have extended the FREE BIG SHOT deal for new demonstrators who join up!

Here is an example of one of the many things you can make with the Big Shot .... not to mention the benefits of working with an awesome team of demonstrators as this was something we made with my Up line mentor at her house this month ... a totally gorgeous gift box for someone special this holiday season!

I added some bling bling Poinsettias when I got home and a little additional Very Vanilla bow!

The little box opens and fully functional to hold some tasty chocolates, jewellery, a gift card - options are endless! 

Have you ever considered the benefits of being a Stampin' Up Demonstrator? We have all sorts of career paths! 

From the 'Discount Demo' who is her own best customer and joins up just to get the amazing Start Kit goodies and the great 20% demo discount ... if you are an avid stamper or scrapper this path could be for you!

We have the 'Hobby Demo' career path which is perfect for those of us who have a financial goal we want to meet - we can earn some extra money or we can earn enough money part time to support our own addiction - so a few workshops and classes a month help the Hobby Demo to support their addiction while getting a great discount on products they love!

Last but not least we have the 'Dynamic Business Demo' who has a bit more time and energy to devote to their business .. striving to keep their calendar full with workshops and classes and working to build a strong team of fellow Demos to really share what they love!

The great thing about Stampin' Up is that the quarterly minimums are very attainable for the Discount Demo path and the possibilities for building a strong business are endless guided by a supportive team and your own passion!

This month join my team before November 11th and not only get a FREE BIG SHOT but the awesome Start Kit as well - not to mention the support of an amazing down-line of demonstrations all ready, willing and able to share ideas and motivation - so give me a call if you have questions!

 

Don't forget to check back tomorrow when I will have some more awesome news to share about more FREE stuff for Stampin Up Digital enthusiasts in honor of this Saturdays National Digital Scrapping Day! 

Happy Stampin'

Margaret

Mashing Up Stamping 411

Had fun this weekend creating some challenge cards .... great way to stay warm on a cold rainy weekend ... there are so many inspiring challenges out there that I combined a few to come up with my card creations!

Started by Mashing up a snowflake inspired easel card for the Friday Mashup ... feel free to click the picture to see how others were inspired by the challenge ....

Then I hopped on over to the Stamping 411 and was inspired by their layout and incorporated it into my card as well ... I did flip the orientation a bit to make it work with the easel ... feel free to click the photo to see the wonderful inspirations others had from this layout!

And finally my color combination was inspired by this months Goldstar Ink team challenge  ... make a card using grey, blue and red in a card to share with the team ... and here is my final inspiration combining these three awesome challenges.

I love how the embossing powders of silver and iridescent ice really make this card 'sparkle' and I used the silver cardstock as well which is a shade of grey and adds  some additional dimension and glam to it ...almost used our new silver glimmer paper but restrained myself otherwise people might have needed sunglasses to view the card!

And the final Piece De Resistance that makes this card so yummy for me .... a little Doily snowflake accent, rhinestone bling and dazzling details were added to the snowflakes and sentiment! 

Thanks for stopping by and taking time to leave a comment - your support and encouragement means a lot!

Happy Stampin'

Margaret

No better time to join my team ...

Welcome bloggers ... I can never say it enough but one of the things I just LOVE about Stampin' Up is the collaborative supportive team atmosphere ... my upline is amazing and we meet monthly to share ideas on building our business and participating in cardswaps!

Here are some shares from the end of Septembers swap where we focused on Holiday themed cards showcasing Holiday mini and other finds from the catty  ...

From Liz's daughter an amazing Halloween offering ... loved creating this it was spooky sponging fun!

 Nancy shared this peekaboo ornament card which showcases the new Platinum embossing powder however my camera did not do it justice!

 Pauline brought a guest this month - another great thing about Stampin' Up they really mean it when they say 'Share What You Love' . Pauline's guest was Tanya if I remember correctly who shared this card which showcased the Stocking Building punch and coordinating stamp set.

 From Liz this cool 'bleached' Comfort and Joy offering that has both a Fall and Christmas feel to it! 

From Pauling a really cool clean and simple Day of Gratitude offering ... combination of stamped and embossed images ...love the Gold embossing powder!

 From Susan ... another cool peekaboo Delightful Decorations offering which showcases the Northern Flurry embossing folder nicely as well!

Have you ever considered the benefits of being a Stampin' Up Demonstrator? We have all sorts of career paths! 

From the 'Discount Demo' who is her own best customer and joins up just to get the amazing Start Kit goodies and the great 20% demo discount ... if you are an avid stamper or scrapper this path could be for you!

We have the 'Hobby Demo' career path which is perfect for those of us who have a financial goal we want to meet - we can earn some extra money or we can earn enough money part time to support our own addiction - so a few workshops and classes a month help the Hobby Demo to support their addiction while getting a great discount on products they love!

Last but not least we have the 'Dynamic Business Demo' who has a bit more time and energy to devote to their business .. striving to keep their calendar full with workshops and classes and working to build a strong team of fellow Demos to really share what they love!

The great thing about Stampin' Up is that the quarterly minimums are very attainable for the Discount Demo path and the possibilities for building a strong business are endless guided by a supportive team and your own passion!

This month join my team and not only get a FREE BIG SHOT but the awesome Start Kit as well!

Happy Stampin'

Margaret

Stockings are hung ...

Is this not the cutest little Christmas card? 

I made this card for our monthly Team meeting challenge and card swap to showcase Holiday mini finds we love ... well I just love the Stocking Builder punch, the Holly Bouquet DSP and glitter paper, little Jingle Bell embellishments in the mini and the new Snowburst embossing folder and the Dazzling Details accents ... well I could go on and on the Mini is full of amazing products and I manged to squeeze many of them into this card.

If you are ever interested in seeing what a Team meeting is like or just participating in a card swap let me know cause I am allowed to bring guests - it costs $5 and you would be eligible for door prizes in addition to getting to make awesome cards and have great fun!

Happy Stampin!

ETA .... if you are here part of the OWH blog hop my post for the hop today is located here  not sure what happened cause this was my Friday post and I had created a post to go live for the 3am as requested because I am away at a conference today and could not be home to upload it last night ... but for some reason the link in the HOP to this one....sorry for the inconvenience :)

More Playing with Punches to share

This is another card we made at our monthly Gold Stars Ink team meeting this month ... this set is just versatile!

This card was shared by a new member to the team Linda, thanks for the correct name Susan I am horrible with names, and featured the Delicate Doilies and the Doily Triple Layer punch with an awesome color combo of Tempting Turquoise and Cherry Cobbler!

Perfect card for sending someone feel better soon vibes!

Happy Stampin'

Playing with Punches - Shoebox Swaps

This offering is from our Playing with Punches - shoebox card swap with my upline team! Nancy designed and shared her shoebox with us to get to make this card - it was so much fun!

This card used the Lattice Bigz Die with it handcut to create the Celtic knot look, the Butterfly punch, the Boho Blossoms Punch, the 2 Step Bird punch and the ribbon punch. It also features the 2011-12 In Colors and the Butterfly Prints stamp set!

Also wanted to share that I am able to invite a 'guest' to the Upline Team meetings so of you ever wanted to come out and see how supportive and fun being a Stampin' Up Demo can be - drop me a line!

Happy Stampin'

My Friend

I am so loving this new set as well - the new 2011-12 catalog is full of so many awesome wonderful new treasures ... my wishlist is always growing everytime I get a chance to play with a stamp set at a swap or to see samples online! 

 

This My Friend sample is from a recent card class my upline Liz held .... done up showing off some of the new colored embossing powders - just so very pretty and fun to play with ... both the stamp set and some of the new embossing powders ended up on my recent order sent it!

Happy Stampin'

On the Grow Swap

Another thing I love about participating in the Shoebox swaps at our monthly team meetings - is getting to play with stamp sets you do not yet have! 

This set is our "On the Grow" from the Summer mini - which we had fun water coloring with the Aquapainter and Classic Inks from Stampin' Up.

This was a cute card designed by my upline Liz - love all the components to it that give it awesome texture ... the Ribbon Lace Border punch and the tearing give it a nice flare!

Happy Stampin'

Happy Canada Day weekend

During July, you can join the Stampin' Up! family as a demonstrator for only $119! This limited time Starter Kit—valued at $205—comes with the following high-quality products:

• Easy Events Clear-Mount Set*
• Pennant Parade Wood-Mount Set*
• Basic Black Classic Stampin' Pad
• Old Olive Classic Stampin' Pad
• Pumpkin Pie Classic Stampin' Pad
• Real Red Classic Stampin' Pad
• Brights 8-1/2" x 11" Assorted Card Stock
• Just Add Cake Designer Series Paper*
• Chocolate Chip 1/2" Scallop Dots Ribbon*
• Note Cards (20)
• Clear-Mount Block C
• Blender Pen (1)
• SNAIL Adhesive
• Business supplies

*Brand new to the 2011-2012 Idea Book & Catalogue!

Plus, join in July and get a FREE Christmas Keepsake project kit—a $50 value! Imagine an afternoon spent chatting with friends while creating something beautiful—isn't that what Stampin' Up! is all about? But act now because this special kit is only available as part of this limited-time offer.

Join Stampin' Up! in July and get brand-new products, including an exclusive project kit—all for just $119!

This is a gorgeous card design from my upline Liz featuring the Strength and Hope campaign stamp set - $2 from each set sold during the summer mini goes towards fighting Breast Cancer!

We made this at a team meeting night in May ... another great reason to join Stampin' Up this month - getting together with other demos to discuss business strategies, learn new techniques and play with product you might not own yet! I love my upline mentor and all the support that she offers me and would love to be able to continue to build my team so that I too can pay it forward to others!

Downline Team Challenge

This month's team challenge for the Gold Stars Ink is to create something 'floral themed' so this is going to be my offering! I just love the Springtime Vintage DSP and think that it matches perfectly with the Fifth Avenue Floral stamp set!

Embossed the flowers with gold embossing powder and than sponged the inside of the flowers with So Saffron and Baja Breeze and than some Dazzling Diamond and Baja Breeze Seam binding finish it off nicely!